Know what you eat
Get information about some foods which we consume on daily basis.
BANANA
Banana is a fruit available year – around. So is mother nature trying to tell us to have banana daily. OMG !!!! And we are constantly put under threat that banana is fattening and one should avoid it if we want to loose weight or control blood sugar. But this is all untrue.
Banana is a fruit filled with all the nutrients you need for a kick start your day.
One medium sized banana has 450mg of potassium, so surely help to maintain normal blood pressure levels. Consuming banana in morning will also help in slow rise of blood sugar levels. Not only this it lowers risk of developing Asthma, cardiovascular disease. Children who consume bananas have a less chance of developing leukemia.
So wake-up all who think banana is going to increase your weight or whatever.
Having diabetes or blood pressure problems , constipation , diarrhoea then one can very much have the banana without any fear. Banana has natural sugar and rich in fiber so in no way it will increase your weight or fat.
It will only make you more enthusiastic.
AMARANTH (Rajgeera)
One of the most protein rich plant based food than any other animal based foods. Amaranth contains 26gm protein per cup which is higher than any other grain.
It is gluten free. Amaranth plant leaves are edible i.e nothing else but the rajgeera leafy veg which we eat during navratri fasting. It is rich in iron,calcium , magnesium & very rich in vitamin C .It also has phtyochemicals.
Amaranth is a great source of lysine which helps to build muscle. Also contains primary proteins such as albumin & globulins. It is also fibre rich and that also natural not like the artificial fibre rich biscuit which you eat because its packaged & advertised . Research done has suggested that having amaranth benefits in lowering incidences of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and stroke. It is rich in unsaturated fatty acid so your high blood cholesterol is reduced if one has amaranth regularly. So it is beneficial for cardio – vascular disease patients. It can be popped like corn, cooked similar to rice or ground to flour.
Protein in amaranth is bioavailable. Amaranth also helps premature graying of hair.
So instead of packaged cornflakes or oats please have rajgeera with milk which very much suitable to our genes.
WHITE BREAD
Modern nutritional science confirms that white bread is blamed for widespread poor health. White bread is made from refined flour. Refined flour contains no natural minerals & vitamins – specifically it is deficient in vitamin B resulting in a range of illnesses.
Refined flour is made when a whole grain is finely ground and stripped of its bran & germ, the elements that contain fiber, vitamins & minerals. So white bread made from such refined flour is devoid of nutrients. Also it is low in Essential fatty acids.
White bread has a high GI because its made from refined grains that are rapidly absorbed during digestion, causing sharp spikes in blood sugar levels. A diet that includes lot of white bread and other high GI foods increase you risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes and heart disease according to Harvard School of Public Health.
In modern times white bread has actually become worse in terms of adulterants- enzymes that do not have to be declared on labels. Today we all in the name of modern fashion of eating consume 50 % or more white bread of what we purchase at malls or super shoppee which is totally nutritionally empty.
Instead choose whole grain bread
WHOLE GRAIN BREAD
Whole grain bread has more vitamins , minerals & fibre. Whole grain bread has low GI , Providing you with steadier more sustained source of energy that lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease & weight gain.
Whole grain bread like whole wheat bread or multigrain bread are better options than white bread. Even though I ‘m mentioning whole wheat bread as an alternative I still feel home made chapatti or roti or bhakri is much much healthier and safer to eat then any other breads or Pizzas.
There are many varities of whole grain bread available in market but how to make correct choice.
Whole grain bread should be identified by its brown in colour then look at the ingredient list. The first ingredient should be whole grain such as whole wheat flour and if you hold the packet, whole grain bread are a little heavy than white bread. If not then don’t buy it as you are been fooled.
REFINED OIL
In India since ancient times the oil you use in your kitchen depends on which part of the country you come from. In Kerala it’s coconut oil, in Andra & Rajasthan it’s sesame oil, in north & east they use mustard oil & in central India & Gujarat groundnut oil is used.
Different cultures have different type of oil fits beautifully into the food landscape of that region. But all that changed in the 80’s with the scare of cholesterol & heart disease. Overnight ghee got a bad name & we were told that to avoid trans-fat & sunflower oil become popular. But today it’s altogether a different story. You have a new types of oil spilling across the grocery shelves from around the world & each new bottle label brings with it a new health hope.
One of the most important thing to remember is that oil behaves differently when heated. It changes it’s nutritional properties. Refined oils are extracted using heat & solvent, which are then bleached & deodorized. Doesn’t sound healthy, does it? Refined oils are generally treated with chemicals to further rid the oil from impurities, odour & give it a more clear appearance. Most oils sold in the market are refined oils. These oils are devoid of beta-carotene, vitamin E & minerals. Also refined oil is extracted from any seed even if it is gone bad. Higher the level of refining like double, triple, more harmful it gets for consumption as it does not have the useful nutrition.
My take is never use refined oil for any type of cooking. So shift immediately to filtered oil.
FILTERED OIL
Filtered oils are oils filtered through strainers or other equipments to remove the solid particles and contaminants from the oil but no chemicals are used in the process. They are generally dark and cloudy in appearance and have a peculiar seed smell from which they are extracted.
Filtered oils are better than refined ones as they are less processed and treated hence have a higher value of nutrients in them. Another benefit of using filtered oil is that since they have a strong aroma , they are used in lesser amounts helping you manage weight & lipid levels better.
Explains celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar in her YouTube video that filtered oils are produced at a lower temperature so the nutrients are retained and the fatty acid bonds do not become toxic. In case of refined oils the process is done at a much higher temperature so the oil does not retain any of its natural flavor or taste.
Filtered oils are always made from the best grade seeds. Most of us come across ads which say that one should choose a vegetable oil which is low in cholesterol but in reality vegetable oils are obtained from plants and do not contain cholesterol. So do not go by ads that are a mere marketing gimmick but check the nutritional information on the oil packs or cans to know about the nutritive value of oil.
Different oils have varying amounts of fats- poly, mono, saturated fats. Remember our body needs certain kinds of fats so don’t omit healthy fats from your diet.
Research studies have proved that traditional cooking oils like ghee, mustard oil & coconut oil are better than heart friendly oils in reducing your risk of acute heart disease, type 2 diabetes.
Cooking oils like coconut oil, ground oil and rice bran oil have high smoking point and hence can be used for deep frying, shallow frying as well as sautéing.
