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Cooking Oils: A complete guide for healthy cooking

February 27, 2016January 13, 2021Meenu Agarwal2 Comments

Quite often, in the rush of fretting over whether to choose raw salads over green juices, or deciding whether fish is a better protein choice than lean poultry, we end up missing out on the importance of the basics—the cooking oil for example. But the oil that you choose to sauté your vegetables in, or drizzle over your salad, might as well be considered the fundamental of healthy cooking. For most, awareness about cooking oils is limited to using refined vegetable oils in place of butter or ghee (clarified butter). There’s a lot more to know than the occasional usage of olive oil in your food.

The term, “Fatty Acids” are components that oils or fats are made up of. The three main types of fatty acids are Saturated Fatty Acids (SUFA), Mono-unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA). The chemical bonds of each of these types affect both the process of cooking as well as your health. All fats contain all of these types but are usually known by the name of the fatty acid type that is the predominant component in it. For example, butter is predominantly made up of saturated fatty acids and so is called a saturated fat.

Other examples of Saturated fats are Margarine, ghee, coconut oil, palm oil, vanaspati (vegetable shortening) and lards. They are solid at room temperature and have a very high smoking point and hence ideal for high heat cooking. However, high consumption of saturated fats can elevate cholesterol levels thereby increasing risks of heart diseases.

Monounsaturated fats are olive oil, peanut oil, safflower oil and corn oil. They are liquid at room temperature but turn semi-solid in the refrigerator. They are definitely a healthier choice over saturated fatty acids in terms of keeping cholesterol levels in control.

Oils like canola, sunflower and walnut are Polyunsaturated fats and they are always in a liquid state, even inside the refrigerator. They are also heart-friendly fats and keep cholesterol levels in check. However, they have an extra edge over others. Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are types of PUFAs that are particularly good for health, and omega 3 improves heart health as well.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the average intake of fat should be 30% of your total caloric intake and there should be a balance of approximately 30% saturated fat, 33% poly-unsaturated fat, (containing essential fatty acids) and 37% mono-unsaturated fat.

Smoking Points and why it is important.

Although a red signal for cholesterol levels, there is a reason why saturated fats are sometimes preferred. They have very high smoking points, which means that they are highly resistant to heat and therefore do not oxidize in high heat. When fats oxidize, they react with oxygen and form free radicals and compounds that are harmful for the body. However, it is advisable to use natural saturated fats like ghee, butter, coconut or palm oils instead of hydrogenated fats.

Here are the synopses of the nutrient content of some of the most commonly used oils:

Olive oil: A definite health fad in present times, it is a monounsaturated fat that has a rich flavor and is also palatable uncooked on salads, breads and steamed vegetables. Extra-virgin olive oil is also high in heart-friendly antioxidants called polyphenols.

Canola oil: A monounsaturated fat, it is preferred mainly for its neutral flavor and is often mixed with other nutrient-rich oils like olive oil to get the benefits of the latter yet maintaining a less strong taste. It also has a high smoking point and hence is ideal for baking and frying.

Sesame oil: Used mainly in Asian cooking, it is high in both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It has a distinct nutty flavor that works well for both salad dressings and for cooking.

Mustard oil: It is considered the healthiest oil for the heart and research has found that chances of heart diseases have gone down by 70% with its usage. It has even been touted as healthier than olive oil, and has the lowest amount of saturated fats, no trans-fat, high mono-unsaturated fats, high polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega3 and omega 6, antioxidants and vitamin E and the Alpha linolenic acid that decreases the risk of a heart attack.

Rice Bran oil: Extracted from the germ and inner husk of rice, it might be the best balance of all essential factors required in a healthy cooking oil. It comes the closest to the ideal balance ratio of SUFA, MUFA and PUFA at 24:42:32 and has a high smoking point. It is a source of many vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and antioxidant nutrients like oryzanol, tocotrienols phytosterols, that collectively work against cancer and infection-causing germs and free radicals and improve the immunity system.

Nutrient benefits of edible oils at a glance

OIL TYPE	SMOKE POINT (in F)	MONO-UNSATURATED FAT	POLY-UNSATURATED FAT	SATURATED FAT
Rice Bran	490º	47%	33%	20%
Olive	360º	77%	9%	14%
Canola	450º	61%	33%	7%
Peanut	460º	48%	34%	18%
Soybean	440º	24%	61%	15%
Grape seed	485º	14%	77%	9%
Mustard	489º	70%	22%	8%
Soyabean	495º	27%	58%	15%
Palm Oil	450º	44%	11%	45%

High Blood Pressure

January 23, 2016January 13, 2021Meenu AgarwalLeave a comment

Hypertension or High Blood Pressure: The silent killer

Hypertension, or an abnormally high blood pressure, is almost as common as common cold in the present times. However, this abundance is not the worst manifestation of this medical condition. It is rather the fact that it comes and stays without prior warnings, which means there are no specific symptoms to signal its presence. It is a long term medical condition and one can be affected for years without having the knowledge of it.

The fact that it does not announce its presence with symptoms makes it difficult to identify and hence treat. Some people report headaches or dizziness but these can’t be considered as symptoms directly associated with high blood pressure.

There are two categories of Hypertension:

Primary or Essential, where the cause is mostly unknown and symptoms almost absent; and

Secondary, which suggests sustained stage of the same where it is accompanied by additional signs and symptoms. These additional symptoms are of medical conditions that coexist with hypertension, that are also deemed to be the cause of it. The prevalent cause of secondary hypertension is kidney diseases, but hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome and other endocrine conditions are also potential causes.

Although apparently harmless initially, a prolonged state of hypertension can be damaging in two ways— increased work load on the heart, and its effect on arteries. The increase work load on the heart causes the size of tissue of the cardiac muscles to expand. As the state of hypertension progresses, the heart becomes weaker. This wear and tear ultimately leads to a plethora of hypertensive heart diseases, coronary and peripheral artery diseases, stroke and chronic kidney diseases, causing multiple organ damage.

Like in most medical conditions, hypertension too should ideally be nabbed at the primary stage before it progresses to cause additional damage to the body. Experts advise regular health check-ups to keep track of the blood pressure, especially if you have a family history of hypertension behind you. Although mostly unknown, the following have been loosely considered causes of primary hypertension:

Aging
Genetics
Obesity
Lack of exercise
Stress
Depression
Maternal smoking and lack of breastfeeding in women

Nutrition and exercise: The role of well-balanced lifestyle in a condition of hypertension

At the primary stage, the few causes that can be kept in check are obesity, stress, depression and poor choice of lifestyle. The role of nutritional management in keeping a medical condition of hypertension, therefore, is paramount. A gradual weight loss in overweight obese individuals and maintenance of body weight slightly below normal levels is what one should aim for when targeting hypertension at the essential level. Expert-monitored diet plans that are crafted to individual need, coupled with regular aerobic physical activity, like brisk walking and light jogging are instrumental in maintaining a healthy lifestyle so as to check the onset of complications in a medical condition that arrives unannounced but leaves behind damaging consequences.

Diabetes a Frighteningly Familiar Ailment

January 23, 2016January 13, 2021Meenu Agarwal2 Comments

With over 67 million of the population of India alone being diagnosed with diabetes and around 66% Indian children having abnormal blood sugar levels, does Diabetes mellitus or Madhumeham, as called in India, like the common cold, now need to be christened the common diabetes? As far as this country is concerned, it is fast becoming the next big epidemic of our times.

Let’s take a look at how the disorder takes place: In normal functioning of the body, sugar taken in gets digested and broken down into its simpler form, glucose, which is carried by the blood to the cells where they get used up as fuel for energy. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps move the glucose into cells. A healthy pancreas adjusts the amount of insulin based on the level of glucose. When there is a break in this chain of process, it could result in any of the two types of diabetes:

Type 1: Where the body is completely unable to produce insulin

Type 2: Where the body produces insulin but the cells don’t respond to it

In both cases, the glucose can’t enter the cells, thereby increasing the level of sugar in the blood.

Symptoms of diabetes:

Out of all, the three big symptoms are the 3Ps:

Polydipsia: A state of unusually excessive thirst and a constant feeling of dryness in the mouth and throat.

Polyphagia: It is the medical term used to describe excessive hunger or increased appetite that is beyond response to strenuous physical activity.

Polyuria: A condition where the body urinates more than 3 liters a day, as compared to the normal one to two liters in adults.

However, the above symptoms are not always possible to detect, especially in Type 2 diabetes where symptoms appear gradually over a period of years. The other symptoms to take note of are:

Blurred vision: Blurred vision can affect one eye (unilateral blurred vision) or both (bilateral blurred vision) eyes, and can occur often or rarely, but most importantly, can lead to a more serious eye problem.

Slow healing of wounds: High blood sugar levels lower the immunity of the body which results in cuts and wounds taking unnaturally long to heal.

Unexplained weight loss: Barring the couple of kilos here and there that increase or decrease, body weight in adults is supposed to stay stable. Which is why any drastic weight loss (i.e. over 5% of your body weight) that is unintentional, should trigger alarms of an underlying ailment.

Fatigue or extreme tiredness: The type of weariness that doesn’t wear off even after adequate hours of rest.

Genital itchiness: Unless caused by skin irritations or allergen, in which case they reduce quickly, genital itchiness can be a sign of a more serious ailment like diabetes.

There are also some symptoms that are gender specific, for example:

In men

Reduced strength from loss of muscle mass
Thrush around the genitals
Itching of or around the penis
Erectile dysfunction

In women

Thrush and yeast infections
Itching around the vagina
Female sexual dysfunction

Before diabetes hits:

There are two stages where if detected, diabetes can be brought to control more easily:

Pre-diabetes: It means that the cells in your body are becoming resistant to insulin or your pancreas is not producing as much insulin as required. Your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be called diabetes. It is a warning of a future development of diabetes but is also your chance of preventing development of Type 2 diabetes through proper diet and exercise.

Gestational diabetes: A form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy, has the same symptoms as for other forms of diabetes. Sometimes the symptoms may not be noticeable, which is why women are tested for gestational diabetes between weeks 24 and 28 of their pregnancy. Gestational diabetes develops in about 3 to 5% of all pregnancies. It usually appears during the second trimester and disappears after the birth of the baby. If not controlled, complications can affect both the mother and the baby. GD also increases the risk of developing it again during future pregnancies and that of of Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Preventive measures against diabetes:

Reduce the intake of refined carbs like refined flour, white sugar, etc. and include more complex carbs like whole grains in your diet that take longer to digest, releasing slow but continuous energy for a long duration.

Get enough physical exercise in a day, either in the form of walking or running for a short while or playing a sport or a recreational activity involving physical movement. Just don’t sit stagnant for hours!

Get quality rest. Sleep for a good 6-8 hours and make sure it is deep sleep.

Keep stress out of your life. When in stress, the body releases a stress hormone called ‘cortisol’, which is antagonistic to insulin activity. The stress hormones make your blood sugar go up.

Have meals on time. Sure, work and business makes us put timely meals on a backseat, but at least starting the day with a hearty breakfast and ending it with a light, early dinner ensures that most of the damage has been controlled.

However, once diagnosed with diabetes, professional scrutiny and medication should be sought immediately to keep a check on further development.

The Eating Disorders

January 21, 2016January 13, 2021Meenu Agarwal2 Comments

Eating Disorders : Social problem born out of social FADS?

When a reed-thin Kate Moss appeared on a controversial Calvin Klein jeans ad in 1992, the world was hooked. Size zero was a thing. Every woman felt overweight in their skin. But then the world of fashion saw the championing of curvy models and they eventually moved on to Gigi Hadid.

But not everyone did. Losing weight started out as a way to shed off extra kilos, stay healthy and look good, but it soon became an obsession that took to extreme levels. This obsessive behavior led to what are known as eating disorders. The common types of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder are real, treatable medical illnesses, and are not to be confused with “dieting”. They can be identified by serious disturbances in eating behavior and weight regulation, that can start with eating less or more amounts of food but the tendency can soon go out of control.

Here are some scary facts about eating disorders:

They frequently coexist with other illnesses such as depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders.
The mortality rate for people with eating disorders is the highest of all psychiatric illnesses.
Although eating disorders affect both genders, rates among women and girls are 2.5 times higher than among men and boys.
The problem mostly manifests during the teen years or young adulthood but may also develop before or after that age range.
Only about 10% of people with eating disorders receive treatment, and out of them only 35% get treated from specialized facilities.

Detect eating disorders!

Since this is a behavioral disorder with respect to eating, it is easy to overlook the problem as a bad habit instead of acknowledging it as a medical ailment. The following are the different types and symptoms of eating disorders:

Anorexia nervosa

People suffering from this disorder consider themselves overweight even when they are underweight. They eat selectively and in very small portions, repeatedly weighing them. They may also binge eat and later compensate the same with dieting and exercising in extreme levels or with self-induced vomiting and misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.

Symptoms:

Extremely low body weight
Severe control on eating habits
Obsession over staying thin at the cost of health
Constant anxiety over gaining weight
Irrational lack of self esteem over one’s body shape and weight
Lack of menstruation among girls and women

Some additional symptoms appear if the condition goes untreated considerably long:

Thinning of the bones (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
Brittle hair and nails
Dry and yellowish skin
Growth of fine hair all over the body (lanugo)
Mild anemia, muscle wasting, and weakness
Low blood pressure, or slow pulse and breathing
Damage to the structure and function of the heart
Brain damage
Damaged functioning of the liver
Multi-organ failure
Infertility
Peripheral oedema
Hypokalemia

Bulimia nervosa

This type of disorder is characterized by a cyclic habit of a rapid intake of large quantities of food followed by self-induced vomiting or extreme dieting and exercising or abuse of laxatives and diuretics or all of these, in a bid to prevent weight gain.

Symptoms
Binge eating, both periodically, as well as under emotional stress
Purging
Irregular menstruation
Frequent weight fluctuations
Depression and mood swings
Anxiety over body shape and weight
Guilt/shame over eating habits

Due to the punishing behavior of vomiting and use of laxatives associated with bulimia, the following complications may also develop over time:

Cardiac arrhythmias
Renal impairment from hypokalemia
Muscular paralysis
Urinary infection epileptic seizures
Swollen salivary glands
Eroded dental enamel

Binge eating disorder

As the name implies, people suffering from this disorder indulge in excessive overeating. However, here the binge eating is not compensated with vomiting or excessive dieting or exercising, as seen in the case of Bulimia, and so patients are usually overweight or obese. There is also a feeling of guilt and shame involved over this habit of overeating, which in turn leads to more binge eating.

Nutritional counseling to the rescue!

Eating disorders are now a social health problem in the sense that there are more people suffering from them than we know, and because some of the symptoms can hardly be differentiated from the general pattern of behavior. Complete recovery, however, is possible and treatment needs to be professionally undertaken to suit individual needs. The following measures are instrumental:

Individual, group, or family psychotherapy or all.
Professional medical care and monitoring
Nutritional counseling
Proper medications (for example, antidepressants)
Hospitalization, if required, to treat related problems caused by malnutrition

Even after the patient has been treated, continuous guidance of their eating habits needs to be maintained. Nutritional counseling is extremely effective in regulating eating habits and exercise routines and to maintain a healthy rhythm of both.

Acidity / Gastric reflux (GERD)

January 21, 2016January 13, 2021Meenu AgarwalLeave a comment

Gastric Reflux (GERD) refers to the regurgitation of acid stomach contents into the esophagus. The most common clinical manifestation of GERD being heartburn and acid regurgitation.

Reflux occurs when the pressure inside the stomach is higher than that maintained by the muscles found where the stomach and oesophagus meet.

Causes of Acid Reflux

GERD may develop due to decreased muscle tone or abnormal relaxation of lower oesophageal sphincter or reduced stomach motility, allowing food to remain too long in the stomach.

Episodes of reflux are triggered or worsened by a variety of factors. Symptoms may be aggravated by chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods, which stimulate acid secretion or by fatty foods, which delay stomach emptying,or even when the patient bends over or lies horizontally after having meal. In addition, pregnancy or constipation may worsen GERD by increasing intra-abdominal pressure.

Secondary causes of GERD includes reflux caused by acid hypersecretory states, connective tissue disorder(scleroderma), gastric outlet obstruction as caused by ulceration and stricture, and delayed gastric emptying due to conditions such as stasis, neuromuscular disease, pyloric dysfunction, duodenal dysmotility, or duodeno-gastro-esophageal bile reflux.

Symptoms

Symptoms of GERD includes in addition to heartburn, difficult or painful swallowing, a sour taste in the mouth, and frequent belching. Less typical features include chronic cough, hoarseness, sore throat and a sensation of fullness. Acid reflux due to GERD can also erode teeth.

Obesity is thought to be another potential predisposing factor to gastro-esophageal reflux. Maintenance of ideal weight for age may help in reducing the symptoms.

Dietary Modification

The foods you eat affect the amount of acid your stomach produces. They can also be directly irritating to the esophagus. Diet and nutrition are key considerations for those who suffer from acid reflux or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), a severe, chronic form of acid reflux. You can prevent or relieve your symptoms from gastro esophageal reflux (GER) or gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) by changing your diet. You may need to avoid certain foods and drinks that make your symptoms worse. Other dietary changes that can help reduce your symptoms include

decreasing fatty foods
eating small, frequent meals instead of three large meals

Lactose Intolerance

January 21, 2016January 13, 2021Meenu AgarwalLeave a comment

We commonly hear from people of all age groups, particularly children and elderly to be complaining of abdominal discomfort after consuming milk. Some individuals are able to tolerate a small quantity while others are unable to tolerate even a small amount. This could be due to lactose intolerance.

Lactose intolerance relates to insufficiency of the disaccharidase enzyme ‘lactase’ which is found in the greatest quantity in the outer membrane of the mucosal cell of the jejunum. The degree of lactase deficiency may vary in individuals. Lack of lactase does not break down the disaccharide sugar – lactose present in milk, to glucose and galactose, it passes unchanged into the large intestines where it gets converted to lactic acid by the bacteria, which subsequently cause diarrhea and other symptoms of discomfort, distension and abdominal pain. The problem is gene related and often seen in infants and young children commonly, but may also present in adults.

Common Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance include:

Anorexia and nausea, Intestinal distention, Abdominal cramps, Gas and flatulence, severe diarrhea, Under – nutrition and loss of weight.

Diagnostic tests are available to provide information about the level and activity of the lactase enzyme. Depending on the level of activity, the dietary treatment could be planned .

Ulcerative Colitis: Ulcer of the Colon

January 21, 2016January 13, 2021Meenu AgarwalLeave a comment

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis most often begins gradually and can become worse over time.

Cause of Ulcerative Colitis

The exact cause of ulcerative colitis is unknown. Researchers believe the following factors may play a role in causing ulcerative colitis:

overactive intestinal immune system
genes
environment

Signs and Symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms of ulcerative colitis are diarrhea with blood or pus and abdominal discomfort. Other signs and symptoms include

an urgent need to have a bowel movement
feeling tired
nausea or loss of appetite
weight loss
fever
anemia—a condition in which the body has fewer red blood cells than normal

The symptoms a person experiences can vary depending on the severity of the inflammation and where it occurs in the intestine.

People who have ulcerative colitis for 8 years or longer also have a greater chance of getting colon cancer. The longer you have had ulcerative colitis, the greater your risk

Everyone is different, (different tolerances, different likes and dislikes, different locations for their disease in the GI tract), nutritional approaches must be customized to fit every individual.

When you are in remission, you can best help yourself by eating a well-balanced diet. There is no need to avoid any particular kind of food or to follow a restrictive diet. However, there are certain foods that people find harder to digest, such as foods containing insoluble fibre, seeds and nuts, and raw fruits and veggies.

During a flare-up, you may want to modify your diet to avoid aggravating an already sensitive gut. There are certain things that you can to do help you through an acute flare up.

Hypercholesterolaemia (Elevated Cholesterol levels)

January 21, 2016January 13, 2021Meenu AgarwalLeave a comment

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too much in your blood, it can combine with other substances in the blood and stick to the walls of your arteries. This is called plaque. Plaque can narrow your arteries or even block them. Increased cholesterol in blood is called hypercholesterolaemia.

High levels of cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of heart disease. Your cholesterol levels tend to rise as you get older. There are usually no signs or symptoms that you have high blood cholesterol, but it can be detected with a blood test. You are likely to have high cholesterol if members of your family have it, if you are overweight or if you eat a lot of fatty foods.

You can lower your cholesterol by exercising more and eating more fruits and vegetables. You also may need to take medicine to lower your cholesterol.

Classification of total cholesterol

Desirable level is less than 200 mg/dL
Borderline level is between 200-239 mg/dL
High level if it is more than or equals 240 mg/dL

Symptoms of High Cholesterol in blood

High blood cholesterol usually has no signs or symptoms. Thus, many people don’t know that their cholesterol levels are too high.

Weight Management

If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight can help lower LDL cholesterol. Maintaining a healthy weight is especially important if you have a condition called metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raise your risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke.

The five metabolic risk factors are a large waistline (abdominal obesity), a high triglyceride level, a low HDL cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed if you have at least three of these metabolic risk factors.

Physical activity

Routine physical activity can lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and raise your HDL cholesterol level. People gain health benefits from as little as 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. The more active you are, the more you will benefit.

Diet Modification

Dietary modification holds an important role in the control of high cholesterol. In other words, high cholesterol can be controlled by following a proper nutritious diet which is low in dietary fat.

Glycemic Index

January 18, 2016November 6, 2023Meenu Agarwal2 Comments

Glycemic Index is the numerical index given to a carbohydrate-rich food that is based on the average increase in blood glucose level occurring in blood after the food is eaten. The higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response.

The Glycemic Index tells us how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar.

Some factors that affect GI:

Processing (puffed cereals have a much higher GI than the grain they came from)
Ripeness of fruit (unripe bananas can have a GI of 43, where overripe ones have been clocked at 74)
Protein content (soybeans have a lower GI than other beans)
Fat content (peanuts have a very low GI)
Biber (orange juice has a higher GI than oranges)
And how small the particles are (whole grains have a relatively low GI, but grinding them into flour shoots up the GI)

Glycemic index is the scale that was created on a standard amount of carbohydrate per food (50 grams), it doesn’t give people information about the amount of food they are actually eating. This information too is important if we want to assess the true impact of carbohydrate consumption. For this reason, the concept of the glycemic load was created, which takes serving size into account.

The glycemic load of a food is the glycemic index divided by hundred and multiplied by its available carbohydrate content (i.e. carbohydrate minus fibre) in grams.

For example, if we consider watermelon. Water melon has a high glycemic Index (about 72). However, a serving of 120g of watermelon has only about 6g of available carbohydrate per serving. So its glycemic load is pretty low i.e. 72/100 x 6 = 4.32.

Following is the list of some common food with their glycemic index.

Tag: healthy

Cooking Oils: A complete guide for healthy cooking

High Blood Pressure

Diabetes a Frighteningly Familiar Ailment

The Eating Disorders

Acidity / Gastric reflux (GERD)

Lactose Intolerance

Ulcerative Colitis: Ulcer of the Colon

Hypercholesterolaemia (Elevated Cholesterol levels)

Glycemic Index

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