Fats and Oils are villainous. Really? ?

Fats and Oils are villainous. Really? ?

Your friend comes to meet you after a long time , Stares at you and says "Oh my God ! You have put on weight, you are looking fat !!" You start having sleepless nights, always checking the weighing machine, watching yourself in the mirror, start eating boiled foods , skipping meals , follow the health ads on TV ,buy fancy products, start exercising vigorously ,but do you really get lean ? Actually no, we become frustrated till the end of the week and again start eating junks to curb the frustration. It happens to most of us . These words pierce ourselves. The major step we take is to stop having fats completely .

But is the FAT the real villain ? Actually NO , there are many different ways to gain 'this weight' which we don't notice. Let's have a look at the Fats , Oils, the super villain Cholesterol and then decide whether fat is villainous or not .

First let's understand what is Fats and Oils?

Fats are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen just like carbohydrates but they supply more energy than carbs because they contain proportionately more combustible carbon and hydrogen.

How many types of fats and oils do we consume daily?

=Margarine -

A cheap substitute for butter. Prepared from vegetable oil such as coconut oil, groundnut oil , soybean oil , the heated oil being churned with skim milk. Yellow colour is added to match the hue of butter. Used in making bakery products. Calorie wise the same as butter. It can be fortified with vitamins.

= Groundnut oil - Peanut oil or Arachis oil.

If the nuts are not properly stored it gets contaminated with Aspergillus flavus fungus. Consumption of oil from fungal infected nuts is a health hazard and it is advisable to avoid its use. Used as a cooking oil.

= Rapeseed -Mustard oil - 

used as a cooking oil and frying oil.

=Sesame or Gingelly oil - 

one of the oldest oilseeds of the world. Used in cooking or as a flavour enhancer.

=Cottonseed oil -

It's a byproduct of ginning cotton

=Coconut oil -

There is a message circulating in social media about the benefits of the oil. Basically circulated by "health gurus "is having adverse effects on health. Poor in unsaturated acids . More easily absorbed than any other oil.

=Sunflower oil - 

as a frying oil. Contains MUFA /PUFA mixture.

=Soybean oil - 

As a cooking oil

=Niger seed oil -

 rich in protein. Used as a food oil to cure many diseases. Can cause bleeding disorders and is not advisable for pregnant women.

= Rice bran oil - 

high smoking point , used for deep frying and cooking

= Palm oil- 

Good source of Vitamin A. Used as a cooking oil , not expensive so used in preparation of street foods.

= Corn oil - 

cooking oil and valuable frying oil. Used in margarine.

=Safflower oil - 

used as salad oil or cooking oil

=Olive oil -

The most favourite oil of this decade . It's NOT a "low fat oil." So consumption of fried foods with this oil is not a good choice.

=Canola oil- 

high smoking point so used for frying and cooking.

=Macadamia oil - 

for frying or as a salad oil.

=Avocado oil - 

used in some dishes and as a cooking oil.

= Hemp oil -

low smoke point. Not suitable for frying, used as a food oil and in supplements.

=Walnut oil -

Used for pan frying or as a salad dressing

=Butter - animal protein. 

Made from milk fats. Because of its pleasing flavour and good shortening qualities has for a long time been an important fat component in food preparation.

=Lard - 

animal fat from hogs. Low cost , flavourful substitute for butter in frying and baking.

=Hydrogenated oil - 

high smoking point. Good shortening powers. Used for frying.

 Confused !! which oil to use ?

The fat and calorie content of all the fats and oils are almost the same . It's unwise to think that if you are eating lots of fries with heart healthy oil , it would be a good idea. No it's not. 2 to 3 tsp of fats and oil are sufficient for our daily requirement. We always look into the visible oil in the food. We get the visible fat or free fats from eggs , cream , milk , butter , clarified butter , meat , fish, nuts , oilseeds, etc. But many of us don't know we consume invisible fat which is found in cell walls of cereals , pulses , tubers and vegetables.

But....

Fat is not a villain . We need fat in our daily lives. In colder countries fat requirement is more than in tropical countries.  15% to 30% of our calorie requirement is from fat.

♥️Fats provide an energy reserve. ♥️Fats serves as a vehicle for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins A , D , E , K

♥️ Fats supply essential fatty acids which are necessary for growth and function.

♥️If fats and carbs are used properly, protein will do its own work.

♥️ Fats help in producing a sense of satiety means we do not feel hungry.

Same with CHOLESTEROL

The adverse publicity has made it a villain which must be eliminated to avoid heart attack.

♠️Cholesterol is essential for life.

♠️ For the formation of cell membranes.

♠️Precursor of steroid hormones and bile salts.

♠️ Progesterone, possibly Estrogen and the Adrenal corticoids are derived from cholesterol.

♠️In the blood, cholesterol plays an important role in the transport of fatty acids.

"Please don't avoid fats . Instead, stop eating processed ,packaged and artificially flavoured foods . Eat a balanced diet rich in natural foods ".

Neem

Neem is a symbol of strength. The tall branches, the green leaves, the bright yellow blossom. The whole plant is full of benefits. The benefits are mentioned in Ayurveda.

Till now, many people use neem branches in the morning to brush their teeth. Grains and pulses are stored in the containers with neem leaves. Woollens are stored with neem leaves to protect from silk moths or silverfish. Neem water is used to clean homes , cattle sheds . Neem husk is used as manure. Girls apply neem paste as a face pack. Teenagers take a teaspoon of neem tonic to get rid of pimples and as a blood purifier. It is too bitter but there is no better option than beautiful skin. So neem is a heritage plant taking care of everyone.

Leaves have been found to contain Quercetin, Nimbosterd. Both of these are found in the dried flowers. The trunk bark has been shown to contain Nimbinin , Nimbina , Nimbidin and Margosine. The heartwood contains Nimatone . The neem seeds contain Azadirachtin and Salannin. Neem oil contains fatty acids.

It is effective against many skin conditions like eczema, scabies, seborrhoeic dermatitis, boils , sores , and ulcers.

It is effective against bleeding gums and pyorrhoea.

Neem is Anti fungal.

Neem is Anti malarial.

It is Anti parasitic.

Neem has Anti tuberculosis action.

Nimbin has an anti-allergic reaction.

It fights ulcers.

It is Anti inflammatory. OTC medicine damages the stomach lining but neem reduces the inflammation without damaging the lining.

It fights bacterial infection.

It cures Fever.

It fights Cardiovascular disease.

It is a very effective family planning device.

It controls insects.

It helps fight liver problems.

It cures intestinal worms.

It acts as an appetiser. Reliefs from gastrointestinal problems.

It is an effective antispasmodic agent.

Neem oil is effective against leprosy.

Useful in Diabetes.

Neem is applied on injured joints and Rheumatic joints.

Neem has a good amount of calcium , fibre , and iron. The leaves are too bitter so taking the leaves is a bit tricky. The fresh leaves are available in the spring season. Cook with brinjal to decrease the bitter taste and eat with rice. It will definitely cure skin problems and other health problems.

Happy New Year and New COVID, fight it.

It's a New Year. We all have new ideas,  new hopes,  new resolution,  new aims for a healthy life. But again a new variant of COVID,  the JN.1 variant. We have fought earlier and we all can fight again. 

We can follow certain rules to boost the immune system. 

1. If you don't feel well or feel tired don't force yourself,  take good rest and enjoy a short break.  

2. Please do not keep complete fasts if you are not comfortable.  Long fasts weakens the immune system.

3. Do not be empty stomach for a long period. Have a good breakfast. Breakfast is the main meal of the day.

4. Senior citizens,  diabetics,  hypertensive people,  please eat proper balanced meal. 

5. Do not eat plenty of fried foods,  refined foods, potatoes. 

6. Include dals, pulses, soyabean,  beans or rajma in your lunch and dinner. These are good source of protein.

7. Ensure to take a cup of whey protein daily. It helps in good gut health. 

8. Do not follow any fad diet such as keto diet, GM diet or any rumored diet if you have low feeling. Eat proper balanced meal.

9. Do not use any food supplements or health supplements without asking medical experts. Excess of metals is likely to harm the body. 

10. Include a cup of curd or yogurt in your daily meal. Curd is a good source of calcium and probiotics. 

11. Cook the non veg food thoroughly.  Uncooked eggs, poultry , fish harbours bacteria which leads to stomach problems. 

12. Avoid raw vegetables or salad if you are eating out and concerned about hygiene. Do not overcook vegetables either. Overcooking destroys the vital nutrients. 

13. Include milk, cheese, rice, bajra, wheat, jowar, Bengal gram, peas, beans, groundnut,  soyabean,  cottonseed oil,  coconut,  sesame seeds, sunflower seeds in the diet. Vitamin E is essential for good health. 

14. Include green leafy vegetables,  cabbage,  carrots,  coriander leaves,  curry leaves,  radish,  spinach,  pumpkin, beetroot  tomatoes, onion,  oranges, papaya in the diet . Vitamin A, C is essential for strong eyes, skin and immunity 

15. Add garlic, ginger, lemon grass, tulsi, turmeric, jaggery in your diet. These are disease fighters.

16. Pray the Sun,  let the sunlight hug your whole body. 

17. Eat well,  eat right. Avoid processed foods. 

18. Exercise, aerobics or dance or yoga for some time. 

19. Sleep well. Good sleep is essential for strong immune system. 

20. Drink water. Stay hydrated but do not drink excess. 

21. Meditate and pray. It helps in good mental health. 

22. Deaddict yourself from alcohol and cigarettes. 

23. Alcohol and smoke weakens the immunity.  Please,  you are precious for the family. Strengthen it.

24. Smile for a reason or no reason. Positivity helps in building immunity. 

Follow these 24 instructions in 2024 to achieve a healthier lifestyle and fight against any variant of COVID.  

Happy Healthy New Year.  

I AM TRYING HARD TO LOSE WEIGHT BUT....

How many of you agree with me? I know most of you. When I put those extra kilos , like everyone I spent the entire search engine for the solution. I got millions of tips and thousands of people from different companies to help me through their products. They all claim to be the best. There were hundreds of advertisements on television for a healthy lifestyle. I was in a total dilemma, I tried some of the solutions but didn't get the results. There are certain points which are overlooked. What can we do?

Pray - Since ages all the religions pray to God for the food. Chew your food and the 'fast food 'slowly. Chew the morsel and thank the persons who have made the effort to bring it to your plate. It takes around 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it's full. If you finish your food quickly within 10 minutes, the brain doesn't get the message that you have finished the meal.

Eat your meals -When we  sit down to eat at mealtimes, a part of the mind is busy telling us to lose weight, if we eat two chapatis or bread , unknowingly we eat one and cut down the calories, now it's a catch. Couple of hours gone , we feel hungry, irritated and crave anything which is available at the house. Eat a complete meal at mealtimes to avoid those cravings later.

Avoid fat burners -One of my friends came to meet me. We went shopping, and she enjoyed the street food. Back home, she drank a big cup of green tea to burn the extra fat of the greasy street food. She complains later that she is having plenty of green tea but she is not losing. There is no such foodstuffs as 'fat burner.' So eating mindlessly for the whole day and then relying on apple cider vinegar or green tea or green coffee etc etc will not help to lose weight

No cheat day -One of my patients told me to give her a very strict diet for a few days and one day would be a cheat day.It's our God gifted body not a mobile phone. we cannot put our body on the power saving mode. Imagine half of my heart is taking rest because I am consuming half of the calories and working efficiently on the weekends because of my overeating. Our real healthy body does not showcase the zero figure, colored hair or expensive facial beauty, beautiful designer tattooed body but the body which contains the healthy heart, lungs, liver and the vital organs in it. These organs need the necessary amino acids, calories ,macronutrients , micro nutrients and vitamins so how can we rely on shakes , soups, pills and weird things for the week and two days of cheat day.

No sneaking or peeking other's diets - I have known a girl for many years. She has a good job, earns well ,is a foodie, finds the normal food obsolete or out of fashion, spends on the new fitness gadgets ,likes to follow all the diet trends, hops to all dietitians hoping  for something new ,she loses weight and regains. Trying all the diet regimens makes weight loss difficult. Weight loss is a slow process. We have not gain the excess weight in a day or week so how can we lose the entire excess weight in a week.There will be ups and downs in the weight loss process and there will be stagnant periods at a time.Having patience and sticking on a balanced diet regime will help in losing weight gradually .

Use physical exercises as a help -Along with proper diet, physical activity helps to lose weight. It increases the basal metabolic rate so that the excess fat burns but spending lots of time in the gym doesn't help. Overdoing gym activities harms the body and running every time on the treadmill after eating junk foods is of no use.  Eating a balanced diet with proper physical activity will help lose.Sometimes people do rigorous workout in a day and reward themselves with a piece of  chocolate cake. This type of lifestyle affects weight loss.

Suffering from hormonal imbalance -Some medical problems, certain medications slows down the weight loss process. Fad diets or weird diet trends or supplements may be injurious to health. The main concern should be to improve  the medical condition with gradual weight loss. If I am not losing weight despite all the effort, I would go to a medical practitioner so that he can advise me on a few medical tests to confirm any hormonal imbalance.

Many enzymes, hormones are present in our body. They help in different functions in the body . We don't know what is going inside our body. The food undergoes chemical reactions in the body. Excess protein may help you to lose weight but it might not help me.  I might suffer from bloated feeling or feel uncomfortable with excess protein. Millets may help to lose weight in some and create puffiness in few.

There can be many reasons for not losing the excess weight, a qualified dietitian can solve the problem. Weight can be affected by age,sex,occupation, the physical activity, sleep , stress, medical issues, food related issues and many more.

DIET!! DIETING!! DIETITIAN!!

It always happens to me! I think it happens to most of the dietitians. Whenever I go to a social gathering and introduce myself as a dietitian, the first reaction is "oh !you are a dietitian. Suggest something, I am gaining weight. " Is diet just related to weight gain or weight loss ?

I did my internship from a government hospital to take care of patients who did not have sufficient food to eat. It was a challenging task to prescribe a diet , a nutritious diet to patients who cannot afford food. Most of them were daily wagers.Two decades later , things have changed a bit. We have globalised. We are growing economically. We are getting food items from all over the world. We have so much to choose from. The mass media is full of such advertisements which suggest what to eat and what not to.

The most interesting part is that the people suggest anybody anytime about the pros and cons of the food. Thanks to the search engines which advertise certain food items. We have become self conscious because of this diet. If you search the word "diet" in the best dictionaries of the world, it is stated as the food and drinks which is consumed on a regular basis. But the common theory of dieting is limiting your food intake and the dietitian is one who restricts the food intake. But is this the proper definition of a dietitian?

We dietitians are meant to help the people with their food so that they can lead a healthy lifestyle. Dietitians are trained for at least 5 to 6 years so that we can guide other people. Food and diet has a crucial role in our life . People need food as soon they enter this world and eat till the day they are living. And the whole journey is not dependent upon soups and salads and health drinks , etc. They do eat the real food according to the age , sex , caste , cultural beliefs , health conditions. We qualified dietitians are there for suggesting diet to people of all age groups according to their sex , caste , cultural beliefs , health conditions. Dietitians calculate the nutrients to give a balanced diet to each and every one. They calculate the micronutrients and the macronutrient for a weaning child or a school going one or a teenager or an office going person or an elderly person. Dietitians are of various types and work in various places like hospitals, health centres, fitness centers , sports nutrition, researchers, schools, food industries, etc.

Dietitians are specified as

Clinical dietitians, Community dietitians, Food service dietitians, Gerontological dietitian, Neonatal dietitians, Paediatric dietitian, Research dietitian, Administrative dietitian , Business Dietitian, Consultant dietitian. And the work is to provide a proper meal plan by calculating the nutrients.

So eat properly, respect the food . There is no miracle diet or food . No bad food or good food either. Food is a necessity and diet is vital. In schools we are taught to thank God for the food. It should be followed till later.

Enjoy your food and "Diet" well and let the Dietitian do the calculation for your "Diet -ing"

The very special "Aam" fruit , Mango, "The king of fruits"..

The term fruit derives its name from 'fructua' means to enjoy. The edible envelope contains the seeds of a plant or a tree. 

Mango (Mangifera indica) is the best loved and choicest fruits of India and occupies a prominent place among the fruits of the world. It is a tropical fruit available during the hot season. It has been cultivated in India for more than 4000 years and it is believed to have originated from the foothills of Himalayas. 

The fruit is a large drupe in varied shape ,size, colour and flavour. 

The shape is normally round,oval or oblong and the size ranges from small ones to giant ones. 

The skin of the fruit may be thin or thick, leathery, green, yellow or red or a fanciful combination of these colours. The flesh may be whitish, yellow or orange. 

The pulp of some may be fibrous throughout while may be absent or very little in others. The flesh may be firm , soft or juicy or subacid or sweet and richly sweet smelling. 

The fruit contains a solitary seed (stone) ovoid ,oblique enclosed in a hard compressed endocarp. 

About 1000 types of mangoes are grown all over India,  each having its own peculiar smell, taste, flavour and consistency of pulp. The famous and the commercial varieties are Alphanso, Malda, Chousa, Dussehri, Pairi,Neelam, Malgova, Safeda, Banganpalli, Totapuri, Neelam and Langda.

Mango has a rich luscious aromatic flavour and a delicious taste in which sweetness and acidity are delicately blended. This makes the mango fruit one of the most highly prized dessert fruits of the tropics. 

It is the National fruit of India. 

It is commonly eaten in large quantities and provides a good source of calories during the season. It has a subtle astringent taste.

 A whole fruit supplies about 50 to 100 kcal, mainly derived from fructose. These are more than in fruits like oranges and papaya which range from 30 to 40 kcal and slightly less than in the bananas (80 to 150 kcal ) . It supplies about 25 mg vitamin C . Mango contains beta carotene,  a precursor of vitamin A. Carotenoids in mango total 12.5 g per 100 g fresh pulp;about 60% is present as beta carotene, which is higher than in any other fruit. 

A question might arise that how can nutritionists state the exact nutritive value of a particular food? Carotene is estimated by extraction of the total pigments with alcohol and partitioning it with petroleum ether after saponification. The other pigments were removed by treatment with calcium carbonate and the yellow colour was measured as carotene. 

The mango fruit, like most fruits, has low values of protein( 0.6 ) and fats (0.4), 0.4 minerals, 0.7 g fibre, 16.9 carbohydrates, 14 mg calcium, 16 mg phosphorus, 1.3 mg iron per 100 gms.

Nicotinic acid (a vitamin of the B group ) is fairly high in Alphonso mango and vitamin C is high in the Langra mango variety. 

Mango is a good source of copper. (0.11mg/ 100 gms) and fluoride (1.3 ppm/100gms) 

The fruit is considered to be a laxative and to have diuretic properties. 

It is prescribed for increasing the weight particularly in children who are underweight. In the case of infants and very young children who cannot eat and digest leafy vegetables 50 to 100 grams of mangoes can be given. 

The powder of the skin of the unripe fruit is given in dysentery or other disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. It is also given as a cure for excessive menstrual bleeding. 

For skin diseases,  the application of liquid oozing out on cutting the stalk of the fruit, mixed with lime juice is recommended. 

The gum of the tree is also used for skin diseases. 

The local application of the gum resin mixed with lime juice is particularly effective against scabies. 

 The beta carotene of mango acts as an antioxidant by neutralising harmful elements that could damage skin. It acts as an arsenal for eczema.

In view of the demonstration of the protective effect of antioxidants in prevention of cancer and Ischaemic Heart disease special attention needs to be given to mangoes. 

In the Unani system of medicine, the mango fruit is believed to have strong antispasmodic, weight increasing and antipyretic properties. 

Useful in treating disorders of vata doshas imbalance such as neuralgia, paralysis, neuropathy, constipation, bloating, etc.

Nourishing and calming.

Does not increase Pitta.

Improves sperm and semen quantity and quality. 

Improves strength and immunity.

Improves skin quality.

Indicated in excessive thirst and tiredness 

Squeezed mango juice is laxative. 

 Can even be applied over hair to improve shine and strength. 

Adequate intake of Vitamin A not only prevents cancer of the epithelial cells or skin cancer but also reverse it. 

Sweet mango with milk is aphrodisiac. 

Fleshy fruits like mango can be given to patients suffering from ulcerative colitis, irritable colon syndrome, tropical sprue,viral hepatitis, chronic pancreatitis, jaundice, type 1 and 2 nephritis, surgical operation, severe injury. As it is gluten free it can be given in celiac disease. It can be given to children suffering from the first or second stage of cirrhosis of the liver.

The vegetarians obtain the required amount of carotene which is easily supplied by 100 g of mango. 

Among the poor in India, the ingestion of carotene rich mango in season builds up liver stores and helps tide over the deficiency during the rest of the year. The cheaper varieties of mangoes,  which frequently grow wild in villages are the best source of carotenoids but are regrettably becoming scarce. Planting mango trees in scarcity areas will make the most positive long term contribution to alleviating blindness due to vitamin A deficiency. 

The deficiency of vitamin A is common among children of the poor in the country and is a public health problem leading to blindness. As an effective approach to prevent vitamin A deficiency among the children in rural areas daily consumption of mangoes is recommended in the season. A proper and an effective education of the mother in the use of carotene rich foods is essential to fight the deficiency. The advice given to the mothers should be practical and should emphasise the use of carotene rich foods locally available in different seasons and readily acceptable. 

Excessive ingestion of carotene containing mangoes may produce carotenemia. In hypothyroidism and diabetes, carotene is not converted to vitamin A and carotenemia may develop. 

Excess intake may cause indigestion and diarrhoea. 

Some people with a sensitive gastrointestinal tract can react violently to this and should therefore learn from experience the quantity of mango that they can tolerate. 

Mango juice is Not good for the heart in excess amounts. 

Some children are very fond of eating unripe mangoes.  This may aggravate any preexisting inflammation of the throat and the tonsils.

Raw mangoes should be avoided by asthmatics. 

An average mango contains more calories and is usually best avoided in diabetes.  Fibre rich fruits with low glycemic index such as guava, amla, papaya, pomegranate and apple are preferable than fruits such as banana, mango ,custard apple, sapota.

Mangoes have to be avoided by diabetics .If the sugar is controlled, a few pieces of the fruit may be allowed twice a week instead of the regular quota of fruit. 

 Mango is best enjoyed as a dessert fruit. It can be enjoyed as a mango drink,  smoothie, shakes, aamras,aam ki kadhi, salsa,and salad.

Enjoy the summers in India with a glass of chilled mango shake . 

White sugar , oh no!!

It's not the only cause of ill health or diabetes

My granny had about a hundred cousins! ! It's not so surprising. At those times ,about a  century  ago, parents had more than half a dozen children, they further had their families which resulted in so many cousins and siblings. But the amazing fact is that the healthier individuals among them had their average age of eighty-five. I can recall, when I was a child, there were occasional get together and people used to enjoy the meals. Some of them ate about a dozen sweets in a few minutes. They didn't suffer from hypertension, diabetes or these trendy diseases. Both of my grandparents had a natural death due to old age and most of  their siblings are healthy otherwise. Few of them inherited diabetes or hypertension from their parents. But the rest were healthy till they lived.

The reason for their good  health was that they didn't know much about the technology and ate everything that was available at those times. But unfortunately, the availability was lesser than in recent years. They had sugar , fried foods , snacks and savoury but it was not available in the market. Nothing was processed or refined so the snacks and all had to be prepared at home. With so many mouths to feed the portion lessened. Now we have more money than them and fewer people to feed and we can have the big portion for ourselves. We can blame the normal sugar or wheat or rice for our bad health and can indulge in chips , diet foods , ice cream, packets ready to cook and eat. 

So ,is sugar the main culprit or something else?

Does consumption of sugar in tea or coffee lead to high blood sugar levels? 

Not exactly. We consume "hidden sugar " through many food items. But eating sugar doesn't lead to diabetes or high blood sugar.

So what is Diabetes ?

Diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus means diabetes =flow through; mel =honey is a chronic metabolic disorder with a strong hereditary basis associated with high blood sugar and usually with a passage of sugar in the urine.

Classification of Diabetes -

Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus  (IDDM)

Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus  (NIDDM)

Malnutrition related Diabetes Mellitus  (MRDM)

Fibrocalculous Diabetes Mellitus  (FCDM)

Protein Deficient Diabetes Mellitus  (PDDM)

Impaired Glucose Tolerance  (IGT)

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus  (GDM)

The meal should be planned according to the type of diabetes and the herbs and supplements should be taken under the supervision of medical professionals.

Healthy, natural food along with physical activity is best advised. The information on the food packaging is important so it is better to check the labels while shopping.

FRIENDS AT HOME :DRINK HEALTHY

Relatives or friends at home, opt for some health drink instead of soft drinks or cold drinks or bottled juices. They all are laced with sugar , maybe preservatives or acids , etc.

WHAT I DO? (You can give a try)

A simple task. 

Take an empty glass bottle with narrow mouth  (plastic bottle if glass bottle is not available). Wash and dry it in sun. Fill it to the top with crystalline sugar. Squeeze lemon juice  (about 1 kgs of fresh lemon for 1 litre of glass bottle )and pour into  the sugar filled bottle. It's fun to watch the lemon juice finding its way through the sugar crystals . When you pour the juice in, the sugar will settle down to about two third of the height of the bottle . Put the cap tightly and keep it in the sun for two to three days. Shake it twice or thrice a day to dissolve the sugar. After three days , store it in a cool dry place.  It will last for more than a year.

Make a nice refreshing drink by adding  two tablespoons of the lemon squash to a glass of chilled water or cold water. You can also add jaljeera powder or black salt or mint leaves for added flavoured drink.

Because of the high percentage of sugar , no chemical preservative is needed. Safe for kids as well. Lower in calories than the usual soft drinks. No acids or gasses present.

Some simple rules to follow… For you and your child..

It's not very difficult. Just decide

What to feed your child. Just the normal food cooked for the family. The child is a part of the family, why make something special for him. The food should be according to the requirements of the child. Strong flavours and very spicy foods should be avoided. The food should be nutritious. It should be equally  nutritious for the mother and father as well. We all love to munch wafers , chips , enjoy  cold drinks or soft drinks or fruit juice , eat processed ,packaged ,ready to eat but just check that at least the child eats three nutrient rich foods a day. It's not sufficient but nowadays most of us don't even consume three healthy nutrients. If the child eats all the nutrients you are the fortunate mother. The healthy foods which a child as well as you require are whole wheat breads , pulses , dairy and dairy products, green vegetables, yellow or orange vegetables, fresh fruits , nuts , egg or low fat non vegetarian products.

The meal is ready. Where would you and your child eat it? The whole family should eat together without television, mobile phone or any other distraction. It affects the concentration of the child and it affects your weight. The child should be seated on a proper chair or a high chair so that he can eat the food , feel the food ,play with food so that he can enjoy the food. If you can't leave your favourite tv shows , just plate the food in the kitchen according to the requirements  and do not take second helping of the tasty food. When we watch tv or films or the computer we are distracted from the foodstuffs and we don't know how much quantity we have eaten.

Now the most important point is when should you feed the child? As an infant the feeding patterns are different but as the child grows , the meal timing should be fixed according to the family routine. Three major meals , the breakfast, lunch and dinner and two snacks time , midmorning and evening snacks  are suitable for you and the child.  Do not skip breakfast as it is the most important meal. Do not give anything except water between the mealtimes. Children cannot differentiate between hunger and thirst. So providing anything else instead of water will suppress hunger at the meal.

The 3 W's, what ,where and when has to be followed for a healthy child and a healthy you. If we all follow this What Where When I am sure everyone will be fit and healthy. 

REDUCE THE BULK OF CEREAL GRAINS

We feed the child traditional porridges like ragi porridge , wheat porridge, rice porridge and many more. A child is too small and so is his stomach. These porridges are bulky. They absorb about twice as much water to become soft. Even a small amount of this porridge fills the baby's stomach and they feel uncomfortable. If diluted with water, the nutrient content lowers. So what is the solution?

Try ARF

Add one -fourth of a teaspoon or 1 to 2 gms (not more than that) to the cereal porridge.

ARF is Amylase rich foods. It is a flour obtained from germinated cereal flour. Germinated grain flour contains a lot of an enzyme , amylase which makes the porridge less bulky , soft , thin and easy to eat. The best part is that it does not reduce the nutritive value. Amylase is an enzyme which aids in splitting starches so that it is easily digested.

HOW TO MAKE ARF POWDER?

It is very easy to make . Take 200 gms of wheat grain. Bajra , jowar or maize can also be used if wheat is not available. Soak the grain in triple volume water (600 ml)for 12 hours. After 12 hours , remove the grains from water and wrap it in a wet cloth for 48 hours or 2 days. You will see grain sprouts. Dry it in the sun for about 6 to 8 hrs . Remove the sprouts from the well dried grain . Take the grain and grind it to a powder. Store it in an airtight container. Do not use more than 1/4th tsp in a bowl of porridge. The powder is sufficient for 30 days .

Preparing it is a bit tiring but we all want to give our child the best ,isn't it?