Instant Noodles - Get the cooking right

The correct way to cook instant noodles without harming our bodies and health. Normally, how we cook the instant noodles is to put the noodles into a pot with water, throw in the powder and let it cook for around 3 minutes and then it's ready to eat.

This is the WRONG method of cooking the instant noodles.

By doing this, when we actually boil the ingredients in the powder, normally with MSG (Aginomoto), it will change the molecular structures of the MSG causing it to be toxic.

The other thing that you may or may not realize is that, the noodles are coated with wax and it will take around 4 to 5 days for the body to excrete the wax after you have taken the noodles.

CORRECT METHOD :

1. boil the noodles in a pot with water.
2. once the noodles is cooked, take out the noodles, and throw away the water which contains wax.
3. boil another pot of water till boiling and put the noodles into the hot boiling water and then shut the fire.
4. only at this stage when the fire is off, and while the water is very hot, put the ingredient with the powder into the water, to make noodle soup.
5. however, if you need dry noodles, take out the noodles and add the ingredient with the powder and toss it to get dry noodles.

Dietician's Note: If you buy plain hakka noodles you may initially need to boil it in water and discard the water. This will soften the noodles, but to prevent it from sticking we need to add a tbsp of oil, also the noodles are deep fried partially to make it crunchy and then dust it with flour to prevent it from sticking while boiling. Hence when you buy the noodles they are already made unhealthy and this is the type we use to make stir fry noodles, and the regular maggi too is made the same way plus they add MSG/ ajinomoto and other chemical preservatives.

A large number of patient with the ages ranging from 18-24 years are ending up with pancreatitis either as a swelling or infection of the pancreas due to regular consumption of instant noodles. If the frequency is more than 3 times a week, then it is very hazardous.

Ramdev Baba on Obesity

I found this video on YouTube - I quite liked it; so posting it here as well. He has talked about diet, pranayams and asanaas for weight loss. For the benefit of those friends who cant understand the language; I will try to summarize the entire video in couple of points over some weekend.

Let me know if you want me to do that!!

Healthy Eating and Living - Part IV

Continuing from my earlier post; here are some more points.

p) Dont have water immediately after or during a meal. Have water about 1-2 hours after a meal.

q) Look at your relation with food. If you are using food to fill up a void inside you, or if food is the only pleasurable activity that first comes to your mind, work on it. Let your happiness come from different sources - your hobbies, close friends, children, yoga etc

r) Bring in awareness before you start eating a meal. A small prayer before a meal which exists in many cultures, can help to bring in awareness. Are you really hungry? Or you are eating from depression? Answer this question each time you put something in your mouth.

s) Extreme dieting does not work, it only slows your metabolism and the weight you lose will come right back on. Dont abuse your body because you suddenly wanted to get slim in 2 weeks. It wont happen.

t) The ONLY way to get into shape, lose weight, become free from diseases, increase muscle strength and feel light is making the body more sensitive, tuning into your body's own intelligence and listening to it. What prevents you from doing this are your habits, your compulsions and your cravings, which are giving you different message from your body.

Most importantly remember that food is a joy that GOD has gifted us with. Dont become a slave of it and abuse your body. Enjoy it to the fullest, and let every bite be heavenly!

Healthy Eating and Living - Part III

Continuing from my earlier post; here are some more points.

k) Try and eat before 8 pm in the evening. And dont sleep immediately. Wait at least 10 PM before you head to your bed.

l) One day in a week, do a detox for your system. Eat only fruits and vegetables (cooked is ok) the whole day and nothing else. Your taste will get sharper and your body will throw impurities.

m) Balance out your foods in a day. If you have had a heavy lunch, eat nothing but salad and yoghurt for your dinner. Or just some fruits. If you have had a heavy dinner, take a short walk after your meal.

n) Start walking for at least half an hour every day. Brisk walk. And slowly as you get fit increase to a slow jog effortlessly. Exercise in moderation is better than over doing it. A walk every day is much better than jogging twice a week.

o) As an experiment try eating smaller quantities for 2 days. Have exactly half of everything you would normally have.

Healthy Eating and Living - Part II

Continuing from my earlier post; here are some more points.

f) Try and eat only a few types of food in one meal. For example, dont eat chicken with naan and paneer, followed by a desert. Your body finds it easy to digest one or two things. Not three and four. Notice that when you eat rice and vegetables you feel light and healthy. Or when you can eat just tandoori chicken with salad. It will seem obvious to you that a pizza with a paneer topping makes things difficult for your stomach, and will make you feel heavy.

g) Fruits are must and should be eaten on an empty stomach, NOT after a meal. Eat fruits all morning and give a gap of at least 3 hours after a meal if you want to have to have fruits in the afternoon.

h) Find out what your relationship with milk is. Dont have it because you sould. You should enjoy the taste of anything you are consuming. Some people prefer Dahi to milk; thats something for you to discover.

i) If you want to lose weight, go off sweets for a while. When you get to your ideal weight, have smaller quantities, and have only type. If you have gulab jamun followed by chocolate mousse , your stomach goes through hell! (If you want you can do it once in 2 months for the fun of it)

j) Again, if weight loss is your goal, stay off fried foods and go easy on oils for sometime. But dont make anything a law. Remember it is all fun and games and all being in done in the spirit of experimentation. Dont get serious about it!

Healthy Eating and Living - Part I

So how do we get down to it? The key to increasing your sensitivity towards your body's intelligence is to EXPERIMENT. Do not take anyone's word. Your body knows what it needs to eat and when. The ONLY way to experiment is to break your HABITS. So here is a list of of things to help you get down to it.

a) Become aware of your habits. If you have to have a coffee as soon as you wake up, try having tea, or just warm water. Do it for a few days and become free of your habit. Then decide if you want to get back to it or not.

b) Remember NOT to give up anything. Experiment and see which habits leave you. Replacing a bad habit with a good habit will NOT work. You dont have to be a health freak to become fit. An obsession with healthy food is equally painful to your system and will cause long term problems like lack of immunity, rigidity in the mind, stress and unfulfilled feeling in the heart. Eat unhealthy food once in a while. Your body is capable of adapting to anything as long as it doesn't become a constant abuse.

c) Two activities cannot be performed at the same time with full awareness. Do not eat and watch TV at the same time. When you eat, just eat. Don't read the newspaper, dont chat much. Pay full attention to your food.

d) Try starting your mornings with only fruit. Eat nothing but fruit (any fruit, any quantity) till 11AM

e) If you love meat, fish and chicken, dont try to become vegetarian. Make sure you eat your meat with plenty of vegetables and not with rice or any whole grain like chapati.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has become popular as a “fat-burner” and as a natural appetite suppressant. In fact, there’s even an ACV diet, which involves taking one to three teaspoons of ACV or ACV pills before each meal.

Some doctors believes that it is a great immunity enhancer. If you take ACV and honey with warm water every day; your immunity increases exponentially. It also helps to lower glucose levels so it is a very good medicine for diabetic people.

General prescription is to have a glass of warm water with a spoon of ACV morning and evening helps you to remain fit. There are many brands available in the market. I am using Heinz and I dont like it with warm water. I take ACV in my soup every evening. Thats my way of having it; not prescribed by any doctor.

So, if you can drink it with warm water, nothing like it, just go for it!!

Live healthy and happy!! :)

Diet for Weight Loss

Carbohydrates and Proteins should not be mixed.

Carbohydrates: Rice, idli, potato, wheat
Proteins: Chicken, Fish, Egg, Dal, Paneer,Soyabean

Try combination like:
Roti + Veggies (No rice or chicken)
Chicken + Veggies (No Roti or Rice)
Dal + Veggies (No Roti or Rice)

* Whatever you eat for lunch should be followed for dinner; if it is rice for lunch, it should be rice for dinner etc
* The day you feel like having rice, have it in the form of Vegetable Pulao, with curd or chutney. This must be the same for lunch and dinner
* Avoid white bread by all means
* Wheat flour with a mix of soya, barley and chana is very good for getting rid of cholesterol
* Soya bean products are to be had with vegetables only. No wheat or rice must be mixed. Example, tofu + veggies or soya nuggets + veggies
* Fruits like Mangoes and Lychee are to be avoided
* Eat fresh fruits for breakfast
* Eat early lunch and early dinner
* Smile more :)
* Enjoy working out with your diet