Healthfood - The importance of eating grains

Dear readers,

first of all to those of you to whom it applies: HAPPY EASTER!!! 
In our part of the world Easter Sunday and Monday are just like any other working day, but of course we don't expect anything else. Had some Gold Bunnies though... 

Grains! Yes! Over and over I hear people say that they totally avoid carbohydrates in order to loose weight and it always gets me going. Yes, you might loose weight easier and quicker as you obviously burn your salad faster than your wholegrain bun, but that is the point: carbohydrates are the ones that keep you full by balancing your blood sugar level and they do NOT make you fat; it is what you eat with them and your portion size that makes you gain weight. Obviously, please note that our bodies are not made to gorge down the amounts of rice that Asian people consume. Always remember that different ethnic groups have very different metabolisms and thus need very different diets!

If you stop eating grain (I always refer to wholegrain! The essence of the grain is in the husk!) you deprive your body of essential nutrients and fiber. Many fibers even contain loads of good protein, which is especially important in a vegetarian diet. A healthy intake of fiber is vital for a healthy intestine and reduces the risk of bowel cancer. It is the amount and the quality of the cereals, which count!

Try to avoid wheat, many people cannot digest it very well. Pure rye is easy to digest, then there is spelt bread, which tastes fantastic and is easy to digest. 

Apart from these grains nowadays we have the whole lot of variety at your disposal, for example:

-Quinoa (which is a pseudocereal, but still. Rich in protein, magnesium and iron)
-Barley (low in gluten and high in phosphorus, which is important for bones and teeth)
-Millet (gluten-free with similar nutrients as wheat)
There is more out there! 


Use brown rice instead of white one, wholegrain pasta (I know, I know, but with a juicy, low-fat sauce it is delicious) and then there is buckwheat (see my resp. post on this healthy cerial).

You can use all these grains just as you use rice or pasta. Add grains to your salad and use them for your breakfast (e.g. Quinoa porridge).

Following a very easy Quinoa recipe as an example, to which you can add any vegetables you would like:

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped and other veggies as you like
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 red onions, chopped

Directions

1. Bring the quinoa, water, and 1 pinch of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes (it is ready when you can clearly see the white kernel). Once done, drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the garlic softens and the aroma mellows, about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper, and corn; continue cooking until the pepper softens, about 5 minutes. Season with cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute more, then stir in the cooked quinoa and green onions. Serve hot or cold.

Broccoli recipes

Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli

(Serves 4)

1. Preheat the oven.

2. On a large cookie sheet, toss together 2 pounds of broccoli cut up into florets with a bit of stem

-2 Tbs olive oil

-1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 tsp. ground)

-1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp. ground)

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp pepper and 

-1/8th tsp hot chili powder. 

Spread into a single layer and pop into the oven for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, toss together one pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined, with 

-2 Tbs olive oil

-lemon zest from one lemon

-1/2 tsp salt and 

-1/2 tsp pepper in a bowl. 

When the broccoli's been in the oven 10 minutes, add the shrimp to the broccoli and toss carefully.

4. Roast another 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until the broccoli is tender and golden around the edges.

I served it in a big bowl of rice and squeezed some lemon on top. It was a big hit.

Crunchy Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

• 1 large bunch broccoli
• 1 small red onion
• 4 strips low-fat bacon
• cup raisins
• cup chopped walnuts

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 cup sugar or 1/2 cup sugar substitute
• cup plain non-fat yogurt

Directions

Chop broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Slice onion thinly. Broil bacon crisply and crumble onto paper towel; let sit 15 minutes. Mix broccoli, onion, bacon, raisins and walnuts in a salad bowl. Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar and vinegar in a shaker container. Pour over broccoli just before serving. Toss and serve.

Enjoy your food!

Health food - Broccoli

Dear readers,
first of all I have to apologize for my long absence. The last two weeks have been incredibly busy with a lot of unpredictable appointments, which left me with no time to sit down in front of the computer and come up with valuable information and recipes as to not bore you with what you already knew. So, here I am and as it frequently happens, my dear husband comes up with the topic and I develop it. What a team-work! 

Yesterday when we were having dinner, he inquired about the benefits of Broccoli. He loves Broccoli (which is a good thing) and I had some answers for him right away. 
My father on the other hand hates Broccoli. He insists it is "an American vegetable". I consider myself mature enough in the meantime to have the right to contradict him. :) As he is on my mailing list, I suppose as soon as he reads where Broccoli originally came from, he will change his mind....


Here we go:

BROCCOLI IS NATIVE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN!!! (Dad? Listening?) 
It was engineered from a cabbage relative by the ancient Etruscans, who were considered to be horticultural geniuses. Can hardly get more historical... The ancient Romans considered Broccoli a uniquely valuable food (that was like 2000 years ago just for the records) and it only became known in the States as of the 1920's (Dad? Still listening?)

Enough with the historical excursion, let me talk about the benefits of this delicious vegetable, which you should consume if possible more than once a week:

Believe it or not, 100g Broccoli contain twice as much Vitamin C as 100g Orange!!! 

It is high in dietary fiber, comes with a rich supply of vitamins and minerals,  folate (folic acid), and potassium, it contains the phytochemical sulforaphane, which helps reduce the risk of cancer. In addition, broccoli contains a good amount of beta-carotene. And, unless you drown it in cheese sauce, broccoli is (like all green vegetables) low in calories and virtually fat free :).

In a separate post I will give some delicious recipes. Meanwhile...enjoy your Broccoli!!! 

Health food - Snacking between meals

Dear audience,

so here we are, all together at the beginning of another hectic week, which often finds us rushing from one place or appointment to the other with our stomachs growling at us as they feel so terribly neglected, but with no time to sit down and have a proper meal.

So what do most of us (including me) do? Stop at the next petrol shed and grab something on the go! Which is not necessarily a bad thing to do, but it all depends on the quality of that "something" you buy.

 
Healthy options are:

• Nuts and seeds mixtures. They provide you with monosaturated fat, Vitamin E, magnesium and a good deal of fiber. Often they come in healthy combinations with raisins or dried cherries.
• Cut fruits. Many petrol sheds already provide pre-cut fruits, which you can even eat while continuing your journey through the city. Vitamins, fiber and satisfaction by fructose!
• Low fat Labneh/Yogurt Drink. To have on the go, to add some fiber combine it with a healthy oat bar (no, the ones with chocolate coating are NOT the healthy ones!)
• Wholegrain sandwich. Yes, they exist! Usually you find them lying close and still next to the white sandwiches...
• Dried peas. Great option, provides you with protein and all the good stuff that you find in peas. 

Combine your snack with a big bottle of good quality mineral water or a bottle of sugar free fruit juice and off you go to your next appointment! 

Health food - The date

Dear readers,

having lived in the Middle East for more than three years now, dates obviously have become an essential part of my nutrition. I have known them for much longer of course and even my Guru in India always recommended the consumption of 3 dates a day to give me strength.

So, today I would like to quickly enlighten you about this highly nutritious food item that grows on palm trees all around us in this part of the world.

People of the Middle East have been consuming dates since many centuries because of their high nutritional value. They are believed to come from Northern Africa originally. 

Apart from being rich in natural fibers, dates also comprise of a lot of other nutrients, like oil, calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper, magnesium, etc.

In fact, it is said that one date is a minimum of a balanced and healthy diet. Following please find a list of the various health and nutrition benefits of eating dates. 

Health & Nutrition Benefits of Eating Dates 

• Since dates get digested very easily, they are used for supplying quick energy and repairing waste.
• Milk, when boiled with dates, become a very nutritious and invigorating drink for children and adults, especially during convalescence.
• The nicotinic content in dates makes them an excellent cure for intestinal disturbances.
• Regular consumption of dates has been found to check the growth of pathological organisms and help in the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines.
• Being a laxative food, dates have been found to be beneficial for those suffering from constipation.
• For alcoholic intoxication, drinking water, in which fresh dates have been rubbed or soaked, is said to be quite effective.
• Studies have shown that consumption of dates, soaked overnight and crushed, is good for those who have a weak heart.
• It has been seen that dates serve as a tonic for improving sex stamina as well as sterility due to functional disorders.
• Researches have revealed that dates are effective in preventing abdominal cancer.
• Dates have a tonic effect and thus, hold value as medicines. 
•  

So, what are we waiting for? :) But please be careful, dates also obviously contain a lot of sugar, so don't overeat. I usually follow the rule of 3 dates/day my Guru gave me, that is absolutely sufficient.

 
Date Syrup contains the same beneficial nutrients and if you mix it with a bit of Tahina it not only makes a delicious bread spread, but provides you with a lot of nutritional value.

You can use dates when baking, they are fantastic wrapped in ham. I recently had them together with some savory cheese bites or you just chop them over your Muesli together with some walnuts and almonds.



Have a great and healthy Sunday! 

Tone up your trouble spots - everyday exercise

Good morning dear readers!

I am very proud to see that I am gathering audience, even from countries far far away from where I would never have expected any interest. Does that mean you people are bored or I am publishing some interesting stuff? Let's hope for the latter option! :)

Please remember that your comments also help me to respond better to your requests and demands. Post me your comments! 

Today I would like to take you through a quick and easy guide to help you tone your trouble spots. There sure are some parts of your body that bother you every time you look into a mirror; with the following easy exercises you can train those spots whenever and nearly wherever you like. You can easily fit them into your exercise routine or even train them without any equipment and outside a gym.

In general I recommend 3 cardio session/week plus 3 strength sessions, where a cardio session should last between 30-60 minutes and a strength session should not last more than 1 hour. If you want to fit both into one session, do the strength training first. 

1. Bingo Wings
Unfortunately we do store fat even here. Fight it with triceps dips (you can use the edge of your bathtub, your sofa table-if it is heavy, your floor...) and by pushing yourself out of a chair using your arms.


2. Chest
Some of us tend to deposit fat around the chest, especially those, who have trained it a lot in earlier days. Fight it with wall press-ups (do anywhere) and ladies, always wear a sports bra when exercising.


3. Belly
The famous, much hated fat deposit. If you pay attention to your posture you are already doing a lot for a flatter belly. In everyday life remember to contract and extract your tummy muscles frequently and keep them pulled in when walking, which then ads to your posture again. Reduce your calorie intake!


4. Back
Although I am not a big fan of the MTB shoes they sure help to improve your posture. When sitting at your desk, remember to maintain a correct posture. Swim as often as you can if you have a chance or get a skipping rope.


5. Bottom
No need to say anything further... :( Mainly related to higher oestrogen levels, you don't see many guys with a big bum, do you? Use the stairs as often as you can and walk up the escalator. Do a series of bottom-squeezing every now and then when sitting at your desk.


6. Inner thighs
Again an oestrogen issue, but also many of us do not even think about training their inner thigh muscles. When sitting at your desk, do a series of squeezing your knees tightly together. Brisk walking also helps while cycling only makes them look bigger. 

Enjoy your training!!!






   

Heartburn - Natural healing

Dear readers,

so here we are in Dubai facing another beautiful sunny day, thankfully it has cooled down a bit over night. Before I head to the beach (yes, I know you envy me....) let me write about an important issue, which concerns many people in many countries: Heartburn!

Heartburn is a very unpleasant result of wrong eating habits and lifestyle choices in general that will trigger a reflux of gastric acid. Usually you can influence it quite easily, but let me stress that if you are suffering from heartburn several times a week, I can only recommend you to see your physician as it can also be related to some more severe illnesses! Do not ignore it!

For those of you, who face occasional heartburn following some advice to calm down the burning:


 - Most importantly: change your eating habits before throwing any pills, which will only suppress the burning, but not cure the cause.

Eat slowly, eat smaller meals and avoid these:

• Citrus fruits
• Citrus juices
• Chocolate
• Peppermint
• Excessive alcohol consumption (especially red wine)
• Tomatoes and tomato-based products
• Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee
• Carbonated beverages, such as colas 
• Smoking 
• Spicy food

-Wait 2-3 hours before going to bed after your last meal

-If you are still facing heartburn, keep your head elevated when you lie down, so your head is higher than your stomach.

-Try to reduce stress in your life! Stress is a major trigger for acid in your body.

-Dairy does NOT help! It may bring you short-term relieve, but in the end will induce the production of even more acid in your body.


Try the following natural remedies for occasional heartburn:

1. Bananas (fresh or dried) are alkaline, include them into your diet

2. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is another remedy used for heartburn. It is available in chewable tablets or capsules you can break open and dissolve in water. You should not use DGL if you have been diagnosed with hypertension and/or are receiving treatment for hypertension. 

3. Chamomille Tea

4. Apple Cider Vinegar 


5. Fresh Ginger


6. Turmeric 




Include these foods into your diet and avoid the above mentioned and you will notice a reduction of occasional heartburn!