Turmeric: Curcumin, which is the active component of turmeric, is now an object of research thanks to its properties that suggest they may help to turn off certain genes that cause scarring and enlargement of the heart. Regular intake of curcumin may also help to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol and high blood pressure, increase blood circulation and prevent blood clotting thereby helping to prevent heart attack.

Cardamom: The Indian spice is known as a thermogenic herb, one that increases metabolism and helps burn body fat. In Ayurveda, cardamom is considered one of the best digestive aids and is believed to soothe the digestive system and help the body process other foods more efficiently.

Chillies: Foods containing chillies are considered to be as foods that burn fat. Chillies contain capsaicin that helps in increasing the metabolism. Capsaicin is a thermogenic food, so it causes the body to burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you eat the chillies.

Curry leaves: Incorporating curry leaves into your daily diet can also help with your weight loss plan. These leaves are known to flush out fat and toxins, thereby reducing fat deposits that are stored in the body, as well as reducing bad cholesterol levels. If you are overweight, incorporate eight to 10 curry leaves into your diet daily. Chop them finely and mix them into a drink, or sprinkle them over a meal.

Garlic: One of the most effective fat-burning foods, garlic contains the sulphur compound allicin which has anti-bacterial effects and helps reduce cholesterol and unhealthy fats.

Mustard oil: The pungent-tasting oil has low saturated fat as compared to other cooking oils. It basically consists of fatty acid, oleic acid, erucic acid and linoleic acid. It has antioxidant and cholesterol-reducing properties and is good for the heart. It is also loaded with essential vitamins.

Cabbage: Raw or cooked cabbage inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value in weight reduction.

Moong dal: The bean sprouts contain rich quantities of Vitamin A, B, C and E and are an excellent source of many minerals, such as calcium, iron and potassium. The dal is recommended as a food replacement in many slimming programmes, as it has a very low fat content. It is a rich source of protein and fiber, which helps lower blood cholesterol level. The high fiber content yields complex carbohydrates, which aid digestion, are effective in stabilising blood sugar and prevent its rapid rise after meal consumption.

Honey: It is a home remedy for obesity. Honey mobilises the extra deposited fat in the body allowing it to be utilised as energy for normal functions. One should start with about 10 grams or a tablespoon, taken with hot water early in the morning.

Buttermilk: Leave cola, drink buttermilk. The traditional homemade buttermilk is the somewhat sour, residual fluid that is left after butter is churned. The probiotic food contains just 2.2 grams of fat and about 99 calories, as compared to whole milk that contains 8.9 grams fat and 157 calories. Regular intake of buttermilk provides the body with all essential nutrients and does not add many fats and calories to the body. It is thus helpful in weight loss.

Millets: Fiber-rich foods such as millets – jowar, bajra, ragi, etc – absorb cholesterol and help increase the secretion of the bile that emulsifies fats. 

Cinnamon and cloves: Used extensively in Indian cooking, the spices have been found to improve the function of insulin and to lower glucose, total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides in people with type 2 diabetes.

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Save money by learning and planning:

• Plan and shop for a week’s worth of meals at a time. You’re less likely to go out to eat or buy expensive convenience foods during the week when the ingredients for dinner are already in your kitchen.
• Keep a list of what leftovers are in your refrigerator and freezer. That way they won’t go to waste because you forgot they were there. And you can use the list when you’re planning next week’s meals.
• Watch grocery store ads for sales so that you can stock up on items you know you will use. You can sometimes save money by buying more of something. For example, some stores may give you a discount if you buy 12 cans of chicken broth instead of just 2 or 3.
• Learn how much food costs. That way you can tell when an advertised sale is really a good deal.
• Use coupons. People who invest time in saving and organizing coupons often save a lot of money.
• Learn how to grow your own vegetables. If you don’t have the space, see if there is a community garden in your neighborhood. Or try growing a few vegetables or herbs on your porch or in a sunny indoor room.
• See how many convenience foods you can cross off your list by planning something healthier and cheaper instead. For example:
  • Instead of potato chips, buy unpopped popcorn you can make at home.
  • Instead of ready-made desserts, make your own cookies, cakes, or muffins.
  • Instead of packaged snacks, buy crackers and peanut butter to make your own little sandwich snacks. Or snack on fresh or dried fruits.
  • Instead of sweetened cold cereals, buy oatmeal or other hot cereal.

Save money at the grocery store:

• Always shop with a list. Try not to buy anything that’s not on your list, but be open to unexpected sale items that you know you will use.
• Shopping with family members can cost you money if they talk you into buying things that aren’t on your list. Shop by yourself if you have to.
• Buy fresh fruits and vegetables when they’re in season. They are likely to be fresher and cost less.
• Buy frozen vegetables. They are picked at the peak of ripeness and have just as many—or more—vitamins and minerals as fresh. And they cost less.
• Buy store brands instead of name brands.
• Shop in the bulk foods aisle, where things like beans, rice, pasta, and other dried foods may be cheaper.

Save money elsewhere:

• Whole-grain bread is healthier than regular bread, but it usually costs more. If you have a bakery outlet in your community, you can buy day-old whole-grain bread there at a discount.
• Buy fresh produce at a farmer’s market or a produce stand. Prices are usually—but not always—lower there than at the grocery store.
• Many fruit orchards let customers pick the fruit themselves to save money.

Save money in your kitchen:

• Build up your cooking skills. Buy one good, general cookbook. Used bookstores are a good source.
• Invest in a slow cooker or Crock-Pot. With a slow cooker you can buy less expensive cuts of meat, because the long, slow cooking time makes them tender and very tasty. Plus, the dish cooks all day while you’re at work or busy with something else.
• Learn how to cut up a chicken. You can save money by buying whole chickens and cutting them apart yourself. And make soup with the bones.
• Make vegetables your main dish, and serve your meat as a smaller side dish. You’ll save money by eating less meat. You can also serve beans instead of meat.
• Make your own lunch, and take it with you to work.
• Use recipes you can double or triple, so you can freeze leftovers for later.
• When a recipe calls for milk, use dried fat-free milk. It’s cheaper and doesn’t need to be kept cold. You just add the milk powder to water to make only as much as you need.

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What is on A Nutrition Facts Label?

Food labels are designed to help consumers make healthy food choices. In 1990, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act went into effect. The USDA and the FDA developed these guidelines so that consumers would have access to useful nutritional information to help make smart choices.

But how do you make sense of a food label?

According to the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, all packaged food products must contain the following information:

• Common name of the product
• Name and address of the product’s manufacturer
• Net contents in terms of weight, measure or count, and
• Ingredient list and Nutrition Facts

Reading Food Labels – the Bottom Line

Food Labels and Nutrition Facts enable you to compare products based on key ingredients. When comparing products, focus on those nutrients that are important to you.

• If you are concerned about your weight, you should compare products based on BOTH calories and fat.
• If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, you should focus on the amount of total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium. Choose products containing less than 20% Daily Values for fat, cholesterol and sodium.
• If you have diabetes, you should pay attention to the amount of carbohydrate, sugar added as well as fiber.

Source: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label – FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition

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Omega-3 in various Oils. Click on the Image for larger view. Image Source: Choice.com

Findings of two recent international studies show that as long as the vegetable oils you use are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids-known to lower triglycerides, slow hardening of the arteries, reduce heart attacks, and more- your risk of having a heart attacks can be reduced by about 59%. The omega-6 fatty acids found in walnuts also help keep blood pressure low, and that decreases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Next time you are looking to cook up something special, or just enjoy a salad, choose your oil from among those rich in Omega-3 and/or Omega-6. These includes soybean, canola, flaxseed, safflower, sunflower and corn oils. You can also get a solid servings of fatty acids by munching on a few walnuts as a snack, or enjoying a meal with tofu, tuna, salmon or sardines as a main course.

Go Fish

Omega-3 fats are good for your heart, but they can also be a boon, but they can also be a boon to your waistline. In a multicenter study involving 232 overweight volunteers on a reduced-calorie diet, researchers found that when the dieters ate a meal rich in fatty fish, they felt fuller longer than those who’d eaten leaner fish, such as cod. The reason? High levels of Omega-3s may prompt the body to produce more leptin-the harmone that signals fullness-which may lead you to eat less food throughout the day, scientists hypothesize.

People with heart diseases may want to take supplements to ensure they get the proper amount of the heart-healthy fatty acids. Some heart patients, including those with severe angina, seriously compromised heart functions, or potentially lethal ventricular rhythms should speak with their doctors before taking fish-oil supplements

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Here is list of the top 5 nutritious food items you can get for less than $3 dollars:

1. Frozen Vegetables – I love frozen vegetables, they are picked in season and have the same amount of nutrients as the fresh ones. The advantage is that you do not have to wait for the season to eat them. In addition to being nutrient rich, they also have high fiber. They can be used in soups, stews and stir-frr.
2. Canned Salmon – For women in their reproductive years, Salmon is much better option than Tuna due its lower mercury levels. I also think it is little more upscale than tuna and can be easily added to salads and pastas. All the parts included in the can – skin and bones are all edible. The Salmon bones are great source of Calcium.
3. Brown Rice – We all know brown rice has high levels of fiber, but they are also high in E vitamin. They take 45 minutes to cook so cook in a large batch, and freeze them. A small bag of brown rice usually has 19 individual servings and cost less than $3.
4. Edamame - These have great heart health benefits of Soy, they are also high in protein and fiber. They are extremely easy to cook – just boil them for 6 minutes. Use them in Soups, stews and dips. Great food for kids and can be eaten hot or cold.
5. Sweet Potato – Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet vegetables that kids love and great for baby food. Sweet potatoes contain large amounts of vitamin A and fiber. Very high source of beta Carotene which is good for our eyes.

Never leave the grocery store without these 5 top nutrient foods. Please share your list of cheap but healthy foods which we call can benefit from.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked Valencia or other medium-grain rice
¼ teaspoon saffron strands, crushed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup frozen lima beans
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup frozen peas
Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and bell peppers and cook for 3 minutes; add garlic and cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Add rice and saffron and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Stir in tomatoes and lima beans and cook for 1 minute more. Add broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes and reduce heat to simmer.

Cover and cook for 10 minutes. If needed, add ¼ to ½ cup water or vegetable stock to prevent rice from sticking, then cover and cook another 5 minutes.

Stir in peas and cook until just tender and liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes. Avoid overcooking; the rice should be just slightly al dente. (If not tender enough, add a bit more water and continue cooking.)

Serve garnished with lemon wedges.

Simple & Healthy Recipe Substitutions

• Substitute brown rice to increase your fiber intake, as well as several vitamins and minerals. (Additional cooking time and water required.)
• Use low-sodium canned tomatoes and rinse before use.
• Substitute ½ to 1 teaspoon turmeric and/or ½ to 1 teaspoon cumin for saffron to reduce cost and increase anti-inflammatory effects.
• Substitute frozen shelled edamame beans for lima beans to add soy protein.

Nutrition Facts

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Per serving: 210 Calories, 6 g Fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 340 mg Sodium, 34 g Total Carbohydrates, 6 g Dietary Fiber, 7 g Protein

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Some individuals, like myself, have a reaction to MSG.  This is considered by the FDA to be rare, with mild and transitory symptoms.  Symptoms typically include a headache typically described as one’s “face hurting”, ranging to the more extreme muscle twitching and vomiting.  It can trigger an attack for asthma sufferers like my brother.  Typically small amounts of MSG are tolerated, but it reportedly can build up in one’s system over the course of a few days to a level that causes a reaction.

The MSG studies available on medical websites do confirm that scientists add MSG to the food of mice to fatten them up.  However, there are also studies that demonstrate that mice react differently than humans to MSG and that mouse studies cannot be extrapolated to humans.   The idea behind the mouse weight gain is that MSG makes the food more palatable, so the mice eat more and gain weight more rapidly than just with fattening food.  There was a conclusion for human studies to the effect that MSG should be investigated for  use with geriatric patients to make food more palatable.   My own conclusion about the MSG-obesity link is that it’s another case of wishful thinking that something besides eating too much and not exercising is behind the weight gain.  My doctor friend scoffs at the idea propounded in the scare email that one could gain weight without consuming more calories than one needs.

However, the increased focus on MSG and other additives has caused some manufacturers to begin either removing it from products or creating MSG-free versions of products.  This is a boon to those of us who need to avoid MSG.  The information on the web about avoiding MSG says that individuals who have a reaction to it would have a reaction to any form of free glutamic acid.  That is, the amino acid split out from its source protein.  There is a list of about 75 items to avoid.  Here is one of the websites containing a list: http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html .  I haven’t personally tested the entire list to see if it makes me ill.

The list includes anything protein enriched (protein isolates), malted barley flour, caragheenan, yeast extract and “natural flavors”.  Since MSG is often extracted from seaweed, it is indeed a natural flavor, which means organic products can still include these ingredients.  Some foods labeled “no MSG” still contain other forms of free glutamic acid.

The list of ingredients to avoid are in almost all salad dressings, soups, condiments, prepared poultry products, snack crackers, breads, gelatin, canned tuna – getting the picture?  The broth injected in your holiday turkey is usually MSG and water.  I make most of my own foods from scratch and am a diligent label reader.  The simple approach is to look at low sodium versions of foods or not to buy prepared foods that have a long list of ingredients.  Eating out, the safest course is to eat spicy ethnic or at expensive restaurants.  I’ve never had an issue with Indian or Mexican food (not counting Taco Bell).  Avoiding MSG at a deli is nearly impossible.  Fast food restaurants at least post their menus online, so one can check the ingredients ahead of time.  Thai and Chinese food usually contains MSG, but except for buffets, can almost always be prepared without it.  And unlike American restaurants, they prepare the food fresh instead of pulling it ready-made from a freezer, so know what’s in it.  Basically, for those who don’t become ill from MSG and it’s relatives, it’s probably more trouble than it’s worth to avoid it.

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Food poisoning is preventable if you follow simple food hygiene tips.

Preparing food

In order to prevent bacteria from spreading, remember to do the following:

• Wash your hands before and after preparing food, especially if you are touching raw meat
• Prepare raw and ready-to-eat food separately
• Always use clean utensils and equipment. Always wash chopping boards and knifes that come into contact with raw foods
• Keep tea towels and hand towels clean and wash them frequently. Remember to replace wash cloths on a regular basis

Cooking food

Always remember to cook food properly to kill any harmful bacteria that arises

Chilling food

Many foods need refrigeration and when using these foods, it is essential that you pay attention to the ‘use by’ dates.

Always remember:

• When you get home from shopping, to always place food requiring refrigeration
• into the fridge
• Cool cooked food as quickly as possible and then put it in the fridge
• Keep raw meat and poultry in a sealed container. Place this container at the bottom of the fridge to stop it touching or dripping on to other nearby foods
• Keep your fridge organized according to food type and do not overload food into it, as you can prevent cold air circulating

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By simply supplementing the diet with vitamins and minerals in the correct quantities this will help to reduce those deficiencies and that alone can assist in reducing the need to eat copious quantities of food due to the constant feeling of hunger.

There is another problem that faces people who are trying to lose weight and that is the fact that many of these diet and weight loss programs create their own deficiencies in vitamins and minerals by not supplying suitable amounts of food to sustain the persons good health while trying to help them lose weight.

Any diet that leaves you constantly feeling hungry is lacking and more often than not it will also be lacking in your body’s need for vitamins and minerals.

Unless the diet has been prepared with the specialist help of dietitians who have a comprehensive knowledge of the bodies need for all the various vitamins and minerals then the chances of you succeeding on a diet will be minimal and this is one of the biggest reasons why many diets are a failure.

It is not so much the person’s willpower to make it work as the fact that the body is crying out for its needs and they aren’t being met with the food that has been allowed on that particular weight-loss program.

If you’re on a diet and you find that you are constantly hungry or craving particular foods then it will be well worthwhile supplementing that diet with a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement that will give you your recommended daily requirements.

You might find that this is all you need to help you to succeed.

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