Foods New Way to Eat

The traditional Indian diet is high carbohydrate diet; deficient in high quality proteins and antioxidants. Moreover Indians used the wrong quality oils for cooking. Carbohydrate enters blood as glucose from the traditional high carbohydrate diet. What cannot be utilized is converted into fat. In those who have diabetes, it remains in blood at levels higher than normal and act as a slow poison. It has also been proved that high triglyceride
And low HDL ( good cholesterol levels ), which cause predisposition to cardiovascular diseases, and also result in high carbohydrate diet.

Rice (78 percent carbohydrate), wheat (72 percent), and sugar (99 percent) are main culprits. The most effective way to reduce the carbohydrate contents is to eat twice a day, as was originally the custom – and to mix 50 gm of Soya flour (pale yellow variety) with 50 gm wheat/rice flour – to make traditional Indian food. Soya contains only 20 percent carbohydrate and should become an integral part of the Indian diet to prevent and treat obesity, diabetes, and cardio vascular diseases. It has been clinically proved in India and abroad that including as little as 50 gm of Soya in every day act as a natural medicine to lower both total and bad (LDL) cholesterol levels.

Mixing 25 gm of Soya flour with wheat flour to make chapattis or with two scoops of idli/dosa batter will lower blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. Since mixing soya with cereals will lower the blood glucose levels, medication for lowering blood glucose levels will have to be reduced and, in certain cases stopped. Therefore this must be follow under medical supervision in those diabetic patients who are on medication, which may include insulin. Cardiovascular diseases are most effectively prevented by those oils which contain an increased percentage of monosaturated fatty acids (MUFA), especially in oleic acid. Westerners use olive oil.

In India we can get almost the same benefit from using sesame (gin-gelly), groundnut and rice bran oils, preferably a combination of all the three. These oils also contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in right percentage so that the Omega -3 and Omega –6 balance is maintained. This is an important factor to regulate good and bad cholesterol levels and is often overlooked. Sunflower and safflower oils have a very high percentage of Omega – 6 fatty acids. This disturbs the ratio between Omega –3 and Omega – 6 fatty acids.

Coconut and palm oils contain a high percentage of saturated fatty acids that raise the LDL (bad cholesterol) levels as do trans- fatty acids contained in hydrogenated fats like margarine and dalda and oil that has been used repeatedly for deep frying. Vegetable oil does not contain any cholesterol. So refining oils, while improving the taste, flavor and consistency, does not remove cholesterol, as in commonly believed. In fact heat and chemicals used to refine oil damage the essential fatty acids. Therefore unrefined cold pressed oils should be used. Soya oil is also valuable but need not be used if 50 gm of soya is included in the daily diet. Mustard oils may also be used for special dishes.

The mid- morning meal should contain the high percentage of antioxidants that protects us from the effects of atmospheric pollution, pesticides in food, aging, immune diseases, cancer and cardiovascular diseases Antioxidants are found in fresh vegetables and fruits, pulses and legumes, nuts, tea and vegetable oils. So this meal should consist of plenty of raw vegetables cut into small pieces and mixed, if necessary, with 125ml of curd made from toned milk; plenty of cooked vegetables (except potatoes, yam and raw banana) prepared in oil of the right quality.

Ideally, start the day with a mug of tea or coffee (using diluted milk and a about one and half tea spoon of sugar). Two hours later gave the glass of thick tomato juice mixed with spices to make it tasty. (This will not cause the stone in the urinary tract as is wrongly believed.) Another two hours later have six almonds or pistas or a fistful of roasted soya nuts along with the diluted buttermilk, rasam or lime juice
with salt.

Lunch should be eaten after 1 pm. Three hours later, drink another cup of tea or coffee (Tea is healthier than coffee) along with a fistful of roasted channa. Then dinner may be eaten whenever hungry. The process of digestion requires high levels of energy and the best time to eat well is at night. This is contrary to popular belief but is based on sound scientific facts.

The digestive process that drains the body of energy (notice how sleepy you feel in the afternoon after having eaten large quantities of rice or wheat at lunch time) may be effectively accomplished while we are asleep. Again, since blood cortisol levels are lowest in the evening, glucose is most effectively utilized at this time of day. In medical terms this is known as medical sensitivity. Dinner should therefore contain items made from rice and wheat products are anything containing sugar like ice creams, desserts and fruits.

If adhered to strictly this diet will provide about 1200 calories. It contains about 55-60 percent carbohydrate, 25-30 percent protein, and 20-25 percent oil. Finally chew well and eat slowly, glucose will enter the blood slowly and your body will be able to utilize most of it. If you gulp your food down without chewing it well, all glucose will be absorbed at the same time, the body will not be utilize all of it and excess glucose will be converted into fat.

A 20 min brisk walk, along with the 10 min work out consisting of stretching and muscle toning exercises and about 20 min of yoga (Including Mudra Pranayama) will go a long way to keep your mind and body fit and healty.