Sesame seeds have been commonly used in the Indian cuisine. They are small nutty seeds and are hardly visible in the various dishes they are added to. It is said to be one of the oldest condiment known to man. It is known as ’til’ in India. Lets have a look at its health benefits.

• It is said to contain the mineral copper which helps to prevent and provide relief from arthritis and strengthens our bones, joints and blood vessels.
• It contains magnesium which lowers blood pressure, alleviates asthma and prevents migraine.
• Calcium content in sesame seeds helps to biuld bones and prevents migraine too.
• Zinc content helps to improve bone health and is great for skin.
• It contains monounsaturated fats and vitamin E which helps to maintain heart health.
• It contains phytosterols which helps to lower cholesterol and prevent cancers.
• Sesame butter can help to replace the cholesterol rich butter.
• It is rich in fiber mainly due to the presence of the compounds sesamin and sesamolin which increases the vitamin E content when added to food, helps to lower cholesterol and protects the liver from oxidative damage.

You can add sesame seeds to your morning porridge, add it to a glass of warm milk, toss it in a salad or sprinkle over breads while baking. Now you can say open sesame to health.

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Many vegetarians suffer from anemia due to diets poor in iron. This could be due to poor food combinations, poor protein intake and diet rich in tannins and other inhibitors. So if you are a veggie, there are various ways you may supplement your diet with iron.

Sources

• Most of the nuts and also seeds such as pumpkin seeds etc
• Various cereals are fortified with iron, hence would be a good start in the morning.
• Germinated pulses and legumes are rich in iron.
• Most of the greens such as spinach, amaranth and broccoli are rich in iron. But need to be had with sources of vitamin C to absorb the iron.
• Jaggery, puffed rice and beaten rice. Now you know why poha is good for health.
• Dates and other dried fruits, you can add them to your cereal for an iron boost.

Incorporate these foods to boost up your iron intake.

What about iron supplements?

Iron supplements are recommended only if one is highly anemic or in pregnancy. But the downside is it is constipating.

Avoid excess of fiber and high calcium intake which interfere in iron absorption.

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A client asked me today, ” Which diet do you recommend? Atkins? general motors?” I was taken aback for a second. These diets are still in vogue. So let me shed a light on various fad diets.

What is a fad diet?

It is a diet which stay in fashion or vogue for sometime and then is replaced by a new one. Weight loss is a zillion dollor industry and hence such diets keep sprouting up.

How do you identify a fad diet?

• Promises weight loss in the least time such as seven days or fifteen days. One example is general motors diet which promises five kilo weight loss in a week.
• No exercise routine is needed to be followed. A constant favorite of all.
• The ads include a very fat person and his very thin picture. You can see him slouching in the fatb picture and standing upright in the thin picture.
• Shake diets such as just living on shakes, gels and jellies and no other food.
• Very low calorie intake as low as 600 kCal.
• Excludes food groups such as carbohydrates, fats etc. Atkins includes all protiens and fats and very less carbohydrates. A few weight loss centers advice zerol oil diets.
• Not recommended by a registered dietitian or a practioner.

Whats right for us?

Of course, its the traditional formula of a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise. Nothing can beat this. This includes all the food groups and recommended calories as per activity and age. Although it may sound boring, but trust me with the addition of discipline and focus, this is the only thing that works. So now get smarter and work towards doing the right thing, not falling for another fad diet.

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Nut butters are used widely by all. They are eaten for breakfast and as snacks alone. Peanut butter has been used but there are various other butters such as almond butter, macadamia nut butter, pine nut butter etc… Let us look at cashew butter now widely available.

Cashew butter is an excellent option for those who are bored  of allergic to peanut butter. Although unusual it is widely available in the organic forms which is free from pesticides and preservatives.

Let us have a look at its nutritional benefits.

• As any nut butter, it is rich in protein and healthy fats.
• It is high in monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fats and hence is a heart healthy butter and helps to reduce the triglycerides.
• Helps patients with diabetes to maintain their blood sugars as they are very low in carbohydrates.
• It provides the mineral copper which is said to decrease the risk of cancer by its antioxidant properties.
• It is bone healthy butter thereby providing magnesium which helps to strengthen our bones.

So lather on whole wheat bread or add a tablespoon to your milkshake and slurp it up

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Heart disease is the most common killer disease in the world.  Let us look at a few tips to cut down the risk of heart disease.

1. Drink green tea- Green tea contains antioxidants that can reduce cholesterol and decrease blood pressure.
2. Fiber up your diet- The more fiber you include, lesser is the risk of heart disease. So add oats, bran etc in your diet.
3. Eat fish- Fish contain omega 3 fatty acids which help the heart to function better.
4. 100% fruit juice- Juices such as orange juice and grape juice are said to contain antioxidants which help to decrease homo cysteine levels which are the main cause for heart disease.
5. Add Flaxseed- to your porridge or smoothie to prevent clogging of arteries.
6. Add garlic- adding garlic to cooking helps to cut down artery blocks.
7. Eat dark chocolate- rich in antioxidants making the arteries more elastic.
8. Go bananas- Bananas contain potassium which helps to cut down blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Trying out these tips will take you closer to leading a healthy life free of heart disease

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