Payal Choudhury, Author at GOQii

August 4, 2015 By Payal Choudhury 2 Comments

Benefits of Dragon Fruit

Incorporating fruit into our diet in a proper way gives our digestive system more powerful benefits through vitamin intake and improved digestion. Almost all fruits are a great source of fibre, potassium, vitamin C and folate and so much more. Their nutrients help us to guard against diseases and lower rates of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.

One of the most visually stunning fruits, whose skin looks like that of a mythical pink dragon, is actually harvested from a night-blooming cactus. A plant with a flower like an explosion of flame produces a beautiful fruit which is short-lived with the appearance of a brilliant pink rosebud. The phyto-nutrient dense fruit also known as “Pitaya” is grown in the tropical regions of Thailand, Vietnam, and South America. Its succulent stem provides the uniquely delicious fruit with moisture in the arid climates where it grows.

It is important as a fruit as well as ornamental plant. Ripen fruits can be used directly to consume. Also it can be used for producing jam, ice cream, jelly, fruit juice as well as wine. Dragon fruit buds can be prepared as a curry. This tropical super fruit has a wonderful sweet flavour and unusual nutritional benefits including omega 3’s, protein, iron, fibre, vitamins, and minerals for hydrating all the cells in our body.

In addition to its nutritional value and health promoting effects, the dragon fruit is praised for its appetizing crunchy texture and refreshing, sweet flavour which is like a cross between kiwi and pear. To preserve most of its flavour and nutrients, the dragon fruit is usually eaten raw as a healthy snack or it is pureed into smoothies.

The nutritional value per 100g of Ripen Dragon fruit is as follows

Nutrition	Amount
Water	82.5- 83 g
Protein	0.159- 0.229 g
Carbohydrates	8g
Sugar	9g
Fat	0.21- 0.61 g
Fibre	0.7- 0.9 g
Carotene	0.005- 0.012 mg
Calcium	6.3- 8.8 mg
Phosphorus	30.2- 36.1 mg
Iron	0.55- 0.65 mg
Vitamin B	1 0.28- 0.043 mg
Vitamin B	2 0.043- 0.045 mg
Vitamin B	3 0.297- 0.43 mg
Vitamin C	8.0- 9.0 mg
Thiamine	0.28- 0.30 mg
Riboflavin	0.043- 0.044 mg
Niacin	1.297- 1.30 mg
Ash	0.28 g
Other	0.54- 0.68 g

Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruits are high in polyunsaturated fats (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) that lower the risk of cardiovascular disorders. Its rich in flavonoids that are known to have favourable effects against cardio related disease

These chewy, purple delicacy is low in calories and contains vitamin C, magnesium, protein, antioxidants and iron.
The reddish colour in dragon fruit is due to lycopene, which has been linked lowering the risksprostate Lycopene in the red flesh has properties of anti-cancer and as well as this fruit contains phyto-albumin, and high fibre and antioxidants.
It clears the body of toxic heavy metals andimproves eyesight. Better eye-sight to take in its exquisiteness and majestic beauty.
For diabetes type 2, it’s recommended to eat dragon fruit frequently because of the fibre content that managesblood sugar.
The benefits of dragon fruits are realized in a number of ways, from a strengthened immune system and faster healing of bruises and wounds to fewer respiratory problems.
They have zero complex carbohydrates, so foods can bemore easily broken down in the body, helped by vitamin B1 (thiamine) and other B vitamins.
It helps in digestion and because of the richness infibres it aids in the digestion of food. It also promotes the growth of

Dragon fruit has a very mild flavour. It blends well with mild flavoured fruits such as bananas, mangoes or papayas. Coconut also complements the flavour of dragon fruit nicely.

Here is a mouth-watering Tutty Fruity Smoothie:

Ingredients:

1½ cups freshpapaya, cubed
1cup pineapple chunks
1banana, sliced
1 cup mango, cubed
1 cup strawberries, sliced or cut into quarters
1 cup dragon fruit
Garnish: star fruit slices

Fruit salad dressing:

¼ cupcoconut milk
1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Procedure:

Stir fruit salad dressing ingredients together in a cup until sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Place all the fresh fruit in a mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss well to mix.

Pour or scoop the fruit salad into a serving bowl, or into a prepared pineapple boat. Garnish just before serving with a few star fruit slices drizzled with fresh lime juice to prevent browning.

Dragon Fruit and Fig Green Smoothie:

1/2 cup dragon fruit, peeled
2 medium figs
1/4 cup blackberries
1/4 cup raspberries
2 cups fresh baby spinach
4 ounces pomegranate juice.

It could easily be called a “crazy” fruit, as its appearance is so improbable. The dragon fruit is an exotic fruit that is very beautiful on the outside and comes with a lot of health benefits. It may be intimidating to try because of its outer shape and texture but, it is very easy to prepare and comes with a number of nutritional benefits that your body will love you for. Try it out and you might like it, maybe make it a part of your regular fruit rotation.

July 30, 2015 By Payal Choudhury Leave a Comment

Carbohydrates-“Your diet’s fuel”

The way carbohydrates are demonized today, it’s no wonder that so many people actually fear eating them. I used to be one of them. As a recovering “carb-o-phobe,” I’m now on the flip side and advocate eating complex carbohydrates for optimal nutrition.

Carbohydrates are nutrients that act as a good source of energy for our body. It is made up of sugar, starch and cellulose and it contains hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio 2:1which is the same as that of water. Although carbohydrates can be digested a lot easier than fats or proteins, they aren’t considered indispensable for the body.

While some carbohydrates make us healthy, others can be harmful to our health, if taken in excess quantities. For example, certain carbohydrates increase the risk of diabetes and heart ailments. So why are certain carbohydrates are beneficial and others adversely affect our health?…We need to go deeper and learn about the different forms of carbohydrates.

There are many forms of carbohydrates, but the three common forms are sugars, starches, and fibres. The basic unit of all carbohydrates is a sugar molecule. Then there are simple and complex carbohydrates. While sugars are simple carbohydrates, starches and fibres are classified as complex.

We generally consume simple and complex carbs. To understand what they are about, we’ll look at the list of carbohydrate rich foods and all that is essential for.

Simple carbohydrates are sugars composed of monosaccharide (single sugar molecules) or disaccharides (two joined sugar molecules) such as glucose, sucrose, lactose, and fructose. This category of carbohydrates is best found in fresh fruits.

On the other hand, however, there is another grade of foods that contain simple carbohydrates. This class of foods is processed foods. The trouble with these foods is that they provide energy and calories in abundance. It is for this reason that these high-calorie products must be kept away. Apart from that, simple carbohydrates that the body obtains from natural foods are also easier to digest than those obtained from processed foods.

Simple carbohydrates contain one or two sugar molecules linked together and are digested or broken down into glucose faster, because the bonds in these small molecules are easily accessible to the enzymes of the digestive tract. Hence, these carbohydrates are readily absorbed.

Complex carbohydrate:

Complex carbohydrates (or polysaccharides) are made up of three or more sugar molecules that are bound together. Since these carbohydrates get digested slowly, they release sugar into the system very gradually, thus allowing the body a consistent level of energy.

Often referred to as starch, foods that contain these complex carbohydrates are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fibres. The old belief that starch is bad for the body is rapidly dying, because starches by themselves contain only 4 calories per gram, while fat contains 9 calories per gram. Also, the advantage with complex carbohydrates is that they fill you up quicker, thus allowing a reduced intake of food, which very simply leads to a reduced calorie intake.

In addition, refined carbohydrates may contain hydrogenated vegetable oils, additional fat, and processed sugars. Eating refined carbohydrates like a cookie in the morning will neither give you the energy nor give you the nutrition to maintain a balanced body.

Benefits of simple sugars:

Eating sugar gives you immediate access to fuel. There are times when this is an advantage. When the level of sugar in your blood drops, you may feel sluggish or even ill. Eating a simple carbohydrate, such as a fruit, may raise your blood sugar and give you the burst you need.

Simple carbohydrates may have the advantage over complex when it comes to preparing for exercise. Before a training session, race or game, many athletes eat a large amount of carbohydrate to provide energy. So before any workout, simple carbohydrates are your best choice. Due to the fact that they’re digested more quickly, simple carbohydrates are good for athletes who need short bursts of energy, as opposed to endurance athletes who need longer-term energy from slow-digesting carbohydrates. Examples of pre-workout meals that contain simple carbs are bananas with honey, low-fat yogurt with jelly or chocolate milk.

Complex Sugars:

There a number benefits of eating more complex carbohydrates, so it might be necessary to make some switches. Here are some examples of easy substitutions:

Instead of white bread and pasta, switch to whole grain bread and pasta (if the switch is intimidating at first, try mixing half whole grain and half white when making your pastas).
Instead of munching on chips, try raw vegetables.
Instead of rice, try eating more beans as a base for dishes.

Also diets rich in fibre help to keep us ‘regular’ which also promotes greater intestinal health and, in turn, helps to guard against a number of illnesses including colorectal cancer. Immunity is strengthened. It contributes to Energy, Digestion, Metabolism, Sleep, Filling fibre, Brain function, and Nervous system function.

Well, to distinguish simple and complex carbohydrates and how they are processed by the body, one might think that foods containing complex carbohydrates are actually healthier than those that have simple carbohydrates. However, this is not always true. Rice is rich in starch which is a complex carbohydrate, while fruits contain fructose which is a simple sugar. But we all know that between the two, fruits are a better option when it comes to eating healthy.

Thus, we see that not all carbohydrates are bad. In fact, a balanced diet that has a fair share of carbohydrates, is essential for a healthy you. So let go of your carbohydrate fears and feel good about including some of these foods and reap the benefits that good carbohydrates have to offer.

June 15, 2015 By Payal Choudhury Leave a Comment

A “ Delight Touch- Dairy foods”

“Milk”, just the word itself sounds comforting!

The entire world of food and especially that of milk is surrounded with emotional and cultural importance. Milk was our very first food. Now, we are a nation of milk drinkers with nearly all of us, infants, the adolescents, adults and even the aged have at least a glass of milk daily.

Milk is often regarded as being nature’s most complete food. It earns this reputation by providing many of the nutrients which are essential for the growth of the human body. Being an excellent source of protein and having an abundance of vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium, milk can make a positive contribution to one’s health as a whole.

Healthy eating is a top priority for many individuals. People eat food, not nutrients – however the combination and amount of nutrients in the foods we eat can greatly affect our health. A healthy, balanced diet is essential in optimising health and reducing the risk of disease.

ROLE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS:

Making simple alterations to our diet and lifestyle can impact our bodies greatly and our long term health.

A healthy, balanced diet or as we call the ‘Food Guide Pyramid’ is made up of five main food groups and milk and dairy foods are one of these.

Dairy is the term used to describe milk-based or milk-related products. The dairy foods milk, cheese and yogurt are a natural source of nutrients such as protein and calcium and they provide a quick and easy way of supplying these nutrients to the diet within relatively few calories.

Incorporating milk, cheese and yogurt into our daily diet can contribute greatly to our nutritional intake and status.

Milk, cheese and yogurt provide the following beneficial nutrients in varying quantities

Calcium – for healthy bones and teeth

Phosphorous – for energy release

Magnesium – for muscle function

Protein – for growth and repair

Vitamin B12 – for production of healthy cells

Vitamin A – for good eyesight and immune function

Zinc – for immune function

Riboflavin – for healthy skin

Folate – for production of healthy cells

Vitamin C – for formation of healthy connective tissues.

Iodine – for regulation of the body’s rate of metabolism (how quickly the body burns energy and the rate of growth

1 glass of milk alone can make a contribution to the daily recommended intake of many important nutrients for all age groups.

Consumption of dairy products has also been associated with numerous health benefits including the following:

Bone health

-Dairy products provide calcium, which is essential for bone growth and development..

Teeth

-Dairy products contain calcium and other tooth friendly nutrients, which help teeth, grow and keep them healthy.

It is the only drink -excluding water which is recommended by dentists to be safe to consume between meals. Milk and cheese are very beneficial for weaning babies and young children as they not only provide many of the nutrients required for general growth and development, but also offer good levels of the specific nutrients needed to ensure development and maintenance of healthy teeth

No Obesity:

Milk is also not a high fat product. Whole milk contains 4% fat, semi-skimmed milk contains 1.7% fat, 1% fat milk contains 1% fat and skimmed milk contains 0.3% fat.

Reduce Blood Pressure

Dairy products help reduce blood pressure. A diet containing fruit and vegetables, low-fat dairy products and low salt helps reduce blood pressure (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension: DASH diet).

The potassium, magnesium and calcium found in dairy products are all linked to healthy blood pressure.

Cardiovascular disease

Consumption of milk and dairy has also been associated with a reduced risk of suffering a heart attack-

Type 2 diabetes

Consumption of low fat dairy products has been linked to a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Hydration

Regular fluid intake throughout the day is essential to be well hydrated. Dietetic experts recommend drinking 6-8 glasses of fluid per day. As milk contains a high percentage of water, it is a useful vehicle for rehydration.

Eating habits

People who consume dairy products have better intake of nutrients than people who do not consume dairy products. Introducing dairy products at an early age helps establish good eating habits for later in life.

Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese, contain essential nutrients and may offer health benefits. Dairy products are high in calcium and vitamin D, both of which help to maintain strong bones and teeth. Dairy products also contain potassium, which offers heart protection and may help to lower blood pressure. In addition, dairy products are high in muscle-building proteins.

Here is a list some of the available dairy products in the market.

Butter
Ghee
Curd
Cheese
Cottage cheese
Cream
Buttermilk
Lassi
Condensed milk
Processed milk powder.
Ice-creams. And many more.

Well, a lot of variations and innovations can be incorporated with few of these items in our day to day life which eventually will enhance our lifestyle .We can split its intake in our daily meals, with a controlled portion size.

Our breakfast which ideally should be “king size” can comprise of many different variations of dairy products so as to remove the boredom and also from nutritional point of view.

Few examples of dairy products which can be introduced in breakfast are: Porridge, cottage cheese pancakes, scrambled cheese, whole wheat cottage cheese naan, cheese dosa whole wheat toast with butter, whole wheat vegetable cheese sandwiches, cheese omlette.etc.

For mid-mornings we can include buttermilk or lassi or low-fat cream mixed with fruits (lesser the amount of cream.)

Well for our main meals, we have abundant options. We can include paneer both (home-made and processed) prepared in various forms. Right from sauté paneer to traditional style, from Chinese to sizzlers.

Next we have the most credited options, that is “raita”. A combination of curd with different vegetables or fruits (with or without seasoning). Preferably unflavoured curds are the best.

We can also make different recipes of curd –fruit salad. .

Another variety is ghee-which is widely used in Indian cuisine. A slight dash of it enhances the flavour and aroma of any vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

Dairy products are cherished by the health organizations as an essential food for bone health. But, not all dairy products are the same. Essential is the sugar content in it.

However, our health and vitality depends not only on how much dairy products we consume but, also important is their quality. Like the old Indian adage goes, ‘you are what you eat’.

April 2, 2015 By Payal Choudhury 1 Comment

Healthy eating tips for women at 40

“Lordy, lordy, look who’s forty!” The big 40—it’s a milestone for sure, signaling a time of transition from young adulthood to middle-age.

This is an important decade for preventing lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and many cancers later in life. So, if you’ve been making healthy lifestyle choices, keep it up in your 40s, and if you haven’t, now’s the time to start!

Healthy habits like eating right, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, not smoking, and can help reduce your risk for a number of chronic medical conditions.

Age 40 is a milestone when the risk of many health conditions increases. This makes the 40^th birthday a perfect time for taking stock of your health. Today, Forty is considered the new twenty. So if you want to feel young and healthy now is a good time to take stock of the situation. Though there might be other things out there more important, do take a deep breath and feel good and healthy..

Adopting a healthy eating plan now is the best disease preventative measure that can be taken. There are foods which has to be avoided, foods to be included, at varying proportions, and hence making changes slowly but gradually.

Good nutrition starts with the basics: a well-rounded diet consisting of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean sources of protein. These kinds of foods provide women with plenty of energy, the means for lifelong weight control, and the key ingredients for looking and feeling great at any age. Our diet has a major effect on our food cravings, stress levels and energy throughout the day.

Applying some simple rules will assist our body to maintain hormonal balance and promote our long term well-being.

Focus on whole, plant-based foods. Fill most of the plate with fruits and leafy green vegetables. Also include a variety of whole grains, beans, and other legumes to give a filling fibre.

Bone up on calcium. Women are at a greater risk than men of developing osteoporosis, so it’s important to get plenty of calcium to support your bone health. While dairy products are high in calcium, their animal fat and protein can accelerate bone loss. So also consider plant-based sources of calcium like beans, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, and collard greens.

Make sure you get enough iron. Many women don’t get enough iron in their diet. On top of that, women lose a lot of this important mineral during menstruation. Boost your intake by eating iron-rich foods such as lean red meat, dark poultry, lentils, spinach, almonds, and iron-fortified cereals.

Cut back on alcohol and caffeine. Women who have more than two alcoholic drinks a day are at higher risk of osteoporosis. Caffeine consumption interferes with hormone levels and also increases the loss of calcium. Try to limit alcohol consumption to one glass once in a while and caffeine to one cup a day.

Eat the right type of protein. Protein is an essential part of any healthy diet. Protein at this point in your life is going to help you maximize your current metabolic rate and also really help to prevent the lean muscle mass loss. Eating too much animal protein can cause calcium loss and lead to a decrease in bone density and osteoporosis. Instead of red meat and processed meat, such as hotdogs, bacon, and salami, opt for fish, skinless chicken and turkey, low-fat dairy, and plant-based protein sources, such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu.

Some of the healthy tips to be focussed on:

Avoid

-Readymade meals and microwaving your food in plastics and cling film.

-Genetically modified foods

-Sugar as much as possible

-Food additives such as MSG (mono sodium glutamate or better known as ajinomoto), Fructose, Glucose-Fructose-Syrup, Corn Syrup, Aspartame, Colourings, and E numbers.

-Cut down on sodium

-Eating any food that is burnt

-Carbonated beverages, especially ‘diet’ varieties

-Margarine and other ‘fake’ butters

All foods labelled ‘diet’ or ‘low calorie’ or ‘fat free

Highly processed foods

Refined grains (white).

Options that can be included in the meal platter:

Eat plenty of raw organic fruit and vegetables

Eat complex carbohydrates

Eat Essential Fats – oily fish, nuts, & seeds (avoid nuts in cases of acne and allergies)

Include healthy fats such as coconut oil, olive oil and butter

Increase your fibre intake

Drink sufficient clean water everyday

Eat good, clean sources of proteins.

Eat vegetarian at least once each day

Wash all fruits & vegetables thoroughly before eating.

Feed your body high-quality fuel, monitor its intake and routinely push your engine’s limits to keep it running smoothly. Remember, you are the captain of your plane. Just reach out and take the controls.