2.......Industry Always Eyes The Bottomline

     The Fast Food Industry has endured a lot of controversy – inhumane treatment of animals, using leftover animal parts in certain menu items, etc. These have not made any dent in their sales. If anything, business is booming going by the queues in local fast food joints. 

Smellvertising:  Ever walked past a fast food place and been drawn in by the aromas that waft out? Not only fast food chains but even bakeries and restaurants resort to deliberately dispersing the aromas of their kitchen to the area outside.      This aroma triggers cravings and hunger pangs, leading to more walk-ins and greater sales. 

Non-food ingredients:  Food chains in the West have been accused of including some pretty strange non-food ingredients – sand, wood, duck feathers, animal bones and hooves, beetle juice and fertilizer! All are suitably modified and used to impart specific textures and properties to ‘food’. How far this may be the case in India is debatable but given that most global food chains have outlets in our country (and we don’t have a reliable monitoring body for food safety) -these may be the norm here as well.

Doubtful Quality: The Food Processing and Manufacturing Industry is equally lax about public health when it comes to profits for their companies. Apart from failure to list certain ingredients or making misleading health claims, they may be using inferior quality ingredients to start with. Processed food products have undergone some form of chemical processing and also contain a cornucopia of chemicals to impart desirable properties to increase acceptability (and addiction). The burden of dealing with these sometimes toxic, synthetic substances then falls on our livers.

Lack of Social Responsibility: Let's not even go into the subject of how they pollute the environment, exploit resources and short change the farmers. Not every food company out there is harmful but most just do what is legally required. Most MNC food companies especially are more ruthless in these cases. Not only do they follow practices (here in India and other developing countries) that are banned in their country of origin, they may also be using imported genetically modified foods.

Look Twice: Ever looked at a nutrition label or a health claim and chosen a product? That's just what they want ... so that you'll believe these inaccurate descriptions and contribute to their profits. (Refer my earlier post on Nutrition Labels)

Mirages: Both of the above industries also indulge in heavy advertising to make it seem that their products are safe, tasty and even healthy. These ads are targeted mainly at children who can influence food-related decision making at home. But that’s a topic for another post.

Here's a screenshot of the article in the magazine listing Zero Nutrition Foods:

This article was published in Parent Circle, March, 2013

1.......Zero Nutrition Foods

     This article was published by Parent Circle in March, 2013 as the lead feature (available in news stands now) and was oriented towards child nutrition. I had written another one on the same subject for Life in Adyar for a more broader readership. I'm combining the two and hopefully this will make the educative impact  that I want it to.... it's a subject directly related to immediate transformation of current health status and prevention of future chronic disease. I'm breaking it into several posts as it is looooong.....

 

“Next time you pay for junk food, remember it will be paid for in two instalments; first in cash and then in your health”

                                                                  ----- Antonio Carillo 

DEFINITION?

     So what is junk food? Any food that does not deliver a significant quantity of a variety of nutrients and instead, gives mostly calories from fats, sugars and / or simple carbohydrates deserves this label. You’ve heard the term ‘empty calories’ – it was coined to describe these foods.

     Many people think that no food should be called ‘junk’. If they knew how, in reality, these foods are so processed and manipulated that they little resemble their original ingredients (and can’t even accurately be called ‘food’), they would change their mind.

     Ever since the term ‘junk food’ was coined in the early seventies, we have seen a global explosion in varieties available and consumption patterns. So obviously, this label is not working to alter people’s choices. 

     Let’s start calling a spade a spade and term them ‘ZERO NUTRITION FOODS’, ‘NON-NUTRITIVE FOODS’, ‘HEALTH DAMAGING FOODS’, ‘CHRONIC DISEASE CAUSING FOODS’, etc.  

     Don’t get me wrong, I have also consumed these – it’s impossible for anyone to completely avoid eating them – however, being aware of the consequences on my body enables me to say NO more often or, if not, consume these rarely in very small quantities.

     Consumption of ZERO NUTRITION FOODS in moderate quantities and regularly (even once a week) has consequences on the body.

They.......

• Cause you to become addicted to the same kind of food, developing cravings and binge eating disorders
• Lower your metabolism causing weight gain which in turn puts you at risk for chronic diseases
• Are a burden on the liver and can lead to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), and ultimately liver failure
• Decrease the efficiency of your digestive system
• Make you lethargic and may lead to mood swings and even depression
• Lower your natural immunity resulting in frequent, small illnesses and infections
• Increase inflammation in the body making you prone to heart disease
  
  
  
  

  

  A familiar sight at your local supermarket - the snack aisle..

  
  
  
  
  ............to be continued.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Sour as heck ..... and loving it!

     Well, I just don't know why I haven't eaten more of this fruit in the past, given that I'm crazy about all things sour - from acid drops (candy) to sucking on a lemon (for real). Ok, it might now have something to do with the fact that I'm pregnant and currently having intense cravings for acerbity...... but I think this is the most under-rated and ignored of citrus fruits.

     I'm talking of our very own Chakotha hannu....Pomelo/Pummelo in English......Bamblimass inTamil and Malayalam.......Chakotra in Hindi and Bengali. The scientific name is Citrus Maxima or Citrus Grandis (the largest citrus fruit in the world). It is native to South Asia and Southern India. Unlike most other citrus fruits, it flourishes in tropical climes. The season of maximum availability is now! Jan to Feb, maybe even March, probably because of the weather in these months.

     My Mom lugged 5 of these enormous fruits all the way to Chennai from Mysore to satisfy her daughter's craving! I was so grateful :) So availability in Mysore is mostly at the main vegetable market in the city centre - we saw mounds of this fruit just lying with the vendors, drying up. It's such a shame to see an amazingly nutritious fruit going to waste - no one is even aware (well neither was I, really until earlier this year). I don't have much info as to where it is available in other cities. Please leave any info you might have on availability as a comment at the bottom.

     3 - 4 sections of this fruit can fulfil your Vitamin C requirement for the entire day! Most varieties turn pink on ripening but some do not. The pink ones, needless to say have more carotene (can be converted by the body to yield Vitamin A). When you start peeling the fruit, you'll notice that even the white pith is stained light pink - this indicates that the fruit is ripe and pink.

Health Benefits:  Vitamin C of course, Carotenoids which give it that amazing colour and flavonoids found mainly in the peel.Having said this, the peel can be used to make gojju / kolambu / curry - but don't over cook since it will lose it's nutritional advantage.  Like other citrus fruits, the pulp is a great source of Folic acid and Potassium. All the organic compounds listed are antioxidants which build immunity and protect against chronic disease.

     God knows I'll eat anything if it's nutritious, however it tastes (I eat young Neem shoots with relish) but I could not chew my way through the peel covering the sections - it was so tough. A lot is being made of the fibre content of the fruit but if you throw away the outer and inner section peels, the pulp actually may have less than advertised. However, this is soluble fibre, pectin and therefore this fruit can be 'jammed' or 'marmaladed'. You are of course destroying all nutrients by this process and adding lots of sugar.

     Apparently people on BP meds should cautiously consume this fruit as it can lower your blood pressure further. It's advisable to eat only half the fruit at most at a single sitting since it may decrease your blood glucose level and blood pressure significantly. Also patients with kidney issues on a Potassium restriction should be careful with this fruit as it is high in this trace mineral.

     A few tempting pics that I clicked...I could hardly wait to finish shooting before I polished it off. Hubby and everyone else liked it with demerara sugar but I ate it with a sprinkling of salt and rasam powder! 

Whole fruit, yellower the skin, the better

Sections

Appetizing pulp with brown sugar

    

      

     

With Mom's rasam powder and salt (divine)

Include this fruit on your shopping list, take advantage of the season and make it an annual family tradition. You can serve it to guests as well and spread the nutrition!

Peanut Sichuan Wholegrain Noodles

     I had a packet of dehydrated whole grain noodles sitting around in the kitchen cupboard for around 3 weeks and finally found the time to do something about it. 

     It's best to use minimally processed organic wholegrain noodles within a  month or two from the date of manufacture since they can become rancid. I've observed this with both Econut's and Aurovilles' noodles. 

     I just put together everything for the sichuan sauce on a whim, grinding the ingredients together.....wouldn't you know the flavour just clicked. The peanuts added depth to the entire dish.

     

The perfect bowl of steaming healthy noodles

Ingredients:

Whole grain noodles (ragi / whole wheat) - 3 cups, dehydrated
Cabbage, chopped - 1/2, medium sized 
Capsicum, thick julienned - 2, medium sized
Carrot, thick julienned - 2, medium sized
French beans, thick julienned - approx 15 nos., medium length
Peas, green, shelled - 1/2 cup
Onion, julienned - 1, medium sized
Salt - to taste (about a full tsp)
Oil - 2 tsp
Water - 3 to 4 cups


For Peanut Sichuan Sauce

Peanuts 3 - 4 tbsp
Tomato - 1 small
Onion - 1/2 small
Red chillies - 5 nos.
Ginger - 1 inch cube piece
Jeera - 1 tsp
Pepper Corns - 1/2 tsp
Coriander - 2 to 4 tbsp
Zest of 2 small lemons
Water - to make a fine paste.
Garlic - 1 to 3 cloves (optional)
Apple Cider (or any natural) vinegar - 1 tsp (optional)

Method: This recipe calls for a lot of multitasking........

1] Get all your ingredients cleaned and chopped first (my Mother-in-law helped with this part). Segregate the ingredients for the sauce and the main pot. This saves a lot of time. Soak the red chillies (for the sauce) along with the jeera and pepper corns in the vinegar and around 3 tbsp of water.

2] Boil drinking water to cook the noodles (around 3 - 4 cups) - just enough to submerge the lot. Once the water starts to boil (or you see small bubbles), add the dehydrated noodles and cover with a lid - turn the flame to simmer. Leave for as long as the instructions say or test every 3 mins - bite into a noodle to see if it's cooked the whole way through.

3] On another low flame, heat the oil (preferably groundnut oil) in a kadai. Add the chopped onions first and fry till pink and aromatic. Then add in the rest of the chopped veggies and give it a good stir. Close with a lid and let it cook for 5 - 8 mins.

4] So you have time now to prepare the sauce. Roast the peanuts lightly till they start popping. Add these and all the rest of the ingredients for the sauce into the blender (you had already soaked the red chillies right?). The water that was used for soaking should be just enough to get the right consistency. If not, add more. Grind into a fine paste.

5] Check on your noodles to see if they're done - you need an al dente texture so as soon as they're cooked, take the vessel off the flame and drain your noodles in a colander. Run cold drinking water over this and allow to drain. This ensures they won't clump together.

6] In the midst of step 5 (don't ask how frenzied I was), also check on your veggies and give them a good stir - the greens and orange should still be bright and the cabbage just about cooked. 

7] Add the Peanut Sichuan sauce paste into the stir fried veggies and fold well. Add salt at this point, mix and then blend in the al dente noodles. Fold yet again. Just a word of warning, if you add in extra water (like I did) you might get a mushy product though it still tastes great. 

Serve steaming hot with a salad and enjoy :) 

Preparation Time: 30 - 45 mins      Cooking Time: 20 mins     Serves: 4

P.S.....

- To add in more protein, add a cup of sprouts to the veggies or include tofu. 
- Use the sauce recipe for other types of dishes as well.

The Calorie Counting Catastrophe

Calories (noun) : Tiny creatures that live in your closet and sew your clothes a little bit tighter every night.

     I loved this quote on Facebook (author unknown). It seems to capture the eternal mystery that this term signifies for most of us.

    

     What is a calorie? It is a unit of measurement of energy. A kilocalorie is a thousand calories and raises the temperature of 1 litre of water by 1°C. This kilocalorie is what we commonly refer to as ‘Calorie’. In India another abbreviation used is ‘kcal’. 

     So how many Calories do we need per day? According to our National Institute of Nutrition, in the past:

A sedentary (inactive) woman weighing 50 kg needs approximately 1900 kcals per day. A sedentary man weighing 60 kg requires 2400 kcals per day.

    These values have now been updated and replaced with calculations which are more individualised but still the resulting values remain approximately the same as above. Moreover, these formulae are mainly for the use of clinical nutritionists working in a hospital setting where more specificity in overall nutrient intake not just calories is critical to survival of the patient.

     Here's the catch for ordinary folk. Suppose you are a woman weighing 60 kg, your requirement of calories does not automatically go up. If you are of average height, then you may even need to reduce your caloric intake. But again, you don’t really need to count calories. 

     The trend of counting calories for weight loss started back in the eighties and really gained ground in the nineties in the US. Over thirty years of calorie awareness and we have more obese people in the world than ever before. Obviously something’s not right here.

     Firstly, if you have been counting calories (from guide books or nutrition labels), you should know that these values are not accurate – in fact they may be off by about 20%! That makes a huge difference if you thought you were consuming 1800 kcals and really were consuming over 2100 kcals….

Secondly, tracking calorie consumption makes you focus on quantity not quality.

For example,

1 vegetable puff gives anywhere between 250 to 300 kcals depending on size and fat content.

VERSUS

3 medium sized phulkas (without fat) will give you 250-270 kcals without the extra burden of trans fats, refined flour and other harmful ingredients. They contain more complex carbohydrates, fibre and other nutrients as well!

     The point is that foods are not just about the calories. A food is a package offering a variety of nutrients at once. Unprocessed, organic, whole, natural plant-based foods are the best source of calories and the best part is that you don’t need to sum up if you are eating mostly these types of foods. Dairy products like milk, curd, paneer and cheese, so long as they are organic, are also healthy and white meat, cooked healthily is preferable to red.

     Thirdly, this whole process of doing food maths is stressful, taking away your focus on your body’s natural signal response system for satiety (fullness). It also increases feelings of guilt (when you have indulged) and encourages rather than discourages bingeing. A number of anorexics obsessively count calories which should ring a warning alarm in your head. 

     People who count calories may not do so with their nutritionist’s guidance and thus set their calorie intake too low. Consistently eating a low energy diet slows down your metabolism and leads to all types of chronic disease.

     Did you think being healthy = being thin? This is the idea that people who count calories generally have. A number on a scale does not translate into health. It is about overall fitness – people can be overweight and still be healthy. I’m not saying you can now justify those excess kilos. It is still best to reach your ideal body weight - however, that figure might be nearer to your current weight than you think. Meet a nutritionist to know what is ideal for you.

     To conclude, your health is comprised of the quality of food you choose to put into your body plus your physical output – the more activity throughout the day the better. If you’ve been trapped in this cycle of calorie counting --- weight loss --- weight gain, hopefully reading this will open up new routes on your journey to wellness.

This article was published in 'Life in Adyar', December 29th, 2012.