EATING ONE of life’s simpler pleasures is no longer that it has mutated into a monster that has turned the best of us paranoid. Most of us are in desperate need for assurance that the vitamins we eat today are not actually toxins gently nudging us to an early grave or pyre, as the case may be. Even committed diet trackers have despaired when faced with the rapid flip flops nutritional advice has done over the past two years. Is butter healthier than toast? Is decaf the only way to go? Should ice-cream be jettisoned flavor of flavored yoghurt?
The best way out is to do what I do eat what you like and hope for the best. The good news is that new studies are bearing this philosophy out. “There is a realization that apart from the two taboos sugar and trans fats found in processed foods, no food is completely bad as lon as you don’t have too much of it. Even cholesterol-rich eggs and ghee have more benefits than high calories snack food full of artery-clogging trans fats and sugar,” Says Parmeet Kaur: chief dietition, All india institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi.
In other words, don’t cut back on any one food with single minded zeal. Have smaller portions of the banned treats instead. “You have to get out of simplistic diet debates, Diet gurus can argue about which diet to follow to list those calories. high protein, low fat, low-carbohydrate, a mixture but the bottom line remains the same.
Instead of snacking on empty calories, eating smaller portions of quality calories from nutritionally sound foods you enjoy is a healthier and easier way to watch your weight and stay fit.
1 TEA
SKIP THE sugar and you can have practically unlimited amounts of tea. Whether it is black, green or red, all teas have antioxidants called polyphenoids that protect the body from free radical damage associated with ageing and cancers. Four to six cups of tea have been found to lower the risk of gastric, esophageal, ovarian and skin cancers, with laboratory studies showing anti-blood clotting and cholesterol-lowering benefits. An international study published in December 2007 showed that just two cups of tea a day lowers the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent in women.
The colour of the tea has little to do with polyphenol content as the more processed the leaves are, the darker the tea becomes. Green tea is the least processed tea, while black and red teas are partially dried, crushed and fermented. A cup of tea contains an average of 40mg of caffein, which is about half of the 85mg found in a cup of fleshly brewed coffee, so it is good option for people sensitive to caffeine.
Herbal tea is not tea at all and so has no health-promoting properties. Herbal teas are a mixture of herbs, flowers, roots, spices or other parts of some plant and do not contain the health benefits of polyphenols.
2 NUTS
Once shunned for being high in fat and calories, studies noe show nuts actually help people lose weight and keep it off. That’s because the fat in most nuts is healthy. Walnuts in particular are a good source of the essential omega-3 fatty acid that protects against heart attacks, cancer, diabetes and depression.
Nuts lower bad cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes . Nuts are also high in heart protecting oils such as mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have been shown to lower bad cholesterol (low density Lipoprotein or ldl) levels in the blood.
Nuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fibre, plant nutrients and antioxidants such as Vitamin E ad selenium. The fibre in them makes people feel full longer, preventing them from snacking through the days.
In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US’ federal food regulatory authority announced that eating 6-8 of most nuts a day reduces the risk of heart disease. The FDA approved the heart health claim for almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts as these nuts contain less than 4g of saturated fats per 50g (roughly 1/3 cup).
These nuts are healthy, as long as they are not fried and the intake is limited to to 8-10 pieces a day, which is about 60 calories. Nuts are better any day than the 60 calories you are likely to get from two teaspoons of sugar in your tea or coffee.
To get the full health benefits of nuts, eat them rather than foods that are high in saturated fats, such as biscuits, sugar or namkeens, all of which pack more than 100 calories for two sarvings (roughly a handful).
3 BLACK COFFEE
Coffee does more than keep you awake, it keeps you healthy. Over the past 20 years, over 19,000 studies have been done to study the impact of coffee on health and almost all have found that two to three cups day can chase away the blues, lower suicide risk, raise muscle mass and protect against asthmas, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, galistones, some cancers and chronic liver disease.
A 150 ml cup of instant coffee contains about 60 mg caffeine and filter coffee contains about 85 mg. The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Food says that up to 300 mg a day (three to four strong mugs of coffee a day) appears to be safe.
Havard researchers found that drinking one to three cups of caffeinated coffee each day reduces diabetes risk by several percentage points, compared with not drinking coffee at all. More significantly, six cups or more per day slash men’s diabetes risk by 54 per cent and women’s risk by 30 per cent over those who avoid coffee.
The American journal of Clinical Nutrition says that antioxidants in coffee may lower inflammation, reducing the risk of disorders related to it, like heart disease. But it should be consumed in moderation. Caffeine is a stimulant that influences the central nervous system and too much of it can upset sensitive stomachs, cause heartburn and sleeplessness. It may temporarily raise blood pressure though there is no persistent effect, but pregnant women should avoid it.
4 SHELLFISH
Seafood lovers don’t need to give up cholesterol-laden lobster and shrimp just because the cardiologist said so. Most shellfish, whether mussels, crab, calm, lobster, oyster, shrimp or scallops, are naturally low in total fat and saturated fat, but high in cholesterol content. But nutritionists say that it can still fit into into a heart-friendly diet.
The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 300 mg of cholesterol each day. In addition, it recommends that women consume no more than 50-60 grams of total fat per day with less than 20 grams of fat coming from saturated fat sources. Men are advised 60-70 grams of total fat per day with less than 24 grams of saturated fat.. The good news is that one portion-about 100g-of most shellfish can easily fit within these guidlines.. Of course, portion control is the key. If you consume double the recommended portion of shellfish, you naturally double the cholesterol sources such as egg yoks, organ meats, meat, poultry and dairy products.
5 DARK CHOCOLATE
Cocoa has anti-oxidants called polyphenols that give it anti-inflammatory properties that help fight infection. It is also anti-ageing, which is why some spas insist on smearing it on your face and body.
The standard cocoa powders have the greatest concentrations of antioxidants among chocolate products, with dark baking chocolate being a close second. Sugary dark chocolate contains fear potentially beneficial compounds. Milk chocolate-the most widely available type in India-contains the fewest, about 10 percent of what’s found in cocoa powder.
Apart from fighting ageing, the antioxidants in chocolate reduce risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks by increasing heart-protective good cholesterol levels by 10 percent. In some studies,as little as 22g of cocoa powder or 16g of dark chocolate every day (one Herhey bar contains 45g of cocoa powder) brings these health benefits.
Standard chocolate food and beverages are less likely be benefit health because chocolate tends to have calories and saturated fats, so the more bitter it is, the better.
6 EGGS
After being shunned shunned for a decade for their high cholesterol content, eggs are back with the proverbial bang. One egg contains 6g of high-quality protein and all nine essential amino acids. As much as 4.5g of fat is good and only 1.5g of that is saturated fat, which makes a complete health food.. Eggs are also good source of chlorine, a nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system.
A recent study found that the carotenoid content in eggs-also found in carrots-prevent several eye diseases, such as cataract and blindness due to mascular degeneration and promotes healthy hair and nails because of the high sulphur content and several vitamins and minerals. Many people find their hair growing faster after adding eggs to their diet.
7 BUTTER
Fat is essential for the body to function correctly. In their single minded zeal to cut down on fat, most people have replaced good fats found in ghee, mustard and coconut oils with highly processed, hydrogenerated or partially hydrogenated oils and free rdicals.
There are good fats and bad fats, and if people are putting on more weight today than their ancestors. i is because they have replaced the good fats with the bad. If not eaten to excess, good fats can actually help you keep weight off because they make you feel full longer.
Recent research on fat shows that trans fatty acids in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils found in processed foods increase the risk for heart disease and certain cancers than saturated fat from in animal foods such as meats and butter.. People are better off eating pure, unprocessed fats like ghee, butter, coconut and oily oil than hydrogenated or polyunsaturated oils used in processed or packaged foods, especially the ones marked ‘low fat’, ‘litle or light’.
A simple ay to avoid bad fats is to eat freshly prepared meals instead of low-fat-processed food like intant noodles and biscuits that have hiddn trans fatty acids in them to preerve flavour.
8 WINE
A glass or two of wine a day can prevent heart disease and some forms of cancer: Antioxidants called flavonoids, resveratrol and quercetin found in grapes and wine-especially red wine, grape juice, dark beers and tea, but absent in white wine, light beers and spirits-boost the immune system, block cancer formation, and possibly protect against heart disease.
Several studies point to the multiple benefits of regular wine drinking that include lowered risks of stroke, colorectal tumours, skin and other types of cancers, senile dementia, the common cold, as well as reduced effects of scarring from radiation treatments.
That pretty much covers everything, except ageing. Pregnant women, premenopausal women and those with a family history of breast cancer should not have alcohol. Even in others, the benefits happen only if wine is consumed in moderation-never more than two glasses a day-as overindulgence is far more harmful than abstinence.
9 MILK/CHEESE/ICE-CREAM
Everyone, from growing children to young mothers and ageing parents, needs some form of milk and nothing beats ice-cream. Ice-cream is a great source of calcium for children and adults can have a scoop a day without worrying about the calories. Apart from calcium, milk proteins are a rich source of amino acids, especially leucine, which helps support normal maintenance and growth of muscle. Lucine also helps in fat loss and promoting lean muscle tissue, as well as regulating blood glucose levels.
Dairy protein (whey and casein hydrolysates) reduces high blood pressure and protects bone and dental health, besides fighting toxins, bacteria, and viruses. Milk is best had as dahi,(curd) which has naturally occuring probiotics that aid digestion.
Calcium is best known for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones. In a process known as bone mineralisation, calcium and phosphate, which gives structure and strength to bones. Calcium also plays role in blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, regulation of enzyme activity, cell membrane function and blood pressure regulation.
10 AVOCADOS
They contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help lower cholesterol.
In a study of people with moderately high cholesterol levels, those who ate a diet high in avocados showed clear health improvements. After seven days on an avocado diet, they had lower total cholesterol and bad cholesterol levels, along with an 11 percent increase in heart-protecting good cholesterol.
One cup of avocado has 23 percent of the RDA for folate, a nutrient important for the heart. To show the relationship between folate intake and heart disease, researchers followed over 80,000 women for 14 year using dietary questionnaires.
They found that women with higher intakes of dietary folate had a 55 percent lower risk of having fatal heart diseases. Avocados are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Adequate intake of potassium can help guard against circulatory diseases, like high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke!!