Edible Gold

     What are some of the aromas triggered by oranges and yellows? The citrus tang of an orange, the fresh scent of a lemon, the mouth-watering sweetness of a mango? Doing our vegetable and fruit shopping may have become a routine chore. 

   

     We might be limiting our selections to just staples keeping everyone’s likes / dislikes in mind. The pitfall in shopping this way is that we often miss out on rediscovering old favourites, experimenting with new veggies and fruits and of course the nutrients they contain. 

     There are many constraints, some people may argue…..whoever cooks might complain that other household members are fussy eaters; there isn’t enough time to experiment; trying new foods or recipes is too much effort, etc. 

     What if every visit to the vegetable aisle was filled with wonder, excitement and curiosity? The following paragraphs make a case for venturing adventurously into the land of golden hued foods.

     Phytochemicals are molecules present throughout the cells of plants, imparting colour and more importantly, beneficial biochemical properties to them. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of phytochemicals of which only a small percentage have actually been investigated. 

     Yellows and Oranges have a few known nutrients in common. Carotenoids are the name for a class of compounds which serve the human body as powerful antioxidants. Some Carotenoids which impart those exciting colours are Alpha and BetaCarotene, Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Betacryptoxanthin. A diet rich in these Carotenoids has been linked to reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Alpha and Beta carotene as well as Beta cryptoxanthin can be converted into Vitamin A which in turn is responsible eye health, immunity, red blood cell production and growth and development. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are critical to protect the retina in our eyes from sunlight induced oxidative damage.

     Apart from Carotenoids, several other phytochemicals and nutrients are common in this colour band….Folate, Vitamin C, Potassium and VitaminE. Folate is a B Vitamin which is critical during pregnancy for the proper development of the foetus. Under normal conditions this nutrient is vital for healthy gene expression and lowered risk for heart disease. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which also is essential in tissue building. Potassium is an electrolyte necessary for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contractions and maintenance of heart beat.

     Vitamin E plays a role in protecting lipids in blood from being oxidized, thereby reducing heart attack risk. This is just a summary of their functions…. Actually scientific studies just touch the tip of the iceberg in terms of how these nutrients and photochemical contribute to our health.

The best part is, we don’t really need to know! The knowledge that they benefit us is actually enough. This information gives you an insight into how necessary highly coloured foods are as a part of our daily diet. Just think of how 5-7 serving of fruit and vegetables a day can boost your all-round health.

FOR THE VEGGIES……

      Please consume raw as far as possible. But if it needs cooking, steaming and sautéing are the best methods for all vegetables in general and oranges and yellows in particular since they are generally soft and easily cooked. The vitamin loss is greater if you pressure cook, boil in high heat, roast and bake. Doing without these cooking methods entirely may not be possible but do keep in mind that our main reason for eating anything actually should be for our body’s benefit.

Maximize nutritional benefits by these additional tips…….

-          - Select the freshest only in the quantity you need.

-          - While cooking, chop into larger pieces to minimize nutrient loss

-          - Use medium to high heat for a shorter duration and add minimal water while cooking to activate the carotenoids in veggies and release them from the cellular matrix.

-          - The softer the veggie after cooking, the more the nutrient loss. Develop a taste for cooked but crisp veggies and educate family members (or else you may end up with ‘uncooked’ complaints).

-          - Storing for days in the fridge diminishes the nutritional value.

-          - Don’t shy away from adding healthy, cold – pressed organic oils to yellows and oranges to ensure absorption of the fat soluble nutrients.

        

         So how many in the list do you buy regularly already? Which new fruit or veggie will you try next? Combine golden fruits or vegetables and get a carotene boost or mix them with other colours and do share your results (and pictures) with us.

        An edited version of this article was published in the September 2014 issue of Parent Circle.....

Sugar ... how much is OK?

     The journey from Bangalore to Mysore in Karnataka is one of the most scenic in the country. Particularly attractive are the seemingly endless fields of sugar cane, especially when they are in bloom. Having made this trip hundreds of times, my enjoyment of this sight ceased once I started studying nutrition. I realized that while beautiful and lush greenery is soothing to the soul, the crop I was admiring was not only water wasteful and chemical intensive, it was essentially going to become a 'food' that contributes to our population's ill health!

      All the debate about white sugar has been resolved – yes, excessive sugar intake over a long period of time really does cause Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer and Asthma in addition to creating a body environment that promotes other diseases as well. Most scientists, nutritionists and medical professionals now agree that sugar should rightly be classified as a 'toxic' substance.

      There is a war being waged against sugary foods around the world and beginning in India too. Parents especially want laws passed to make it mandatory for food manufacturers to reduce the sugar present in their products to a minimum level. They want clearer food ingredient labels as well to help people distinguish if a product is high in hidden sugars. Also, the sale of sugary foods is being limited in school zones there. Soon governments all over will be taking actions – but will these really resolve the problem? Let's come back to this point in a bit.

      Here in India too, we're not only talking about white, refined sugar – with a bakery or sweet shop on the corner of virtually every street, the problem lies in first identifying unhealthy sugary foods:

- Indian sweets and desserts of all types

- Jams, jellies, marmalades and even ketchup / tomato sauce

- Biscuits (especially those with cream filling) and cookies

- Cakes, muffins, pastries, desser,ts, waffles, pancakes, doughnuts, bread-based sweets like croissants,  etc.

- Ice cream, ice candies, flavoured yoghurts, smoothies, srikhands, chocolates, mints, chewing / bubble gum, hard boiled candy, etc.

- Processed fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates, reconstituting juice powders, dehydrated fruit pulp snacks, even fresh fruit juice or milkshakes from a vendor, etc.

- Carbonated (soft) drinks, flavoured sodas, sports drinks, 'energizing' drinks, flavoured milk or soymilk, etc.

- Sugary breakfast cereals including muesli, energy / nutrition bars, etc.

      Kids are most susceptible to excessive sugar intake....look at the list above, some food or the other may make it into your child's mouth on a daily if not weekly basis.

      The impact of sugar containing foods on children's systems is much worse...They consume sugary foods at the expense of healthy ones leading to dental caries and tooth decay, behavioural problems related to sudden sugar highs and lows, irritability and tantrums. Obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes can result from prolonged excessive consumption. Temporary disturbances like drowsiness and headaches can be seen after a child's sugar binge.

     Children don't need sugar, even in milk! Least of all for energy. Sugar and sugary foods cause a sudden increase in blood sugar levels which is followed by a just-as-sudden drop in glucose levels and this see-saw effect is responsible for most of the above consequences. Parents should ensure their child gets enough steady supply of calories from the COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES in whole grains, pulses and sprouts in their diet. Even sugar from fruits and dry fruits is preferable to processed sugar sources. Refined carbs like white rice and maida products are no good. They affect the body similarly to sugar.

     There is evidence that excessive sugar intake during pregnancy too affects your infant's taste preferences so avoid sugary foods and sugar consumption during this time. While you're at it, reduce your sugar needs during breastfeeding as well. Though traditional practices may dictate lots of high calorie sweet foods at these sensitive stages, do your best to avoid them and educate the elder women in the family.

     There is no such thing as a 'sweet tooth' – these are only cravings caused by the brain's pleasure centre becoming excessively stimulated, setting up repeated cravings for sweet foods. Sugar is dangerous because of it's addictive nature!

  The good news is, as you include more whole grain cereals and pulses, consciously cut out the hidden sources of sugar listed above and eat fruits when a craving hits, consistently, you will retrain your brain and body to create a healthy metabolism again.

     Demerara (brown) sugar, honey, jaggery and palm sugar, while preferable since they haven't undergone as much processing as the refined white variety, still should only be enjoyed in limited quantities since they too impact blood glucose levels.

     Artificial sweeteners and foods containing them should be avoided by children at all costs. Their livers are much more sensitive to the chemicals present in these. Not only that, children (and adults) who routinely use artificial sweeteners or consume products containing these may develop a dislike for less sweet or non-sweet, healthy, filling, and highly nutritious foods while consuming more artificially flavoured foods with less nutritional value. The brain's ability to correlate sweetness and calorie perception is also affected.

   Even Diabetics don't really benefit from using such sugar substitutes. The responsible thing to do is to reduce your need for the sweet taste altogether! Sweets and snacks promoted as Diabetic friendly are most often high in fat instead – thereby completely unhealthy in any case.

       So how much is OK? Assuming you are limiting other sugary foods in the diet, your child and family members can consume a maximum of 2 to 3 teaspoons (10 to 15 g) of any type of sugar per day. This is however just the maximum allowance – you can avoid sugar completely and it will be even safer for all of you!

       Ideally stick to natural foods which are much healthier but if you must choose processed foods, look at the food ingredient labels. Sweeteners can be nutritive (calorie providing) or non-nutritive (contain negligible calories)... 

Nutritive sweeteners -  contain calories so are not really any use for the health conscious.

 Processed

  Table sugar / sucrose, Confectioner's/powdered sugar, High Fructose Corn syrup, Dextrose, Invert sugar, etc.

 Unprocessed

  Brown sugar, Fructose or "fruit sugar", Glucose, Honey, Lactose  / milk sugar, Maltose or "malt sugar", Mannitol, Molasses, Raw sugar, Xylitol, Sorbitol, etc.

Non-Nutritive Sweeteners – contain chemicals which have to be dealt with by the liver, therefore not really any healthier than refined sugar..

Aspartame, Acesulfame K, Neotame, Saccharin, Sucralose,etc.

The Salt Shake-up

      Anyone who has high blood pressure must decrease their salt intake drastically. Everyone knows that. What is not really understood is that it is because of our high intake of salt from a young age that we are at risk for heart disease in later years. In fact, as a nation, we average about 9 g of salt per day! Indian medical professionals and nutritionists consider the maximum safe allowance for adults to be 5g.  Studies have also linked high childhood salt intake to risk of developing osteoporosis, respiratory disorders, kidney issues and even stomach cancer in young adulthood.

Age Group	Maximum Allowance of Sodium (mg)	Grams of Salt
3-6yrs	1000mg	2.5g
7- 18yrs	1600mg	4 g
Adult	2000mg	5 g

Source: National Institute of Nutrition, 2010

Note - 5 g of salt is equivalent to 1 small teaspoon.

         - 1 g of salt contains 0.4 g of Sodium

     Sodium is an essential mineral. It is required for regulation of blood pressure, maintenance of water and acid-base balancing mechanisms, controls temperature, transmits neural impulses at a cellular level and plays a vital role in absorption of nutrients and molecules across cell membranes.

         

Symptoms of Sodium / Salt overload in children:

….stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, cramps and diarrhoea (which lead to dehydration)

….high blood pressure!

….seizures (especially in infants and toddlers)

….increased thirst and water retention (puffiness of skin)

Severe salt overload can lead to brain swelling, kidney damage and even heart failure.

     3 things you need to remember  
a) Maximum allowance is just that - an upper limit beyond which consumption adversely affects health. The actual requirement for every age is just half this maximum number. 

b) Children below 2 years should not be fed any added salt including from processed foods below! You may think their food is bland but they don't. Feel free to introduce other natural flavours and spices. 

c) Salt is just one source of Sodium, there are other hidden sources in our food.....

-  Biscuits, breads and other baked foods, sports drinks and carbonated beverages.

-  Processed foods - instant soups and noodles, snack foods, ready-to-eat foods, batter pre-mixes (dosa / idli / cake), breakfast cereals, muffins, ice creams, sweet yoghurts,etc.

-  Pappads, pickles, chutneys, sauces, mayonnaise, salad dressings, cheese and butter.

-  Fast foods like  pizzas, burgers, fried chicken, salads, subs, manchurians and chaats

-  Restaurant foods right from masala dosa to paneer butter masala and naan.

     [Food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), baking soda and powder, disodium phosphate, sodium alginate, sodium benzoate, sodium hydroxide, sodium nitrite, sodium propionate and sodium sulphite - all increase the sodium content of foods to which they are added] 

     There are different varieties of salts – kala namak, sea salt, himalayan rock salt, moon salt, etc.... just check to see whether they contain Iodine or not. Salt is virtually our biggest supplier of this other critical mineral.

     To sum up, while salt does impart flavour, we should realize that food just tastes different with less – it is not 'bland' or 'tasteless'. There is flavour - the natural flavour of the food! You can even use more herbs, spices, lemon juice and other flavourings while cooking to tickle the taste buds. The big secret is that our actual physical daily requirement of salt is so low that even if you leave out salt altogether, you will still glean enough sodium from the natural foods you consume!

     You can calculate your daily salt intake using the calculator at the link below....and bring it down to a reasonable level for your family's long term health.

     http://salttest.hul.co.in/

You Can Be A Disciplined Eater......

     Let me start by saying that this post isn't just for you but for your entire family. Research shows that when everyone is on board, it is easier to create wellness habits that last a lifetime.

    So why 'discipline' at all in relation to health? Think about it... our entire day is a series of activities that have become second nature to us – we do them without even noticing. 

    Starting from brushing our teeth in the morning (notice how you always brush in the same order every day?) to accomplishing what there is to do either at home or office, our whole life is a series of daily habits, broken by maybe some weekly or monthly activities!

     How did these habits come to be formed? You probably started out with something that had to be done on a regular basis, did that enough number of times for the process to be 'worn into your brain'. Every thought we think travels across nerve cells – doing something repeatedly creates pathways along the same neural channel until we reach a point where we are able to perform that task without even thinking. It's called ' Neuronal Plasticity' and this is how a habit or set of habits are formed.

     Habits are easier made than broken. In fact, once a synaptic pathway has been created for an activity, it can be weakened by disuse but never really eliminated altogether – that's why habits like junk food bingeing, alcoholism and smoking can be resumed in the blink of an eye, almost unconsciously.

     To create lasting wellness, you have to discipline yourself to create new habits. It involves planning and scheduling for new ways of thinking, buying, cooking, eating and exercising.

     Firstly recognise the triggers for your unhealthy habits – mostly these would be negative thought patterns about yourself or your health. They could be stress-related. In fact, eating when emotionally charged results in an insidious circle... bingeing or indulging, feeling guilty about it and then telling yourself that “I'm a failure”, “I'm incapable”, “I’m worthless” or “I won't be accepted”.

     This is usually followed by a resolve to do better next time but is forgotten in the face of the next temptation. Sometimes it’s tough to distinguish our normal, largely negative, thoughts from our innate sense of self (the latter is rarely expressed). We think that it's tough to control the way we think but the truth is that it, too, just takes practice. Create synaptic pathways for positive thinking first! This is crucial to the success of your initiative. You can't be half-hearted about this......it takes real commitment.

This article was published in 'Life in Adyar', March 23rd, 2013.

     Develop healthy eating habits one at a time, give yourself a week or two of practice, then incorporate the next important change. So start exercising daily, after maintaining that for 2 weeks, cut out the junk food next – do that for 2 weeks and so on. If you build your wellness like this, not only will you raise your chances of success, you'll also have enough new activities to keep you occupied for the 3 – 6 months that it takes to imprint the new habits.

A ten-step route to build food discipline :

1] Your tongue ‘remembers’ pleasurable eating experiences (high fat, high sugar, high salt) and this, in part, triggers food cravings. Giving into cravings regularly makes you dependent on these ‘quick fixes’, in other words –you’re addicted (yep, just like a drug or alcohol addict)

2] Do you want to honour your tongue your whole life? Or will you start honouring your body? It has to last you a lifetime and what you choose to put into it determines your long-term health......really.

3] Respect your body – before you put anything in your mouth, ask yourself 4 questions – Am I actually hungry or just thirsty? Do I have a craving, an emotional need or am I just bored? Will my body thank me for eating this? Do I really want this? And after answering these questions another good one to ask is – What are some healthy choices I can make instead?

4] Be aware that even the aroma of tasty food can trigger a craving, not just the sight of it so that you’re alert to an impending craving (and repeat step 3).

5] Talk about your cravings, food addictions and unhealthy habits with people you trust, tell your family about your new health routine so that they’re on board. Be brave and say “No thank you, I’m on a wellness program right now”, when being tempted.

6] When you’re being ribbed about ‘being on a diet’; go ahead, laugh with them – and make healthy choices anyway. Be proud of yourself and your commitment.

7] Stand in front of yourself in the mirror – look carefully over each physical feature, notice what negative things your mind is saying about it. Notice any positive things your mind is saying about your body. Consciously create positive statements about each part of your body, start accepting and loving yourself, just as you are now. Do this for at least 10 minutes a day; it will take less time with practice.

8] Exercise----- reduces stress and anxiety, improves your sense of control over your body and life and serves as a distraction when a craving takes hold.

9] 'Meditation is food for your soul, it satiates the hunger that is not satisfied by food alone. And when your soul is fed, you have less need to give into unhealthy temptations When you directly experience the fullness of life, then you have less need to attempt to fill the void with food.'  

10] Relax, learn to laugh at yourself. When you’re taking your weight loss efforts too seriously, you experience pressure which only sets you up for quitting (failure in a fitness regime is impossible – there’s never an END to living healthily).

"World Health Day"

.....was a day on which a lot of medical professionals talked mainly about disease......and risk factors and their consequences. The theme though was to focus on Blood Pressure and Salt Consumption..... A valuable statement that was released by not only the WHO but several national medical associations around the world was that each adult should be consuming a maximum of 5 g (1 teaspoon) of salt per day ~ 2000 mg of Sodium per day to prevent heart disease.

     However, this post isn't about our salt consumption though I promise that's coming soon....... rather this post is about the medical advice I listened to on World Health Day last Sunday......

     I've been treated with the homoeopathic medical system since I was around 12 years of age (when we moved to Mysore in Karnataka). Our Homoeopath, Dr Khader, who is also a close family friend has helped me get through various illnesses that plagued me - from healing my liver (had 2 bouts of jaundice when I was younger) to dealing with viral infections and more (I wasn't exactly a picture of perfect health, especially as a child and young adult).

     Dr Khader used to work for a pharma major in the US, always planning to ultimately return to India. He saw first-hand the methods used, unscrupulous dealings and the actual effects these chemicals had on one's body. He also saw the way man has become dependent on artificial materials rather than natural. He decided that this life was not for him and although he worked for a year or two with the same company in their location in India, he chose to give up a cushy job and move back to Mysore with his wife and daughter to practice Homoeopathy.

     He makes a difference in several ways...firstly, treating / curing thousands of people through homoeopathy, a gentle, natural system of medicine. Secondly, he owns an organic farm, the produce of which he makes available to his friends and patients for a nominal price. Thirdly, he has addressed hundreds of thousands of people in Karnataka and other states on Organic / Natural Farming.....assisting thousands of farmers mainly in Karnataka to convert to sustainable, natural, organic methods of farming. Finally, he creates awareness among individuals and communities on healthy, earth-friendly living at public speaking opportunities.

     His lecture on World Health Day was a combination of advice he has personally given me and countless other patients as well as new nuggets to chew on......I've compiled a list of thought-provoking ideas that he communicated......

   ---   Disturbing Trends..... Children developing Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, girls as young as 7 years of age entering puberty, toddlers having seizures and suffering from a variety of autoimmune disorders.

   ---   Even rising number of cases of breast cancer in women. He was describing watching a 'Run for breast cancer awareness' held recently with everyone in pink shirts. The irony was, did they know what were they really running for? Fighting this type of cancer? Or Prevention? If prevention, then what information are they actually giving women out there to prevent breast cancer?

   ---   One of the simplest ways to kill two birds with one stone (only figuratively speaking) is 'Breastfeeding'. The natural process of humans feeding their young with the most complete source of nutrition is being sidelined nowadays in favour of formula feeding. There are of course those very real instances of non-availability of breast milk or other feeding problems which need to be dealt with separately but the bottom line is women should by any and every means possible feed their child solely with breast milk for the first 6 months of life. Breastfeeding has a protective effect for women in later life - rate of gynaecological cancers and many other disorders are lower in women who breastfed their children.

   ---   For children, exclusive mother's milk for the first 6 months of life gives the maximum protection against chronic disease in later life and the strongest immune system during childhood itself! The risk of the above childhood problems then is reduced considerably. A woman can continue breastfeeding for up to 3 years! Needless to say, the maternal diet during these critical phases of life also play a huge role in the health of the foetus / infant.

   ---   Another way to prevent childhood health disturbances is by feeding your children (after 6 months of age) whole grains - millets (like ragi, bajra, jowar, foxtail, etc), red and brown rice, whole wheat (all preferably organic) and locally grown apart from a variety of whole pulses and legumes. Millets which were once labelled as 'kirudhanya' (lesser grains) have been renamed 'siridhanya' (valuable / rich grains) and are making a comeback into kitchens - explore different ways in which you can use these grains - they contain abundant nutrients and add fibre and variety to the diet. For more info, refer my post on whole grains.

   ---    A source of ills is our dependence on only two main types of cereal grains - white rice and wheat. White rice has almost no real nutritional value - just supplying refined starch and the problem with wheat is the varieties available now in stores are so hybridized and genetically diverse from natural strains that they have a huge impact on health.

   ---  Our country is under the monopoly of food industries and pharma companies -neither of which is really interested in anything but their own profits. Going by the media advertisements, eating healthy food is infra-dig and the real food is all that tasty fast stuff. Unfortunately, natural, whole foods cannot speak for themselves or advertise and are therefore not considered as important by the public!

   ---  Processed food available freely across the country is the major culprit of our deteriorating health....there are countless toxic chemical ingredients in these foods that may be regarded as clinically safe but in reality, build disease in our bodies with regular consumption.

   ---   It's critical to understand that there's no end to living healthily - start making changes that last a lifetime if you want your whole family to reap the benefits - if you want the disorders you started out with or were at risk for, they'll be back the minute you get back to your old ways! Get real - wellness involves creating healthy habits for life...

Parting gem.........

........ include green leaves at least 3-4 times a week in your eating pattern - they are your liver's best friends. They help detoxify the body ongoingly. Try different local varieties - here in Karnataka - honge, amruthaballi, neem, hongone, vandelega, doddipatre, etc. all have medicinal value. Also, don't forget the medicine cabinet in your kitchen - the spices you use on a daily basis are some of the most potent remedies for our ills. For more on this, refer the post on Kitchen Secrets.