Diabetes and Food Preparation - Crusty foods affect diabetes
Findings from a study conducted at the University of Illinois, USA suggest that people with diabetes should avoid cooking methods that produce crusty foods such as the crispy edge of a cake /brownie, or crispy borders of meats, especially ground meat, such as hamburgers.
Cooking methods using very high, intense, dry heat that create a crust produce advanced glycation end products (AGE’s) which often cause long term damage to other parts of the body. AGE’s are associated with plaque formation that could result in cardio- vascular disease.
Consuming products containing AGE’s could worsen the existing cardio-vascular disease complication of diabetes.
People with diabetes have always been advised to bake, boil, grill or steam their foods instead of frying it. The emphasis has been on eating less saturated fat and more fruit and vegetables and fibre. Now it seems that the method of cooking food may also be an important factor in managing the diet.
(TOI - 27 October, 2012.)
Managing stress …
Stress is a disease of modern times and is believed to cause more ailments than any other cause known to modern medicine.
There are many ways to overcome stress - yoga, meditation, physical exercise, massage, aroma therapy, music therapy, laughter therapy, relaxation therapy, Tai-chi, Qigong, medication and so on.
However, whatever you do, unless you have a healthy diet, stress will take its toll on you.
During times of stress, a healthy person is better able to handle situations. The body loses a lot of its store of nutrients especially proteins and vitamins A, B and C during this time. A balanced diet is the key to ensure that the body gets all the nutrients it needs.
In addition, specific foods contain nutrients that can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Almonds, banana, broccoli, cottage cheese, green tea, lime juice, milk, blueberries, oranges, oats, whole grain rice and spinach can reduce stress and anxiety.
Citrus fruits are a rich source of vitamin C which is known to boost the immune system or reduce allergies and is now known to be good in stress management.
Banana contains a type of protein that is converted to seratonin which helps a person to relax, improves the mood, and makes one feel happier. It is also a good source of magnesium, an anti-stress mineral because of its calming effect.
Milk is rich in antioxidants, Vitamins B2 and B12 and calcium and protein. Calcium has a calming effect on muscles.
So, when trying to deal with stress, reach out for these foods instead of that cup of coffee!
Healthy Foods: Nuts for the guts…
A new study shows that pistachios promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.
They are rich in dietary fibre, Vitamin B6, thiamine, manganese and copper which are beneficial for bacteria in the intestines. These bacteria are necessary for healthy digestion, and strong immune system. You need to constantly replenish and nurture intestinal flora. A handful of pistachio is better than a nutrient -empty snack like chips or a soft drink .
For a healthy life…
• Get up 15 minutes early
• Go for a brisk walk
• Hold your hands behind your back and stretch your shoulders.
• Change coffee break into a physical activity break
• Ride a cycle to work
• Make it a habit to say’ thank you’.
• Learn to say ‘NO’
• Laugh out loud
• Take a deep breath and let it all out at one go
• Spend an evening without TV
• Take a different route to work
• Make time for play
• Do one thing at a time
• Cut back on caffeine
• Count your blessings
• Read something funny every day
• Angry? … Count to 10 before exploding.
(TOI- Oct 28, 2012)
Get your fats right…
Some fat is necessary for good health – in the correct quantity though. 20 – 30 % of total calories in the diet must come from fats.
Know the right combination, differentiate between good fats and bad fats and use fats correctly.
Know the source of good fats and bad fats and strike a balance. Sources of good fat are nuts and seeds, fatty fish and cold pressed oils. Mono Unsaturated Fats (MUFA) reduce the LDL cholesterol and are found in mustard, rice bran, sesame, rapeseed, ground nut and olive oils.
The quality of fats is as important as the quantity. A diet high in MUFA with no trans fats can be helpful.
Fried food, Indian snacks like fried namkeens, samosa, kachori , Indian sweets, and food from cheap eateries contain the undesirable and fattening trans fats.
What to do…
For an ideal mix of fats, choose a variety of blended vegetable oils such as mustard, canola, sesame, rice bran and olive oil instead of a single source.
Choose less refined or cold pressed oils. Refined oils provide imbalanced fats and are responsible for various health problems. Also, high heat during refining destroys vitamins and antioxidants. Less refined or cold pressed oils such as olive, peanut and sunflower retain flavour, aroma, and nutritive value.
Choose oils with high smoking points for frying. Smoking point of an oil is the temperature at which it starts emitting a blue haze which indicates the formation of decomposition products. Do not heat oil without food for more than a minute.
Most vegetable oils have high smoking points but butter, and coconut oil do not.
(TOI 28 Oct, 2012)
Findings from a study conducted at the University of Illinois, USA suggest that people with diabetes should avoid cooking methods that produce crusty foods such as the crispy edge of a cake /brownie, or crispy borders of meats, especially ground meat, such as hamburgers.
Cooking methods using very high, intense, dry heat that create a crust produce advanced glycation end products (AGE’s) which often cause long term damage to other parts of the body. AGE’s are associated with plaque formation that could result in cardio- vascular disease.
Consuming products containing AGE’s could worsen the existing cardio-vascular disease complication of diabetes.
People with diabetes have always been advised to bake, boil, grill or steam their foods instead of frying it. The emphasis has been on eating less saturated fat and more fruit and vegetables and fibre. Now it seems that the method of cooking food may also be an important factor in managing the diet.
(TOI - 27 October, 2012.)
Managing stress …
Stress is a disease of modern times and is believed to cause more ailments than any other cause known to modern medicine.
There are many ways to overcome stress - yoga, meditation, physical exercise, massage, aroma therapy, music therapy, laughter therapy, relaxation therapy, Tai-chi, Qigong, medication and so on.
However, whatever you do, unless you have a healthy diet, stress will take its toll on you.
During times of stress, a healthy person is better able to handle situations. The body loses a lot of its store of nutrients especially proteins and vitamins A, B and C during this time. A balanced diet is the key to ensure that the body gets all the nutrients it needs.
In addition, specific foods contain nutrients that can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Almonds, banana, broccoli, cottage cheese, green tea, lime juice, milk, blueberries, oranges, oats, whole grain rice and spinach can reduce stress and anxiety.
Citrus fruits are a rich source of vitamin C which is known to boost the immune system or reduce allergies and is now known to be good in stress management.
Milk is rich in antioxidants, Vitamins B2 and B12 and calcium and protein. Calcium has a calming effect on muscles.
So, when trying to deal with stress, reach out for these foods instead of that cup of coffee!
Healthy Foods: Nuts for the guts…
A new study shows that pistachios promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.
They are rich in dietary fibre, Vitamin B6, thiamine, manganese and copper which are beneficial for bacteria in the intestines. These bacteria are necessary for healthy digestion, and strong immune system. You need to constantly replenish and nurture intestinal flora. A handful of pistachio is better than a nutrient -empty snack like chips or a soft drink .
For a healthy life…
• Get up 15 minutes early
• Go for a brisk walk
• Hold your hands behind your back and stretch your shoulders.
• Change coffee break into a physical activity break
• Ride a cycle to work
• Make it a habit to say’ thank you’.
• Learn to say ‘NO’
• Laugh out loud
• Take a deep breath and let it all out at one go
• Spend an evening without TV
• Take a different route to work
• Make time for play
• Do one thing at a time
• Cut back on caffeine
• Count your blessings
• Read something funny every day
• Angry? … Count to 10 before exploding.
(TOI- Oct 28, 2012)
Get your fats right…
Some fat is necessary for good health – in the correct quantity though. 20 – 30 % of total calories in the diet must come from fats.
Know the right combination, differentiate between good fats and bad fats and use fats correctly.
Know the source of good fats and bad fats and strike a balance. Sources of good fat are nuts and seeds, fatty fish and cold pressed oils. Mono Unsaturated Fats (MUFA) reduce the LDL cholesterol and are found in mustard, rice bran, sesame, rapeseed, ground nut and olive oils.
The quality of fats is as important as the quantity. A diet high in MUFA with no trans fats can be helpful.
Fried food, Indian snacks like fried namkeens, samosa, kachori , Indian sweets, and food from cheap eateries contain the undesirable and fattening trans fats.
What to do…
For an ideal mix of fats, choose a variety of blended vegetable oils such as mustard, canola, sesame, rice bran and olive oil instead of a single source.
Choose less refined or cold pressed oils. Refined oils provide imbalanced fats and are responsible for various health problems. Also, high heat during refining destroys vitamins and antioxidants. Less refined or cold pressed oils such as olive, peanut and sunflower retain flavour, aroma, and nutritive value.
Choose oils with high smoking points for frying. Smoking point of an oil is the temperature at which it starts emitting a blue haze which indicates the formation of decomposition products. Do not heat oil without food for more than a minute.
Most vegetable oils have high smoking points but butter, and coconut oil do not.
(TOI 28 Oct, 2012)
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