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Rice is nice

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Your guide to eating white rice for weight loss and health

There are fewer foods that in still more fear in my clients’ hearts than rice. Or more specifically, white rice. This humble cereal has become a dietary force that few dieters want to reckon with – so many skip rice entirely in their efforts to lose weight or reach their health goals.

While the nutritional benefits of brown rice have been discussed to death, the problem is that it’s relatively costly and not commonly available, like white rice. Also, brown rice has a fairly distinctive taste, which may not always marry well with dishes which work so well with its whiter cousin. That’s why this piece is my effort to tell you why not to be a (white) cereal killer.

To start with, all the rumours you have heard about white rice are true. Yes, it has a higher glycaemic index (GI), which means that it gets converted into glucose very quickly by your body and can spike blood sugar levels. Result? Bad for both diabetics and dieters. It is also a starchy food (starch is part of the glucose family), which again can be fattening and disturb — or even reverse — weight loss efforts. All true.

But to that I say, white rice is only a problem if you don’t cook it or eat it in the way it should be eaten. And yes, there is a way. Or more than one way to have your rice and eat it too:

BOIL WHITE RICE, DON’T PRESSURE COOK IT

Cooking rice in a pressure cooker means that the starch will remain in the rice and not be released in the water. The same holds true with rice cookers. To remove the starch, boil it and drain the rice water.

ADD VEGETABLES TO LOWER ITS GI

Did you know that high GI food can become low GI foods? In the case of rice, this is done by simply changing the composition of the rice and adding vegetables to it. The vegetables take more time for your body to process, and this slows down the rice’s ability to quickly convert into glucose.

PORTION IT OUT

For dieters and diabetics, one medium size bowl a day is the serving size I recommend. Diabetics need to be doubly sure that all water is completely drained before eating it.

White rice is yummy, and is the base for many dishes – not only in Indian cooking but many other cuisines, both regional and international. It’s tasty and versatile and can be a health companion, making you look forward to your meals instead of dreading them. Why give it up if you don’t have to?

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Wet your appetite

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While the principles for healthy living and healthy eating remain the same throughout the year, certain seasonal rules apply. Just as summer and winter bring their unique environments and nutritional needs, the monsoon creates its own set of dietary restrictions, particularly pertaining to the intake of vegetables. Here are some veggie dos and donts:

RAW LEAFY VEGETABLES

The rainy season is probably the only time of the year when I would not recommend leafy greens. The rainy season generates a great deal of humidity, spurring bacterial growth which tends to thrive on the surface of the vegetables we eat. Transportation conditions and storage arent particularly hygienic either, which means that we need to stay away from vegetables that arent peeled. These include raw spinach, lettuce, methi, kale and other ones that go straight, unpeeled, uncooked from farm to table. Needless to say, if these vegetables are cooked, there is no problem with their consumption.

Other options for non-leafy veggies include snake gourd (tori), gourd (dudhi), pointed gourd (parval), yam (suran), apple gourd (tinda), bitter gourd (karela), and cluster beans (gavaar) along with your usual onions, turnips and potatoes. If the sound of tinda or gavaar doesnt appeal to your kids/family/spouse, try saying apple gourd or cluster beans instead. It might just work.

SPROUTS

Like vegetables, sprouts is one of the best things for your body but unfortunately, the rainy season brings with it pathogens that tend to infest this particular food. If you must eat it, lightly steam them prior to consumption.

CAULIFLOWER & BROCCOLI

There are greater chances of cauliflower and broccoli infestation during the rainy season. When I mean infestation, I mean insects making a nice little home for themselves on the leaves. If you can skip the raw versions entirely, its better.

CUCUMBER

This made it to the list because cucumber is eaten many a times with the skin on. Peel it.

FRUITS

While fruits are not vegetables, be partial to seasonal fruits. Unseasonal ones are more likely to be prone to infestations. Your best bets are pomegranates, bananas, mangoes, apples, plums and whatever else is in season. Again, peel the fruit instead of eating it with the skin on.

**A NOTE ON WASHING

For vegetables and fruits with peels, try and do a final rinse with potassium permanganate. Add enough potassium permanganate to a vessel with water for the water to take on a light pink tint. Soak fruit and vegetables for about five minutes. Rinse thoroughly to effectively remove bacteria, pesticides and assorted pests.

Enjoy the best of healthy vegetables this season.

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Coco-nuts

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It’s the question I’m often asked: How nuts can we go about coconut? Okay, I’m paraphrasing, but most of my clients indeed want to know how they can integrate coconut healthfully into their daily diet. Its reputation as a high-fat food has indeed preceded it, but coconut is so much more than its calorie count…

Builds Immunity

There are good fats in coconut — like caprylic, capric and lauric fatty acids — that provide antiviral, antibacterial and antiprotozoal functions, all of which build your immunity. In addition, there is also something called monolaurin (present in coconut fat) that gives viruses a knock-out punch.

Rich Mineral Source

Coconut is also loaded with minerals, all of which do wonderful things for your body’s regular functioning. Minerals in coconut include manganese, copper, selenium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. That makes this food a veritable bounty of goodness.

Reduces BP

Raw coconut is high in fibre, which gives it its ability to lower blood pressure. Never a bad thing, no matter what your health profile is.

Better Bowel Movements

Foods high in fibre ensure regular and smoother bowel movements, which, of course, reduce the incidence of constipation and bloating.
Having said that, coconut is also a source of saturated fats, which is a bad fat. It cannot be denied that per cup, raw coconut contains almost 24 gm of saturated fat alone, the intake of which should be limited if weight management is a goal.

Considering that adults should have anywhere between 10 and 20 gm of fats a day (depending on their body composition and weight loss needs), how do you eat coconut healthfully without tipping the scales? You can, if you:

1. Avoid it during weight loss phases

Given its high saturated fat content, I would recommend avoiding/limiting it during your weight loss phase. You can always come back to it in your weight maintenance period. The same goes for coconut oil.
2. Moderate its intake

If weight loss is not your goal, a good estimate would be to consume 30-50 gm of raw coconut per week, once a week. You can integrate this in anything to include curries, chutneys, pastes, and even healthy desserts.

3. Use fresh, grated raw coconut

The best source of coconut is freshly grated from the coconut you bought recently, preferably that day. This ensures that all its vital nutrients remain intact, and its numerous health benefits can be passed on to you.

4. Avoid coconut milk

Coconut milk is high in fat, and most cooks underestimate how much actually needs to be used when putting it in a dish. Try and avoid it as much as possible.

5. Avoid processed and pre-packaged coconut

And definitely avoid desiccated coconut, pre-packed shredded coconut, pre-packaged coconut milk, and any coconut that does not come in its natural, brown, nutty, hard casing. You want the taste of this widely-available wonderful food, yes, but why sacrifice its glorious benefits?

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Genie in a diet

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As weight loss resolutions ring in the New Year, I’d like to talk to you about what to expect from your weight loss plan.Treat your weight loss plan like a genie. Expect things from it. Asking for just weight loss is like asking a genie for a kite or a pencil or a sharpener.Anyone can give you that. But if you are going to take control of your weight, if you make changes in the way you eat, shouldn’t you expect better returns on your diet? Here’s what should be on your wishlist…

PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS

If you choose a diet that focuses only on losing weight, it will ignore other issues like metabolism and overall health. Your diet needs to guarantee permanent weight loss, i.e., where the weight does not come back if you eat `normally’.

INCREASED METABOLISM

A good diet should kickstart your metabolism and actually increase it.Eating every two hours is the secret to stable weight loss.When my clients burst through the door telling me, `I lost 3 kilos!’, I am never impressed. The first question I ask them is, `Did you eat every two hours?’ Because without that, I know (from my experience with all my clients) that the 3 kilos are going to come back.

FAT LOSS

If you don’t lose fat, you lose muscle. And the more muscle you lose, the higher is your body fat percentage. That in turn leads to storage of more fat. Any meal plan low on calories starves you and ensures that your body uses muscles for its daily functioning, which is detrimental to any long-term weight loss goal.

OVERALL HEALTH, ENERGY, WELL-BEING

How are you feeling? This is something no weighing scale or blood test will be able to tell you. Do you get up in the morning feeling lively? Do you feel that you have a better attention span? Do you feel less irritable? Your energy levels should remain more or less the same throughout the day: there should be no major highs or lows. Your blood sugar levels should be consistent and stable. Your overall health and well-being is the ultimate test of the success of any weight loss programme.

Whatever you do, don’t give up. And this year, when it comes to weight loss, I want you to take the same pride a marathoner takes crossing the finish line. If you are here to beat, win, compete, compare, you are measuring yourself against people, bodies and deadlines that aren’t yours. Don’t look over your shoulder. Forget about who’s catching up and who’s running ahead.

Your job is to finish. Be a finisher. That will be your victory.

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Energiser bunnies

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Like adults, children of this century have more than ever on their plate.

An endless treadmill of school time, tuition time, extracurricular, homework time, and dare I say, iPad time ­ leave them with very little window to do anything else. Also, like adults, they also have many roles to play: as students, as friends, as teammates and as general creators-of-ruckus! Having said that, we mustn’t forget that children of this age are also still developing, both physically and mentally. Food is not just a tool to keep them going, but also a tool to keep them growing. The challenge is how do you make sure they get their daily dose of nutrients while maintaining their required levels of energy?

PLAN

Plan the menu for the week. There are many healthy substitutions for junk food your kids like. Make your child’s tiffin the envy of the class. Swap deep-fried for air-fried or baked, heavier red meats for healthier white meats and high-fat for low-fat. It’s not so much about weight control (even though the rate of child obesity has spiked), but about your child getting a sustained release of energy through the day. And here’s why…

GET COMPLEX

Everything we eat gets converted into glucosesugar, which in turn provides us with the vital energy we need to perform our various functions. Sugary foods, processed foods, refined foods and some high-fat foods are simple sugars, i.e. fast energy sources which may provide that extra burst of energy, but soon lead to a crash in blood sugar levels just as quickly as they had spiked.

So before you pack that chocolate as a treat for your child in the tiffin or buy a tetrapack of fruit juice -which also has tons of sugar, by the way, and is not as healthy as it may seem -check yourself.

Fluctuations in blood sugar levels brought by these foods are unhealthy.

Choose complex sugars in stead, like fresh fruits, vegeta bles, home-cooked healthy foods, lean meats and eggs. These foods take a longer time to break down into glucose by the body, and provide your child a sustained release of energy through the day.

HYDRATE

We mustn’t forget another factor that contributes greatly to children feeling tired or run down: dehydration. Lack of adequate water drains both muscles and brain. Water helps maintain the salt balance apart from reducing ex haustion. Daily water requirements range from 1.3 litres (for children aged 1-3) to 1.7 litres (for children aged 3-8), 2.4 litres (for boys aged 9 13 years) and 2.1 litres for girls in the same age group. Older boys and girls (aged 14-18) need 3.3 and 2.3 litres, respectively.

Note: A tall glass of water is approximately anywhere between 200-250 ml (approx.)

Lastly, lack of sleep and exercise both contribute to a tired and listless child. Ensure that they get enough sleep and can tear themselves away from their virtual lives to get out in the sunshine to live a real one. If children must bring the house down, they should do it well, I feel, and for that they need to be fuelled by the best nutrition.

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Free to be

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This Independence Day as we ponder over freedom, let’s contemplate our relationship with food. When it comes to nutrition, are we truly free? Or do we feel bound by a plethora of conflicting information? Can we ever be free to eat whatever we want?
If weight loss and maintenance are our goals, then some foods are born more equal than others. But if it’s the numerous and contradictory instructions that are bogging you down, you can, to some extent, be free of rigid diet rules if you follow this simple colour-coded food philosophy.

ORANGE

Orange foods include papaya, carrot, apricots and more. Carrot prevents cancer, helps us see better and slows down aging. Papaya boosts the immune system and safeguards us against disease. Apricots are bursting with iron, potassium and fibre. And let’s not forget pumpkin: every part of this delicious vegetable is brimming with goodness, right down to the seeds. Orange you glad you read this!

BROWN

Brown can turn your frown upside down.

Revel in the benefits of brown foods which include nuts, potatoes, ginger and quinoa. Potatoes are loaded with vitamin B6 ­ vital to the building of new cells. Ginger’s medicinal role has been well documented. Walnuts and almonds help with the prevention and management of diabetes. And Quinoa like the humble egg white is one of the purest sources of protein ­ a 100% reference protein which means it has all the nine essential amino acids needed by our body.

WHITE

Lean white meats, egg whites, onion and garlic represent the white corner. Chicken and turkey are fantastic sources of lean protein, but egg white is one of the BEST sources of protein there is. Onions are potent anti-inflammatories and garlic is a brilliant antioxidant, both of which form the base for many cuisines.

GREEN

Kale, asparagus, green beans, spinach, broccoli, edamame, basil, capsicum, green tea ­ go green to get lean. The leafy greens are wonderful sources of nutrients, anti-oxidants and boost your health quite like nothing else.

Of course, this is not to say that other foods not mentioned here -like dals, and other sabzis -are not healthy or that you should not eat them, neither should we eat the above without moderation. Oil, fat, quantity and sugar intake must be monitored while preparing these foods so that you can get the best of them. And add some colour to your life.

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Genie in a diet

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As weight loss resolutions ring in the New Year, I’d like to talk to you about what to expect from your weight loss plan. Treat your weight loss plan like a genie. Expect things from it. Asking for just weight loss is like ask ing a genie for a kite or a pencil or a sharpener. Anyone can give you that. But if you are going to take control of your weight, if you make changes in the way you eat, shouldn’t you expect better returns on your diet? Here’s what should be on your wish list…

PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS

If you choose a diet that focuses only on losing weight, it will ignore other issues like metabolism and overall health. Your diet needs to guarantee permanent weight loss, i.e., where the weight does not come back if you eat `normally’.

INCREASED METABOLISM

A good diet should kick start your metabolism and actually increase it. Eating every two hours is the secret to stable weight loss. When my clients burst through the door telling me, `I lost 3 kilos!’, I am never impressed. The first question I ask them is, `Did you eat every two hours?’ Because without that, I know (from my experience with all my clients) that the 3 kilos are going to come back.

FAT LOSS

If you don’t lose fat, you lose muscle. And the more muscle you lose, the higher is your body fat percentage. That in turn leads to storage of more fat. Any meal plan low on calories starves you and ensures that your body uses muscles for its daily functioning, which is detrimental to any long-term weight loss goal.

OVERALL HEALTH, ENERGY, WELL-BEING

How are you feeling? This is something no weighing scale or blood test will be able to tell you. Do you get up in the morning feeling lively? Do you feel that you have a better attention span? Do you feel less irritable? Your energy levels should remain more or less the same throughout the day: there should be no major highs or lows. Your blood sugar levels should be consistent and stable. Your overall health and well-being is the ultimate test of the success of any weight loss programme.

Whatever you do, don’t give up. And this year, when it comes to weight loss, I want you to take the same pride a marathoner takes crossing the finish line. If you are here to beat, win, compete, compare, you are measuring yourself against people, bodies and deadlines that aren’t yours. Don’t look over your shoulder. Forget about who’s catching up and who’s running ahead.

Your job is to finish. Be a finisher. That will be your victory.

 

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Baby Love

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You’ve been married for a few years and you feel it’s time to get pregnant.

You’d like to increase your chances of fertility. What should you do?

FOR STARTERS, EAT RIGHT

The National Infertility Association in the US recently stated that almost 30 per cent, or nearly one-third, of infertility cases are due to `weight extremes’, i.e., where the woman is either excessively overweight or underweight. This matters because even a five per cent reduction in weight can improve chances of having a baby. That’s what the study revealed. And, at the other end of the spectrum, women with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of less than 18.5 could have problems with ovulation or menstrual cycles, and by extension, conception.

In other words, there is a definite correlation between nutrition and fertility.

Can you eat your way into pregnancy?
In short, `yes’ (all other indicators being normal), but the answer is also two-fold.

First, a sensible diet -and here, I stress on sensible -will reduce your weight if you are overweight. Protein, fats, carbs, vitamins and minerals must be represented in their recommended quantities for you to nourish you body and lose weight at the same time. Fad and crash diets will starve your body of crucial nutrients that are needed for conception. Please note that, like breathing or digestion, conception is also a bodily function that needs adequate nourishment.

Second, it’s not just eating right, it’s also about eating smart. There are foods that boost ovulation. Iron-rich diets -foods like beans, eggs, dals, whole grains, spinach -reduce the chances of ovulatory infertility. And while folic acid doesn’t boost fertility, it is vital for the prevention of neural tube defects.

Note: The neural tube is what ultimately develops into the baby’s spine and brain 3-4 weeks into the pregnancy ­ a time when most women may not even be aware that they are carrying a baby.

Additionally, a group of Harvard researchers has created the `fertility diet’, designed to boost fertility, bringing about a 66 per cent reduction in risk of ovulatory infertility for those who suffered from it, and an additional 27 per cent reduction in the possibility of infertility from other causes. Key elements of the diet include…z Less bad fats, like trans fats, and more good fats like mono saturated fats (olive oil and avocados) z More vegetable protein, like dals, and lesser animal protein (chicken, mutton, pork, etc.) z More fibre z Multivitamins z More vegetarian sources of iron as opposed to non-veg sources.

MEN, WATCH YOUR DIET

And it’s not just the women. Men need to keep a watch on their diets too. Aspiring fathers also need to maintain their weight and eat right because male obesity impacts testosterone and other hormone levels. In addition, low sperm count and low motility are conditions that are more common in overweight and obese men.

There’s nothing strange or different about eating for fertility. Watch what you eat, watch your weight and watch yourself as you create a new life and with it, induct yourself into one of the world’s biggest societies: parenthood.

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Kid gloves

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It won’t be an exaggeration to say that many of the eating patterns that we as adults have adopted are a throwback to when we were kids. Our first associations of sweets are with happy occasions. Cakes on birthdays, laddoos for good exam results…We do not have the tradition to celebrate with fruit or with a nice, gleaming, fresh, chunky salad. Sigh. Ah well, that’s life.

It’s crucial to nurture healthy relationships with food at an early age so that every meal is a happy one later in life. If food is used as a bribe from an early age, the child will grow into an adult who uses food for reasons other than its purest need ­ nutrition. And we all know what that leads to. While the following may sound lofty, you’d be surprised at how even the smallest at tempts to change behaviour can go a long way in altering our fundamentally bad relationships with food.

TRY NOT TO REWARD, PACIFY OR PUNISH WITH FOOD

This is probably the hardest to enforce. Which parent has not given into a child’s tantrums or tried to make him happy after a sad day at school by baking his favourite treat? The reason I put `try’ instead of `don’t’ is because 100% implementation is quite simply, not feasible. But, as a parent, do not give in to the urge to constantly use food as a bribe. Pacifying your little ones with his or her favourite treats leads to a greater dependence on emotional eating as an adult.

EXPLAIN, DON’T FORCE

This method works best when trying to ban sugary drinks or treats or an overload of fat. “Because I said so“  is unfortunately no longer enough to stop a child. Make your kids understand the impact of what excess sugar actually does to their teeth or how it slows down their academic performance or even their level of physical activity.

MODERATE, DON’T DEPRIVE

Forbidden sweets are always, pardon the pun, sweeter. Moderate the intake of unhealthy food but don’t ban it altogether. You could, for example, set up a system where your child gets one treat a day: you could let THEM choose where they’d like their sugar from: chocolate, flavoured milk or eating at a birthday party. You could also allow them to choose their own time and environment to eat it in, giving them a better sense of control over the process. If they know they can still dip into their favourite treats once in a while, exercising restraint at other times becomes easy… on both your child and you.

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That lovin feeding

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When love is in the air, it’s always good to have romance on your plate. Foods that promote that lovin’ feeling have been around since the time of the ancient Greeks, if not earlier. While some -like chocolate or whipped cream -have dubious nutritive value even if they make you feel good, there are other healthier options that boost the feel-good chemicals in your brain. These chemicals include dopamine and serotonin. Other foods boost your energy levels. So if you are going to shop for foods this Valentine’s, here are some healthy choices…

ARUGULA

This peppery passion food has been thought of an aphrodisiac for over 2,000 years. Brimming with antioxidants and minerals that help fight environmental contaminants (that interfere with the libido), you can use this versatile food as a main salad or as a crunchy side dish.

AVOCADO

This little green man has got the V-Day nod since the time of the Aztecs. While there is some debate over whether it’s a genuine aphrodisiac, there is absolutely no debate about its health benefits: high levels of vitamin E and energy booster.

CHERRIES

Cherries brim with `happy’ vitamins like A, C and E, not to mention minerals like potassium, iron, magnesium and more. It also has an antioxidant (melatonin), which helps with regulating heart function.

OLIVE OIL

It was the Greeks who believed that olive oil boosted male virility. It also helps with the production of hormones, with blood flow, and contributes to a healthy heart.

POMEGRANATE

This little red jewel works well for the flow of blood, apart from being a versatile and delicious food.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

High in magnesium, pumpkin seeds have been known to increase testosterone in the blood stream.

STRAWBERRIES

A more familiar addition to the love menu, strawberries are packed with vitamin C, great for blood flow to all parts of the body.

WATERMELON

This luscious fruit is associated with pumping up circulation and relaxing blood vessels. Additionally, lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, loves watermelon so much that it’s made quite a home for itself in it. Eat watermelon to be both healthy and happy.

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