Our Eating Habits are Killing Us..
Time to Think and Change
Food Insecurity in Pakistan
The current National
Nutrition Survey data is an eye opener for Pakistani population. A healthy
population is phenomenal for building a strong nation, and unfortunately we are among one of the unhealthiest countries of the world.
The numbers in this video is scary leaving us in a state of emergency. Besides community outreach and mass level healthy eating compaign, it is time for each one of us rethink and bring about changes and shifts in our food intake and choices that we make to cook and fill up our meal plates, these are little shifts but can make big impacts:
The numbers in this video is scary leaving us in a state of emergency. Besides community outreach and mass level healthy eating compaign, it is time for each one of us rethink and bring about changes and shifts in our food intake and choices that we make to cook and fill up our meal plates, these are little shifts but can make big impacts:
•to help manage weight and
prevents overweight and obesity
•to reduce the risk of chronic
disease
•to reduce the risk of early
deaths
-to ensure a long and disease
free life.
1- Grains:
We have been eating polished rice, refined (white) atta, maida.
Processing grains may imporves its texture, looks, taste and shelf life but destroys many important vitamins as well as removes the bran from the grains.
Processing grains may imporves its texture, looks, taste and shelf life but destroys many important vitamins as well as removes the bran from the grains.
switch to:
Whole grains; bran rice,
wholewheat atta, whole grain barley, jai, jo ka atta, oats
Whole grains provide a substantial amount of undamaged vital nutrients dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium).
2-Pulses:
We cook with all washed/polished
daals like moong, masoor, and mash etc. Again removing husk and polishing is an industrial process and destorys the nutrients and fibre.
Replace with chilka wali moong, masour and mash that is with their husk still on for getting the maximum benefits from the fibre
We eat chickpeas and black gram, these are good, continue eating these in the same form that is whole.
Also add:
Red kidney beans, soya
beans, black beans and several other beans, 1/4 of our meal plates should be lentils, and beans.
3- Salads:
We in Pakistan generally eat onion,
tomatoes and cucumber salads on a small plate shared by whole family.
Switch to huge servings of
salads made with; more green leafy vegetable,
ice berg, rocket, salad leaf, mustard, methi, baby spinach, cabbage. We can be
creative adding beans, sprouts, other raw vegetable, cottage cheese in it,
depending on if you want it as side or your main course.
Half of our meal plates should be vegetable and fruits.
Half of our meal plates should be vegetable and fruits.
Green leafy vegetable and fruits generally used for salads are rich in Vitamins, A, C and K helps build strong bones and increase bone mass density. Green leafy vegetable are also rich sources of many Flavonoids and Phytochemicals which are antioxident and posses exceltion disease prevention properties including Cardrio Vascular, and many Cancer types.
4- Vegetable:
Vegetable curries, shorba
or bhaji we cook it till they are discolored and nutrients are destroyed. Make a shift towards quick cooking techniques that preserves colour and nutrients. Also select different colored vegetables.
Sauted, stir fry, steam and
grilled vegetable using the same desi spices and herbs is a healthy move. In a shorba salaan add vegetable
the last 5 minutes, they don’t need so much heat to cook and not that long. Cooking vegetable on high heat destroys all the vital vitamins, minerals, favanoids and phytochemicals from them leaving just some fibre which only taste good because of spices and oil.
5- Fried food and Oil
Our meals have lots of deep fried food!!
Switch to shallow frying
and consume these fried food as a rare treat.
Try cooking in the minimum
possible quantity of oil, trust me, more oil does not mean better taste.
We love dropping our food
in hot boiling oil with that sizzling sound and a whiff of aroma. Naah... oil
changes its composition the moment it boils, and becomes carcinogenic.
We can get same taste and texture cooking in hot (not boiling) oil.
6- Sugar
Sugar and cocaine have same
status, both are addictive and hazardous to health, research scientist equate it with cocaine and consider it no less then drugs. Sugar is addictive, we crave for it, and all we get is no nutrient empty calories by consuming sugar
We are used to adding white
refined sugar in our tea, coffee deserts
Cut down sugar from diet and consume limited quantities by switching to:
Brown unrefined sugar,
gurr/jaggery, or if you can get maple syrup, and stevia.
These are sweet however, also contain nutrition, and are not empty sugar.
These are sweet however, also contain nutrition, and are not empty sugar.
7-Fruits:
One fruit a day for an
average adult is enough in a day, don’t overload it.
Fresh Juice is a new buzz
word, don’t drink your fruits eat them as much as possible.
Juicing destroys the
soluble fibre and ultimately your body gets more sugar. The fruit fibre stops a lot
of extra sugar from absorbing.
Check out nutrient content
of fruits, try eating more, specially the ones with low calorie and are nutrient dense.
8- Proteins:
We eat, fat laden curries,
meat, organ meats on everyday basis, animal proteins like meat are great sources of protein but they come with saturated fats, which result in many disease and obesity.
Taking a 45-50gms of protein every day is important to maintain good health. Select good fat free and lean sources of proteins.
Taking a 45-50gms of protein every day is important to maintain good health. Select good fat free and lean sources of proteins.
Try to adjust your protein
intake by eating:
More Plant protein and very
limited lean animal protein (excluding eggs)
Pulses, soya beans, quinoa
grains, nuts and seeds are all rich in protein from plants and would not block
arteries.
Eggs, Fish and seafood are
great way to get protein and Omega fatty acids.
Meat without any fat should
be an occasional treat.
9- Dairy
Milk and milk products are
considered a popular healthy food!! However too much of full fat dairy is not
what would keep us healthy.
Though rich in good fats and proteins, we don’t need so much of it, 2-3 servings of low fat dairy in total including the ones we add in our Tea Coffee and deserts are enough.
Include low fat skimmed milk, cottage cheese, strained or greek yogurt in meals.
Though rich in good fats and proteins, we don’t need so much of it, 2-3 servings of low fat dairy in total including the ones we add in our Tea Coffee and deserts are enough.
Include low fat skimmed milk, cottage cheese, strained or greek yogurt in meals.
10- Water, Juices and
drinks
The latest trend is that soda cans, bottled packaged, juices and sugary drinks are a significant part of every meal table and school canteens.
Cut down all carbonated boxed, bottled juices, vitamin water from your lives. Drink plenty of water, 64 ounces a day minimum. Fresh juices taste and sound good and fresh, however, don’t waste all the great fibre from the fruits by drinking them. Eat your fruits rather then drinking them.
So to summarize all this
next time when you plan your meals and fill up your plate it should have:
·
Nutrient-dense
foods instead of calorie-dense foods.
·
Variety
fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors
·
•Low-fat
or fat free milk and dairy products.
·
•Fiber-rich
whole grains.
·
•Protein
foods that are low in fat.
Balance
Calories:
•Eat the right
amount of calories for you
•Enjoy your
food, but eat less
•Cut back on
foods high in SOFAS (solid fat and added sugars) and empty calories
Note: I wrote this blog as part of the iEARN Photojournalism2.014 Heritage, Hunger and Food Security project. The project is implemented in Pakistan in collaboration with iEARN USA and iEARN Tajikistan with support and funding from Bureau of South and Central Asia-US Department of States.
