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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Vegetable Juice – Any replacement?

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Dear Pooja,
I am a 18-year-old girl and my dietician has suggested me that I drink tomato and spinach juice every day. However, I don’t like the taste and find it difficult to drink. Is there an alternative to this?

 

Your dietitian has only your best interest at heart when she recommends a vegetable juice for you daily. If you inculcate the habit of chugging down one fresh glass of potent natural vitamins, minerals and anti oxidants today at 18 years of age you will never need to pill, dermats and ageing treatments at any age. Nutrition from the plate and not a pill. I’m sure the combination is not locked for you and you can take any vegetables (I’d suggest minimum three) of different colours (for a variety of anti-oxidants) to make you juice daily. The key to its magic is immediately preparation and consumption so that no vitamins are lost and oxidized in translation. Add flavours like celery, ginger, lemon, mint and coriander to enhance the taste. Also I would recommend that a minimum of 50 percent of the roughage be retained in the juice so that your fibre intake of the day also gets done. The vegetable juice daily helps in better bowel movements, clearer skin, stronger hair, longer nails, more energy, better stamina, lesser hairloss, improved immunity, reduced episodes of cold and cough……what more can you ask? So go slurp down a glass of veg juice now! All of you.

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In layer2

OLD GOALS, NEW APPROACH

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This year, let’s try making a different set of health resolutions different because their approach will be changed though the objective is still the same -a healthier, thinner, fitter, happier you. We’re in the second month now. Pay attention.

Start on January 1

DON’T AIM TO BE SOMEONE ELSE

Please remember that actors, models and sport stars get the best out of the bodies that they either have been blessed with; or are working very hard upon, with expert guidance every second. Your body is unique, your body is yours. Appreciate every feature, wrinkle and line ­ it’s god’s gift to you. Enjoy it, revel in it and be the best you can be.

PLAN YOUR EXERCISE

Most resolutions just stay on paper because their foundations are weak. Get a clear conception of what you’re about to begin. It is this first step where most people falter. If you haven’t been exercising for years, aiming to show up at the gym every day is more than a little ambitious.Set exercise goals that you’re confident of achieving. A good place to start would be to clock three to four hours of exercise a week. This gives you the scope to break up your exercise regime into smaller capsules, depending on your specific body needs and time available to you. Be the architect of your workout ­ it usually takes just one missed workout for you to feel as if you have failed your purpose.

WRITE A FOOD DAIRY

When you get into the practice of writing down every single thing you eat -whether it’s a piece of fruit or what you ate at dinner -it makes you accountable. The diary works both as your conscience and guide. If you are not losing weight at the pace you want to, just turn the pages of your diary and you’ll find the honest answer. You cannot fool yourself.

PLAN YOUR `ME’TIME

Stress can kill even the best motivation to get fit. In the madness of our lives, we forget what we are eating, ignore meal times and often use food to combat stress. If you want to stay on track, make a plan to manage your stress in ways that don’t invite food as the chief guest. Engage in relaxation activities, whether it’s a hot bath, a massage, a trip to the spa, meditation, deep breathing or shopping! Unplug, disconnect, rejuvenate ­ even if it’s for 15 to 20 minutes a day.

SLEEP WELL TO BE FIT AND SLIM

Your body does not just run on food, water and air. Sleep is a vital component of its functioning.Without adequate sleep (average of seven to eight hours a day), you are setting yourself up for trouble. In my experience, most people who drop their resolutions midway are sleep-deprived. Depression, irritability, reduced brain function, memory loss are all results of not getting enough sleep. Innumerable studies over the years have shown the definite link between sleep deprivation and weight gain. But still, so many of us just do not pay enough attention to our sleep pattern.

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In layer3

FLOUR POWER

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Seemingly innocuous, flour has im mense power. Embedded in each grain are nutrients impatiently waiting to jump out and help your body combat diseases, and support you with your personal health goals. But how do you choose bread that’s good for you?
Different flours have different powers.Let’s sift through the grain.

  • WHEAT-BASED FLOURS

Most of the wheat or atta used in Indian cooking is culled from the semi-hard wheat varieties or durum that are easily available, versatile, power-packed, tasty and good for you. Atta, cracked wheatlapsi fada and semolina sooji are all high-fibre, and are sources of both healthy carbs and fats. They have been associated with the reduction of bad cholesterol and high blood pressure and mitigate the risk of diabetes as well.While it is true that maida or refined flour -also part of the wheat family -has less fibre than its cousins, that doesn’t mean it’s fattening. The only difference is that it goes through your body faster and does not require as many calories to digest it ­ digestion also burns calories. However, all wheat-based flours have gluten. So, those with gluten allergies need to take note.

  • MILLET-BASED FLOURS

Flours from the millet family (millet is a small-seeded grass) are gluten-free. If you have gluten allergy, the millet family can be your choice of flours. Jowar, and its close relative, bajra, both belong to the millet family. Jowar lowers the risk of heart diseases as well as cholesterol. It also has cancer-fighting properties because of the presence of antioxidants, and brims with protein, calcium and iron. Bajra is a great source of energy, aids diges tion, is good for the heart, and with its ability to increase insulin sensitivity, is also great for diabetics.

  • RAJGIRA AMARANTH FLOUR

The Indian kin to the superfood quinoa, this flour -made from the seeds of the amaranth plant -is a tasty non-gluten option. Rajgira has high iron, calcium, protein and antioxidant levels. Since it retains the hull during the process of making atta, the nutrients are retained.

  • RICE FLOUR

Used a great deal in Southeast Asian cooking and in Indian dishes, like neer dosa, rice flour is good for those with gluten intolerance.

  • SOY FLOUR

Soy beans are ground to make soy flour, which comes in full fat and low fat op tions. It bursts with vitamins and minerals, and is also one of the best vegetarian sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Soy protein is great for women post menopause and also for elderly women.

  • QUINOA FLOUR

Quinoa is a 100 per cent vegetarian reference protein ­ which means that all the protein present in it is absorbed by the body. The only other food that does this is egg white, a non vegetarian option. The flour can be made at home simply by mashing up the quinoa and using the powder for any dish.

Ultimately, it’s how you treat your flour that takes away or adds to its benefits. Bathing it in ghee, oil or sugar will cancel most of its benefits.

 

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In Articles to munch on

UNDER PRESSURE

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If your blood pressure consistently starts to hit the roof, check if you have hypertension. Hypertension is when an individual suffers from consistent high blood pressure; even when he’s resting. While hypertension on its own doesn’t necessarily produce symptoms, this condition could lead to a number of related health problems over time to include heart diseases and stroke. So, while you may still need to sort this condition out medically, you’d be surprised at how effectively hypertension can be dealt with nutritionally.

So many conditions -ranging from diabetes and obesity to heart diseases -can be managed and even cured by the food we eat. While a balanced diet works to ensure that your overall health is well managed, for hypertension, you have to take extra care. In other words, it’s time to get hyper about the following:

REDUCING SODIUM

Sodium, or salt, increases blood pressure. If you have been diagnosed with hypertension, cut down on your salt intake. And it’s not just the obvious addition of salt to your daily cooking.Even packaged and processed foods come with their own sodium content. Read the nutritional label to en sure that the intake is permissible.Sometimes, sodium content can mask itself in the form of com pounds like sodium benzoate (a commonly used food preservative). Check if any ingredient has the word `sodium’ before it, and avoid those. To manage hyper tension, the recommended sodium intake per day should not exceed 1,500 mg or 1.5 gm, which is about half a teaspoon. You may also need to watch out for high-sugar beverages and foods, which impact your blood pressure as well.

POTASSIUM AND MAGNESIUM

Where there is low sodium, there is also high potassium and magnesium.Potassium is actually present in tiny quantities in certain fruits and vegetables. Your body only needs these small quantities, and introducing foods with potassium will help reduce hypertension. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of potassium and magnesium. Bananas, muskmelon, plums and peaches are a superb source of potassium; plus, they are cheap and easy to carry around for a healthy mid-day snack. Potatoes are high in magnesium and potassium.Leafy vegetables also help manage hypertension beautifully.

WHOLE GRAINS

In addition to the above, eat more whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, poultry, beans, nuts, seeds, fish and veg etable oils. I would also recommend a glass of raw vegetable juice (juice of three or more types of vegetables) blended coarsely in a blender, not a juicer. Drink up im mediately once a day to pave the way for good health.

FRESH FOOD

Buy fresh foods, chuck canned food, eat at home rather than dining out, and you may soon reach a day when your hypertension just disappears! Cutting down on processed foods, snacks and fast food in general is essential. Watch out for canned goods and cured meats too; they could have high sodium con tent because of the way they are preserved or prepared. And word to the wise: if you are going all out on salads, try and avoid salad dressings that are high in fat and sodium.

This could be a setback for your sodium management.

Dietary approaches to manage hypertension are highly recommended because of how easily accessible these foods are. A healthy, balanced diet will also help you be in better shape.

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In layer2

“VEGETABLE JUICES WORK WONDERS FOR A MOTHER“

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Pooja Makhija, 37, nutritionist, columnist

Mother of Ahaana, 10 and Amaira, 7 The toughest thing about being a mother: Constantly trying to be a better one. When you’re a working mother, you feel guilty. So you try harder and pack more in, and that’s something I always find challenging.Also, battling with guilt is a tough task. At work, you are worrying about your kids and when you are with your kids, you’re stressed about work. But, in the end, guilt makes you work harder and magically makes things work.

Mantra to staying fit post childbirth: Eating right and exercising. There’s no magic wand or simple formula.
My fitness regimen: Right now, I am focusing on strengthening and toning my muscles. Post-pregnancy, you are left with a lot of loose muscles. I do core strengthening, ab exercises, mix of pilates with exercise-ball, plank and resistance-band workouts three times a week.
Five must-have foods post childbirth: Have good protein like egg whites. Wheatgrass juice is a must. Carbs are not your enemy; if you avoid them to l o s e weight, you won’t have the energy to take care of your baby. Fats are not your enemy either.Have healthy fats like Omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseeds, almonds and fish.Take supple Take supplements if you don’t eat these on a daily basis.Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables because they are loaded with disease-fighting and anti-aging antioxidants.
Foods to avoid: Foods high in sugar and fat. Whatever unhealthy stuff you eat is passed on to the baby because breastmilk is the only source of nutrition for them.
Foods to retain good skin and hair: Vegetable juice works wonders. Toss three different raw veggies in a blender (not juicer), season and drink. Avoid excess sugar, it’s an aging food. Eat egg whites for good hair.
Dealing with hormonal changes: Razor-sharp focus keeps my mind stay strong. Raising my kids well is my final goal and I try not to get distracted.
Inculcating good eating habits in children: Instead of force feeding them, try to use informative tools.
Deliver logic with love in a language that they under stand. For exam ple, I often tell my daughters what to eat if they want their hair to grow as long as Rapunzel’s.
They relate to what I say.
My comfort food: A big slice of chilled, baked Philadelphia Blueberry cheesecake.
It’s my ultimate indulgence.
My favourite work out music: Any hot Bollywood track; I am too filmi.
My fitness icon: My husband, Ravi. He’s a fitness freak. Earlier, I’d only focus on eating right but post-pregnancy, I’ve incorporated his way as well, which is more exercise-friendly.
 
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SWEET DILEMMA

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When it comes to Diwali bingeing, the deal is not sealed unless there’s sweets. While every one loves meetha and it’s hard to avoid it this season, there are tons of ways to have your cake and not eat it too, i.e., it is possible to have sweets, feel light, and not add too many kilos. Here’s how…

SWEET THIS…

If you have one eye on a healthy Diwali this year, keep the other one trained at picking out sweets that are, well, only sweet. The trick to having a lighter holiday season is to differentiate between desserts that have only -or mainly -sugar, and those that have sugar and fat. Stick to just sugar-based desserts to avoid a bloated post Diwali season. Dark chocolate, plain sandesh, mishti doi, rosagolla, jellies and custards are examples of sugar-only desserts.

…NOT THIS

Watch out for desserts that have both sugar and fats, though. For example, gulab jamuns are first fried then preserved in sugary syrup. Any sweet that has a high ghee oil fat or butter content is best avoided. This includes cakes, pastries, mousses, mithais soaked in ghee, malai, khoa, pure butter, heavy mawas, concentrates from milk and foods with condensed milk. You get the picture, right?

THE SUGAR-FREE TRAP

To me, sugar-free mithai is a bit like that 1000-laddi stack that never went off! You get excited opening the box, but when it doesn’t work, it can be quite deflating. Sugar-free versions of sweets, likewise, replaces the sugar with double -or at least copious amounts of -fat to maintain the taste factor, and in doing so, they make you gain weight instead of helping you shed it.

Diwali is about spreading love.

And what better way to spread a bit of love than making some thing yourself? Experiment a little to add new twists this season for a healthier you.

BIG DADDY OF HOLIDAY SEASON

If you think that the party is pretty much over, you may have noticed that I have not yet mentioned the Big Daddy of the holiday season ­ dry fruits. The minute your dry fruits, they become more nutrient dense, and by implication, are healthier options to traditional sweets. Mithais and desserts made of dry fruits like dates and dried figs are yummy alternatives. Try date rolls (dry fruit wrapped in dates), dates stuffed with apricots as well dry fruit chikkis, dry fruit puddings and other similar options.

So many low-fat dry fruit desserts can be made at home. There’s nothing difficult about caramelising sugar and adding finely chopped dry fruit and making chikki out of it. You can even make chikki balls or date-and-nut purees. Mishti doi is often made at home and so are homemade kheer, phirnis and halwas, where you can control the oil and ghee portions. You can also experiment with easy-to-make online recipes of frozen fruit jellies and popsicles. The list is unlimited…

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