Blood Sugar Balance

 

Balancing blood sugar with a whole-food, low-glycemic diet is a top priority for diabetics. Each meal should contain fat, fiber, and protein—this powerful trifecta helps slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream and keeps you full for longer. A well-balanced meal might include a piece of wild-caught salmon (protein) with quinoa (fiber) and spinach (fiber) sautéed in coconut oil (healthy fat). Foods to avoid include genetically modified organisms (GMOs), refined grains, simple sugars, hydrogenated oils, cow’s milk, alcohol, and gluten. These are inflammatory, immunosuppressant in nature, and lead to cellular damage, hormone imbalance, and altered metabolic function.

When making food choices, refer to the glycemic index. This ranking system assesses the impact that a higher carbohydrate food will have on blood glucose levels. High-fiber foods that are less processed and lower in starches and sugar have a lower glycemic index—i.e. brown rice (whole grain, low glycemic) vs. white bread (flour product, high glycemic). The lower the glycemic index, the better energy, brainpower, hunger control, and mood you’ll have after eating them. If a portion of food is higher in sugar, even if just a piece of fruit, we recommend pairing it with fat or protein to slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream.

Diabetic superfoods include wild-caught fish, dark leafy greens, almonds, and legumes. The omega-3 fats in wild fish, especially salmon, have anti-inflammatory properties that are helpful for blood vessel and nerve health. Almonds, legumes, and dark leafy greens such as kale, arugula, parsley, and cilantro are alkalizing, and rich in B vitamins and fiber. They also contain magnesium, a calming mineral that’s responsible for up to 800 different functions within the body including blood sugar balance.

Happy world coffee Day

Coffee is one of the world's most popular drinks, but it didn’t get there through its health virtues. I love started drinking my cup of Joe to feel more alert and awake. My friends and hubby says I'm addicted :).
I tried so many different variety but nothing better than roasted Arabic coffee.There are some hidden health benefits of the liquid lighting.

Coffee has a long history beginning in Ethiopia, Africa. History of coffee in India dates back to the 17th century, when Baba Budan, went to Arabia for his 'Hajj' pilgrimage to Mecca. On the way back, he came via Yemen. There he encountered a strange drink which he wanted to take home. Trade in coffee was tightly controlled by the Arabs. They wouldn't let anyone take fresh seeds out to plant in their own country; they could only take the roasted beans. But, Baba Budan managed to get hold of seven seeds, which he hid in his dress and raised them successfully in the hills, which are now named after him. A century later, British manager J.H. Jolly realised the commercial potential of the coffee plants which were growing without much attention in the hills and started exporting the seeds to different parts of the world.

1.Longer Lives-  people who drank three or more cups of coffee a day had a 10 percent chance of living longer than their coffee-abstaining peers. Coffee protected against various forms of death with the exception of cancer.
(Researchers from the National Institutes of Health and the AARP, led by Neal D. Freedman)

2.Alzheimer's Disease-In older adults, people who drank three cups of coffee daily had lower instances of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

3.Skin Cancer- Jiali Han, PhD, an associate professor at Harvard conducted a study with her colleagues that found that coffee decreases the risk of developing the most common form of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma.

4.Heart Failure-Researchers had been more equivocal about the link between coffee consumption and heart health.

5.Risk of Stroke - Investigators at Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute and Harvard University found that drinking coffee – even decaffeinated coffee – can decrease the risk of strokes, because coffee is filled with beneficial antioxidants.

6.Parkinson's Disease - Dr. Ronald Postuma from McGill University and colleagues found, in a study published this month, that coffee can lessen the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

7.Decaf Benefit-The Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that decaffeinated coffee helped to ward off, and possibly treat, cognitive decline.

Enjoy your guilt free cup with this piece of history.

Happy World coffee day!

Monsoon

"Monsoon" - The word itself makes me cool. I love rain a lot. From childhood itself I never missed my first monsoon shower even after my mom's shouting. And after that, hot pakora/samosa/kachori with Masala chai - wow! In India one's diet is related to seasons. With Monsoon lots of festival come and every  festival is unique with its staple food. Its also different from community to community and region to region.

But Pakoda/Samosa and Chai during rain  is same all over in India may be recipe varies from simple pakoda to onion or chilli or veg pakod. There are lots of recipes with variation I love onion, methi and chilli pakoda.

Recipe as I learn from my aai (mom) 

Oil for frying, 
1 cup Gram flour, 
1 medium onion chopped, 
3 chilli chopped, (I love very hot pakoda)
1 tsp coriander leaves chopped, 
Methi leaves (fenugreek) 
salt, sugar  
water for making batter.
Make batter  with all the ingredients (except oil). Once the oil is heated, carefully place in heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. fry them 3/ 4 min until crispy golden brown. Drain oil and serve with chtani /curd and hot Masala chai.

Though house hold food is more hygienic but I love to eat this on street with loved ones in the rain. 

Green salad

Have you had your salad today? Eating salad almost every day may be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt -- and one of the simplest. Salad is actually a variety of vegetables in addition to fruits, by using as well as without the outfit. Salad retains are also used minor pieces in addition to thrown with the other person to create any done Salad. Additional vegetables which might be regular in the Salad tend to be onion, promote, early spring reddish colored onion, The town seedlings, broccoli, tomato facilities, carrots, relatively sweet corn, radish, mushroom, oranges in addition to avocados. Unique alternative activities which might be additional tend to be olives, noodles, steaks, organized carrots,  cheese, meats in addition to artichoke.

Consuming Salad after daily foundation is a healthiest routine. You will discover big many benefits regarding Salad, they are higher within nutritional fiber and they are an awesome supply connected with minerals and vitamins. Nutrient-rich fertilizer is good for general well being regarding body.

Salad azines tend to be the most essential element of that eating habits. They are healthy, effortless construct, light source round the stomach in addition to complete with many benefits. In addition to they are no more constrained to dreary tomato in addition to lettuce retains.

Ingredients are : lettuce, carrot , broccoli (blanched), Capsicum, tomato, Cottage cheese and Green chilli without any salad dressing.

 

 

Easy lazy Break fast

 When you wake up in the Sunday morning what first comes in mind "What’s for breakfast?" ??????????

and here is my solution for EASY and LAZY Sunday Break fast!

Red Flags of High Blood Sugar

RED FLAG #1: Ready to Nap Right After a Big Meal?
This is a normal response to an influx of carbs (think of that post-Thanksgiving dinner feeling). A diet that's high in simple carbs like sugar, white flour, and sweet beverages -- especially when consumed in large quantities at one sitting -- overwhelms it.
What helps: Fenugreek aids carbohydrate metabolism and helps regulate blood sugar levels after meals. Fenugreek contains a specialized type of fiber that slows the absorption of glucose in theintestines and reduces the amount of fat that is absorbed.


RED FLAG #2: Craving Carbs
Find yourself reaching for quick-hit snacks like candy bars or chips? Simple carbs such as sugars and white flour break down very quickly, providing a fast hit of energy. Soon, however – this energy boost is followed by a dramatic drop in blood sugar. The body is caught in another wave of fatigue. So, before you know it, you're reaching for a pick-me-up guzzle of soda, another handful of chips, a second cookie (or three).
What helps: Chromium may be the answer for those who have intense cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods. When your blood sugar is low, your appetite for sugars and starches is amplified. Chromium helps stabilize blood sugar and diminish the desire for carbohydrate-laden foods.

RED FLAG #3: Being Overweight -- and Unable to Lose Extra Pounds
Most diabetics carry excess weight, says Duke University's Beth Reardon. Stubborn weight loss despite best efforts can be the result of mixed messages that our cells are receiving, Reardon says. "The cells are starving because the fuel they need (in the form of glucose) is not being absorbed at the insulin receptor site on the cell. In the face of a perceived fuel shortage, the body will hold tightly onto existing stores of energy -- fat," she says.
What helps: Gymnema Sylvestre is a potent weapon against obesity due to its ability to regulate blood sugar, slowing the absorption of glucose and supporting insulin sensitivity. When blood sugar levels are kept in the normal range, hunger is kept at bay.

RED FLAG #4: Looking More Like an Apple Than a Pear
Weight gain is weight gain, and all of it risks moving you down the path toward elevated blood sugar. But added pounds in one particular area -- the midsection -- are especially associated with insulin resistance and diabetes. For men, the danger point is considered to be a waist circumference of 40 inches or more; for women, the dangerous measurement is a waist of 35 inches or more.
What helps: Cinnamon is an essential addition to your diet if you struggle with blood sugar imbalances or store weight around the stomach and midsection. Insulin is known as the “fat storage” hormone and Cinnamon allows the body to maintain healthy blood sugar levels while producing less insulin.

RED FLAG #5: High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is linked to many different conditions. But insulin resistance is a common cause when it appears in tandem with excess weight gain (especially around the middle), fatigue, and other negative numbers on a medical workup (abnormal cholesterol levels and high triglycerides). The numbers to beware: blood pressure equal to or higher than 130/85, an HDL "good" cholesterol level below 40 mg/Dl for men and below 50 mg/Dl for women, and triglycerides of 150 mg/Dl.
What helps: Bilberry supports optimal blood pressure by making the blood vessels easier to stretch and expand, thus increasing blood flow. Also remember that high blood sugar makes the blood cells “stickier” causing the heart work harder to pump this thickened blood throughout the body.

Health Alert: Diabetes is fast reaching epidemic proportions. New statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that cases of type 2 diabetes in the U.S. have gone up 90% since 1997. This disease often goes undiagnosed for years. Make sure you get your blood sugar checked annually.



Source: http://diabetichealthinfo.com

Soul soup for Family-Healthy Chicken seaweed soup

Two days ago, my daughter was suffering from common cold and was refusing to eat anything. She asked me to prepare something tasty preferably salty. So I prepared this soup that comprises chicken with herbs, Seaweed, vegetables, and noodles (which are any kids favorite). The result was amazing she ate two bowlfuls.

Chicken with Black pepper, Ginger soup is always using as cold remedy so added other herbs which en-corporate soup to enhance taste and reduce common cold symptoms. other herbs are Turmeric which is well known medicine in Aurveda for cold (My Mom used to give hot milk with turmeric when there is first symptom of common cold or some times garlic bulb boiled mashed and mixed with honey, Jagger and turmeric) . Seaweeds and Anchovies for good taste and to add some more nutrition.
Ingredients:
Chicken 300 gm
8/10 Dried Anchovie (Small Asian Fish)
1 cup carrots
1 cup cabbage
1 tsb butter
2 tsb cut seeweeds (I used Ottogi)
1 tsp Black pepper
1 Tsp Turmeric
1tsp grated fresh Ginger
3/4 cloves of garlic
salt according to taste
water 8 cups
one pack of Ramen (Instant noodles)
1 boiled egg
few drops Lemon juice

Method:
1. Add butter in a pan the add chicken cook it nicely for 7/ 8 min then add water and boil it for 10 min.
2. While boiling add Anchovies. This fish are very delicate and broke when comes in contact with hot water so I put them on sieve and all it to boil with chicken.
3. now add all other ingredients except Noodles and cook for another 6/7 min.
4. Remove Anchovies (I throw them, do not like to eat broken anchovies)
4. Add noodles, salt and cook for further 3 min .

while serving shred chicken and add pinch of black pepper and few drops of lemon juice on top.
Color of soup comes so ravishing one cant hold his hunger to gulp it. its easy to prepare and full of nutrition.

Crispy and Tangy Tofu

Tofu is good source of protein but I personally dont like its taste and no need to say my baby always keep aside wherever I added tofu in any veggie or salad. So this time I gave twist in recipe, I marinate tofu in spices and in lemon juice for more than half hour and then I fried it. Taste was so delicious. I prepared it as side dish for lunch but before lunch my baby finish it.


Ingredients:
Tofu (cut according to desired shape)
lemon juice 2 Tbs
soya soauce 2 tbs
salt (according to taste )
sugar 1/2 Tsb
black pepper 1/2 Tbs
corn flour
ChatMasala* 1 tbs.
oil to fry

Method:
Marinate tofu in lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, sugar and black pepper for more than half hour.
remove from marination and dip in dry corn flour and dip fry.
then sprinkle chat Masala.

*To make spicy version add some chilli powder to marination.

(*Substitute for - chat masala add 1/4 spoon dried citric powder, salt and same amount powder sugar mix well and sprinkle )

Lahmacun

Last week I visited a Mediterranean and Turkish restaurant. Earlier I had never had any Turkish food, so, when menu came up, all foods were alien to me and were nothing more than beauiful and yummy looking pictures. There was no English translation for the menu available and the waitress was unable to explain what the ingredients were for the dishes. It was lunch time and I was so very hungry. So, I thought of playing safe and ordered a pizza like dish . It took a long time to come, but when it arrived its aroma spoke for itself. It was a thin piece of dough topped with minced meat sprinkled with lemon juice and wrapped around vegetables. The dish was delicious. It was called LAHMACUM - turkish pizza.

Though I had not tried its recipe at home but will surely try, its very simple, quickly made recipe, so when I'll try it, I shall definitely upload some snaps... till then happy and healthy eating :)

Happy Valentine day

Happy Valentine day Friends..... Its long time that I didn't blog, It doesn't mean that I gave up my experimenting with new food n new restaurants... not at all I'm true Foodeterian By nature. I have bunch of recipes and good food taste stories with me, slowly I'll post them all. Have a nice and chocolaty day!

Bi bimbap - Korean Mixed meal

I'm a die hard fan of Korean food and Dolsot bibimbap (돌솥 비빔밥, "dolsot" meaning "stone pot"), is my favorite one. Almost every second day I eat this.
It is served in a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.

The Stone pot (dolsot) is so hot that anything that touches it sizzles for minutes. Before the rice is placed in the bowl, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil, making the layer of the rice touching the bowl golden brown and crispy.

Bibimbap is cheap and easy to make, requiring a short preparation time and few ingredients. Most ingredients are available in your kitchen. Though I do not have Dolsot (stone pot) still I prepare it as lunch specially on Sunday with lots of variations. I prepare egg poach and put all things together and then keep it in hot oven for 6/7 minute. But eating in Dolsot is really the main fun as it makes crackling sound while eating.

Although it is a high calorie food, I cut it's calories by using lean meat and some times fish, the portions are enormous, meaning you stay full longer. Bibimbap never uses any artificial ingredients--natural, organic ingredients make the bulk of this diet dish. Green leafy vegetables, lean meat, and shredded seaweed provide numerous health and dietary benefits to people who want to lose weight fast, so make sure to fill up.

* I used Stir fried dried Anchovy instead of Meat.


I have adapted this recipe from Maangchi
I'm great fan of her recipes and videos.

Ingredients:
Bibimbap (Mixed rice with vegetables)

For 4- 6 servings.
Ingredients:
Cooked rice
a package of bean sprouts
a bunch of spinach
2 small size of zucchinis
5-7 Shiitake mushrooms
fern brakes (kosari) * I used cut Ottogi seaweeds
200 grams of ground beef (about half a pound) * I used Fish
1 small carrot, eggs
soy sauce, hot pepper paste, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and vegetable oilRecipe:
Arrange everything on a platter.

1. Cook rice. You can use a rice cooker or a stainless pot.
2. Next, you need to prepare a large platter to put all your ingredients on. Rinse your bean sprouts 3 times and put them in a pot with a cup of water. Add 1 ts of salt and cook for 20 minutes. Drain water and mix it with 1 clove of minced garlic, sesame oil and a pinch of salt.
3. Put it on the platter.
4. Put your spinach in a pot of boiling water and stir it for a minute. Then rinse it in cold water a few times and squeeze it lightly. Mix it with a pinch of salt, 1 ts of soy sauce, 1 clove of minced garlic and sesame oil. Put it on the platter
5. Cut 2 small size zucchinis into thin strips, sprinkle them with a pinch of salt, and then mix them together. A few minutes later, sauté them in a pan over high heat. When it’s cooked, it will look a little translucent. Put it on the platter.
6. You can buy soaked and cooked “kosari” at a Korean grocery store. Prepare about 2 or 3 cups of kosari for this 4 servings of bibimbap. Cut it into pieces 5-7 cm long and sauté in a heated pan with 1 ts of vegetable oil. Stir and add 1 tbs of soy sauce, 1/2 tbs of sugar, and cook them for 1-2 minutes. Add sesame oil. Put it on the platter.
7. Slice shitake mushrooms thinly and sauté with 1 ts of vegetable oil. Add 2 ts of soy sauce and 1 or 2 ts of sugar and stir it for 2 minutes. Add some sesame oil, and put it on the platter.
8. On a heated pan, put some oil and 200 grams of ground beef and stir it. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbs of soy sauce, 1/2 tbs of sugar, a little grounded black pepper, and sesame oil.
9.Put it on the platter.
10.Cut a carrot into strips, sauté it for 30 seconds and put it on the platter.
11. prepare eggs with sunny side up.
12. Put your rice In a big bowl, and attractively display all your vegetables and meat t. Place the sunny side up egg on the center.
13. Serve it with sesame oil and hot pepper paste.
14. Lastly, mix it up and eat!

Hot Bibimbap with Home made Kimchi

Milk Consumption And Type 2 Diabetes

The prevalence of diabetes has reached epidemic proportions.

WHO predicts that developing countries will bear the brunt of this epidemic in the 21st century. Currently, more than 70% of people with diabetes live in low- and middle income countries.

1. An estimated 285 million people, corresponding to 6.4% of the world's adult population, will live with diabetes in 2010. The number is expected to grow to 438 million by 2030, corresponding to 7.8% of the adult population.
2. While the global prevalence of diabetes is 6.4%, the prevalence varies from 10.2% in the Western Pacific to 3.8% in the African region. However, the African region is expected to experience the highest increase.
3. 70% of the current cases of diabetes occur in low- and middle income countries. With an estimated 50.8 million people living with diabetes, India has the world's largest diabetes population, followed by China with 43.2 million.
4. The largest age group currently affected by diabetes is between 40-59 years. By 2030 this “record” is expected to move to the 60-79 age group with some 196 million cases.

Diabetes is one of the major causes of premature illness and death worldwide. Non-communicable diseases including diabetes account for 60% of all deaths worldwide.

Consumption of milk and other dairy products is often recommended to be limited, especially for people with high fat levels. However, the latest study said dairy products that contain fatty acids can prevent diabetes.

According to a study reported in the journal of Annals of Internal Medicine, high concentration of fatty acids referred as trans-palmitoleic acid in the body will reduce risk of diabetes by 62%.

“People with high trans- palmitoleic fatty acid also have higher levels of good cholesterol and triglycerides. It will reduce insulin resistance and lower levels of inflammation signs,” said the leader of researcher, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health.

Palmitoleic acid is actually not only found naturally in the human body, but also in dairy products even in less amount. The sources of this acid, which come from the outside of the body, are referred to trans-palmitoleic acid. High fat milks have this acid level higher than non-fat.

Studies in animals showed that palmitoleic acid protected the body from insulin resistance, which also similarly happened in humans. However, experts had not been able to find the exact cause.

To reveal it, Mozaffarian and colleagues analyzed data from 3,700 people who followed the Cardiovascular Health Study. All respondents were living in the United States and must be 65 years old or over.

Blood samples of respondents were checked to determine trans-palmitoeic acid levels as well as cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein and glucose levels. The respondents were also interviewed about their daily consumption menu.

People with high trans-palmitoleic acid levels appeared to have less levels of fat in the body. They also had higher levels of good cholesterol. Meanwhile, levels of C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) were low.

As expected before, levels of insulin resistance in their body were also low. It meant that their risk for type 2 diabetes is lower too.

Although the results of this study found relationship between milk consumption and lower risk of diabetes, the experts who responded to this study said there was no single study that could be used to guide diet for the people.

However, experts said the results of this study showed that not all high-fat products were bad for health.

Source: This article is combine result of many internet articles

worth to click:Diabetes Care Magazine

Fishy Snack - Stirfried dried Anchovy

멸치볶음 / Myulchibokkeum

I love to eat fish but I used to stay away from dried fish due to the foul smell while preparing. However, last month, while I was eating in a korean restaurant, they served this as a side dish. So, I tried one piece and it tasted so good that I finished it in a couple of minutes. Then I decided to prepare this dish. Thanks to this Lady Maangchi, her site is very helpful in preparing Korean dishes.

The sun dried anchovy side dish is one of the basic Korean side dishes, usually eaten with a bowl of rice.
Recipe Adapted from Maangchi
Ingredients:
* 2 cups dried anchovy, olive oil, brown sugar,
* garlic, hot pepper paste, corn syrup, water,
* sesame oil, sesame seeds

For mild myulchi bokkeum: *Specially for my Baby

1. Stir 1 cup of small dried anchovy in a heated pan for 1 minute.
2. Add 1 tbs olive oil and stir it for another minute.
3. Push the cooked myulchi to the edge of the pan away from the heat.
4. Make sauce by adding 1 or 2 tbs sugar, ½ ts minced garlic, 2 ts water, and 1/2 tbs corn syrup (optional) to the cleared spot on the pan.
5. Tip the pan so only the sauce is over the heat. Simmer it until the sauce looks shiny.
6. Mix the cooked anchovy with the sauce and turn the heat off.
7. Add ½ tbs sesame seeds and 1 ts of sesame seeds.

For spicy myulchi bokkeum:

1. Stir 1 cup of small dried anchovy in a heated pan for 1 minute.
2. Add 1 tbs olive oil and stir it for another minute.
3. Push the cooked myulchi to the edge of the pan away from the heat.
4. Make sauce by adding 1 tbs hot pepper paste, 1 tbs sugar , ½ ts minced garlic, 4 ts water, ½ tbs corn syrup to the cleared spot on the pan.
5. Tip the pan so only the sauce is over the heat and simmer until the sauce looks shiny.
6. Mix the cooked anchovy with the sauce and then turn the heat off.
7. Add 1 ts sesame oil and ½ tbs sesame seeds.

Health Nutrition & Benefits of Eating Anchovy

* Anchovies contain a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are heart friendly. They can help to lower the cholesterol level in blood, thereby reducing the risk of heart ailments.
* Anchovies are also very high on protein and are considered as an essential nutrient for growing children as well as older people. Five anchovies have nine grams of protein and only fifty-five calories.
* Anchovies are a rich source of vitamins such as Vitamin E and D, which are essential for the body. They are also a good source of minerals like calcium and selenium. Selenium is a trace mineral, which plays an important role in cancer prevention.
* Small fish such as anchovies are rated better than bigger fish, because they contain a lesser amount of heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic and environmental toxins. Since smaller fish has a shorter life cycle, the possibility of accumulating impurities is rather low.
(Source : http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-anchovy-6746.html)

Homemade Apple-Cinnamon Cake

From last two days my baby was asking me she want Apple cake. So yesterday I prepared it. It hardly take 10 min to prepare batter. I used curd instead of milk as mentioned in traditional recipes. The result was soft and moist Apple cake. Delicious cake with big chunks of apple and a sprinkling of cinnamon

Ingredients
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup self-raising flour, sifted
50g butter, diced
2 apples peeled, cored and chopped
1 large egg, beaten
100ml curd/yogurt
sprinkling of cinnamon
pinch of salt
Method
Preheat your oven to 175C. Place the sugar and sifted flour into a large bowl along with the butter, apples a sprinkling of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Then mix the egg and curd and pour into the bowl then combine. Grease a cake tin (preferably a circular one) and pour in the mixture (which should be fairly wet). Bake for 40 mins before removing from the oven and sprinkling over the sugar and cinnamon then return to the oven for 10 mins more.

Big Fat Lie?

Many of my friends ask me my fitness secret why I look always healthy never fatty. When I said I eat every thing including dietary fats, no one believes but that's fact. I believe in healthy eating and leaving. I eat every thing BUT in limitation. lets see some facts about FAT:

Eating fat can actually help you lose fat. Your body needs fat to perform certain functions within your body, like providing energy and producing hormones. Any energy that fat provides is energy that isn’t produced from the breakdown of protein. To put it another way – fat is a protein sparing nutrient in the same way that carbohydrates are. Furthermore, by eating fat you will improve your ability to use fat as energy, keeping you lean! (The bad kind on your body—not the food you eat). But deciphering the good from the bad can be hard. For years it was thought that saturated fats were evil and unsaturated fats were healthy. But a 50-year review in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology found that a diet low in saturated fat does NOT prolong life. (So much for that theory.) In fact, research shows that the fat in meat and milk (a saturated fat known as stearic acid) is actually good for you. And omega-3 fatty acids (which are commonly found in fish) can do everything from decrease blood pressure and inflammation, to improve bone healthy and help you lose weight. In contrast, trans fats, which are industrially produced and lurk under names like “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil,” will wreck havoc on your body.Problems really arise when you start analyzing how much fat you consume from different sources. Omega 6 fats are healthy (you can find them in foods like corn oil, sunflower and safflower oil, refined grains, and even pastries). But when Omega 6s are consumed in a high ratio compared to Omega 3s, it can cause health issues for your body.

The bottom line: With the exception of trans fats, most of the fat you eat is not bad. But everything has a limit. As a guideline, .4 to .6 grams of fat per pound of your GOAL body weight. So if you’re a 130 pound (59 Kg) woman who’d like to weigh 110 pounds (50 Kg), Dietician would suggest anywhere between 44 and 66 grams of fat per day (110 x .4 and 110 .6 to create the range). Don’t worry about the ratio too much as long as you consume your fats from a variety of whole food sources, and make sure that you consume fish (or use fish oil supplements if you don’t eat fish) 2-4 times per week to provide your body with the Omega 3s you need.
Some good sources of fat include almonds, peanuts, cashews, Brazilian nuts, walnuts, Fish Oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, canola oil, Flax Oil, avocados, and lean meats.

Links worth to visit : http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t041300.asp
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat/NU00262

Disclaimer: this article is combine result of from different internet sources.
Picture Source: Google search

Kiddo special- Oat-raisins butter cookies

My daughter is not happy with oat porridge. So I was in a dilemma about how to give her oat, so that she won't refuse to eat. I tried to make these cookies and my first trial clicked very well. I did not use all purpose flour. Instead of that I used common wheat flour. The result was so yummy that the dozen cookies I had made did not even last a day. Now I have to prepare a big second batch of cookies.
Ingredients

* 1 cup Raw Oats (coarsely powder)
* 3 tbsp Butter
* 30 g Green Raisins
* 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, Ground
* 20 g Wheat flour
* 3 tbsp Sugar
* 1/2 tbsp Baking Soda

Directions

Sieve oat powder, wheat powder and baking soda together, mix cut butter in it. Add raisins in it. Make a dough mixing all ingredients. If it feels too dry, mix half tablespoon buttermilk in it. make cookies and Bake for 15 to 20 min. Now enjoy with a cup of black coffee.

Healthy Tomato Macaroni

Whenever I want a quick and full meal I always choose Macaroni. Its easy to prepare and does not require special ingredients.
Here is my quick version. I would love to add some shrimps, but yesterday I did not have them in my fridge.

Ingredients
* 1 cup Macaroni
* 2 Tomatoes
* 4 Garlic Clove
* 1 oz Carrot
* 1 small Green-bell Pepper
* 1 cup Cabbage
* 2 cubes (16 grams) Cheese
* 1/8 tbsp Sea Salt
* 1 tsp Raw Honey
* 1 tbsp Olive Oil Lb
* 2 tsp medium white wine (Optional)

Directions
Boil Macaroni, keep aside. In a pan add 1 tsp olive oil, add garlic and tomato, cook it for 3/4 min, now add all cut vegetables, cook for another 3/4 min. Now add honey,cheese, white wine and salt. stir it well and now add Macaroni stir well and cook for further 2 min.

Wine is optional but I like to add it because it gives a good aroma and taste to your dish.

Yummy potato patties

This one is my and my daughters favorite recipe ..... she likes to eat potato and cheese combination and for me this recipe hardly take 10 min to get ready. This is great recipe for breakfast and for lunch box with yogurt. Full of nutrition and taste .
I made two variety one is simple my daughters choice and another is spicy with oat.

Ingredients:
any vegetables you like to add or present in your refrigerator with boiled potato, boiled egg, cheese, butter and lemon with salt and black pepper.
for second variety I added 2Tsb Old fashioned oat flacks and Tabasco sauce to get some spicy taste.



mixed all ingredients and make patties and keep in preheated oven for 10 min or shallow fry on pan . In second version I do not mixed butter to cut some fat content. Served with sauce or yogurt.


Simple Potato patties

spicy patties with rolled oat
Potato

Kimchi...My way

I'm really fan....of this korean side dish Kimchi. without its I cant image my food .... so many dishes I prepared with it.... Kimchi rice, Kimchi Soup, Kimchi in Omlate, Kimchi ramen, Stew. I also add kimchi in my Kimbap, Pizza, burgers, sanwitch etc. Its high fibrous food gives you more nutrition and keep away from obesity :) ....
Kimchi is Korean side dish made from Nefa cabbage, (and sometimes radish) dish—made with a mix of garlic, kosher salt, vinegar, chile peppers, and other spices.

Why I love Kimchi so much :
First upall I like spicy food and kimchi provide this taste without fats, secondly Kimchi (or gimchee) is loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, but its biggest benefit may be in its “healthy bacteria” called lactobacilli, found in fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. This good bacteria helps with digestion, plus it seems to help stop and even prevent yeast infections, according to a recent study. And more good news: Some studies show fermented cabbage has compounds that may prevent the growth of cancer.
This are the nutritional facts I calculated from the ingredients I used.


Preparation time 20 min

Ingredients
* 20 cups or one big Nappa Cabbage
* 1 medium Apple, Raw
* 3 tbsp Kosher Salt
* 1 tbsp Sugar
* 10 Raw Clove
* 3 tbsp Rice Vinegar
* 1 cup Onions, Green (scallion)
* 1 cup Onions
* 3 Tsp Sweet Rice
* 3 tbsp Red Chillie Powder

* optional - oyster sauce or fresh oysters



Wash and cut Neffa cabbage. Add kosher salt and keep this for 6/ 8 hours .
Grid together garlic, onion, scallion and apple add red chilli powder, sugar, rice powder and Rice vinegar make paste .



Now add this paste in Neffa cabbage. Mix well.



Transfer seasoned cabbage leaves into a large glass bottle. Be sure to use firm pressure with your hands to push down on cabbage leaves as they stack up inside the bottle. Transfer any liquid that accumulated during the mixing process into the bottle as well - it will become kim chi brine. Some liquid will also come out of the cabbage leaves as you press down on them as they are stacked in the bottle.

Leave about 2 inches of room at the top of the bottle before capping it tightly with a lid. Allow bottle of kimchi to sit at room temperature for 2-3 days and then Refrigerate remaining kimchi.


Kimchi with Kimbap