A Mango a day......

Summers are here and at peak – a perfect season for enjoying mangoes. I am sure you all must be fond of mangoes, the king of fruits and our national fruit. In our sacred Upanishads, mangoes have been regarded as the “Food of Gods”. Mangoes are grown almost all over India and remain the prime delicacy of this hot season.  

Mangoes are being cultivated in India since times immemorial. This tropical fruit finds its mention in certain poetries of Kalidas. Amir Khusro, the great urdu poet commented “Aam meethe hone chahiye aur khoob saare hone chahiye”. So mangoes are being loved since ages. Also, the fruit is available in more than 100 varieties, with each variety having its unique and characteristic flavour.

Mangoes are not only great in taste but also they are great nutritionally. In fact this king of fruits is a package of several nutrients.

Mangoes offer a host of nutritional benefits and thus the old age saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” can well be used for mangoes also. The fruit is so full of goodness that it serves as a perfect breakfast, snack and dessert for this hot season.

100 gm of mangoes provides approximately 60-70 kcals, is high in sugar, low in fats and proteins.

Mangoes are a very rich source of pre-biotic fiber. Pre-biotics are non functional food ingredients which promote the growth of bacteria beneficial for the intestines. In this way, the king offers protection against colon cancer and intestinal diseases.

The fruit is very rich in poly-phenolic flavanoid compounds which provide protection against various types of cancer.

Talking of vitamins, mangoes are a very rich source of beta-carotene which is a precursor of Vitamin A. 100 gm of the fresh fruit provides approximately 25%  of the recommended daily levels of Vitamin A. The vitamin is required by the human body for the maintenance for healthy skin and eyes and most importantly for normal vision.

Another important vitamin that this fruit provides in ample is Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant which helps the body to fight against infection as well as delay aging by removing the free toxic radicals from the body. These anti-oxidant properties are further enhanced by the presence of Vitamin E, which itself is an anti-oxidant.

With regards to minerals, mangoes present the ideal combination. Its a low sodium and a high potassium fruit. So this is the good news for people with high blood pressure; however, patients with kidney diseases need to avoid mangoes.

The peel of mangoes is rich in insoluble fibre whereby making it helpful for our gastro-intestinal tract.

However, the goodness of mangoes is not meant for diabetics. However, the fruit is an incredible source of vitamins and minerals, its high glycemic index (attributed to the high sugar content of the fruit) makes it unsuitable for people with diabetes. The response of blood sugar to the sugar of the fruit is very high so its advisable for diabetics to consume the fruit in moderate quantity.

Almost every part of the fruit is used for edible purposes. In some northern parts of the country, even the peel is consumed. Raw mangoes are used for making beverage commonly known as “Panna” and for making pickles. Ripe mangoes may be eaten raw and fresh and are also used for making desserts and puddings, the most famous being “Aamras”.

So for knowing about the goodness of mangoes, get a dozen of them and enjoy them......if nothing else, they are superb in taste at least!!!!!! 

Beat the Heat with What you EAT

Summers are here for quite long now and temperature is soaring high day by day. With the onset of summers, sun starts shining bright at the very beginning of the day and the hot winds hold sway. This phenomenon stays around for most of the day. This heat of the sun not only makes us tired but also depletes the body of several vital nutrients through perspiration.

Very often in summers we feel “not hungry”. Actually the heat suppresses our appetite as a result of which we tend to eat less. This in turn leads to deficiency of essential substances in the body.

Your diet needs attention during this season. Not only the losses from the body are high but also this weather makes the body prone to a lot of infections and thus diseases. So, here we come with the solution to all these problems. A simple and easy guide about foods to be consumed during this season will help you to remain fit and cool.

Water: The most essential “nutrient” of the season. Just as the lakes and wells around us go dry in this season, the body also dehydrates and the requirement for water increases. Water helps to cool and rehydrate the body, protecting it from various deleterious effects of sun and heat. So one should be drinking water even if they are not thirsty because your body requires it!!! Drinking water before moving out in sun is helpful in preventing heat stroke. However, in summers one should be cautious about the source of the drinking water. If the water is dirty or contaminated in any form, it would be doing more harm than help. So drink water but make sure its safe and clean.

Cereals: Wheat, barley and brown rice are considered to the “cool” cereals. While most of us are eating wheat chapattis everyday, barley is also a very good option for a change. Brown rice is more nutritious, easy to digest and low on carbs as compared to our conventional white rice. Wheat dalia either with milk or with vegetables in the form of a chilled salad is a nice option to charge yourself for the day.

Pulses: Most of us consider pulses to be a “hard to digest” food. Of course, it would be if you eat the traditional dal makhani!!!! It definitely tastes good but is difficult for the stomach considering the amount of fat and cream that goes in. Instead try for healthier options like sprouts, lentil soup or even sattu. A lot of veggies with a dash of lemon added in sprouts or boiled lobia/ rajmah makes up for a good, nutritious and a light snack.

Vegetables: The nature does it all!!! If it created a heated weather, it also created the vegetables for the season. Most of the summer vegetables like tinda, torai, fali, lauki, bhindi, brinjals, kaddu have high content of water and essential minerals which we tend to lose during perspiration. Fresh kakadi, kheera and tomatoes are excellent salad options for the season. However, one should be cautious to wash them thoroughly before using them.

Fruits: The season has all the fruits to combat the heat and refresh the body. Water melon, musk melon, masumbi, lichi and bananas are very cooling for the body. Water content of these fruits is high and they also make up for the vitamin and mineral deficits caused by excess sweat. A chilled fruit salad in the evening refreshes and rehydrates the body after a hot day. However, people with diabetes and kidney diseases need to consult before including these fruits in their diet.       

Milk and milk products: Cold milk is advisable in summers. Various milk products like chaach, lassi and curd are not only refreshing but also provide the necessary protein, vitamins and minerals.

Sugars and Fats: High temperatures lead to lethargy and tiredness. Heavy meals, fat laden fried foods, foods high in cream etc. are difficult to digest and further contribute to lethargy. Also these kind of foods put load on the gastric system which may result in gastric problems. Foods high in sugars may result in weight gain.

Drinks: Raw mango juice, water melon juice, thandai, neembu pani, coconut water etc. are cooling drinks and easy options for replenishing the fluid and mineral losses. Chilled vegetable soups are great appetizers and also help you to stay hydrated by making up for the fluid losses. Adding herbs like pudina, basil, thyme, lemon juice and vinegars to drinks and salads make them light, refreshing and saves off the excess calories added by heavy dressings.

Desserts: Forget your creamy heavy desserts, instead satisfy your ferocious sweet tooth with healthy fruit based desserts. Low calorie desserts like dark frozen sweet cherries, frozen grapes, chocolate covered frozen banana, grilled blackberries with white peaches and honey, grilled pineapple with pecans and rum, low fat fresh fruit ice creams and grilled banana sundaes made from low fat ice creams are also some good summer food choices. Try low fat fresh fruit yogurts and low fat fresh fruit custards for protein and calcium in your diet.    

At a glance:

Ø      Keep your body rehydrated with plenty of fluids – water, neembu pani, nariyal pani, fresh fruit juices, raw mango juice.

Ø      Before moving out in sun, drink a glass of water and carry one bottle with you but after entering from a sunny hot day, do not drink chilled water/ drinks immediately. Wait for the sweat to dry off and then drink water.

Ø      Carbonated/ cold drinks, icecreams etc. should not be used to alleviate the effects of heat. These products are high in sugars, preservatives and colours. They are acidic in nature and act as diuretics leading to water loss.    

Ø      Avoid high fat, deep fried foods and heavy cream desserts. These foods retard gastric emptying and increase the thermal effect of the system resulting in discomfort.

Ø      Limit all strenuous activity.

Ø      Minimize the intake of dried fruits; instead go ahead with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Ø      Reduce the intake of heaty foods like spinach, radish, hot peppers, garlic, beet root, pineapple etc.

Ø      Have small, light and nutritious meals.

Ø      Minimize the intake of hot, spicy and salty foods.  

Ø      Since infection is common to this season, hygiene should be taken care of.

Diet and Nutrition

Let me ask a very simple question to you.....What do you think is nutrition and diet? Some would say, its all about weight reduction, DIETING and looking good; some would be of the opinion that diet is all about cooking good food; or it would be related to the knowledge about various foods and recipes. I still remember when I was doing my grad and post grad, people used to ask me my subjects.
When I used to say that I am into B.Sc./ M.Sc. Home Science, their immediate reaction would be "oh so you are learning cooking, silai and bunai" and all that stupid remarks. But when I did my M.Sc. and later PhD. in Foods and Nutrition, I realized that the subjects are much much beyond people's conventional ideologies.
The term NUTRITION encompasses definitely all of the above mentioned but actually its much more than this. Nutrition does not only mean looking good and thin but its all about your physical and mental health. Its not necessary that all those who are thin are healthy.....nope. Nutrition also encompasses its role in various diseases and clinically, nutrition is important at every stage of treatment.
We are what we eat!!!!!! Nutrition and diet is knowledge about various foods, their properties, their role and importance in our body, what to eat, when to eat, how to eat, modification of foods according to one's needs, role in various diseases so that an individual is able to maintain a life free from illness. It also promotes healthy lifestyle so that you remain hale and hearty always.
Diet is a more commonly used term and Nutrition is a scientific term, though both are inter-related.
So my blog is a small effort which I am making to make the community healthy by both Diet and Nutrition!!!!!!

Nutrition and diet are being the talked about topics these days. Every person around us is knowledgeable enough in this regards and are ready to pour down all their knowledge once u try to seek advice. some aspects of this knowledge are facts and some may be myths based on one's own environment and beliefs.
The purpose of initiating this blog is to provide useful information regarding diet, nutrition and lifestyle so as to improve our quality of life. Before I start writing on this blog of mine, I would like to invite all of you for your suggestions regarding what do you want to know from me.
Let me introduce myself to you. I am a post graduate in Nutrition and currently involved in providing counselling to patients at hospitals and certain research activities.
So welcome all of you in this exchange of knowledge. It would be nice to hear from all of you!!!!!