Broccoli 'n' Sesame Salad

Serves: 4  Ingredients 1 cup Broccoli, cut into small florets & steamed or cooked until still firm ½ cup Bell peppers, sliced 1 cup Iceberg lettuce or Chinese cabbage, broken

Dressing 2 teaspoons Light soy sauce 2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar or lemon juice 2 teaspoons Sesame or Peanut oil 1 tablespoon Honey 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds, lightly roasted Salt to taste White Pepper to taste Method 1.    Combine ingredients for dressing. Mix well or shake in a bottle till well blended. 2.    Combine vegetables and pour dressing. 3.    Toss lightly & serve. Source- theweightmonitor.com- India's First Fully Online Weight Loss Portal

Potassium

Ishi Khosla  says that Potassium is found in most foods especially citrus fruits, oranges, bananas, apricots,  lima beans(lobia) potatoes, avocados, mushrooms, potato skin, dried fruits, meat, poultry, milk, low fat curd and dairy  products.   Potassium has an important role to play in maintaining our health and Ishi points out that it is very necessary for muscle contractions, nerve impulse, and function of the heart and kidneys, helps regulate blood pressure and   water  balance in cells.

Diets rich in vegetables  and fruits are also rich in potassium and this is another good reason to eat foods from that food group.   In kidney diseases like renal failure potassium restriction may be narrated. Restriction of fruit juices may become necessary.   Ishi says that the daily requirement of Potassium in both males and females is 3500 mg. POTASSIUM CONTENT OF VARIOUS FOODS PER 100 GMS. LOW CONTENT FOODS   HIGH CONTENT FOODS   Egg (1 med size)   48 mg   Coffee Powder   3256 mg   Beetroot 43 mg Lotus stem 3007 mg Broadbeans 39 mg Green gram dal 1150 mg Knol Khol 39 mg Red gram dal 1104 mg Pineapple 37 mg Cumin seeds 980 mg Cheese salad dressing 37 mg Raisin 864 mg Snake gourd 34 mg Apricot dried 860 mg Lettuce 33 mg Green gram whole 843 mg Fenugreek leaves 31 mg Bengal gram dal 720 mg Butter 23 mg Groundnut (roasted with skin) 701 mg Margarine 23 mg Almonds 680 mg Chicken noodle soup 23 mg Lentil 629 mg Marmalade 20 mg Dates, fresh 580 mg Arrowroot flour 20 mg Colocasia 550 mg Rasgulla (1) 15 mg Chillies, dry 530 mg Radish (Pink) 10 mg Walnuts 480 mg Pear 96 mg Cashewnuts 452 mg Orange 93 mg Apricots, fresh 430 mg

Source- theweightmonitor.com- India's First Fully Online Weight Loss Portal

ZINC & Vitamin E

Best sources of zinc are whole grain (atta, dalia etc) daals & pulses (beans). Nuts, bran, wheatgerm,  milk, liver, egg yolk, oysters, seafood, sunflower  seeds, peanuts. Ishi Khosla emphasizes the role of zinc in our health as an important antioxidant, essential for normal growth, reproduction, immunity.  It is needed for action of many enzymes and  to maintain taste and smell.  Its deficiency may cause loss of appetite, slow growth and poor immunity.

Its daily requirement in males is 9.5 mg and females must have 7 mg of zinc in a day. Ishi recommends foods such as raw oysters, cooked liver of Pork  ,Chicken and Beef.  Cooked Chickpeas, Black eyed peas, Lentils. Vitamin E Vitamin E is an antioxidant. It prevents oxidation of free radicals of polyunsaturated fatty acids present in the cell membrane and tissues. Nutritionist  and Health expert Ishi Khosla says Vitamin E reduces the risk of certain cancers, prevents  formation of cataracts, supports  the lungs., reduces the risk of heart disease.It also boosts the immune system. Ishi recommends nuts especially almonds, walnuts wheatgerm, olives , soybean, corn seeds, vegetable oils. Ishi says Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, spinach, apples, pears are an excellent source of vitamin E.    Some other good sources of Vitamin E are Yogurt, Mayonnaise, roasted peanuts,  potato chips, tofu, cabbage, tomato, green peas, salted butter, dried apricots. Source: theweightmonitor.com- India's First Fully Online Weight Loss Portal

Calcium

Nutritionist and Health expert Ishi Khosla  says " Calcium is a vital mineral for building bones and  teeth. Calcium also helps in the clotting of blood, nerve transmission, regulating heart beat and in controlling hypertension. Ishi states that calcium  intake should be adequate not only in childhood but also later in life this is especially important for postmenopausal women to avoid osteoporosis.” Ishi  recommends low fat milk and milk products, beans, tofu, figs Low fat milk and milk products, beans, tofu, figs, dark green leafy vegetables (broccoli) sesame seeds, oatmeal, soybean, cumin seeds (zeera) garbanzo beans, choona (lime) with paan (betal leaves

While males require  400-600 mg of calcium a day, females should ideally have  400-600 mg of calcium a day. LIST OF INDIAN FOODS RICH IN CALCIUM Foods Calcium(mg/100) Cereals/ Millets   Ragi 344 Amaranth seeds 510 Rajkeera seeds 223 Pulses/ Legumes   Bengalgram whole 202 Horse gram whole 287 Rajmah 260 Nuts & Oilseeds   Gingelly seeds 1450 Mustrad seeds 490 Cumin seeds 1080 Poppy seeds 1584 Green Leafy Veg.   Agathi 1130 Amaranth 397 Fenugreek 395 Rape leaves 370 Milk & Milk products   Cow’s milk 120 Buffalo milk 210 Cheese 790 Khoa 956 Fish and sea foods   Hilsa 180 Rohu 650

Source: theweightmonitor.com- India's First Fully Online Weight Loss Portal

Vitamin B9 or Folic Acid

The operative word here is fresh, because folic acid is easily lost from vegetables through cooking and exposure to light.  A great deal of folic acid is lost the first day the vegetables are picked, put on a truck, and taken to market.  Fresh vegetables you pick and eat immediately are the richest source for this fragile B9 vitamin.  Folic acid's importance and our low intake of it are both so well recognized that folic acid fortification of grain products is now being proposed in western countries. Nutritionist Ishi  Khosla  says the secret mantra for  a happy and a healthy pregnancy is  eating fresh  fruits and vegetables rich in folate. Folic acid is the single most important nutrient for a pregnant woman and her developing foetus.  Folic acid also improves lactation.

Folic acid, in combination with Vitamin B12 is essential for the formation, maturation and multiplication of red blood cells.  It is necessary for the growth and division of all body cells, including nerve cells, and for manufacturing a number of nerve transmitters.  It also produces nucleic acids, RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) that carry hereditary patterns. It aids in protein metabolism and contributes to normal growth.  Folic acid helps in the building of antibodies which prevent and heal infections.  Nutritionist Ishi  Khosla recommends all expecting mothers a diet rich in Pulses and legumes such as Bengal gram and green gram with lot of green vegetables such as amaranth, cluster beans, spinach,  asparagus and  mint Besides greens leaves, folic acid is also  found in gingelly seeds , meats  and citrus fruits. Ishi says a deficiency of folic acid  often causes anaemia, in pregnant women and children.  Serious skin disorders, loss of hair, impaired circulation, a grayish brown skin pigmentation, premature graying of hair, fatigue, and mental depression can also result from a deficiency of this vitamin. Ishi gives a word of caution to all expecting mothers that a deficiency may result in spontaneous abortions, difficult labor, and a high infant death rate. A deficiency may also lead to loss of libido in males.  Lack of folic acid can also lead to dementia. Ishi states that almost all the anticonvulsant drugs used in the treatment of epilepsy reduce serum folate concentrations.Other drugs such as oral contraceptives, pyrimethamine (an antimalarial), co-trimoxazole (contains a sulphur compound) and ethanol (alcohol) may also impair folate metabolism.

Source: theweightmonitor.com- India's First Fully Online Weight Loss Portal

A Reality Check-Your Food Diary

Most of us live by beliefs and perceptions. Generally, the overweight or obese people feel that they hardly eat. Many report eating only one or two breads (rotis) in the entire day. They seem to size up their entire food intake by these numerical counts. Most of us focus on what we do not eat rather than what we eat. There is lot of denial when it comes to acceptance of food intake.

The first step to improve your diet is to increase awareness - what you eat, when you eat and how much you eat. A  Food Diary is a ‘reality check’. Ishi says it is a simple objective tool, which helps you to track exactly what you really eat. Keeping a food diary for three days allows you to record everything you eat and drink. Ishi adds writing details of the ‘eating experience’ makes it even more meaningful as, ‘what you eat’ is often influenced by what is going on inside you and around you. So recording all this information can provide important insight into your eating patterns. In a study, conducted by Harvard Medical School, researchers asked unsuccessful dieters to track what they ate. The dieters then ate exactly what they had listed. This time they all lost weight! A clear indicator of our subjective perceptions about ‘what we eat’. Nutritionist Ishi Khosla recommends a Food diary as it will show you whether you include all the food groups in adequate amounts, the variety of foods you consume, the amount of sugar and undesirable foods; and the frequency of intake. Ishi says one can go a step ahead after completing the food dairy, and can analyze the foods you have listed by comparing them to the five recommendations for healthy eating. Ishi says ‘Don’t be surprised if your food diary reveals that you’re eating too many fats and too few fruits, vegetables, and grains. Remember – the food diary is a tool to help you. Don’t use it to make yourself feel guilty or ashamed about your eating habits.” Ishi clarifies that although, the validity of food diaries and self-reports is questionable. Studies show that keeping a food diary is a better predictor of weight loss than baseline body mass index, exercise, and age. Writing down everything you eat is a powerful technique. It tells you where the calories are coming from and helps to develop specific plans to deal with those situations. In addition, a food diary helps hold dieters accountable for what they are eating. It is not surprising then that a food diary has considerable ‘power as a predictor of success in achieving weight losses. Ishi recommends a food diary in diet related conditions like allergies, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and during pregnancy. They can also be used to identify those at risk of under-nutrition and monitor those on nutritional support. It can be used for nutrition education and for achieving dietary goals for sports persons etc. Ishi says to use the Food Diary as a powerful tool for weight loss is accurate and list everything you eat as soon as you can! If possible, record what you eat as you eat it. Be specific about portion size and foods that contain more than one ingredient. For example, if you eat a sandwich, list the kind of sandwich and the portion size of the bread. Do not forget to mention the butter or mayonnaise or that extra slice of cheese. The longer you wait to record what you eat, the less accurate you‘ll be. However, even if it is not done formally, scribbling down what you are eating can help a great deal. You may also want to consider using your food diary for longer periods to monitor your diet and manage or maintain your weight. It can help you identify problems in your diet, improve it, and reduce risk of diet related conditions. So, next time you resolve to improve your diet, start by reaching out for a pen and a paper. It works like that mirror on the wall!

Source: Theweightmonitor.com- India's First Fully Online Weight Loss Portal

QUINOA VEGETABLE PORRIDGE

Serves Ingredients 2 teaspoons oil, preferably olive oil 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 small onion, finely  chopped 2 cups mixed vegetables, finely  chopped  ( carrots, cabbage, spinach,  peas, beans, baby corn, red bell peppers) (Choose any four colours)  ½ cup quinoa 1 cup water Salt to taste 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon coriander leaves or parsley, finely chopped

Method 1.    Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a saucepan.  Roast cumin seeds for a few seconds and add onions. Cook till transparent. 2.    Add chopped vegetables and cook for a few minutes. 3.    Add quinoa, water, salt and pepper. 4.    Cover the saucepan and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is done. Alternatively, pressure cook for 1 whistle. 5.    Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander or parsley. 6.    Tangy chutney or a relish makes a great accompaniment. Variation: Quinoa can be substituted with barley. Tempering can be with mustard & curry leaves, for a Southern Twist.  Source: theweightmonitor.com- India's First Fully Online Weight Loss Portal