Healthy Feasting

Healthy Feasting

Ramadan is the one-month of fasting and feasting phase for muslims all over. I still don't understand how they go on with food and water for 15 hours at a stretch. My muslim friends tell me that they break their fast with fresh dates and khajur followed by fruits and then a variety of fried delicacies, tandoori chicken, naan, rotis and the likes.

The dates and fruits are much needed to regulate their blood sugar balance which has surely dipped during the period of fast. I have put together a few tried and tasted (by me, of course), using fruits, dates, cereal and chicken in a healthy style.   

I have also added curd cutlet for that much needed protein to make up for the muscle loss, which accompanies long periods of fasting. I have also included a paneer cutlet, which would be a good early morning meal. This morning meal is around 4 am which is also their last meal for the day. Paneer is an extremely slow digesting protein, which provides satiety for a longer time. It provides a slow release of sugar into the bloodstream and helps to maintain blood sugar and energy levels. 

Click on this link for some of my healthy recipes:   http://www.thehealthsite.com/author/prema-kodical/

Jackfruit Mania

Jackfruit Mania

pics: Sanjana Kodical

I know this blog is a little late in the year when the jackfruit season is almost coming to an end. My apologies but better late than never! You can still reap its benefit for another week at least. I have been enjoying the natural sweetness and goodness of this fruit in its different avatars. It’s almost like a summer addiction and I love to talk about it.

Before I continue, let me add that I’ve never been a great jackfruit fan as a kid. I almost hated it. This fruit occupies a special place in a Mangalorean kitchen. It’s a gift of love from anyone who returns from a trip to Mangalore.

Only when I became a nutritionist and started studying the nutritive value of foods that I realized how badly I had treated this rich fruit.  So let’s start with:

Health benefits of jackfruit

-          Instant energizer

-          has potassium which maintains blood pressure

-          Rich source of fiber improves digestion and prevents constipation

-          Antioxidants slow down the ageing process

-          Has vitamin A, a vital nutrient for eye health

-          Calcium strengthens and promotes healthy bones

-          Rich in vitamins A, C, E, K, Niacin, Vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid and minerals like copper, manganese and magnesium to prevent and cure anemia

-          Vitamin C strengthens the immune system

-          Manganese regulates blood sugar levels in the body

-          Copper keeps thyroid glands healthy

-          Vitamin B6 keeps the heart healthy

-          Can cure ulcers and other digestive system disorders

So, all those who have ignored the jackfruit, please reconsider your stand.

Jackfruit Idly

I have been enjoying the sweet and juicy bulbs of the fruit. But more than that, I have enjoyed experimenting with it. I’m fond of making sooji halwa using pineapple, apple, banana or mixed fruit pulp. Even beetroot! So jackfruit was the obvious choice. And I loved it! So did everyone else at home. It’s made exactly the way we make sooji halwa but in the end I and pureed or finely minced jackfruit. It’s about 200 gm (deseeded) for 1 cup sooji.

Next, I tried Jackfruit Idly. This was a super hit breakfast item. Serve warm with a cup of tea or coffee.

Here’s the link to the recipe:

http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/summer-special-jackfruit-idly/

Next on the list was Jackfruit Paniyavaram. Another one on the hit list! It’s very simple but you need the paniyavaram maker. This one is a multi-tasker. It can be used to make pakoras, vadas, and koftas. Buy the non-stick version if you don’t have one. You can make your paniyavaram using just 1 tsp of ghee or oil. 

Paniyavaram recipe

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour – ¼ cup

Daliya or lapsi (finest variety) – ½ cup

Sweet Jackfruit bulbs – 250 gm

Powdered jaggery – ½ cup (can add lesser to make it less sweet)

Salt – a pinch

Elaichi powder – 1 tsp

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Method

Deseed the jackfruit bulbs

Take them in a food chopper and crush them finely

Mix it with the rest of the ingredients

 Add water to get idly batter consistency

Heat the paniyavaram maker on medium heat

Put 1 drop ghee in each of the depressions

Add a tbsp of the batter in each

Cook on medium heat

When browned on one side, add 1 drop ghee to each of them

Turn and brown the other side

Serve hot with a cup of tea or coffee

Some make jackfruit halwa, jam, chutney and I don’t know what else. But this is all I’ve experimented with.

Don't discard them

And now, if you think the jackfruit seeds are to be discarded, then please don’t. Do I have to add that I used to hate the very sight of those seeds in the curries that my mother used to add to? Of course, they were promptly picked up and thrown out of the pIate. My mom’s protests that they were very nutritious fell on deaf ears. How I regretted this when I read about its benefits. So here we go:

100 g of edible fresh jackfruit seeds has approximately 0.4 g fat, 6.6 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g

fiber, .05 to 0.55 mg calcium, 0.13 to 0.23 mg phosphorus, 0.002 to 1.2 mg iron, 2 mg sodium and 407 g

potassium. Besides, it has vitamin A, thiamine, niacin and vitamin

Uses of the seeds

Fights wrinkles - Dip a seed in cold milk for a while. Grind it well and apply on your wrinkles. Apply

regularly for best results. It is believed to work on wrinkles in just about four-five weeks time.

Glowing complexion - Consumed directly, it prevents constipation because of its high fiber content.

Flawless skin - Soak a seed in some milk and honey and grin to a fine paste. Apply this paste on your face

evenly and let it dry completely. Wash it off to get a flawless skin within minutes.

High in protein - The seeds are high in protein.

Fights cancer - They have lot of phytonutrients that help fight cancer-.

Promotes hair growth - They promote blood circulation. They have high vitamin A content, one of the most important vitamins for hair health as it prevents dry and brittle hair.

Promotes healthy digestion   

I steam them and eat them as a healthy snack. I also make a stir fry. Here’s the recipe:

http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/summer-special-jackfruit-seed-roast/

My next fruity obsession will probably be peaches. I’ve already seen some attractive ones.

Healthy Food Made Interesting

Healthy Food Made Interesting

Whoever said healthy food has to be boring? Most people will not trade taste for health. They will eat healthy food only if it tastes good.  If you want to eat healthy without feeling deprived, modify your favourite recipes by controlling the oil and sugar. Wherever possible, substitute the unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones. 

Have a look at some of my healthy recipes on thehealthsite.com

http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/healthy-recipe-stuffed-capsicum-recipe/
http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/healthy-oats-and-cornflakes-laddu-recipe/
http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/healthy-spinach-and-paneer-soup-recipe/

Poison Me With Sugar

Poison Me With Sugar

Many a times, I have come across diabetics with high sugar levels. When questioned about their diet and lifestyle, they give me the stereotypical answer: ‘I am eating very healthy home food only. I don’t eat rice, sweets, potatoes or non veg.’ And they even go for regular walks. Some say that they are eating only light vegetarian food. So, non-vegetarian food is seen as the culprit!

Many have given up meat entirely only to have their cholesterol levels increase and their sugars and Cardio Vascular disease increase rapidly. So what is going wrong then, if they are also regular with their medication?

Eating Right..Eating Wrong

By now, I know that they are eating some wrong foods or the right foods in the wrong quantities and at the wrong time, unknowingly. Result - Their food is releasing large amounts of sugar which is spiking their blood sugar and increasing their triglycerides and LDL.

Once, an overweight, diabetic man in his early 50s came for a diet consultation. He claimed that he controlled his food intake but still wasn't losing weight. Nor was his blood sugar under control. Of course, he hadn't been working out for some time. When I went through his diet, it seemed to be okay, that’s if he was eating exactly the way he told me. A little more probing, and I realized the problem was his Coffee Mate which has been his regular morning fixation for 30 years.

It is said that our ancestors ate better than we do today. That’s why our digestive system has evolved so much. Refining and processing most of what we eat has been an unfortunate nutritional disservice, particularly the introduction of refined sugar. Eating, in general, has caused our health to deteriorate markedly.

Sugar falls in three categories:

Overt sugar

Covert sugar

Foods that behave like sugar

Overt sugar

These are the obvious ones like table sugar, raw sugar, honey, jaggery, molasses and treacle.

A word of caution! Most people know that table sugar is bad, so weight watchers, diabetics and those with high cholesterol and triglycerides avoid or limit its consumption. But they are under the impression that the natural forms of sugar - raw sugar, honey, jaggery and molasses, are safe. One has to remember that these are ultimately sugars and though they come without the negative effects of refined sugar and some benefits too, they will spike the blood sugar. The same is true of natural sugars in fruits, if taken in excess.

Covert

These are hidden sugars in processed and canned foods and sugar-free products. On food labels, sugar is hidden under the word ‘carbohydrates’. ‘No sugars’ simply means no ‘table sugar’ (sucrose). The hidden sugars have different names - Sucralose, Saccharin, Aspartame, High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), Barley malt syrup, Dextrin, Glucose, Lactose, Levulose, Lite or Light sugar, Maltrodextrin, Maltodextrose, Mannitol, Xylitol, Sorbitol, Maltitol, Mannose, Nectars.

The above mentioned sugars are ‘Artificial Sweeteners’ found in sugar-free chocolates and ice cream, frozen yoghurt, diet coke, soft drinks, fruit juices, pancake syrup, readymade soups, ketchup, breakfast cereals and other processed foods. Taken in excess, they stimulate false sense of hunger, drop in blood sugar which stimulates appetite and leads to weight gain. They also lead to sugar cravings. A large number of sugar addicts are dependent on sugar-free products.

I was amused when a so-called fitness management centre celebrated their anniversary guilt-free by gorging on sugar-free chocolate cake and even displayed it on their FB status update with great pride.

Say ‘No’

Recently, I met a diabetic who wondered why his sugar levels had shot up drastically despite the fact that he was off sugar, rice and the usual suspects. He quickly added that he was having lots of homemade sweets made with artificial sweeteners. Is it any surprise that his appetite had increased causing his sugar level to spiral out of control?

Another diabetic wondered why his weight and blood sugars had increased in the last four weeks. He had even started drinking green tea but quickly added that he ate five to six multi-grain biscuits with his green tea. I knew where he had gone wrong. I asked him to check the label; it would definitely have some form of sugar. He called back to say that it said, ‘Added Sugars’. It’s important to read food labels carefully.    

  

Deadly Sugars

The worst of the Artificial Sweeteners is Aspartame and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

Aspartame in large enough amounts:

Can damage your DNA

Memory loss

Depression

Abnormal brain function and brain damage

Vision problems

Brain tumors

Insomnia

High Fructose Corn Syrup

It is a man-made sweetener that is cheaper and sweeter than sugar and is made from genetically modified corn.

It shuts off your body’s natural appetite control switches. It makes a person gain weight

The body doesn’t use fructose as an immediate source of energy; it is stored as fat

Liver tumors

DNA damage

Inflammation

Altered cellular metabolism

Increased production of free radicals

Pancreatic cancer

Foods that behave like sugar

They are processed, and when eaten, rush into the blood and cause havoc. Rice, bread, sweet corn, white flour, beer, alcohol, mixers for drinks and processed grains are some examples.

Recently, a female patient with very high cholesterol and triglycerides was furious when I asked her to cut out rice from her diet. Her argument was – I am a south Indian, I cannot live without rice. And I’m not diabetic! So why should I stop eating rice!’ Two valid reasons according to her, but extremely foolish, according to me. She walked out of my cabin in anger.

Cholesterol-free

One of the biggest deceptions of the food industry is advertising that a food is cholesterol or fat-free. This is a meaningless claim if the food has a lot of sugar, usually added for taste. While your body converts sugar to fat, eating sugar or fat has the same result - triglycerides will jump and then LDLs will rise. People usually eat double or triple their normal servings of fat-free foods because they don’t have to worry about the fat content.

 It's important to look at the lines on the labels that identify sugars, particularly when examining fat-free foods. Don’t get taken in by the banner across the package that screams cholesterol-free or fat-free.

 Sugar Is Poison

Diabetes and other diseases grew as consumption of refined sugars grew. Excess sugar eventually affects every organ of the body. The human body cannot handle man-made sugar.

Refined sugar in significant quantity is toxic to human bodies:

It evokes a brain chemical Beta-endorphin, the same chemical evoked by alcohol or heroin. It can cause the same chemical and mood effects in the body but on a less intense level, as some of the most addictive substances in the world. Beta-endorphin produces a sense of well-being, reduces pain, eases emotional distress, increases self-esteem, and even creates a sense of euphoria. That’s the reason chocolate or sweets become comfort food for many.

It also leads to obesity, particularly central obesity (too much fat in the belly region). This could lead to Insulin Resistance which may eventually lead to diabetes

It makes the blood acidic. Calcium is drawn from bones and teeth to rectify the pH of blood

The small intestine becomes inactive and paralyzed.

A sugar-rich diet increases both stomach acidity and digestive acidity of the gastric juices, the sort one finds in those with duodenal ulcers.

Sugars, natural or refined, affect digestion

Cut sugar to

Trim body fat

Lose weight

Lower your cholesterol

Lower triglycerides

Achieve optimal wellness

Increase your energy

Prevent diabetes and related diseases

Help treat diabetes and related diseases

Find out if you are a sugar addict:

Have you ever tried to cut down or control your use of sweet foods?

Are you using more sweet foods than ever before?

Do you get irritable if you do not have your regular dose of sugar?

Have you ever gotten upset when someone ate your special ‘sweet food?

Have you ever lied about how much sweet food you eat?

Have you ever gone out of your way to get something sweet?

Have you ever binged?

Have you ever crawled through the morning with a headache that is immediately relieved when you have something sweet?

Is it impossible to just say no to sweet foods? 

Is sugar controlling your life?

Try to eliminate sugar from your diet 

Eliminate sugary drinks, granola bars and energy bars

Avoid refined carbs and reduce complex carbs

Avoid canned and processed food

Avoid ‘low-fat’ and sugar-free foods…have smaller portions of the regular versions

Read food labels carefully

Make some changes in your diet

•      Reduce the sugar you add to tea and coffee

•      Reduce the sugar in recipes..add spices to boost flavour and taste

•      Use healthy sugar substitutes – jaggery, molasses, pure honey

•      Balance your carbohydrate intake with lean protein to control cravings

Steps To Sugar Detox

•      Eat breakfast with proteins

•      Journal what you eat and how you feel

•      Eat at least three meals a day with proteins

•      Take the recommended vitamins

•      Shift from white to brown foods

•      Reduce or eliminate sugars

For more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYuRayNBVK4

Don’t Say No To Potatoes

Don’t Say No To Potatoes

Let’s get on to a little food talk now. Recently, I tried out a healthy starter with baby potatoes. I know potatoes and healthy don’t go together for most people. But that’s a myth, thanks to the unhealthy way in which most people cook potatoes. We love to deep fry it and make French Fries or Potato Wedges and worse, dip it in melted cheese. Some even love to sprinkle chat masala, salt and chilli powder on French fries and then stuff it in poories. Now that’s doubly sinful and has gone a long way in giving potatoes a bad rep.

Get Creative

Baked Jacket Potatoes with a sprinkling of a wee bit of salt, pepper and grated cheese is not unhealthy. Or try making a nice potato starter with baby potatoes without removing their skin. The potato is such a versatile vegetable, you don’t need to shun it at all if you cook it right. I even like to heat 1 tbsp oil and season it with ½ tsp mustard seeds. Then I add slit green chilies and about 1 bowl of coriander or mint leaves. I stir fry the leaves till almost crisp, add salt and then add boiled and diced potatoes with their skin intact. Just stir fry for some time and cover it so that the fragrance and flavor of the leaves are absorbed really well. Then I sauté it again for 5 to 10 mins and enjoy it with hot chapattis. There are many healthy ways of making tasty potato dishes. I’m sharing one of my favourites – Baby Potato Starter with skin. 
Have a look on:

 http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/healthy-recipe-fibre-rich-baby-potatoes-with-skin/

Link to my Talk on You tube: Women's Day Special

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv9RkROhaGY

You Can't Out-exercise A Bad Diet

You Can't Out-Exercise A Bad Diet

That was bang-on! It was a friend's FB status yesterday and it struck me as the perfect one for my next blog. More so, when I had been thinking along the same lines for the past week. Reason - I am going through another one of my injuries; rather a resurfacing of one of my old injuries. And I have been asked to stop my cardio and leg workouts.

It first started with a spasm in my lower back on the left side. The physio advised me to use hot pads and Volini. I did this and it settled down in a couple of days. This was followed by another spasm three weeks later. I was too rushed that day for a repeat of the hot pad and Volini routine, so an anti-inflammatory provided quick relief.

I was back in action the next day. A couple of days later, after my routine twice-a-week morning run, I felt a tightness in the front of my thigh. I dismissed it as insufficient warm-up before the run or stretching after. It settled down with an ice pack.

 Wonder Drug

A few days later, I experienced tightness in my upper hamstrings (muscles at the back of my thighs). I put it down to the Mumbai winter and stretched my hamstrings every day. All was well till one morning I felt a strange kind of pain at the back of my knee after my morning run. When it persisted, I visited my physio. She gave me ultrasound and asked me to stop jogging for a few days. Unfortunately, the ultrasound didn't have the desired effect, so I popped an anti-inflammatory. This worked wonders. I was back to normal a couple of days later.

Still, I decided to stay off running for the entire week. But to my disappointment, the same pain, a little more severe, resurfaced, when I ran a week later. It got so bad that even my anti-inflammatory refused to work. By evening, I was limping and was forced to take a strong painkiller. I wondered what was happening. This was a first-time thing for me.

The next morning, I experienced slight pain in my lower back. It didn't take me long to see the connection between my lower back and leg. It definitely was a nerve muscle and nerve thing, the nerve getting pinched because of a muscle spasm somewhere in the lower back.

Pain Again

The physio used heat therapy for my lower back and asked me to follow up with regular heat pads at home. I was allowed to do moderate cardio workouts but no jogging. One week of this therapy but I didn't find any relief. I could feel tightness at the back of my knee, which was very painful and also affecting my natural gait.

I carried on with my therapy wondering why there was no change. Then it suddenly hit me! And how! I was at the station and the train had just arrived. I just had to reach two compartments further down. My natural instinct was to make a dash for it. But I controlled the urge, but a little too late. The sudden jerk on the knee did something to release the tightness in my leg. The leg felt free, finally! Sigh of relief!

I checked if I could walk. I was relieved that I could. The loosening effect had made me feel that I had torn a ligament or tendon. Next, I did what I regarded as the best thing to do. I applied ice on the painful area. And did that hurt! I took a strong painkiller that night. To cut a long story short, I'm back at the physio again with a ban on my cardio and leg workouts.

Don’t worry; I haven’t digressed from my topic. The reason I have started with a detailed version of my injury is to highlight two important points:

Point No 1: Do not overdo your fitness thing to the point of abusing your body. This can lead to aggravation or resurfacing of your old injuries.

Point No 2: Do not take your body for granted by following the ‘I will out-exercise my bad diet’ principle.

Confession time! I have been guilty of both…And am paying the price for it. I advise my clients to separate mood from food, but I have done the exact opposite! I’ve associated food with emotions very often. Besides, I’m also an ardent foodie. So, I let myself over-indulge. Partly, I let my metabolism do damage control. Also, I jogged for 45 minutes, at least twice or thrice a week. Twice a week, the jogging sessions were followed by 45 minutes to an hour of freehand and ab workouts.

So my fitness schedule added up to 3 days of intense weight training interspersed with 4 days of cardio sessions. Seven days of intense workouts! I advise my clients to work out only 5 to 6 days a week, one day the body needs rest. But I always prided myself on being very fit, so my body could handle anything. At some point, even the fittest body will revolt, especially if there are old injuries that haven’t healed properly. Yes, I’ve learnt my lesson!

The bottom line is - I tried to out-exercise my bad diet. Now let me clarify. When I’m saying that I over-indulged and refer to my ‘bad diet’, I’m talking purely from a fitness professional point of view. For a regular person, it may be not such a bad diet. We have higher standards to maintain.

 No Moderation

The popular mantra of the diet industry is all foods in moderation but that's a tough trick to pull off. At times, eating sinful things in moderation becomes a little too often. And that’s when you see the body fat going up and the unwanted bulge. That is painful for someone who wants to look toned and good in one’s clothes.

What we should remember before putting any food into our mouths is that the foods we choose to eat as mood lifters have a pleasurable taste. But nothing tastes better than looking in the mirror every morning and feeling proud of what we see. When it comes to mood elevation, no food can ever elevate mood as much as losing weight, looking better and feeling in control again. The most effective mood lifter in the world is being charge of your weight.

So now I’m trying to use all my diet fundas to lose that little bulge I’ve gained in the absence of my cardio and leg workouts. But the silver lining is - at times some patients at the physio ask me what’s wrong with me. When I tell them that I’d developed this problem after my run, they turn around and ask me – ‘Do you need to jog or run?’ Now that sure feels good!