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QUINOA SUPERGRAIN of 21st CENTURY

 

Quinoa

Quinoa is a grain like any other grains or cereals that we consume on a daily basis and is definitely a better option to include and to avoid monotony in our daily routine. It is obtained from plant which tastes like spinach. Although it is mostly eaten in Northern America, it is now getting worldwide recognition. Quinoa is a whole grain which has striking health benefits.

Quinoa is a very good source of manganese, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, dietary fibre, folate , and zinc, protein, antioxidants than any other grain including Vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, potassium, and riboflavin, vitamin E and MUFA(mono unsaturated fatty acids)..Quinoa is a perfect food to include on a gluten-free diet, since it lacks gluten.

It is available in red, light yellow and black colour in market. It is a very interesting grain as it expands than its original size on cooking, here we will have an idea of cooking:

Uses:

Always rinse Quinoa till soapy texture gets washed away (as it has saponin ; a toxic chemical substance) also it has bitter taste after repetitive wash. If the soapy texture does not go then rubbing it may help. Mixture of Quinoa and water should be 1:2 ratio, boil it, approximately it takes 15 minutes to cook. Once it gets cooked the germ gets detached and it looks translucent. If roasted on low heat before cooking it gives it a nuttier flavor. It can be refrigerated for 3 to 6 months.

It can be used as sprouts, in soups, porridge for breakfast; cooked Quinoa can be used in sandwiches and tossed over pasta. Quinoa can be mixed with brown rice and vegetables…and also you can make yummy Quinoa pudding. It can be popped like popcorn which children enjoy.

Pros :

  • It has good amount proteins for wear and tear of the tissues.
  • Good for hypertension (low in cholesterol and sodium ), breathing problems and migraine pain as it relaxes blood vessels.
  • It has abundance of fibre which improves digestion, hinders excess secretion of bile.
  • It is good sources of calcium for bones.
  • It is gluten free, which is good cereal option for people having gluten allergy.
  • Manganese and copper acts as an antioxidant which prevents from free radicals produced in the body.
  • It reduces triglycerides compared to gluten free breads and pastas.

We have seen the benefits of Quinoa but, let me tell you it does have oxalates which should be avoided in oxalate restricted diets (kidney stones).

So let’s try and inculcate some new stuff in your diet to become more healthy.

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Red Signal to Excess-Part 2 – Moderation is key to Good health

eat in moderation

In Part 1, we saw how good things in excess can adversely affect our health. In this follow up blog, I talk of bad things in excess, which is also not right.

Let’s take a look at some of these bad things in excess and how it could be detrimental to our health.

1) Excessive consumption of junk/processed foods: Fast food means food that can be made and served quickly. These junk foods are mostly processed, containing large amounts of refined carbohydrates, added refined sugars, added salt (sodium) and bad quality fats. They are high on calories but, minimal on nutritional value. Eating junk/processed foods instead of fresh, whole, nutritious food has many adverse effects on the body. Junk foods and drinks are packed with refined sugars which cause insulin spike gradually leading to insulin resistance and Type- 2 diabetes.

The empty calories just go easily go into the body fat store leading to obesity which can further give rise to severe health issues like heart problems, respiratory problems, etc. The trans fats in the junk foods, increase the LDL cholesterol levels and subsequently decrease the HDL cholesterol levels. Lot of salt (sodium) causes water retention, high blood pressure and enlarged heart muscle. Too much sugars cause acidity which destroy the tooth enamel causing dental cavities. MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) found in processed foods create stomach distress. Some of the artificial colors and preservatives used in processed foods are found to be carcinogenic (cancer causing). Drinking too much of soda can leach calcium out of the bones making them soft and brittle. Also, the aluminium soda cans are inwardly lined with an epoxy resin called bisphenol A (BPA) which protects the metal can from the reaction of acids in the sodas. This BPA is found to be disrupting normal hormone functioning that can lead to obesity, diabetes and reproductive cancers.

2) Excessive alcohol consumption: It is no big secret that alcohol consumption has no good effects but, chronic heavy drinking has many bad effects. Researchers have found alcohol to be linked to more than 60 diseases. Alcohol can cause liver cirrhosis. Alcohol is empty calories so, can cause unwanted fat storage in the body. Alcohol disturbs the working of the sympathetic nervous system leading to high blood pressure, heart problems, stroke and kidney disease. Heavy drinking can cause gastritis (stomach irritation), inflammation of pancreas, decrease in immunity, nerve damage (alcoholic neuropathy). As people age, their brains shrink but, heavy drinking can cause faster brain shrinking leading to memory loss and other symptoms of dementia. Depressed people drink to ‘feel good’ but, in fact, drinking leads to further depression. Alcohol can aggravate the condition of gout. It can worsen the condition of an epileptic and cause seizures even in non-epileptic individuals. Chronic heavy drinking can lead to cancer of the mouth, esophagus, liver, breast, and colorectal region.

3) Excessive cigarette smoking/tobacco chewing: Nicotine is a highly addictive drug that alters the brain chemistry making it both, physically and psychologically addictive. According to AHA (American Heart Association), nicotine causes short-term rise in heart-rate, blood flow and blood pressure which, in a long term, can cause cardiovascular complications. Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke causes fat buildup in arteries leading to hardening of the arterial walls (atherosclerosis). Tobacco smoking and chewing, both, can lead to oral and lung cancers. Smoking/chewing tobacco can also cause tissue damage in various organs of the body and dental diseases.

4) Excessive Tea/Coffee drinking: We all wish to have a cup of tea/coffee to kick-start our day. It’s not too bad to drink tea and coffee. It is the too much drinking that is the concern.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, yerba mate and certain herbal teas. Caffeine is generally a very safe stimulant. It improves alertness and is a mood enhancer. Usually, it is 200-300 mg of coffee that can be safely consumed per day (roughly 3 cups) but, this differs from person to person, depending on their own ‘caffeine sensitivity’. Too much coffee consumption can lead to symptoms like irritability, nervousness, headache, dizziness, insomnia, fever, increased heart-rate, increased thirst, stomach upset and muscle tremors. Same is the case with teas. A cup of hot tea in the morning will boost your energy for the day where as a cup of herbal tea at night will help you relax. Tea contains lesser amount of caffeine than coffee but, there are side effects of having too much of it.

Drinking too many cups of tea in a day can lead to symptoms like restlessness, anxiety, disturbed sleep, skeletal fluorosis (a painful bone condition), yellow pigmentation of the teeth. Green tea is no less. Though healthy, if had too much, it can worsen the condition in people suffering from high blood pressure, anxiety and stomach ulcers.

5) Excessive stress: In this fast paced world, stress is become an inevitable part of our lifestyle. Our body reacts/adjusts to outward changes with physical, mental and emotional responses. This response amounts to stress. Stress is a part of our daily, normal lives. Our body is designed to feel and react to 2 kinds of stress; positive and negative stress. Positive stress is the one where the body prepares itself for a ‘fight or flight’ mode. Negative stress is the one in which the body is continuously facing challenges, without time for rest and recovery. As a result, stress related tensions build up. A person going through stress for a very long time without relief, can enter a stage called as ‘distress’. This distress is indicated by many physical symptoms like fatigue, headache, dizziness, disturbed sleep patterns, high blood pressure, stomach upsets. Stress plays a role in aggravating medical conditions like diabetes, blood pressure, heart problems, depression, asthma, anxiety, skin problems, gastrointestinal disorders, Obesity, Alzheimer’s disease. In many cases, chronic, untreated stress can also lead to accelerated ageing and premature death.

Lastly, I would like to end by saying, “too much of anything, is good for nothing”.

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Breathing: A source of life

deep-breathing

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a doctor? I would imagine a stethoscope. Stethoscope is used to hear our heart beat or the voice of our breathing. Breathing sounds can indicate problems within the lungs such as obstructions, inflammation, or infection and is an important part of diagnosing many different medical conditions.

The quality of your breathing is a powerful determinant of your physical and emotional state of being. I would like to share some of my knowledge and experience with you.

There are different types of breathing techniques available, which you can do to make your body, mind and soul healthy and fit. When we are talking about breathing techniques “YOGA” word automatically occurs to you and while talking about yoga -Pranayama, Anuloma Viloma will automatically comes to our mind. I have been practicing yoga for several years and would like to share some of my experiences with you and help you understand about breathing better.

Pranayama breathing techniques: Pranayama also has different kinds of breathing techniques like Dirga Pranayama, Nadi Shodhana, Ujjayi Pranayama, Kumbhaka etc..

  1. Dirga Pranayama : It’s a basic technique which teaches us the various ways of breathing and how to breathe right – Deep Breathing. We usually breathe shallowly and use approximately one fourth portions of our lungs. This technique helps us to learn how to utilize the lungs properly for breathing. We have to breathe deeply so that our stomach fills with air, then our chest, till finally it seems like our shoulder blades are being displaced by the air you are breathing in. Dirga Pranayama is akin to filling up and emptying a vessel with water and replenishing the body and soul.
  1. Nadi Shodhana: Nadi Shodhana, also known as Alternate Nostril Breathing, is a powerful breathing practice with wide reaching benefits. Alternate Nostril breathing is a beautiful breathing technique that helps keep the mind calm, happy and peaceful by just practicing it for a few minutes.

In this you have to cover your right nostril using the thumb of your right hand and take deep breaths with the left nostril. In the pause between inhalation and exhalation, you release the right nostril and close your left nostril with the ring finger of your right hand. Once you finish exhaling fully, you inhale through the same nostril. In the pause between the inhalation and exhalation, you close your right nostril with your thumb while releasing the left nostril.

  1. Ujjayi Pranayama: The beauty of unifying breath and movement is truly majestic. More popularly the term Ujjayi Pranayama is known as ‘Ocean Breath’ or ‘Victorious Breath’. In this Inhale slowly from your nose and exhale from your mouth. When exhaling, produce the sound ‘HHHHHAAAA’ (ocean sound).

Now, try to keep your mouth closed while exhaling. Generate the same sound as before but, this time with your mouth closed. Inhalation and exhalation are both done through the nose. The position of your throat is unchanged and natural. Make sure the sound originates from your throat and not from your nose.

The “ocean sound” is created by moving the glottis as air passes in and out. As the throat passage is narrowed so, too, is the airway, the passage of air through which creates a “rushing” sound

Kumbhaka : This technique is an advanced level of Pranayama where you have to hold your breath either at the end of each inhalation, exhalation, or both. Do not practice this technique on your own but, only under the supervision of a learned practitioner.

You can also do Kapalabhati, which is most popular in Yoga. Kapāla means skull and Bhati means light. This exercise gets its name from the fact that when practicing the mind fills up with a bright light. This is due to the change in oxygen and energy levels received by the mind. It cleanses your nasal passage, lungs and your entire respiratory system or in short you are strengthening your lungs and stomach muscles.

In this technique, you take passive inhalations followed by forceful exhalations, by contracting your abdominal muscles quickly as you exhale rapidly through your nose. Try to learn this correctly from a certified yoga instructor, It will help you to avoid any drawbacks.

I would like to conclude by saying that you are still breathing, But, if you breath as per the above techniques, you can take your body, mind and soul to the another level of fitness.

 

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Kick your bad cholesterol with the top 10 cholesterol lowering foods

Source-of-Omega-3

In my previous blog on Cholesterol, I had talked about the different kinds of cholesterol, including the good and bad cholesterol and the vital functions that it performs in our body (Refer-https://goqii.com/blog/the-truth-about-cholesterol/).

In this blog I am listing out a few  foods which overstep the rest in lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL), out of which a few also help in increasing the good one (HDL).

A few key things that we need to look at when we are aiming at cholesterol reduction:

*A high fiber diet: Adding vegetable salads in the meals, having unstrained vegetable juices and soups, consuming whole fruits, choosing whole flour over the refined one etc. Fiber binds with the cholesterol and removes it out of the system through stools.

*An Omega 3 intake- Omega 3 has a wonder effect of reducing the LDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides and increasing HDL.

*Reduction of red meat consumption- Eggs, chicken and fish are a better choice.

*An overall low fat intake- Choosing a good quality fat and staying away from saturated and trans-fat. Full fat dairy products, red meat and some oils contain saturated fats which raise the total cholesterol level. Trans-fats found in bakery items (cookies, biscuits, cakes and crackers) increase the bad cholesterol and lower the good one.

Check out the list-

1)      Omega 3 Containing foods-

This category includes flaxseeds, walnuts, fatty fish like salmon, sardine, tuna, mackerel, herring and halibut.

As per the American Heart Association guidelines, we need to eat minimum 2 servings of fish a week to get maximum Omega 3 for healthy cholesterol levels. Since Omega 3 is heat susceptible, make sure you do not overcook the fish, you can simply bake it or grill it.

If you do not eat fish, you can get your Omega 3 dose from 1 tbsp flaxseed once a day OR a handful of walnuts on a regular basis.

2)      Lycopene-
Lycopene is a carotenoid pigment responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their red color. It’s seen in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, etc.

An intake of 25 mg of lycopene on a regular basis helps knock off 10% of LDL. It not only stops the LDL synthesis but also helps break down the existing LDL in the body.

1 cup of tomatoes provides us with 5 mg of lycopene, so imagine how many tomatoes we need to eat every day to get the 25 mg lycopene dose (Do the math)! One more interesting fact about lycopene is, it gets activated only when heat is applied to it. Thus, a raw tomato salad is good, but a better choice would be a tomato soup or a ravishing red tomato base in your meal preparations.

 3)      Green Tea

This antioxidant packed herbal beverage does good to our body in multiple ways. A regular intake of sugarless green tea has been shown to reduce cholesterol by 2-5% keeping the HDL levels untouched.

To make the cholesterol reducing efficacy of green tea even better (and to enhance its flavor), we can add half a tsp of cinnamon into it which has also shown to reduce triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol levels.

4)      Almonds

They are not only packed with good quality fat but also with fiber and Vitamin E which prevent LDL from getting oxidized. Now this is an interesting trait because once LDL is oxidized, it tends to choke the arteries, which restricts the blood flow to heart, leading to heart attacks and stroke. Almonds prevent all of it! Snack on it more often, mix them with walnuts to reap most benefits.

5)      Olive Oil

It tops among all the oils in terms of fatty acid profile. Being rich in MUFA (heart healthy fat), antioxidants and phenolics, it lowers the LDL, increases the HDL and makes blood less likely to clot. 2 tbsp a day can be used for shallow frying or salad dressing purpose.

6)   Oats and barley

They are rich soluble fiber, called beta-glucan which forms a gel in the intestine and prevents cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream. 5-10 gm of soluble fiber a day is good enough to take care of the cholesterol levels. One and half cup of cooked oatmeal supplies 6 gm of fiber, top it with an apple or a banana to get the extra 3-4 gm of fiber and we are sorted.

7)   Unstrained bottle guard juice with a dash of crushed garlic-

It’s the perfect mix for cholesterol reduction. Rich in soluble and highly alkaline in nature, bottle guard is very well appreciated in the weight loss segment. However, regular consumption of bottle guard also helps keeping the lipid profile in check. Adding crushed garlic while juicing this fiber rich veggie enhances the cholesterol reducing properties to a great extent.

8)    Avocados

Generally, fruits do not contain fat. But, this is one peculiar fruit that is full of fat, but thankfully, a good quality fat- MUFA that helps kick off LDL and triglyceride and boosts up the HDL. You can snack on avocado, add it in the salads or sandwiches or make a spread out of it to smear on a whole wheat bread slice. Definitely, it’s the best substitute to butter and cheese.

9)      Dark chocolate-

For all the chocolate lovers! Since it is rich in flavanoids and oleic acid, dark chocolate does good to our lipid profile. We can nibble on 2 pieces of 70-80%  dark to get the most of its benefits.

10)  Fenugreek seeds-

They provide a 3 way benefit- They contain saponins that reduce body’s absorption of cholesterol. These saponins also reduce cholesterol synthesis in the body. Apart from saponins, the fiber component of fenugreek also helps fight cholesterol in all the ways.

The best way to incorporate fenugreek is:  To consume 1 tbsp of seeds soaked in 1 cup water overnight on an empty stomach in the morning OR you can dry roast 1 tbsp of seeds until they turn brown, powder it and add it in our meal preparations.

That was a comprehensive list of cholesterol lowering foods, however, for any of these foods to work, it’s necessary we make other lifestyle changes too, including a regular physical activity, adequate water intake and balanced meals.Now you know which foods to fill up your cart with, the next time you are at the grocery store.

 

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