Tuesday, April 27, 2010

EATING RIGHT FOR GOOD HEALTH


The other day I happened to watch a programme in which a doctor was speaking on certain simple things one can do to be healthy. I don't know the name of the programme. I just came across it while clicking away from one channel to another.

An interesting thing he said was people who consume non-veg take in quite a quantity of meat, fish, chicken etc. in a week. Actually a person need only take a maximum of 700 gms of meat, fish, chicken in a week and not more. We are not built to consume and digest large quantities of meat. Meat items can produce cancer causing agents when cooked at high temperatures such as frying, baking, barbecueing. It is also said that meat consumed everday, upon digestion can create cancer causing agents. Make it a point to have lots of vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. They do you a whole lot of good. If you are worried about your protein intake, legumes and dals and mushrooms are a good source. Consuming wheat and brown rice not only gives you the energy from carbohydrates but gives you the fibre as well. The most easily available fruits like apple, banana and orange in your daily diet will pep you up and give you vital nutrients as well. The green leafy vegetables are definite must in your diet. Fried foods are best avoided. Milk and yoghurt are excellent sources of protein. You can choose to consume skim milk and low fat yoghurt if you want to avoid the fat content in it.

It is pleasurable to consume food that is 'tasty'. But before you cook at home, buy food or order food in a restaurant or invite guests over, be caring towards yourself, family and friends, and choose to prepare/consume food that is rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and which is low in fat and sugar. If you have healthy and low calorie meal, you can actually feel energised and alert and comfortable whereas if you were to consume a high calore meal, high in fat and sugar, you end up feeling sluggish and sleepy and your mind would be in no condition to perform its optimum.

Stay away from processed, ready to heat and eat foods, foods with additives and preservations, packeted juices, chips and soft drinks.

A change in lifestyle and food choices can alter your health to a large extent, with an exercise regimen of atleast two hours per week, be it walking or a combination of cardio, yoga and aerobics, whatever you please. To kick start your day, have a good breakfast.

Eat right and feel good, feel healthy!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

PINEAPPLE ORANGE BANANA SMOOTHIE


I love smoothies. There is choice of adding yoghurt when you make smoothies. Now the one I am going to share doesnot require yoghurt so that you can enjoy the natural flavours of pineapple, orange and banana. It's so simple that you can even entrust this job to a 10 year old, ofcourse preferably under your supervision as it requires using a blender.

PINEAPPLE ORANGE BANANA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients for 2 glasses:
- 3 slices of pineapple (1/2 inch thick) choppped
- juice of 1 orange
- little sugar for taste (dieters can avoid sugar)
- 1 ripe banana (Morris in Kerala and Chiquita in Gulf)
- half a glass of milk
- 1 cardamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Blend pineapple pieces using half cup to 3/4 cup water, adding juice of 1 orange and little sugar. Blend well. Check for sweetness and adjust as per your wish. I add very little sugar. It should be thick. Keep the liquid aside. Put the peeled and diced banana, milk, cardamon seeds and vanilla essence and blend well. Take a tall glass and pour the banana and milk that was blended, half way up the glass and pour pineapple-orange blend on the top of this to reach almost up to the top. Don't be in a rush. Find a comfortable place to relax and enjoy every sip of your smoothie.

THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE


I came across a nice quote the other day, 'The happiest people donot necessarily have the best of all. They simply appreciate what they find on their way'.

Interesting huh? And yes, how true, if you were to just ponder a little more... A lot of times, it is believed that if we bought a new gadget or a new outfit or expensive car or built your dream house, it would give you the much anticipated happiness. One gets used to material things. And you are after for more. You now own this gadget and the excitement and thrill you felt on the first and second day doesnot exist after a few months. Infact, you come to hear and see of better and more sophisticated and affordable gadgets in the market. And lo! wish you waited and bought this new one. A new outfit, something you wear a few times and it just becomes an addition in your existing wardrobe and you are on the look out for a better looking outfit that could define you amidst a crowd. You spend a huge amount of money on building this dream mansion or house and if you don't have a pleasant or compatible relationship with the members of the household, whats the point in living in this beautiful house, which is not really a home due to all the conflicts.

If the prospect of the chase after material objects became less of a concern and if one's energies were concentrated in the simple things in life, its certain one would feel lighter and more happier. If time is taken to just observe and appreciate all your blessings, to pay importance to your loved ones and give them your time, and support, appreciate your morning tea or coffee, the food on the table, to speak gently and kindly, to do one good deed for someone everday, to talk to your parents, your spouse, your children and spend quality time with them, will give immense joy.
Making time to meet up with your friends which your busy schedule prevents you from. All this will give immense happiness. Happiness that material objects cannot give.

It shouldn't matter if your neighbour or cousin has a better car, or better furniture or earns a bigger salary or their children get higher grades in class. Does it bother when you look at the perfect physique of your favourite actor or even your friend or colleague and it disappoints you that your physique is no where near that? You can water your own grass and keep it green. Maybe you have a smaller car or use the public transport system, furniture thats 10 years old. Well so what? Maybe your child is not brilliant in maths or his marks are in the 60's. But does that cause a lot of unhappiness? Then you should see physically handicapped people who perhaps can never climb a bus or drive a car, people who live in homes with hardly any furniture, people who are displaced in war torn areas who live in tents, children who are austistic or mentally retarded who can never go to a regular school. Eating right and exercising maynot give you a perfect figure like you see of models in magazines, but it sure will keep you healthy. A person suffering from cancer or Aids wouldn't be interested in physical beauty, he or she would only be praying and wishing hard to recover miraculously from the illness.

Appreciate all the little good that come in the way. Living simple and being grateful for all the blessings and not bitter and depressed about what you don't have in life, can contribute to the experience of happiness in a way that would change your life for the better.