GOQii

Blog

Search Results for: nutrition

By 2 Comments

BERRY BERRY HEALTHY!

healthy-berries

When was the last time you ate a handful of fresh berries…??? Can’t remember….Here’s the reason…. Berries are tiny, uncommon, ignored, and may be expensive.  Moreover, they are more familiar in foods such as cakes, jams, candies, etc. But, these berries overflow with numerous health benefits. They truly deserve the title of being called “real treasure in a small package”.

Not sure if you are aware but there are a variety of berries available in the market. Another trivia on berries is there is also something called the National Berry Month celebrated in July.

I found it interesting to write a blog on ‘Berries’, the not so talked about but beneficial fruit.

So what makes them a super food? Here is my list of reasons

1. The bright red, maroon or purple colour of the berries is due to the presence of pigments or natural dyes called phytochemicals which act as an anti-oxidant. These antioxidants slow down your ageing process.

2. They prevent heart diseases and cancer due to the presence of Gallic acid.

3. They are very low on sugar as compared to other fruits and rich in fibre and thus they help in weight management and improving digestion. They also keep you fuller for a longer time.

4. They contain certain organic acids which help in our body detoxification.

5. They help in fighting various bacterial and fungal infections (e.g. Urinary Tract Infection)

6. Lastly they are loaded with vitamin C, known to strength our immune system.

Now coming to the different types of berries, one good thing is that although it may not be easy to get fresh berries….even the dried or frozen ones offers many health benefits. One can find various kinds of berries in supermarkets or high end grocery stores (Natures basket, Hypercity, Chheda stores, FoodHall, etc to name a few.)

Few berries that I have been eating are listed below. You can eat them as it is, soak them, add them in your breakfast cereal/ yoghurt or make homemade sauces. In short you can literally play with them!

1. Blueberries: No wonder they are called as the “blue dynamos” due to its deep blue colour. Rich in manganese, vitamin K they provide around 4 grams of fiber. They can be eaten fresh as well as dried. Try tossing them into salads, smoothies or baked items.

2. Cranberries: These red berries are not only pretty looking but are infection fighting super berries. Packed with flavonoids, they are a great remedy to fight Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s). It’s got a sweet as well as a tart flavor which makes them a perfect ingredient for smoothies, sprinkling them into oatmeal or salads.

3. Strawberries: These red health boosters are the most common types of berries consumed. They grow abundantly in India too. They are rich in antioxidants called phenols which help in boosting immunity. They are perfect for a mid-evening snack with just 50 calories per cup and more vitamin C than an orange. They can be relished in smoothies, frozen yoghurts, breakfast cereal and salads or just mixed with plain water.

4. Mulberries: Many of us including me have eaten a handful of these freshly plucked from the trees in our backyard. These delicate berries are packed with heart healthy phenols, Ca, iron and magnesium. A cup of these provide more potassium than half a banana! They can be enjoyed frozen, in smoothies or sorbets.

5. Acai berry: A dark coloured berry resembling grapes is a native of Brazil. They are amongst the top super foods having 19 amino acids and high levels of antioxidants. These berries have recently gained popularity since they claim to have weight loss properties. However, this is just another fad although it helps lowering bad cholesterol. These berries are very expensive since they have to be freeze dried within 24 hours of plucking to retain its nutrition.

Apart from these berries, there are a few more berries – Goji berries, Huckleberry, Maqui berry, Sea Buckthorn berry, etc to name a few which may not be that common in India but are of equal benefits to our health.

So what’s your favourite berry?  Go ahead and start including these berries in your diet as they are the “nature’s multi-vitamin”.

By 1 Comment

Eat Right at School

Eat Right at School

Every parent has a nightmare in planning what should they give their child in his or her Tiffin box so that their child gets healthy and adequate nutrition. Similarly, the child thinks how yummy his or her Tiffin is going to be today.

As a mother of a 2yr old, I am too concerned about how my child could eat the right type of food at school. But, being from the field of nutrition the knowledge gained has empowered me and I would like to share this knowledge with all of you so that you can plan and healthy and balanced meals for your children.

We as parents need to instil in our children healthy and good eating habits right from the start. Looking at the current scenario kids eating habits are poor and they spend lot of time indoors playing on computers and watching TV thus increasing their sedentary time which in turn increases the incidence of childhood obesity in school going kids.

We all know that kids during their growing years require eating adequately nutritious food for their overall development. Lack of any nutrient can cause deficiency and stunted growth. Also considering that high level of concentration is needed to be maintained at school in order to grasp what is taught, kids need to be fed well and this is not only in terms of quantity but quality too.

3 meals which the child eats at school can be considered as

  • Breakfast
  • Snack
  • Lunch

As we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day – but you will find many kids skip this meal. Kids who tend to skip breakfast happen to have low concentration levels in class. They also lack energy for physical activity and they tend to eat lot of junk available within the campus or outside.

Eating breakfast every day we will only build a stronger immune system and these good habits are carried through in life. It also helps in keeping the weight in check in kids. Breakfast also boosts body metabolism, the process by which the body converts food to energy. It also provides power to the brain therefore as parents it is very important to decide what exactly kids need to choose for their breakfast. Foods chosen for breakfast should be rich in whole grains, fiber and protein while low in added refined sugar which will increase the attention span and will boost the kid’s memory helping them grasping more knowledge.

Many a time kids skip breakfast due to reasons such as no time, tired, wanting to sleep little extra, no availability of quick readily available breakfast at home. Therefore, it is important as parents that we need to be well organised, and plan ahead for the next meal so that you don’t need to be rushing doing the same in the morning.

Examples of healthy quick fixes for kid’s breakfast are various Dosas like carrot/beetroot, small and cute coin Dosa, yummy chapatti roll stuffed with veg, idli upma, fruit smoothies, sandwiches, milk, and yoghurt

We need to prepare innovative, colourful breakfast which helps in engaging the little tummies. Another important aspect is that parents should be a role model to their child. Breakfast should be made a family affair where in all family members eat together. So if parents have a healthy balanced breakfast at the start of the day, kids too will follow you in forming this good habit.

Another hurdle why kids skip this meal is that they do not have appetite for morning breakfast so parents need to pack a healthy morning snack like sandwich, fruit bread, whole wheat or multigrain biscuits or dried foods etc.

Next we come to lunch which many kids eat at school. Lunch re-energizes our body several hours after eating our breakfast. Also many kids tend to skip their breakfast so their lunch becomes all the more important meal as it helps the child remain active for the entire day and also carry out after school activities. Lunch should be a combination of proteins and carbohydrates like chicken salad wraps, veg noodles, whole wheat pasta etc

Another aspect about eating right at school is that school canteens should have healthy menus approved by kids. The canteens should be monitored for hygiene and food quality and taste. Oily and fatty foods should be not sold in campuses. Salads should be part of the menus.

Finally, kids need to know what they are eating and therefore it is important to have nutritional healthy eating as a part of the core curriculum through which kids can develop their taste buds and understand the importance of balanced and healthy meals on the go

By Leave a Comment

All that you should know about brown sugar and white sugar

brownsugarvswhitesugar

 

Most of us are aware of the fact that brown rice is good for health and therefore better than white, Brown bread is better than white, but does this same logic apply to brown sugar as well?

Once, while with a friend at a coffee shop, she suddenly came up with this thought that white sugar is unhealthy and brown is very healthy and will help you not gaining weight. I wondered really?

I went back home and pondered over what she said. Next thing I decided do was to research on the subject-which sugar is better white or brown? Both tastes similar in sweetness and both have calories but, when I researched deep into the topic, I got to know lot more.

Let us first take a look at its nutrition value and after that we will look at its relation with weight gain

Although many people are of the opinion that brown sugar is a healthier option than white sugar, the truth is that they only have certain different nutritional values. White sugar is actually 99.9% pure sucrose, while brown sugar is 97% sucrose, 2% water and 1% other substances.

A teaspoon of white sugar contains 16 kilocalories, whereas one teaspoon of brown sugar has 17 kilocalories.

The molasses in brown sugar contains a number of minerals, which include calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron, but since only very small amounts of these minerals are present in brown sugar, they do not bring any health benefit to the body. It is known that sugar has very little nutrients, and both white sugar and brown sugar do not do much to promote health.

Because of its molasses content, brown sugar does contain certain minerals. (white sugar contains none of these). But, since these minerals are present in only minuscule amounts, there is no real health benefit to using brown sugar. The real differences between the two are taste and the effects on baked goods. Brown sugar is more likely referred as “raw sugar” because it is not refined

So now that it has been proved nutritionally, “Brown sugar and white sugar are not much different”, let us now look at the other aspects of sugar and weight loss. It is said that a person should have a minimum of only 2 spoons of sugar in a day but there again it’s a misconception, so how much of sugar a person should have in a day?

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. Some people can eat some sugar without harm, while others should avoid it as much as possible.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day are

  • Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons).
  • Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons).

But, if you ask me I would say one should avoid excess sugar as much they can.

Whoever out there are consuming brown sugar as an alternative for weight loss or diabetic reasons should look out for better option and go in for natural sweetner’s like honey, jiggery, sugarcane, dates as these would be beneficial and more healthier for you rather than any white or brown or both.

By Leave a Comment

Eat right without burning a hole in your pocket

eat-right
The most frequently asked question to me has been “why are healthy options so expensive??

Healthy food options can turn out expensive at times, but if managed well it can be a great deal. You can certainly enjoy healthy food without burning hole in your pocket!! Yes! You heard it correct!! All that you need to do is plan well, have the necessary knowledge & little time. The combination of these three can help you save enough money, so much so that you can buy something useful that you have been postponing for years.

let us look at these three necessary aspects in detail

Planning: Planning helps in understanding how much you can spend on these food items.You should know how much of money you have to spend on food and make your shopping list accordingly. But, even before making the grocery list, plan which meals you’ll be making this week. Check out your refrigerator for current stock. You can save money by using present food items in the upcoming week’s meal. Try to create recipes which are healthy as well as low on cost based on what you have in hand.

Here’s one smart tip – To save on greens, you can cultivate your own veggies, fruits and herbs in your kitchen garden. This will ensure, your food is not only healthier but also easy on your pocket.

Stay organized with grocery list, to avoid buying items you don’t really need. Create a list of food and beverage you need to buy. Keep ongoing grocery list in your kitchen or your mobile app, where you can add items as you run out.

Here are few tips on saving money at grocery store:

• Eat before going to grocery store. Going to grocery store on an empty stomach would lead to extra shopping as everything looks tempting. If you are full, this temptation becomes greatly reduced
• Look for sales flyer, they are released in the mid-week and can be found at store’s entrance or in newspaper
• If you have coupon, use it wisely. Use it only for necessary items
• Most stores offer loyalty programmes, by joining them, you can take advantage of special offers and discounts

Some tips while filling your cart:

• Fill your cart with basic priorities like, veggies, fruits, milk and some good protein. By doing so, you can save money on basic items rather than paying for prepared items
• Always try to buy “in season” produce, as they are usually less expensive and are at their peak flavors. To avoid spoilage, buy only required amount of fresh food
• Stay away from tempting aisles of grocery shops, e.g., aisles which keep potato chips, crackers, candies etc.
• Buy or at least try on store brands. They are as good in quality as reputed brands and are cheap too!
• Food companies pay to display their products at eye level. Hence, look on higher or lower shelves for less expensive products
• Know regular prices of items you generally buy
• Unit pricing will help maximum saving, as you will be paying for per pound/ ounce/ quart, unlike, retail pricing where you pay for each item
• Buy in bulk and split it into bags or cups or in convenience servings

At home:

• If you have the time, cook your own sauces and soups rather than buying canned. It can be less expensive & healthier because you have more control over the ingredients
• You can easily prepare healthy meals for larger family without disturbing your budget by keeping meals simple, healthy and yet creative. Try having brunch. Foods like salad and egg are less expensive and make a great protein and fiber for the main dish.

After all, to buy food, high in nutritional value, does not always need a fat wallet. With right planning, correct knowledge and little time, you can enjoy healthy food without burning a hole in your pocket!! Enjoy healthy eating!

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

As we observe World Cancer Day under the powerful theme ‘United by Unique’ (2025-2027)**, we are reminded that every individual’s journey with cancer is distinct, yet united by shared resilience, hope, and the collective fight against this disease. This theme places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the […]