Foods to fight the Haze effect :)

Haze is in the Air! ... but do not let your immune system be hazed !

Singapore and Malaysia are hazed with forest fire smoke blowing in from Indonesia. The result is, many people are facing irrtiability in the eyes, nose, throat, and seriously affecting those with lung disorders like asthma, COPD etc. I am feeling irritability in the throat too since last evening

 :(

It was when I had already decided to resort to dietary and other health related measures, when one of my client called up to ask what she can do to prevent her family from haze health hazards.

Here are some simple, foods list and tips that can help build ones immune system strong enough to resist haze effects.

Cook some food in coconut oil or simply drink it, just 1 tsp for the whole day is enough to work wonders ;)

Drink atleast a glass of carotene rich vegetable juice per day - like Spinach, carrot, tomato juice.

Eat yellow and orange squash, dark greens, carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, red peppers and tomatoes. Cabbage family foods (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, radish and turnip) help prevent low immunity.

Check your protein intake and increase it if consuming less than 2 servings a day. Fresh Sprouts can help increase proteins as well as vitamin C.

Flavonoids rich berries, garlic, yogurt and artichoke also help boost immunity.

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin in maintaining the lung tissue integrity. So eat citrus fruits (avoid juices), squeeze lemon juice, add fresh corriander leaves in your food.

Consume 2 cups of green tea per day. It helps production of immune cells.

Drink 2.5 - 3 litres of water, warm if possible.

Go high on these herbs - turmeric, ginger, gingko bilabo, ginseng, ecinaceae, dandelion, licorice root.
The simplest tip that I always practice whenever there is somebody with cough, cold, fever (rarely) in my family, is put a pinch or two of turmeric powder, black pepper powder, cardamom powder in hot milk.

Try having hot Indian Masala Milk - with a tsp of dry fruits (almonds, pistachios, cardamom, cashews) powder, kesar (saffron) in it and drink hot. You can feel the difference immediately.

Incorporate barley pearls in your diet as they do boost immunity.

Go low on rice, and other starchy items.

Have timely meals, every 3 hourly.

Avoid coffee.

Hope you find the tips helpful and benefit from them. I have already started with the foods I have at home. Planning to shop in the evening for the specific herbs in the evening!

Prevent weight gain in children in summer vacation

Did you know that Summer vacation itself can contribute to significant weight gain and thereby decreased performance in school for the coming year?

Improve your child's Academic Performance for the coming year by learning some effective, day to day nutrition tips. Practical tips on how you and your child can incorporate healthy eating tips together in a fun way :)

Here is a link of researches, showing why feeding your child balanced diet is important in vacation.

http://www.californiahealthykids.org/articles/NPA_3.pdf

We are organising Nutrifuntastic events of 2 hours for parents and their children to learn about Balanced Diet in a fun way through games, puzzles, quiz etc.

Email for more details - ujjwalabaxi@rediffmail.com

Lets crack the buzz about Healthy Cooking Oils

All about Healthy Cooking Oils :)

It is important to note that all oils (cooking and dressing) are similar as per their calorie content, (each tablespoon contains approx. 120 cal) and should be used only sparingly, as part of an otherwise healthy diet, the oils do differ in parameters like methods used for oil extraction, composition and heat tolerance.The methods used for extraction would determine whether an oil is refined (extracted from oil cakes involving solvent extraction) or unrefined (cold pressed).
Unrefined oils are considered better and recommended due to the presence of a wide range of bioactive compounds, flavors and Vitamin E content, which tend to prevent rancidity in them.

Oils containing greater proportion of MUFA should be preferred over those containing PUFA. Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids have heart protective effect. Some oils and solid fats containing Saturated Fatty Acids should also be consumed in small amounts for the effective functioning of the brain.

The nutritional properties and the usage in cooking of a few readily available cooking oils are discussed here and are listed in no specific order :-

Rice bran oil
A relatively new addition to commercial cooking oils segment, the rice bran oil (extracted from rice bran) has quite a few nutritional benefits. It contains a component called oryzanol, which has been shown to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Being rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (about 47%) and natural vitamin E, this oil qualifies as a good cooking oil, especially for high temperature cooking.

Canola Oil
This oil makes for an excellent cooking medium because of its very low saturated fat content (only 7 %- the least among all commercially available oils) and high mono unsaturated fat content along with a beneficial omega 3 fatty acids profile. It possesses a mild flavor and is quite stable, even at high temperatures, thus an ideal cooking medium with heart protecting properties.

Ground nut
Groundnut oil is a popular cooking oil, containing a balance of MUFA and PUFA with good stability at high temperatures.

Sunflower Oil
Among the most abundantly used oils, sunflower oil holds a high smoking point of around 460 degree F and is considerably high in PUFA (68%) and MUFA (21%), whilst being low in saturated fat (11%). This oil can be used for deep frying (if you must) and regular cooking as well, though only in combination with other MUFA rich oils like canola, rice bran or olive oil.

Coconut oil
It contains a high percentage of saturated fats but it is imperative to note that these saturated fats are much different from those found in animal fats like dairy products, eggs and meat. Coconut oil is rich in fatty acids such as lauric acid, which has anti- bacterial and anti- inflammatory properties. If you have been using these oils for cooking, you may continue doing so but try reducing the quantity used or use them only for select preparations.

Soybean oil
Soybean oil is rich in PUFA, containing both linoleic acid and alpha linolenic acid in the right balance. It is comparatively lower in its MUFA content (24%) and being rich in PUFA makes it unsuitable for deep frying (as PUFA gets oxidized at higher temperatures).

Mustard oil
A common cooking oil used predominantly in West Bengal has a high proportion of heart friendly MUFA and also of PUFA. However, if consumed in large amounts may have undesirable effect on our health due to their erucic cid content. Mustard oil is suitable for all kinds of cooking but again preferably in combination with other cooking oils.

Olive Oil
Though a bit more expensive than other cooking oils, olive oil has been shown to have many health benefits, especially so in the prevention of heart diseases and cancer. FDA recommends consuming at least 2 tbsp of olive oil (extra virgin and unrefined) per day to reduce risk to heart diseases. It contains a whopping 77% of MUFA (the best among all oils) and is even low in saturated fats (about 14%). However, the best benefit may be derived by replacing sources of saturated fat in the diet with olive oil, rather than just adding olive oil to your diet.
Since extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil has comparatively lower smoking point, it is best used as salad dressings or for light sautéing and stir frying.
The bottom line, which can be derived from the afore mentioned information, is that the right cooking oil would be the one that is unrefined and rich in monounsaturated fats, whilst being low in saturated fats.

I would suggest using a combination of cooking oils for different cooking preparation such as perhaps using olive oil for salads and light sautéing, canola, rice bran or groundnut oil for high temperature cooking and soybean and mustard oil for other preparations. It is best to limit your visible fat intake to around 2 tbsp per day and get a bit oil wise while oil shopping.

Make Wise Food Choices For your Growing Child!

USE IT...THAT WHEY !

Don't Throw that Whey in your Kitchen.. Instead Use it :)

Most of the Indian ladies, make paneer (cottage cheese) at home and discard its water, thinking that its of no use.

Paneer water and the liquid that separates from the curds when milk or yogurt ferments; contain highly nutritious Whey protein. Yes, its the same protein for which people are ready to spend thousands of rupees / dollars unknowingly. The Whey Protein Supplements that are available at health shops are very highly priced. Nearly a Rupee for each gram !

Whey Protein Nutritive Value
It is high in calcium, B vitamins, digestive aids and is totally lactose and carbohydrate free. Hence, it can be consumed for weight loss too. its high antioxidants profile makes it a strong immunobooster.

How to use liquid Whey (cottage cheese water)

Simply replace plain water with liquid whey and use it for kneading the dough. The breads, rotis, parathas will be much softer with a classic irresistible flavour.

Cook Rice with this water, and you will simply love the colour texture and flavour of cooked rice.


Use it to soak your grains. A few tablespoons added to your soaking water will help make your whole grains and legumes more digestible.

Use it for flavouring soups or mix with vegetable stock to enhance flavour.

Can drink it directly too, with some black salt, lemon juice and pepper powder.

Give it to your children  and drink it yourself and improve immunity and brain power.

Nourish your hair by rinsing it with liquid whey after shampooing.

So use your brain, not your money to nourish your diet :)

what's their in your child's tiffin today?

Participate to Win a Chance of a FREE NUTRITION CONSULTATION for your KID :)

You must be coming up with this question every morning while packing lunch for your picky, little eaters. What do I give my kid to eat in school today? And in order to make sure that kids consume adequately and not starve during the long day in school, the foods that finally find place in that cute boxes are chips, sweet buns, biscuits, bread butter, chocos and everything else apart from what your child should be eating : (
Every parent wants to see their children hail and hearty all throughout their life. But how is that possible? when you yourselves are pushing them in the depths of ill health!
Think over it.

At Poshan -  Cure thru Diet, we thought of helping you out with this.

We want you to think and come up with a simple, easy to make vegetarian tiffin box recipe for kids. Recipes will be rated on their nutritional value, taste and eye appeal. Also, write a short note on why you chose that particular recipe, its health benefits. 

Kindly submit your entries below this post as comment. Last day of Submission - 30th April, 2013

The winners of best 3 recipes shall be awarded a free consultation for Improving their Child's Nutrition for free, which is otherwise worth  $80 (worldwide) or INR 1200/- (India). The consultation will be provided through e - mail and on phone conducted by Poshan - Cure thru Diet Clinic, Mumbai. The Clinic is run by a professional Dietitian, Mrs. Ujjwala Baxi.

So what are you waiting for. You have nothing to lose. Everything to win. Participate and find out new recipes from your fellow participants. Who knows, they might get to learn from you ; )