Today I was wondering at my food choices. I mostly like fresh food with fresh ingredients.
I saw a packet of chivda in the dining table and thought "I pick up these packed foods to help ny 4PM hunger but after a couple of bites the packet remains untouched and I throw it after a week or give it to the maid". Why on earth do I buy these stuff? My hunger pangs make me a demon. I do not want to let hunger surface... So, I buy these things as "preparation" for the war against hunger strikes.
But then, I always love freshly made stuff. It could be a samosa or chaat or my grandma's famous onion pakodas or fresh dhokla or idlis or dosas or cakes or muffins (which makes me think that the British left a lot of them in me.. this thing I have for high tea and my inability to bear the gruelling heat). Most of the things in this list are unhealthy but they are fresh. I somehow feel it's ok to consume these things in small quantities rather than succumb to some low cal packaged stuff. Low cal is a joke by the way. I saw a packet of chivda proudly proclaiming "Oil free". I put it on a tissue and for sure there was oil. Then the joke started.. I looked at the nutrition info on the back and it said "41.3%" fat. How on earth did so much fat creep into an oil free item?
So, guys don't get tricked. If you can, head to the nearest dosa shop and fill your tummy with idlis or dosas. South India is blessed with an idli shop within few kms of wherever you are. So, take advantage of that. Else pick a chaat - dahi vada with loads of dahi - will help you from acidity atleast. Even a scoop of icecream without much garnish like chocolate cake would be ok.
When we feed our body with food, sometimes the cravings go away automatically. Even after you're full if you have cravings you can succumb to a piece of cake or muffin or chocolate (whatever it is you are craving for). You'll end up eating less of it as you're already full. Remember, fruits do not fill you up, unless it's a couple of bananas or mangoes or jackfruit which we're talking of.
I was left wondering, why my preference is towards fresh food. Our parents served us fresh food. We almost never went to restaurants. So, that's the taste you grow on. But now, I see parents taking their kids to McD and Pizza Hut often. The snacks are mostly packaged snacks. So your child grows up liking that stuff and thinking that that's food. It's not the parents's fault alone. So many times you cannot help when your toddler demands McD. The flurry of ads that bombard your child's favourite channel and the other school kids - make this worse. You do not have control over your kids always. There are exceptions where I have seen a few of my friends's kids who love home food. Their moms are home makers. They make elaborate dishes at home including snacks. Each meal is different. So, the kids probably love it. I was so surprised that these kids hate outside food. Once at a party they refused to eat boxed burgers! Imagine such kids in 2103! That's an award to the mothers who did that!
Back to the point, if your kid think McD and Lays chips are food, he will grow up with the same idea about food. They cannot analyse health issues at this age. Only taste and sometimes accessibility matters. So, they will never know what fresh food tastes. They may even end up disliking fresh food as they are used to packaged food.. This leaves me worried. How many more diseases will crop up?
I hardly see American households cooking their meals. Most of the food they eat, is pre-packed, boxed or frozen or had in restaurants. I would still say restaurant food is fresher atleast, though it may be high on calories and may dent your pocket more.
What will become of the society? Today, we women don't like cooking 3 meals a day. I have so many episodes of burnt dishes because I forgot to check the kitchen while attending to my laptop. Slowly it makes me hate kitchen work. Cooking 3 meals- preparing, getting the things, cleaning the kitchen later, saving the remains in lock and lock - all of this is a whole day effort - believe me. When people think that it's not helping them economically, that we can earn so much by working outside, why spend time on this - what would happen? I'm not saying women should spend their life in the kitchen. Not at all. All of us needs to realize our full potential. We can do a lot of things in this world and we should go out and do it. But, how do we address this fresh, healthy, home cooked food thing?
One is - be smart and efficient so that you spend very less time cooking. I guess many working women do just that. They plan over weekends, cut the veggies, make some onion tomato masalas, etc.
Else the hire a cook and train the cook and work with the cook.
Some are blessed enough to have one set of parents with them, who take care of the fresh food part.
These are some ideas, but somehow many a times, haven't worked for me.
====================================================================
Sadhguru's thoughts on good food:
Sadhguru's book states that:
Avoid green chillies, onion, garlic, asafoetida, brinjal.
Eat more of: Ashgourd, honey.
The
American Heart Association differentiates between intrinsic or
naturally occurring sugar, which refers to the sugar found naturally as
an integral constituent of fruits, vegetables, and milk products, and
extrinsic or added sugar, which refers to sucrose or other refined
sugars added to soft drinks, food, and fruit drinks.Their report
suggests that there may be evidence that high sugar consumption could
worsen atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), diabetes control,
and contribute to nutritional deficiencies.
Jaggery is the unrefined, raw form of sugar that was used in ancient times. It is widely used in India and South Asia as a sweetener. Jaggery
retains the minerals, nutrients and vitamins present in cane juice, and
it is used in Ayurveda – the ancient Indian medical system – to treat
dry cough, improve digestion and to cure a host of other health issues.
Today, super-phosphate is added in some types of jaggery as well. White,
neat-looking jaggery is super-phosphate jaggery. It should be avoided.
Instead, go for the “ugly”, dark-looking jaggery.
Honey is also a wonderful substitute for sugar. Daily consumption of honey can do a lot, especially for people with excess mucus problems and asthma. Honey is very good for the heart and brain, and keeps the mind alert.
Honey has
different impacts on the human system depending on how it has been
consumed, whether raw, mixed with cold water, or mixed with tepid water.
When honey is mixed with tepid water and consumed every day, it raises
the red blood cell (RBC) count in the circulatory system, enhances the
blood’s hemoglobin levels, which takes care of anemic conditions.
Honey should not be cooked. That makes it poisonous. Mix honey with tepid or warm water, not in boiling hot water. Honey should also not be given to children under the age of one.
Only children below three have the necessary enzymes to digest milk completely. Except for a few regions in the globe, milk is mostly indigestible for a majority of adults worldwide. The undigested milk is mucous-forming and causes lethargy. Yes, milk has traditionally been believed to be a good source of calcium. But there are several other good sources as well.
Peanuts are a complete diet by itself. In India, many yogis go on a 100% peanut diet because it is a complete food by itself, if it is eaten raw. Peanuts must be soaked for a minimum of six hours in water, which takes away certain aspects which in Ayurveda are called Pitta. If you eat peanuts without soaking them, it tends to cause rashes and nausea.
Horsegram is
good source of dietary iron and calcium and it is among the richest
vegetarian source of protein. However, the calcium and iron are combined
into certain chemical compounds, rendering them un-absorbable by the
body. Germination of the horsegram is a simple method of food processing
that increases the availability of iron and calcium, resulting in
increased nutritive value. Sprouted horsegram is also digested much more
easily. Horsegram tends to increase the level of heat in the body,
which can help tide over coughs and colds during cloudy and rainy
weather. However, when the sun is up, if the horsegram is heating the
body up, it must be balanced by eating sprouted green gram.
However,
before grains are commercially sold, they are often refined to improve
texture and shelf life. Known as refined grains, these grains go through
a process where the bran and the germ are separated and discarded,
leaving only the starchy endosperm. The result is a grain from which
most of the nutrients, minerals and dietary fibre have been lost.
A majority of the grains sold commercially today, go through some process of refining. Common examples include white rice and white flour.
It is important to ensure that our diet includes more than just one or two cereals. A variety of highly nutritious, yet oft-neglected cereals are available, which can be important components of our diets.
Finger millet, also known as ragi in Hindi, is considered among the most nutritious of cereals. Finger millet’s protein content has high biological value, so it is easily incorporated into the body. Several amino acids crucial to human health are found in the grain. Some of these amino acids are deficient in most other cereals. Dietary minerals are also found in abundance, especially Calcium which is available in concentrations five to thirty times greater than other cereals. Phosphorus and iron content is also high. Finger millet can be made into rotis, dosas, porridge, cookies and even tasty laddus.
Pearl millet, also known as bajra in Hindi, and kambu
in Tamil, has high levels of vitamins B, and dietary minerals
potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc copper and manganese. It is
gluten free and is ideal for those with wheat allergies. Pearl millet
has been found to be nutritionally superior to rice and wheat, and a
study based on research in India showed that pearl millet and pulses is
somewhat better at promoting human growth than a wheat diet.
Tea
and coffee are nervous stimulants. Nervous stimulants create a sense of
energy for a short while, after which the body’s energy levels drop.
Consuming too much of nervous stimulants destroys stamina in the long
run, and affects the body’s ability to store energy.
Drinking a glass of Ashgourd (winter melon) juice in the morning would make you very energetic and also keep the nerves very calm. Daily consumption of ashgourd greatly enhances one’s intellectual capabilities. But asthmatics and people who are susceptible to cold and cough should add some honey or pepper to ashgourd juice. This neutralizes the cooling effect of ash gourd to some extent.
This Lemon-Ginger Tea recipe could also leave you feeling fresh and invigorated, without the side effects of caffeine:
Boil 4.5 cups of water in a saucepan. As the water boils, crush a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger with about 25 to 30 Tulasi (Holy Basil) leaves. Add the paste to the boiling water along with 2 Tsp of dried coriander seeds (optional). Continue to boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the tea into cups and add a Tsp of lime juice and honey/jaggery to taste. Serve hot!
Consuming
honey will bring a certain balance to the circulatory system which is
very essential for a yoga practitioner. Because you are pushing the body
in certain ways, it is important that your blood chemistry is in a good
place so that the body doesn’t have to make any absurd changes to
adjust to the chemical disproportion. Keeping the blood pure and the
chemistry in a certain balance will definitely happen with regular
consumption of honey. It is very necessary for someone who practices
yoga.
Turmeric
also does similar things: it purifies the blood and brings a
translucence to your energies. Turmeric is one substance which not only
works on the physiology, it also has a very big impact on your energy
system. It creates a purification process in the blood, body and energy
system. You can use it as a purificatory even from outside. If you just
take a small pinch of turmeric, put it into a bucket full of water and
pour it over your body, you will see the body will be vibrant. When
people look at you, it looks like you are glowing.
Neem
is a very unique tree. A neem leaf has over 150 different kinds or
formats of chemistry. It is the most complex leaf that you can find on
the planet and it has particular benefits in opening up the system. In
India, if you have psychological problems, they “thrash” you with neem
leaves. If you have a toothache, we use a smaller stick. If you catch
very bad infections, we put you on neem leaf. If you want to prevent
cancer, we put neem paste into you. Above all, it generates heat in the
body. Generation of heat in the body is supportive for generating
intense forms of energy within the system.
Horse gram is one of the most protein-rich lentils found on the planet. It is very high-powered. Horse gram also helps with ushna and generates a tremendous amount of samath prana,
increasing heat in the body. In English, ushna translates as heat, and
sheeta translates as cold or cooling. But that is not an appropriate
translation. Suppose you are in a state of ushna, the body feels very
hot. But if you measure your temperature with a thermometer, it will
read normal. However, in your experience the body feels hot. That means
you are in a state of ushna. For a hata yogi, it is particularly
important to stay slightly oriented towards ushna because if you are on
the colder side, you become prone to injuries.
====================================================================
====================================================================
The following is a long but useful take on food and nutrition by Crossfit and Strength.
Crossfit's avoid grains - go all veggies and fruits and some protein, is a very hard to follow diet, though I'm sure it's very useful for someone like me.
But, his take on some things are very useful.
====================================================================
Real food or factory made?
I've been thinking about food, the supply chain, how it reaches us, what its made from and such. The stuff we now call food is in many cases very different from what our grandparents called food.
So below are the results of an exercise I did - based on what I like eating / used to eat. And how far from 'REAL' it is. How many steps of processing its gone through to reach our plate.
Rating: 0 steps to 5 steps. 0 being very natural and 5 being chemicals passing for food
---
Fruit
If whole and not candied / jellied / jammed / whatever = 0 steps
---
Veggies
Same as above = 0 steps
---
Meat
Whole cuts = 0 steps
Meat
Stuff like sausages, hams, salamis - these are factory processed. Depending on the company making them they can contain a LOT of additives, chemicals ... So I'd call them Factory food. Plus freezing, transport, etc. = 3 steps
However - when in Italy I saw the local butcher in this village I stayed at in Chianti make his sausage fresh. He ground his own meat, filled his own sausages. That kind of sausage meat I'd say is = 1 steps. Do you know any stores that do this in India?
---
Eggs
= 0 steps.
As with all meat and poultry and dairy we just hope the animal is not injected choc full of steroids and hormones. So the reputation of the manufacturer is paramount.
---
Chocolate
The really high quality stuff (Lindt, Godiva, Teuscher) I'd say is 1 step. Sure is factory made but contains mainly cocoa and some sugar and very high quality natural ingredients with almost no preservatives (sometimes Sorbic acid which is a natural organic compound used as a food preservative). = 1 step
The commercial stuff is crap. Basically they contain dalda + some cocoa + sugar + artificial flavours and colors + tonnes of preservatives.
I'd give that a 5 step rating.
Look at the ingredients in the CAdbury 5 star bar:
Nougat + Caramel 63%, liquid glucose, sugar,hydrogenated vegetable oils, milk solids, cocoa solids,invert sugar, soya solids, salt, emulsifiers (E471), ediblegum (412) and acidity regulator(526), Milk chocolate 37%, sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, cocoa solids, emulsifier (E442,E476)
Does that even sound like chocolate???
Compare the Cadbury 5 star to Lindt 70%:
Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, natural Bourbon vanilla beans. Cocoa solids: 70% min.
I get very upset with 'chocolate' because this is the stuff we routinely feed our kids! They're getting bigger, more chronic disease prone and the corporations that sell them 'candy', 'breakfast cereal', etc share part of the blame.
---
Baked goods
Wheat is harvested, stored, sold to a miller who in turn roasts it and grinds it. It's sometimes refined and dehusked to turn into 'maida'.
The large 'atta' companies fortify their produce with extra fibre and nutrients to add to its supposed 'health quotient'. Then sold to bakers, large or small. This is then mixes up with salt, sugar, yeast .... and voila, we have bread.
Aside from the massive glycemic load (greater than SUGAR) this is a reasonably long supply chain. I'd call it = 4 steps.
Biscuits
Are a different species entirely. Full of chemicals and additives and preservatives - they deserve at least a 5 step rating.
---
Cheese
Processed cheese is made is large factories, the milk is pasturised and huge machines are used to churn, add stuff to and manufacture the cheese. I couldn't find Amul or Brittania ingredients online but Kraft was available. Indian factory cheeses are the ~same except they are normally vegetarian.
MILK, WHEY, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MILKFAT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, CHEESE CULTURE, ENZYMES, ANNATTO AND PAPRIKA EXTRACT (COLOR), VITAMIN D3.
You can read details about all of these at:
http://blog.fooducate.com/
I'd give it a 4 step rating
Compare the above with a real cheese:
Emmentaler is produced with raw cow's milk, adding only natural ingredients (water, salt, natural starter cultures and rennet). Preservatives or ingredients from genetically modified organisms are not allowed. = 0 step
---
Cornflakes and other cereal
The nutritious germ and bran are removed from the corn kernel, how the starch grit is cooked, dried, flattened (extrusion) and toasted, and finally how nutrients and flavourings are added back into the finished cornflake.
Extrusion, applies so much heat and pressure to the cereal grains that they actually liquify. This slurry allows the grains to be quickly and easily shaped into the puffs, flakes, and other shapes that make each cereal distinct. The manufacturing process used to make boxed cereal is so violent and denaturing that the proteins in the grains are actually rendered toxic and allergenic as a result.
http://
= 5 steps
---
Atta / maida
Wheat is harvested, stored, sold to a miller who in turn roasts it and grinds it. It's sometimes refined and dehusked to turn into 'maida'.
The large 'atta' companies fortify their produce with extra fibre and nutrients to add to its supposed 'health quotient'. Then sold to you who mix it up with salt, water and there you have a chapati. = 2 steps perhaps? Think again. The plant itself has been so genetically modified over the years that it can only live with man's help. Revised rating = 4 steps
I saw a packet of chivda in the dining table and thought "I pick up these packed foods to help ny 4PM hunger but after a couple of bites the packet remains untouched and I throw it after a week or give it to the maid". Why on earth do I buy these stuff? My hunger pangs make me a demon. I do not want to let hunger surface... So, I buy these things as "preparation" for the war against hunger strikes.
But then, I always love freshly made stuff. It could be a samosa or chaat or my grandma's famous onion pakodas or fresh dhokla or idlis or dosas or cakes or muffins (which makes me think that the British left a lot of them in me.. this thing I have for high tea and my inability to bear the gruelling heat). Most of the things in this list are unhealthy but they are fresh. I somehow feel it's ok to consume these things in small quantities rather than succumb to some low cal packaged stuff. Low cal is a joke by the way. I saw a packet of chivda proudly proclaiming "Oil free". I put it on a tissue and for sure there was oil. Then the joke started.. I looked at the nutrition info on the back and it said "41.3%" fat. How on earth did so much fat creep into an oil free item?
So, guys don't get tricked. If you can, head to the nearest dosa shop and fill your tummy with idlis or dosas. South India is blessed with an idli shop within few kms of wherever you are. So, take advantage of that. Else pick a chaat - dahi vada with loads of dahi - will help you from acidity atleast. Even a scoop of icecream without much garnish like chocolate cake would be ok.
When we feed our body with food, sometimes the cravings go away automatically. Even after you're full if you have cravings you can succumb to a piece of cake or muffin or chocolate (whatever it is you are craving for). You'll end up eating less of it as you're already full. Remember, fruits do not fill you up, unless it's a couple of bananas or mangoes or jackfruit which we're talking of.
I was left wondering, why my preference is towards fresh food. Our parents served us fresh food. We almost never went to restaurants. So, that's the taste you grow on. But now, I see parents taking their kids to McD and Pizza Hut often. The snacks are mostly packaged snacks. So your child grows up liking that stuff and thinking that that's food. It's not the parents's fault alone. So many times you cannot help when your toddler demands McD. The flurry of ads that bombard your child's favourite channel and the other school kids - make this worse. You do not have control over your kids always. There are exceptions where I have seen a few of my friends's kids who love home food. Their moms are home makers. They make elaborate dishes at home including snacks. Each meal is different. So, the kids probably love it. I was so surprised that these kids hate outside food. Once at a party they refused to eat boxed burgers! Imagine such kids in 2103! That's an award to the mothers who did that!
Back to the point, if your kid think McD and Lays chips are food, he will grow up with the same idea about food. They cannot analyse health issues at this age. Only taste and sometimes accessibility matters. So, they will never know what fresh food tastes. They may even end up disliking fresh food as they are used to packaged food.. This leaves me worried. How many more diseases will crop up?
I hardly see American households cooking their meals. Most of the food they eat, is pre-packed, boxed or frozen or had in restaurants. I would still say restaurant food is fresher atleast, though it may be high on calories and may dent your pocket more.
What will become of the society? Today, we women don't like cooking 3 meals a day. I have so many episodes of burnt dishes because I forgot to check the kitchen while attending to my laptop. Slowly it makes me hate kitchen work. Cooking 3 meals- preparing, getting the things, cleaning the kitchen later, saving the remains in lock and lock - all of this is a whole day effort - believe me. When people think that it's not helping them economically, that we can earn so much by working outside, why spend time on this - what would happen? I'm not saying women should spend their life in the kitchen. Not at all. All of us needs to realize our full potential. We can do a lot of things in this world and we should go out and do it. But, how do we address this fresh, healthy, home cooked food thing?
One is - be smart and efficient so that you spend very less time cooking. I guess many working women do just that. They plan over weekends, cut the veggies, make some onion tomato masalas, etc.
Else the hire a cook and train the cook and work with the cook.
Some are blessed enough to have one set of parents with them, who take care of the fresh food part.
These are some ideas, but somehow many a times, haven't worked for me.
====================================================================
Sadhguru's thoughts on good food:
Sadhguru's book states that:
Avoid green chillies, onion, garlic, asafoetida, brinjal.
Eat more of: Ashgourd, honey.
#1 Avoid Sugar
Historically, sugar was used in its unrefined, raw form, taken directly from sugarcane juice. Clarified juice was boiled to a crystalline solid, broken down into gravelly masses and consumed as sugar. Today, however, much of the commercially available sugar is chemically processed and refined. According to the United States National Institutes of Health, such refined sugar provides “empty calories” because the refining process removes almost all vitamins and minerals, drastically depleting the nutritional value of the sugar.Alternatives
Jaggery is the unrefined, raw form of sugar that was used in ancient times. It is widely used in India and South Asia as a sweetener. Jaggery
retains the minerals, nutrients and vitamins present in cane juice, and
it is used in Ayurveda – the ancient Indian medical system – to treat
dry cough, improve digestion and to cure a host of other health issues.
Today, super-phosphate is added in some types of jaggery as well. White,
neat-looking jaggery is super-phosphate jaggery. It should be avoided.
Instead, go for the “ugly”, dark-looking jaggery.Honey is also a wonderful substitute for sugar. Daily consumption of honey can do a lot, especially for people with excess mucus problems and asthma. Honey is very good for the heart and brain, and keeps the mind alert.
Honey should not be cooked. That makes it poisonous. Mix honey with tepid or warm water, not in boiling hot water. Honey should also not be given to children under the age of one.
#2 Avoid Milk
Only children below three have the necessary enzymes to digest milk completely. Except for a few regions in the globe, milk is mostly indigestible for a majority of adults worldwide. The undigested milk is mucous-forming and causes lethargy. Yes, milk has traditionally been believed to be a good source of calcium. But there are several other good sources as well.
Alternatives
Whole Grains (see below), lentils and nuts are an excellent alternative to milk, in order to get the daily dietary requirement of calcium. For example:Peanuts are a complete diet by itself. In India, many yogis go on a 100% peanut diet because it is a complete food by itself, if it is eaten raw. Peanuts must be soaked for a minimum of six hours in water, which takes away certain aspects which in Ayurveda are called Pitta. If you eat peanuts without soaking them, it tends to cause rashes and nausea.
Horsegram is
good source of dietary iron and calcium and it is among the richest
vegetarian source of protein. However, the calcium and iron are combined
into certain chemical compounds, rendering them un-absorbable by the
body. Germination of the horsegram is a simple method of food processing
that increases the availability of iron and calcium, resulting in
increased nutritive value. Sprouted horsegram is also digested much more
easily. Horsegram tends to increase the level of heat in the body,
which can help tide over coughs and colds during cloudy and rainy
weather. However, when the sun is up, if the horsegram is heating the
body up, it must be balanced by eating sprouted green gram.#3 Avoid Refined Grains
A grain in its natural state is structurally composed of three components – endosperm, bran, and germ. The germ contains the plant embryo. The endosperm is the seed’s food supply, and the bran is the protective covering that surrounds the germ and the endosperm. The primary component of the endosperm is starch, which serves as the major energy supply for the germinating seed. The endosperm however, is relatively scarce when it comes to vitamins, minerals, fibre, or phytochemicals. The bran and germ in contrast, are rich in a majority of these nutrients including B vitamins, amino acids, phytochemicals, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and iron.A majority of the grains sold commercially today, go through some process of refining. Common examples include white rice and white flour.
Alternatives
Whole grain products such as brown rice and whole wheat are increasingly available these days. Whole grains are rich in many components that have been linked to reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. Most of these components are found in the germ and bran, which are more or less totally removed during the processing of refining.It is important to ensure that our diet includes more than just one or two cereals. A variety of highly nutritious, yet oft-neglected cereals are available, which can be important components of our diets.
Finger millet, also known as ragi in Hindi, is considered among the most nutritious of cereals. Finger millet’s protein content has high biological value, so it is easily incorporated into the body. Several amino acids crucial to human health are found in the grain. Some of these amino acids are deficient in most other cereals. Dietary minerals are also found in abundance, especially Calcium which is available in concentrations five to thirty times greater than other cereals. Phosphorus and iron content is also high. Finger millet can be made into rotis, dosas, porridge, cookies and even tasty laddus.
#4 Avoid Tea/Coffee
Alternatives
Drinking a glass of Ashgourd (winter melon) juice in the morning would make you very energetic and also keep the nerves very calm. Daily consumption of ashgourd greatly enhances one’s intellectual capabilities. But asthmatics and people who are susceptible to cold and cough should add some honey or pepper to ashgourd juice. This neutralizes the cooling effect of ash gourd to some extent.
This Lemon-Ginger Tea recipe could also leave you feeling fresh and invigorated, without the side effects of caffeine:
Boil 4.5 cups of water in a saucepan. As the water boils, crush a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger with about 25 to 30 Tulasi (Holy Basil) leaves. Add the paste to the boiling water along with 2 Tsp of dried coriander seeds (optional). Continue to boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the tea into cups and add a Tsp of lime juice and honey/jaggery to taste. Serve hot!
Honey
Turmeric
Neem
Kollu
====================================================================
====================================================================
The following is a long but useful take on food and nutrition by Crossfit and Strength.
Crossfit's avoid grains - go all veggies and fruits and some protein, is a very hard to follow diet, though I'm sure it's very useful for someone like me.
But, his take on some things are very useful.
====================================================================
The healthy food guide (with a Bangalore bent)
***The typical food court
Here they have a McD, KFC, pizza, Muslim style kebabs, Subway, donuts and Chinese.
Go to Subway. Don't eat the bread. They can turn the sandwich into a salad. Do that instead.
Next best is to eat a plate of kebabs or Chinese chicken. No (or really very little, like a 1/4 naan or 2 tbsp rice) grain.
I'm not sure what's worse. The donuts or the KFC / McD. Wait. The pizza. That's the worst. For sure. Super thick. And crap.
***At a darshini
I checked and idlys are made (this is the ratio) of 2.25 servings rice : 0.75 servings daal. So they're a no go.
Dosas are a similar ratio and with the potato masala are just too grain and starch heavy!!! Don't order!
Vadas seem to be all daal and so are great. I wouldn't worry about the oil they're fried in nor the chutney. Good fats and all that. Order.
***At a burger place
Ideally don't order the burger. Or learn to (I do it and so does my 11 year old) eat a burger with less than half the bun. I put away the top and then cut away at a lot of the bottom and discard them. Eat all the slaw, request extra greens and less / no fries. Don't overdo the ketchup.
***Chinese
I love wantons. And I'll eat my fried wantons. But I shouldn't. But the rest of my meal ain't too bad. I order a bunch of chicken - dry and with sauces and cashews and veggies. And I'll eat them with a couple of tbsp of en egg fried rice (size about that of a scoop of ice cream). I avoid the noodles. For dessert stick to ice cream. Or fruit. The pancakes are carb and sugar loaded.
***Dessert places
Ice cream is your friend. I mean the good quality scoops. Not the fluorescent sticks and cornetos. Skip the cake and brownies and cookies. Eat the ice cream. Avoid the sauce. One scoop is ideal, 2 if you've had a good food week.
***Chocolate
Stay away from the cheap stuff. Go for 70% dark at a minimum. 2-3 pieces should sate you.
***At a pizza place
Really! What can I say!!! A SINGLE SLICE of a typical California Pizza Kitchen pizza is 16 gms of carbs. That's more than 2 slices of white bread per slice of pizza. Pizza Hut pies are thicker and consequently a lot more carb ... save the pizza for your cheat days. Stop at a couple slices if you must. And eat the thinnest pizza you can find. And eat a large leafy salad first.
***Thai / Vietnamese
Curry loaded with veggies and meat - good. Minimum rice. Tiny portion of noodles. Stir fried veggies. Load up on those lettuce wraps.
***At a buffet
Just don't go. I always end up eating waaay more than I should. Most good restaurants will still offer you ala-carte. So order from here.
***At Corner House
Again - really!!! Stick to plain ice cream. Look at 'dessert' above. Do not drink the milkshakes! They taste like cold melted heaven but NO.
***At an American restaurant chain
Drink spirits straight up. Totally avoid the 'signature' cocktails (for instance an ultimate Margaritas clocks in at a whopping 27 gms carbs and 10-19 sugar!!!).
Eat the grilled chicken wings / salad. No nachos, potatoes, fried cheese, blue cheese dressing, onion rings ...
For mains no burgers. Eat a grilled chicken or a salad. Swap the rice and other starch for veggies. Stuck to vinegar / olive oil dressings vs creamy.
***At one of these micro breweries springing up everywhere
Its cool to drink beer again ... the Belgian imports, Japanese beers and now the micro breweries spring up. But do NOT drink beer! A typical glass is about 2 slices of white bread (14-16 gms). There's even more carbs in wheat beers.
Drink spirits with soda or diet coke (0 carbs). Really.
Wine if you must (a glass is 8 gms of carbs).
***Food from the North of India
Order kebabs. Lots of kebabs (tava cooked or tandoor) with a 'green salad'. Don't eat the papad. Order no gravy and bread. If you must - then order a yellow daal (healthier than the black since less fat) and a semi dry channa and try and split 1 roti between 2-4 people (depending on size). Skip the dessert.
***Food from the West of India
Like a Raajdhani or other Gujarati or even Marwari. It's all carbs from grain. No veggies even. I eat here when I absolutely am forced to. God save you.
***From the South of India
If costal you're in luck. Stick to a tiny bowl or rice or share the paratha. Eat loads of veggies and some meat (are you seeing a pattern here?). Drink the Rasam. Skip the dessert.
***Italian
Can get dangerous. Save it for a cheat day ideally. Get loads of salad. Avoid the creamy / cheesy sauces. Tomatoes and garlic are great for you. Avoid the bread. Even pasta is better than bread! But ideally - eat meat. Dessert ... get gelato. Or share Tiramisu.
***The West
Eat fish. Chicken. Limit your rice. Eat daal. Eat rassgullas soaked in water to remove the excess sugar.
***The typical food court
Here they have a McD, KFC, pizza, Muslim style kebabs, Subway, donuts and Chinese.
Go to Subway. Don't eat the bread. They can turn the sandwich into a salad. Do that instead.
Next best is to eat a plate of kebabs or Chinese chicken. No (or really very little, like a 1/4 naan or 2 tbsp rice) grain.
I'm not sure what's worse. The donuts or the KFC / McD. Wait. The pizza. That's the worst. For sure. Super thick. And crap.
***At a darshini
I checked and idlys are made (this is the ratio) of 2.25 servings rice : 0.75 servings daal. So they're a no go.
Dosas are a similar ratio and with the potato masala are just too grain and starch heavy!!! Don't order!
Vadas seem to be all daal and so are great. I wouldn't worry about the oil they're fried in nor the chutney. Good fats and all that. Order.
***At a burger place
Ideally don't order the burger. Or learn to (I do it and so does my 11 year old) eat a burger with less than half the bun. I put away the top and then cut away at a lot of the bottom and discard them. Eat all the slaw, request extra greens and less / no fries. Don't overdo the ketchup.
***Chinese
I love wantons. And I'll eat my fried wantons. But I shouldn't. But the rest of my meal ain't too bad. I order a bunch of chicken - dry and with sauces and cashews and veggies. And I'll eat them with a couple of tbsp of en egg fried rice (size about that of a scoop of ice cream). I avoid the noodles. For dessert stick to ice cream. Or fruit. The pancakes are carb and sugar loaded.
***Dessert places
Ice cream is your friend. I mean the good quality scoops. Not the fluorescent sticks and cornetos. Skip the cake and brownies and cookies. Eat the ice cream. Avoid the sauce. One scoop is ideal, 2 if you've had a good food week.
***Chocolate
Stay away from the cheap stuff. Go for 70% dark at a minimum. 2-3 pieces should sate you.
***At a pizza place
Really! What can I say!!! A SINGLE SLICE of a typical California Pizza Kitchen pizza is 16 gms of carbs. That's more than 2 slices of white bread per slice of pizza. Pizza Hut pies are thicker and consequently a lot more carb ... save the pizza for your cheat days. Stop at a couple slices if you must. And eat the thinnest pizza you can find. And eat a large leafy salad first.
***Thai / Vietnamese
Curry loaded with veggies and meat - good. Minimum rice. Tiny portion of noodles. Stir fried veggies. Load up on those lettuce wraps.
***At a buffet
Just don't go. I always end up eating waaay more than I should. Most good restaurants will still offer you ala-carte. So order from here.
***At Corner House
Again - really!!! Stick to plain ice cream. Look at 'dessert' above. Do not drink the milkshakes! They taste like cold melted heaven but NO.
***At an American restaurant chain
Drink spirits straight up. Totally avoid the 'signature' cocktails (for instance an ultimate Margaritas clocks in at a whopping 27 gms carbs and 10-19 sugar!!!).
Eat the grilled chicken wings / salad. No nachos, potatoes, fried cheese, blue cheese dressing, onion rings ...
For mains no burgers. Eat a grilled chicken or a salad. Swap the rice and other starch for veggies. Stuck to vinegar / olive oil dressings vs creamy.
***At one of these micro breweries springing up everywhere
Its cool to drink beer again ... the Belgian imports, Japanese beers and now the micro breweries spring up. But do NOT drink beer! A typical glass is about 2 slices of white bread (14-16 gms). There's even more carbs in wheat beers.
Drink spirits with soda or diet coke (0 carbs). Really.
Wine if you must (a glass is 8 gms of carbs).
***Food from the North of India
Order kebabs. Lots of kebabs (tava cooked or tandoor) with a 'green salad'. Don't eat the papad. Order no gravy and bread. If you must - then order a yellow daal (healthier than the black since less fat) and a semi dry channa and try and split 1 roti between 2-4 people (depending on size). Skip the dessert.
***Food from the West of India
Like a Raajdhani or other Gujarati or even Marwari. It's all carbs from grain. No veggies even. I eat here when I absolutely am forced to. God save you.
***From the South of India
If costal you're in luck. Stick to a tiny bowl or rice or share the paratha. Eat loads of veggies and some meat (are you seeing a pattern here?). Drink the Rasam. Skip the dessert.
***Italian
Can get dangerous. Save it for a cheat day ideally. Get loads of salad. Avoid the creamy / cheesy sauces. Tomatoes and garlic are great for you. Avoid the bread. Even pasta is better than bread! But ideally - eat meat. Dessert ... get gelato. Or share Tiramisu.
***The West
Eat fish. Chicken. Limit your rice. Eat daal. Eat rassgullas soaked in water to remove the excess sugar.
======================================================================
Real food or factory made?
I've been thinking about food, the supply chain, how it reaches us, what its made from and such. The stuff we now call food is in many cases very different from what our grandparents called food.
So below are the results of an exercise I did - based on what I like eating / used to eat. And how far from 'REAL' it is. How many steps of processing its gone through to reach our plate.
Rating: 0 steps to 5 steps. 0 being very natural and 5 being chemicals passing for food
---
Fruit
If whole and not candied / jellied / jammed / whatever = 0 steps
---
Veggies
Same as above = 0 steps
---
Meat
Whole cuts = 0 steps
Meat
Stuff like sausages, hams, salamis - these are factory processed. Depending on the company making them they can contain a LOT of additives, chemicals ... So I'd call them Factory food. Plus freezing, transport, etc. = 3 steps
However - when in Italy I saw the local butcher in this village I stayed at in Chianti make his sausage fresh. He ground his own meat, filled his own sausages. That kind of sausage meat I'd say is = 1 steps. Do you know any stores that do this in India?
---
Eggs
= 0 steps.
As with all meat and poultry and dairy we just hope the animal is not injected choc full of steroids and hormones. So the reputation of the manufacturer is paramount.
---
Chocolate
The really high quality stuff (Lindt, Godiva, Teuscher) I'd say is 1 step. Sure is factory made but contains mainly cocoa and some sugar and very high quality natural ingredients with almost no preservatives (sometimes Sorbic acid which is a natural organic compound used as a food preservative). = 1 step
The commercial stuff is crap. Basically they contain dalda + some cocoa + sugar + artificial flavours and colors + tonnes of preservatives.
I'd give that a 5 step rating.
Look at the ingredients in the CAdbury 5 star bar:
Nougat + Caramel 63%, liquid glucose, sugar,hydrogenated vegetable oils, milk solids, cocoa solids,invert sugar, soya solids, salt, emulsifiers (E471), ediblegum (412) and acidity regulator(526), Milk chocolate 37%, sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, cocoa solids, emulsifier (E442,E476)
Does that even sound like chocolate???
Compare the Cadbury 5 star to Lindt 70%:
Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, natural Bourbon vanilla beans. Cocoa solids: 70% min.
I get very upset with 'chocolate' because this is the stuff we routinely feed our kids! They're getting bigger, more chronic disease prone and the corporations that sell them 'candy', 'breakfast cereal', etc share part of the blame.
---
Baked goods
Wheat is harvested, stored, sold to a miller who in turn roasts it and grinds it. It's sometimes refined and dehusked to turn into 'maida'.
The large 'atta' companies fortify their produce with extra fibre and nutrients to add to its supposed 'health quotient'. Then sold to bakers, large or small. This is then mixes up with salt, sugar, yeast .... and voila, we have bread.
Aside from the massive glycemic load (greater than SUGAR) this is a reasonably long supply chain. I'd call it = 4 steps.
Biscuits
Are a different species entirely. Full of chemicals and additives and preservatives - they deserve at least a 5 step rating.
---
Cheese
Processed cheese is made is large factories, the milk is pasturised and huge machines are used to churn, add stuff to and manufacture the cheese. I couldn't find Amul or Brittania ingredients online but Kraft was available. Indian factory cheeses are the ~same except they are normally vegetarian.
MILK, WHEY, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MILKFAT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, CHEESE CULTURE, ENZYMES, ANNATTO AND PAPRIKA EXTRACT (COLOR), VITAMIN D3.
You can read details about all of these at:
http://blog.fooducate.com/
I'd give it a 4 step rating
Compare the above with a real cheese:
Emmentaler is produced with raw cow's milk, adding only natural ingredients (water, salt, natural starter cultures and rennet). Preservatives or ingredients from genetically modified organisms are not allowed. = 0 step
---
Cornflakes and other cereal
The nutritious germ and bran are removed from the corn kernel, how the starch grit is cooked, dried, flattened (extrusion) and toasted, and finally how nutrients and flavourings are added back into the finished cornflake.
Extrusion, applies so much heat and pressure to the cereal grains that they actually liquify. This slurry allows the grains to be quickly and easily shaped into the puffs, flakes, and other shapes that make each cereal distinct. The manufacturing process used to make boxed cereal is so violent and denaturing that the proteins in the grains are actually rendered toxic and allergenic as a result.
http://
= 5 steps
---
Atta / maida
Wheat is harvested, stored, sold to a miller who in turn roasts it and grinds it. It's sometimes refined and dehusked to turn into 'maida'.
The large 'atta' companies fortify their produce with extra fibre and nutrients to add to its supposed 'health quotient'. Then sold to you who mix it up with salt, water and there you have a chapati. = 2 steps perhaps? Think again. The plant itself has been so genetically modified over the years that it can only live with man's help. Revised rating = 4 steps
No comments:
Post a Comment