Saffola Life - Keep Your Heart young

Eating the right foods will give you the energy you need if you want to exercise,
go out with your friends or if you just need a boost to get up off the sofa!!

Be an Early Bird :

Breakfast is the meal that sets you up for the day. It replenishes your body's energy supply after a night's fast and provides the energy needed to stay physically and mentally alert. Oats can be a wonderful breakfast option as they are low on the glycemic index a contain a lot of fibre, which means that your body gets a steady stream of energy rather than a flash flood. They also contain energizing and stress-reducing B vitamins that help to break down carbohydrates into usable energy. Other low-glycemic carbohydrates include whole-grain bread, brown rice and high-fibre cereal containing bran.

Pump Yourself Up with Iron :

Iron is essential for producing hemoglobin, the main component of red blood cells. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to your body's cells where it is used to produce energy and perform essential metabolic functions. If your iron stores are low, your red blood cells can't supply as much oxygen to the cells. The consequences of iron deficiency are fatigue, low energy, and difficulty in concentrating. The best food sources are lean red meats, iron-fortified cereal products and whole-grain or enriched breads, dried fruits, green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds.

Concentrate on Complex Carbs :

Carbohydrates found in grains, cereals, fruits & vegetables are digested and end up as the simple sugar glucose. It's this glucose that provides fuel for your brain, muscles, and other body tissues. Complex carbohydrates in whole-grain breads and cereals, lentils, legumes, and other starchy vegetables are the fuel of choice since they are digested gradually and serve as a steady fuel supply for body and brain. In addition, they provide many important vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals to keep your body well nourished.

Skimp on Simple Sugars :

Candy and sweets might give you a quick rise in energy, but this is generally followed by a "crash" that leaves you even more tired than you were before.

Graze Through the Day  Eat small amounts of food throughout the day. Eating small meals or snacking throughout the day keeps your blood sugar steady. A low blood sugar is one of the common causes of afternoon fatigue. Smaller meals can also help stave off feelings of hunger.

Stay Hydrated :

Everyone needs at least six to eight glasses of fluid per day to be properly hydrated. If you exercise, you need more. Fatigue is one symptom of mild dehydration. Unfortunately, you cannot depend on thirst as an indicator of your fluid needs and you could be mildly dehydrated without knowing. You should get in the habit of consuming fluids regularly, even if you're not active. Fluids can come from coconut water, buttermilk, fresh fruit & vegetable juice (unstrained), milk, soups, or watery foods such as lettuce, cucumbers, and fruit.

So Why wait ?

Let's get started ...

If there's one time of year when we all need a few healthy eating tips, it's our Christmas Diwali, Eid, New Year; the season of over-indulgence in rich, delicious and, sad to say, generally unhealthy food; a time to don your best clothes, wear your party shoes and celebrate but stop for a minute... . You also have heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, bloating and general wretchedness make an unpleasant appearance for many.

However you can still enjoy all the goodies of the season, interleaved with some sensible eating, and not put on ten stone and spend the next three months regretting everything by keeping the following tips in mind :-

• Eat in moderation: difficult as this may sound, especially when you are surrounded by a wide variety of sweets and savories, heed this tip seriously. Overeating puts your digestive system in a tizzy and as a result you can fall sick.
• Reach out for your friend: FIBRE: if you eat only fried snacks and sweets and nothing else, the calories will come galloping. Have plenty of vegetables, cereals, fruits and pulses. This gives you a good supply of dietary fiber, which will help to keep you in shape and also tone up body's digestive system. Serve two vegetables with each meal (try not to smother them in cream sauce), and put salad greens in every sandwich.
• Bake and grill, instead of frying: baked and grilled snacks are comparably low in fat than the fried ones. So spice things up with seafood or vegetable kababs, tandoori snacks, baked cutlets from time to time. However, if you can't resist that Samosa or pakora, remember to go slow.
• Restrict alcohol: if you cannot do without a glass of your favorite drink, remember that a gram of alcohol gives you seven calories. These empty calories add on to the total caloric intake and hence to your weight besides leading to other health complications.
• Out of sight is out of mouth:-Hide away indulgent puddings, cream and other temptations so they don't beckon every time you open the fridge door. Remember an urge is like a wave, which reaches its peak and then finally subsides.
• Eat at regular intervals: skipping meals increases the temptation to eat snacks and so you tend to indulge in various high calorie foods. Make sure you eat well-balanced three to four meals in a day and you will not feel like eating at any odd time. This will curb overeating.
• However, hectic the schedule gets during the festive season do not forget to exercise. Exercise not only helps you to burn the calories but also tones up your body. Gorging on sweets can raise your body's cholesterol content but exercise helps you by increasing the good cholesterol content and keeps you away from heart diseases.

Finally, remember that festivals are all about spreading warmth and good cheer, bonhomie and camaraderie. Enjoy yourself, get together with friends and family but, be sure to take care of what you eat and drink.

For what goes in, certainly can manifest in dreadful forms a little later!!!

Follow These Pointers - enjoy the festivities ..Guilt Free !!

Antioxidants - Active workers in your Body's Defense System

What are anti - oxidants ? Just as the name suggests - they oppose the process of oxidation.

Just like rust on a car, oxidation can cause damage to cells and may contribute to aging.

Antioxidants - by helping prevent oxidation, may help increase immune function and possibly decrease risk of infection and cancer. Antioxidants exist as vitamins, minerals and other compounds in foods.

The process of oxidation in the human body damages cell membranes and other structures including cellular proteins, lipids and DNA. When oxygen is metabolised, it creates 'free radicals' which steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage.

The body can cope with some free radicals and needs them to function effectively. However, an overload of free radicals has been linked to certain diseases, including heart disease, liver disease and some cancers. Oxidation can be accelerated by stress, cigarette smoking, alcohol, sunlight, pollution and other factors.

Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food, or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells, and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

Some of the degenerative conditions caused by free radicals include:

• Deterioration of the eye lens, which contributes to blindness.
• Inflammation of the joints (arthritis).
• Damage to nerve cells in the brain, which contributes to conditions such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease.
• Acceleration of the ageing process.
• Increased risk of coronary heart disease, since free radicals encourage low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to adhere to artery walls.
• Certain cancers, triggered by damaged cell DNA

Some Antioxidant substances include

• Allium sulphur compounds - leeks, onions and garlic.
• Anthocyanins - eggplant, grapes and berries.
• Beta-carotene - pumpkin, mangoes, apricots, carrots, spinach and parsley.
• Catechins - red wine and tea.
• Copper - seafood, lean meat, milk and nuts.
• Cryptoxanthins - red capsicum, pumpkin and mangoes.
• Flavonoids - tea, green tea, citrus fruits, red wine, onion and apples.
• Indoles - cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.
• Isoflavonoids - soybeans, tofu, lentils, peas and milk.
• Lignans - sesame seeds, bran, whole grains and vegetables.
• Lutein - leafy greens like spinach, and corn.
• Lycopene - tomatoes and watermelon.
• Manganese - seafood, lean meat, milk and nuts.
• Polyphenols - thyme and oregano.
• Selenium - seafood,lean meat and whole grains.
• Vitamin C - oranges, kiwi fruit, mangoes, broccoli, spinach, capsicum and strawberries.
• Vitamin E - vegetable oils (such as wheatgerm oil), avocados, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
• Zinc - seafood, lean meat, milk and nuts

Antioxidants are found in many foods. These include fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, and some meats, poultry and fish. Lycopene is a pigment that gives vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes, their red color. It also appears to have strong antioxidant capabilities.

Several studies suggest that consumption of foods rich in lycopene is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease.It also retards the process of Age Related Macular Degeneration . Enjoy tomato or vegetable juice as a refreshing and healthful snack and get your daily dose of Lycopene . When choosing soups.think tomato!

Many antioxidants are often identified in food by their distinctive colors - the deep red of cherries and of tomatoes; the orange of carrots; the yellow of corn, mangos, and saffron; and the blue-purple of grapes.

The most well-known components of food with antioxidant activities are vitamins A, C, and E; carotene; the mineral selenium; and more recently, the compound lycopene.

So indulge in a colorful array of fruits and vegetables daily , get your Anti - oxidants and remain protected !

Healthy eating plays an important role in promoting health and reducing the risk of chronic disease. The nutrition labels found on most foods and beverages provide valuable information to help Canadians make healthy choices

People look forward for food labels for different reason. But whatever the reason be, many consumers would like to know to use this information more effectively and easily. Follow some of the guidelines as mentioned below-

One should know how to understand the footnotes on the bottom of nutritional fact label. These values for each nutrient listed are based on public health experts advice for normal healthy individual of that particular country. DV's are recommended level of intake. They are based on 2000 or 2500 Kcal diet.

Now for each nutrient listed there is a DV, a %DV and a goal to be achieved. If you follow this dietary advice, you will stay with in public health Experts recommended upper or lower limits for the nutrient listed, based on a 2000-calorie daily diet.

E.g. For fats upper limits means it is recommended that you stay below- eat "less than" - the daily value nutrient amount listed per day. For eg The DV for saturated fat is 20g as indicated in the footnotes. This amount is 100% DV for this nutrient. The goal or dietary advice is to eat less than 20 g or 100% for the day.

The % DV as indicated next to the amount of saturated fat (g) in the product, indicates how much of % DV has been satisfied if you consume 1 serving of that product. As indicated above the %DV which the product satisfies is 10% that means the remaining allowance can come from other foods you consume though out the day. But in total for the entire day it should be well below 100% for fats.

Lower limits- eat "At least"...

For Some nutrients e.g. dietary fiber the DV is 25 g, which is 100% DV. This means it is recommended that you eat "at least" this amount of dietary fiber per day. The Benefits of Nutrition Labelling

Nutrition labelling can help you make informed food choices. The Nutrition Facts table provides easy-to-find, easy-to-read, and easy-to-use information on foods that will help you to:

• understand the nutritional value of a food
• compare products more easily
• increase or decrease the amount you eat of a particular nutrient.

Unable to decide what to pack for your kid's tiffin ? Worried whether he would get it back home without eating? Time to get creative and nutritious!

You can provide a healthy lunch for your child in a way that doesn't make them want to slam the lunch box lid closed. It's time to get creative! Take the headache out of this chore with these healthy, satisfying and very tasty foods: -

Sandwiches:

Kids simply love variations and surprise. Instead of using the same white bread everyday, try using various kinds of bread, like whole wheat, multi-grain or flax bread. If they still don't like whole wheat, try making the sandwich with one slice of white and one of whole wheat. Use cookie cutters to cut the sandwiches into fun shapes.

As far as the filling is concerned have variation with tiki sandwich where in a simple roasted potato tikki can be tucked in; tricolor sandwich can become a pleasant nutritious delight with inclusion of veggies like carrot, peas, spinach & a layer of cheese.

Secrecy can also be ensured for sprouts & corn which can also be added for some of the kids who often give their parents a tough time .

Tikkis, Burgers & Pizzas: - :

To deal with the bumps that come with childhood, not to forget the growth spurt, preteens need high levels of calcium. Paneer is a more concentrated source of protein& energy than milk & adding potatoes packs in carbohydrates which boost energy levels... all bundled up in something like Paneer Tikki, Paneer Frankie, Paneer paratha what say? Palak Paneer & tangy Paneer Capsicum vegetable can also be packed in with some parathas or chapatis.

Vegetable burger & Pizzas - Can any teenager resist this? Add cucumber which is rich in Vitamin C & silica to fight teenage acne, cheese a good source of calcium & tomatoes, capsicum for antioxidant properties & switch to a base made of whole wheat.

Idlis:

Opt for mixed dal & vegetable ones which can be nutritious as well as a smart way of adding methi, green peas, carrots & French beans. You can even make sumptuous pancakes with the same batter instead of steaming them into idlis.

Fruits & Nuts: :

You can pack in a small box of mixed nuts & dry fruits like 4- 5 walnuts / almonds & 8-12 pieces of black currants or let him munch on iron &calcium rich peanut til chikki & for that sweet tooth , a fruit custard or whole fruit is certainly better than packing in a bottle of fruit juice .

Children like creative and colorful tiffins and the best way to appeal their taste buds is by making food look appetizing:

• Cut a variety of fruits into bite size pieces.
• Add a low fat yoghurt dip with fresh sliced vegetables.
• For quick options, toss some peas, chopped carrots and beans into olive oil and add rice from the night before. This makes for a healthy and tasty Pulav.
• Or take leftover idlis and lightly saute in olive oil. Then add peas and chopped tomatoes.
• For a light and tasty grilled sandwich, you can also stuff assorted, finely grated vegetables, topped with a little cheese between two pieces of brown bread and pop into a sandwich toaster.
• And since all kids love sweet foods, use healthy substitutes. Crunchy muesli or oats with honey and dried fruit is a good example.

Try these... be assured of your child returning home with his tiffin box EMPTY !