fruits | Shweta Taneja

December 7, 2018September 30, 2018

When to eat a fruit is just as important as which fruit to eat

Fruit is an important nutrient in your diet, however, when to eat it is important too. Have you been waking up to a breakfast of chikoos and chai? Munching on an apple as a midnight snack? According to experts, you’re eating the right fruit but your timing is wrong. There’s a popular belief that healthy food can be eaten whenever you want. Experts say this is not true.

To get the maximum benefits, they say, fruit should be eaten between meals, not along with lunch or dinner. That is because fruits slow down digestion, says Luke Coutinho, doctor of alternative medicine and founder of the health start-up Pure Nutrition.

Eat fruits between meals, say experts

“If you want to eat healthy, what matters is how much of what you eat is absorbed by your body. Tea and coffee have substances like tannin and caffeine that hinder absorption of the nutrients you find in fruits like banana and chikoos. In fact, fruits are best absorbed on an empty stomach, early morning, as a snack between two meals, or before or after a workout to refuel your body,” says Coutinho.

October 14, 2016July 25, 2016

The rainbow diet

Include colourful fruits and vegetables in your diet to maximize your nutrient intake

A salad of orange, watermelon and pear in summer. A side of beans, carrots, corn and broccoli. There’s something about three or more colours on a plate that immediately lifts one’s mood. But it’s more than that. “The more vibrant the colour, the more nutritious the vegetable or fruit,” says Mumbai-based dietitian and sports nutritionist Deepshikha Agarwal.

Foods get their colour from the phytochemicals present in them. “These phytochemicals are vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are essential for the body, that are good for preventing and reducing the risk of various diseases,” she adds.

This visual cue, believes Suvarna Pathak, dietitian at Mumbai’s Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital, is also nature’s simple pointer to make sure you get different nutrients. “Everything that your body requires is colour- coded,” she says. Anthocyanin, which gives blueberries their colour, also keeps your mind sharp and defends your body with antioxidants, while the lycopene that gives watermelons and tomatoes their redness, protects against prostate and breast cancers and fights heart disease. Beta-carotene, which makes carrots orange, keeps the bones strong. The yellow colour in foods boosts liver, skin and eyesight health, green detoxifies, and purple, which is rich in folic acid and potassium, strengthens the muscular and circulatory systems.

Each colour adds a different nutrient, so the mantra is to keep your meals as colourful as possible. Pathak suggests choosing three colours for each of the five-six small meals in a day. “The rainbow diet will detoxify your body and build immunity and strong bones,” says Pathak.

But do remember that colourful refined or packaged items do not count. As far as possible, eat the vegetables and fruits either raw, boiled or cooked.

RED

Bite into the juicy red of a tomato, watermelon, pomegranate, strawberry or apricot to get some lycopene in your system. “Lycopene is one of the strongest antioxidants. It protects against prostate cancer, cardiovascular disease and damage from ultraviolet light exposure,” says Lovneet Batra, clinical nutritionist at Fortis La Femme in New Delhi. Anthocyanins, or the red pigment in fruits and vegetables, decreases the risk of muscular degeneration, stroke and certain types of cancer, says Divya Choudhary, nutritionist at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi.

Go for: Pomegranate, raspberries, red apples, cherries, red grapes, red pears, rhubarb, strawberries, beetroot, tomatoes, watermelon, red chilli peppers, red onion, red potatoes.

ORANGE

The phytochemicals responsible for the orange colour in fruits and vegetables such as carrots, mangoes or pumpkins are carotenoids, says Choudhary. “Carotenoids,” she says, “help maintain healthy mucous membranes and healthy eyes, as well as help reduce the risk of cancer and heart diseases, and also improve immune system function.”

Go for: Apricots, peach, oranges, kinnows, carrots, pumpkin.

YELLOW

Include a lot of yellow pepper, corn and saffron in your diet if you have weak eyesight, says Batra. “Foods like avocado, which have both yellow and green in it, contain zeaxanthin and lutein, which are very important for retina health,” she says. Other than improving your sight, yellow reduces age-related tissue degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer, and lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood pressure. “Muscular strength, healthy bones and shining skin are what yellow gives,” says Pathak.

Go for: Papaya, lemons, mangoes, peach, pineapple, musk melon, figs, yellow tomatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, yellow beetroot.

GREEN

Greens are full of chlorophyll, folate and iron, making them perfect for someone who needs strength. “These are a must, especially during pregnancy and post-pregnancy,” says Agarwal. The compounds that give green vegetables their colour are called glucosinolates, “which are a large group of sulphur-containing amino acid derivatives that help in reducing the risk of certain cancers”, explains Batra. In addition, green leafy vegetables also contain high amounts of iron and folic acid, as well as vitamin C, which is a strong antioxidant and an anti-ageing vitamin. “Green vegetables are good for your eyes, bones and teeth, and also help in improving immunity,” says Choudhary.

Go for: Cucumber, avocado, celery, green apples, grapes, kiwi, spinach, coriander, mint, lettuce, leek, leafy greens, okra, peas, beans, capsicum, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts.

BLUE AND PURPLE

The grape family of fruits, like berries, raspberries and cranberries, contains anthocyanins that reduce inflammation. “These and other nutrients like flavonoids, ellagic acid, quercetin, and lutein found in blue and purple foods support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, boost immune system activity, support healthy digestion and improve calcium and other mineral absorption,” says Pathak. Blue pigments in foods can also help reduce tumour growth and fight inflammation.

Complete article at livemint.com

July 29, 2016July 25, 2016

How to stay cool during summer

Struggling with soaring summer temperatures? Here are nine natural ways to keep your body cool and healthy

The sun is good for us in a lot of ways. Numerous studies show that it lifts our mood, relieves stress, improves sleep and provides the essential vitamin D. “Too much of it, however, like a deadly heat wave, can damage our body,” says Tarun Sahni, senior consultant (internal medicine) at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi. Too much exposure to the sun can lead to heat rashes, sunburn, boils, cramps, headache, fever, blisters and nausea, or, in extreme cases, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, dizziness, even cataract, he says.

The ideal body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. But heading straight from a sizzling 45 degrees Celsius outside to a cool 20-degree air-conditioned environment is not the most effective way to deal with the heat either. “The shock in the difference of temperature can lead to muscular spasms or even respiratory illness,” says Swati Bhushan, chief clinical nutritionist at the Fortis Hospital in Navi Mumbai.

Sitting in an air-conditioned room is not the only solution. There are other natural ways. Diet is one. Increase the intake of raw fruits and vegetables as well as foods that contain a lot of water, suggests Bhushan. Go easy on the curries, chillies, hot peppers and salsa sauces, for you wouldn’t want to rev up your already heated body, says Dr Sahni. And limit excessively salty food.

Our experts suggest a few other tricks to keep the body cool.

Drink water

It’s a simple idea. Keep yourself well-hydrated through the day, says Bhushan, and drink 8-10 glasses of water at room temperature. Avoid chilled water, for it can lead to the constriction of blood vessels and actually increase the heat in your body rather than reducing it, she adds.

“Don’t wait until you feel thirsty, keep sipping on water in between,” she says. If you’re bored of plain water, drink home-madenimbu-paani or water flavoured with mint leaves and fennel seeds, all of which are loaded with electrolytes, vitamins and antioxidants. Bhushan warns against fizzy drinks and caffeinated beverages as they tend to dehydrate the body.

Try buttermilk

Buttermilk, or fermented curd, is a healthy alternative to cold drinks and ice cream, says Bhushan. “Buttermilk is packed with protein, calcium and vitamin B, and also helps soothe ulcers and allergies,” she says. “It also promotes digestion and boosts immunity.” A study by Sweden’s Lund University, presented at the 31st International Congress On Occupational Health in Seoul, South Korea (31 May-5 June), examined the effects of buttermilk in the working population in Chennai and found that it helped in rehydration, cooling and recovery from physical work in scorching heat.

Sip coconut water

A natural electrolyte, this drink helps replace the salts lost through excessive sweat, says Bengaluru-based fitness expert Wanitha Ashok. A study by a team of scientists at the University of Memphis, US, published in 2012 in the Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition, found that both coconut water and sports drinks had the same effect in replenishing a dehydrated body after an extensive workout. Another study, published in 2015 in the International Food Research Journal,found that starting the day with coconut water ensures better protection against dehydration and fatigue. This study was conducted in Indonesia, on chefs working in restaurant kitchens.

Eat light

Be kind to your stomach—avoid deep-fried foods like samosas, kachoris, vadas, chips and bhajjis, or extra spicy curries with red meat. “Consuming fats increases the body temperature and as these foods lack water content, you’ll feel dehydrated,” says Bhushan. As a result, you’ll be tired and lethargic, with decreased levels of concentration and metabolism. Spicy food can also cause skin irritations, allergies and pimples in summer, says Bhushan.

A light meal that can be digested easily ensures your stomach doesn’t work overtime and generate additional heat. “Avoid heavy meals in restaurants, and leftover or fast foods, as they’re difficult to digest, something that your heat-stressed body can do without,” says Gaurang Joshi, medical director of the Artharva Multispeciality Ayurveda Hospital in Rajkot, Gujarat. Instead, choose fruits and vegetables with high water content like watermelon, mangoes, melons, gourd, cucumber and zucchini.

Savour raw mango pulp

You can roast it, add it to salad or just mix with water and drink. Green mango pulp cools the body considerably, says Bhushan. Especially aam panna, a drink made from the pulp of raw mangoes that is great at fighting sunstrokes, says Dr Joshi. And it’s easy to make. All you need to do is boil raw mangoes in water and make a pulp, add some jaggery, cumin seeds and salt and refrigerate. Before drinking, dilute with water.

Eat fruits between meals, say experts

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Include colourful fruits and vegetables in your diet to maximize your nutrient intake

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