Monday, 2 April 2012


My new found love-Oatmeal and my effort to stay healthy!
Until recently I thought staying healthy is something which is god gifted and you can only maintain your weight provided you have a fast metabolic system. While it's true that metabolism is linked to weight, it may not be in the way you expect. In fact, contrary to common belief, a slow metabolism is rarely the cause of excess weight gain. Although your metabolism influences your body's basic energy needs, it's your food and beverage intake and your physical activity that ultimately determine how much you weigh. I always knew that I have a strong willpower and if I decide to do something, I attain it without faltering a bit. So, one fine day I decided to let go off my weight and try leading a healthy life for the sake of many beautiful things around me. I come from a family where everyone loves to eat and invite others for a tasty meal. Both my parents were diabetic so it was always prevalent in my mind somewhere that I should be careful about myself.
Not that I was very bulky but I just wanted to shed some unnecessary load. I started my Journey in March 2011 by finding an appropriate nutritionist for myself who can guide me about the appropriate ways of eating healthy food and the best food that suite my body type. I was very lucky to find one nutritionist who acted as a superb help in introducing me to a world full of healthy and tasty food. I always thought that healthy food doesn’t really taste good but she totally broke my existing myth and changed my perception about the eating and staying healthy. Today I can happily say that I lost 10-12 kgs in three months by changing my food habit and I am proud to continue the same status by following some basic rules.
What I learnt from the whole experience is that, in today's hectic world, cooking has become a luxury, while eating out is seen as a necessity. This is unfortunate, however, for, there are many benefits for people who cook their own food at home.
One benefit is that cooking at home allows people to de-stress. During the weekdays, people have to rush from home to work and then to run other errands. By taking the time to cook food, people can slow down their schedule and go through the step-by-step process of creating food from scratch.
Another benefit of cooking is that people have more control over what they eat. They can choose what ingredients to use, how to cook the food, and how much to cook. This allows people, for one thing, to save money by only cooking the food they need instead of eating out and being forced to pay for food they may not eat. Also, by having control over the food they consume people can also eat healthier. They can use the best and the freshest ingredients and ensure that their food is properly cleaned and prepared. In restaurants, on the other hand, people can never be completely be sure that fresh ingredients are used or that healthy ingredients are used.
Like any drug, if you abuse it you suffer the consequences, but when used properly, food can...
  • Give you the energy you need to get through your days and still have energy to spare.
  • Help to eliminate or at least greatly reduce mood swings. This was a big one for me. I saw my moods level right out.
  • Significantly reduce hunger pains and cravings. Great news when you want to lose weight.
  • Reduce the risk of serious and not-so-serious disease. More and more illnesses are being linked to the food you eat on a regular basis. Proper nutritional habits are your best insurance policy.
  • Reverse existing health challenges. Diabetes and high blood pressure are two of the most common health challenges. By properly using food, you can greatly improve - if not eliminate - these two conditions.
  • Sharper mental focus. Rather than walking around in a fog, imagine being alert and focused as you go through your day.
  • Reduce overall body fat.
My Golden Food Rule:


  1. Eat a moderate amount of high-fiber carbohydrate at each meal. Eat lots of fibrous veggies, a small amount of high-fiber fruit (apples, oranges, berries) and if you eat processed carbs, make them high-fiber as well. Oh, and eliminate any beverages containing sugar. Personally, I rarely get more than 40 percent of my calories from carbs. Often it's around the 30 percent mark.
  2. Eat protein with every meal and most snacks. Again, for me personally, I get about 30-40 percent of my calories from protein - usually paneer, beans, whole grains, nuts and yoghurt.
  3. Eat fat. Forget everything you've ever heard about low-fat eating being the healthy way to go. Your meals and snacks should include a healthy dose of fat. Ideally, it should be mono or polyunsaturated fat, but some animal fats certainly won't hurt. My fat intake stays pretty steady at about 30 percent from day to day.
  4. Eat 5-6 meals, evenly spread throughout the day. You've heard it before, you'll hear it again. You may as well accept it. Eating two or three meals won't cut it. Eating small meals throughout the day prevents overloading your body with more carbohydrate than it can handle, which in turn controls blood sugar levels
  5. By far one ingredient which I think is high in nutritional content and works like a magic is oatmeal. It is absolutely magical and you can substitute it for everything in the world. Use it as a binding agent or a topping ingredient and it works perfectly. You can invent your own little recipes with it.
Now days, I am on a spree inventing new recipes with oatmeal, starting from the appetizers to the main course. Can you imagine you can make amazing drinks out of oatmeal? Yes, it does sound weird but it’s true. Initially, I thought oatmeal is good for making porridge and a healthy substitute for ailing patients :)
Health and Nutrition Benefits of Eating Oats


·         Oats comprise of one of the best sources of Inositol, which is very important for maintaining blood cholesterol level. In other words, eating oats regularly can help keep your cholesterol in check.
·    They contain very high levels of calcium, potassium and magnesium, coupled with Vitamin B-complex. All these vitamins and minerals are very essential for the nervous system.
·  Cooked oats can help relieve fat from the body, while unrefined oatmeal can reduce stress.
· Because of the high fiber content present in oats, they are said to be helpful in preventing bowel cancer.

·  Since oats have lots of fiber, having them regularly can help cure constipation.
·    If consumed on a frequent basis, they can help lower the chances of having heart disease.
·  Apart from being a good source of protein, oats also provide vitamin E, zinc, copper and iron to the body.
·  They have also been proven to act as an effective anti-depressant. In other words, having oats can calm you down and help treat depression as well.

·   Oats, with more soluble fiber than any other grain, can slow down the digestion process and provide an extended sensation of fullness. This makes them good for people who want to lose weight.
·  If you eat regularly, the rise in blood sugar level gets spread over a longer period of time. This helps prevent many of the complications associated with diabetes.
·   Oats contain phytochemicals (plant chemicals), which are believed to protect the body from chronic diseases, such as cancer.

So the question is: If I know how magical oatmeal is? Then I should share the wonderful recipes made out of oatmeal with all my friends. My first creation can be attributed to the family of appetizers and I have already gone through the christening ceremony for this particular recipe and you can call it “Oats Delight”- Some can prefer to call it Oats Kebab(like my adored husband) My mum in law thinks that it somehow taste like rava idli. I was very happy when it came out very well – soft, tasty and filling and less time consuming.

Watch out for this space for the recipe of Oats Delight and many more oats dishes to follow.
Till we meet again don’t forget to savor the food for life!

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