eat in peace

We have all progressively become busier and busier, I am yet to meet an adult man or a woman who is not extremely busy! We all want to achieve a lot, work hard, manage the household, spend time with our kids, socialise and even vacation with a vengeance ! It is almost taboo to appear as though we aren't busy all the time and actually have time to enjoy it all. Even our food doesn't escape this lack of time! We eat like we fill fuel in our cars, its mechanical, on the go, just to keep the engine running. Coffee in the car, sandwich on the go, bowl of cereal while checking mail. Its just another chore, an item on a list to be ticked off.

But, we are not machines, we are complex, intelligent, emotional creatures and food involves a complex integration of hormonal, neuronal, physiologic and metabolic controls. Moreover our state of mind, moods, how and where we eat also affects our food and how our body responds to it.

Few years back I was reading this book by Rujuta Diwekar -"Don't lose your mind, lose your weight", and there is some great advice there! For me the big lesson was a really simple one, and yet it changed my entire approach towards food.
She talks about eating food in a calm state of mind. The reasoning behind it, is that when you are disturbed, agitated, sad, angry or stressed, the body perceives it as a threat to its survival and doesn't produce the digestive juices required to breakdown and assimilate the food, instead the food gets converted to fat (we have acquired this evolutionary intelligence over centuries to survive drought, famine and floods). Stress caused by work situations, relationships, traffic, lack of sleep etc leads to the secretion of cortisol. The function of cortisol is to lower the metabolic rate, prevent fat burning and help convert food to fat.

So, I tried it, eating with a calm mind, focusing on the food, its taste, its appearance, its smell and even on how I felt eating it. If I was upset or agitated, I first calmed myself, concentrated on my breath and ate only when I was at peace or could focus on the food. Initially I ate alone, so that I was not distracted by conversation or other's moods, situations etc. This took sometime to become a habit but has improved my relationship with my body and my food tremendously. This practise ensures that you never overeat or indulge in emotional eating. The food gets digested well, nutrients absorbed, there is no indigestion, acid reflux etc due to poor digestion. And most importantly, you enjoy and appreciate every bite. Unmindful eating leads to overeating because you are not satisfied till you are stuffed, eating in a  positive, peaceful and mindful manner satisfies you with a much smaller portion size, adds to your sense of well being and nourishes your body. As you practise this for a while, you will realise, that you are more in sync with your body's needs (your body will crave the nutrient its lacking, e.g. if your activity levels increase, the body craves more protein rich foods etc). Of course this helps you lose weight too...
So try it, eat in peace!

Happy Pongal!

Today is Pongal or Maker Sankranti depending on where you come from. Its the day when the glorious Sun God begins its ascendancy and entry into the northern hemisphere and thus it signifies an event wherein the Sun God (which signifies knowledge, spiritual light and wisdom), reminds us to turn away from the darkness of delusion and begin to gradually grow in purity, wisdom and knowledge.

Of course, all festivals are basically about family, friends and Food. I associate each festival with a special dessert and sometimes an entire meal. Holi means gujjiyas (sweet fried dumplings) made by mum, which just melt in your mouth, Karvachauth, which is a fast that wives keep for the husband's good health, always mean a rich, creamy black dal (ma ki dal) which is my absolute favourite and Pongal, is no different. That brings us to its namesake Pongal , a glorious, smoky flavoured jaggery, rice and lentil pudding. 

This is one of the few light Indian desserts, probably because its considered more of a breakfast than dessert.

This is a rich, dairy free version of the South Indian delicacy. The pudding is thickened and yummified with a sesame, almond and coconut paste which increases the nutrition quotient of this already healthy dessert. 

Sesame seeds apart from being great in taste, are a very good source of calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper. They are great for bone health, help lower blood pressure and even prevent migraines and PMS. Every reason to include them in our daily diet.

So, here it is, Pongal - hoping that we all achieve health and happiness this year.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice

1/2 cup moog dal

4 cups water

1/2 cup jaggery (or more depending on personal preference)

2 tbsp sesame seeds

5 almonds

1/2 cup cashews

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

3 tbsp virgin coconut oil

Process

1. In a pressure cooker, pour 2 tbsp (out of 3) coconut oil and roast the lentils till they are light brown and emit a distinct aroma of roasting.

2. Add the rice and 3 cups (out of 4) of water to the lentils and pressure cook to a extra soft consistency.

3. Bring a cup of water to a boil, add the jaggery to it. After the jaggery is completely liquified, add the cooked lentils and rice to it.

4. Make a paste of the sesame, almonds and coconut.

5. In the remaining coconut oil, roast the cashews on low heat to brown them.

6. Add the paste and cashews to the sweetened lentils and rice mix. After all the elements are incorporated and it comes to a boil, take it off the heat.

Enjoy as breakfast or dessert! Happy Pongal!

Sweet Potato Love

I am in love with sweet potatoes! At the age of 26, I was introduced to them at a hip restaurant, at the very fashionable Rodeo Drive in LA - sweet potato fries!  To this day, I have no memory of the rest of the meal, but I remember distinctly the chunky, golden brown, mildly salted, amazingly delicious sweet potato fries. I am a changed woman ever since. Now, I can never ignore them at the supermarket isle or the farmer's market and I have to try them at a restaurant, if the menu mentions it. I am officially hooked!

Today I wanted to share one of my all time favourite sweet potato recipes (I have to thank my friend Kiiran for this, she makes it for me whenever I visit her), which is actually my version of the Gujrati classic, "Undhiyo". So, the traditional version is very rich in oil but all the same has many other vegetables. This is a lighter version with the focus on the queen of starch!

Many of us look at all starchy vegetables with circumspect, mostly because food starches are converted into simple sugars by our digestive tracts. This also results in a spike in the blood sugar levels . Sweet potatoes on the other hand, actually improve blood sugar regulation, even in type 2 diabetes sufferers.

Sweet potatoes are very rich in vitamin A and while passing through our digestive tract, even reduce the risk posed by heavy metals and oxygen radicals. The antioxidants in it also provide protection against inflammation related health problems.

Here it goes,

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes peeled and diced

1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

10 cloves of garlic

1 inch piece of ginger

1 cup chopped cilantro

2 green chillies chopped

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

2 tsp carom seeds or ajwain

1 tsp sugar 

salt to taste

1 tbsp coconut oil (olive oil is fine too)

10 pieces bakerwadi (This is a Maharashtrian fried snack, Chitlebandhu is a good brand. It is optional in this recipe. But it is a little fun element in the recipe, a bite of a surprise)

Process

1.Put the diced sweet potatoes in a glass bowl, add a little water and microwave it for 10 mins on high or parboil it.

2. Meanwhile, grind the peas, chillies, garlic, coconut and ginger to make a coarse paste.

3. In a pan, heat the oil and add the ajwain, let it splutter, then add the sweet potatoes. When they are almost done, add the paste, bakerwadi, a bit of water and mix everything.

4. Cook for a couple of minutes and add the salt and sugar and the cilantro.

5. Stir everything together and take it off the heat.

6. Enjoy with rotis (indian flat bread).

Testimonials

Our body is a self-healing organism, if we nourish it with clean, plant based nutrient rich whole foods, it has the innate intelligence to heal and repair itself.

My goal through "Cure yourself with Food", is to bring this awareness home, and for people to look within themselves, their lifestyle and food choices, to have a healthier, younger body, prevent disease and cure themselves of disease.

Some testimonials from people I have worked with:

Sharmin Sekhri, Bangalore- 

"Manasa suggested the 2 month diet plan to me as part of a weight loss and general wellbeing plan. The plan and recipes were extremely easy to follow and were filled with high fibre and whole meal grains. Once I explained the recipes to my cook it was very convenient and easy for him to make and easy for me to procure the ingredients as everything was locally available.
I had a feeling of excess flatulence in he first 2 weeks but Manasa explained to me that this was natural as the diet includes a high intake of fibre and raw fruits that our bodies are not ordinarily used
to.  True to her word this feeling disappeared within 10 days. The major change that this diet plan brings is a reversal of food habits –there is a concentration of small meals /juices starting from
breakfast through the early part of the day until lunch. Post lunch there is a decline of solid foods and complex carbohydrates; however there is feeling of fullness throughout the day. In fact by early
evening I was feeling too full to even consume the fruit juice and soup dinner prescribed in the plan! And once I had eaten that – that was that!!
The change in food intake gives you a fantastic feeling of wellbeing as the juices are fresh, there is no refined food and you feel that you are filling your body with all the unadulterated goodness that
nature has to provide. The plan takes into consideration your lifestyle and the availability of fresh ingredients in your locality.

I lost 2.5 kilos in first 3 weeks so that put me on the path towards achieving my weight loss objectives as well. There is a perceptible difference in skin tone and the skin has a noticeable glow. My friends
could see the difference and the compliments motivated me to continue the plan"

Sathyan Rajan, Bangalore-

"I am a Type 2 diabetic but that has never cramped my style. I have a stressful work life and an active social life. I cannot diet, but when I added the fruit and green smoothies to my regular routine, I felt more energy, I looked and felt fresher and my blood sugar count is bordering normal. "

Atoshi Shyam, Bangalore-

"Thanks manasa, for introducing me to your 11 day plan and a new lifestyle. It has really helped me solve my health issues .All your recipes are yummy too"

Lakshmi Saranath, Hyderabad

"I love the smoothies . I don’t really feel like being on a diet of sorts and it works wonders. I am almost as addicted to it as I was to candy ;) . Thanks for introducing me to the a different world of healthy eats"

Resolution 2013

Every year, promptly before the beginning of the new year, we think of all the things that we need to change in our lives or the goals that we need to reach! Then we go ahead and set our resolutions with all the hope and expectations that a new beginning brings. With that done, and the new year still a few days away, the thought creeps in, we have decided to be good the whole of next year, oh my god, lets have the last few days of fun! And we do the exact same things that we promised ourselves not to…. This is the beginning of our downfall and yet another year of unfulfilled resolutions…

Of course the most popular resolution is to lose weight (which used to be mine year after year for many years), which we approach with a number and make it even more daunting. I have to lose 10 kilos this year or fit into a size 8 dress etc. Typically this kind of plan ensures the first 2 weeks of January being great (eating breakfast, avoiding the ice cream after dinner, no namkeen with tea etc), that slowly changes, one meal at a time, and we get back to our normal routine and then some big occasion lands itself suddenly and demands a crash diet, weight loss and a subsequent weight gain, and back to routine. So, we start again, another December, a few kilos heavier with the same resolution!

How about we try something slightly different this new year? Like focussing on Health vs Weight and to acquire at least one healthy habit for the entire year and hopefully for life . 

So, lets see, maybe I could list a few that will help you choose…

1. Eat a portion of raw vegetables or fruits at each meal. This will add a host of immune boosting antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to your diet. Every colour of fruit or vegetable brings its own unique group of phytonutrients or plant nutrients that protect and cure the body in a multitude of ways. e.g. Blue-purple coloured fruits and vegetables like blueberries, purple grapes, plums, eggplant contain resveratrol, anthocyanidins, phenolics, flavonoids which support heart, brain and bone health and provide antioxidant protection against ageing. Raw fruits and vegetables will also add the extra fibre to our diet which is great for digestive health and will make us full even with consuming lesser calories.

2. Swap one refined grain that you are currently using with a whole grain, like rice with red rice, white bread with whole wheat bread etc. Whole grains not only reduce the risk of many chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease etc, but also have a lower glycemic index and high fibre content which helps weight management.

3. Eat your last meal 2-3 hours before your bed time. This helps your body digest the meal fully before the body prepares to rest. During digestion the blood rushes to the digestive organs and while we sleep, our body repairs and rejuvenates the wear and tear of the cells. If we sleep immediately after a heavy meal, both of these processes cannot take place efficiently. This causes the undigested food to remain in the system for long causing acidity, burping, a bloated stomach and waking up feeling tired, not fresh as the recovery was hampered.

4. Cut the sugar in your tea or coffee by half. Sugar apart from being addictive and adding to the empty calories causing weight gain, is also toxic for the body in many ways. So, a great way to start being aware of your sugar intake and controlling it, is to halve the quantity consumed daily in your morning and evening tea/coffee.

5. Swap one snack everyday with a portion of nuts or seeds. Snack times are typically moments when even the most enthusiastic healthy eaters give in to unhealthy munching. It is the best time to chomp on a portion of nuts or seeds like peanuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, flax etc. The high protein and fat content keeps you fuller for longer and the B vitamins give you energy and promote your metabolism. They also contain selenium, chromium and vitamin E, which are all components of antioxidants that fight free radicals (that can age and damage your body's cells).

6. Drink 2 glasses of water on waking up. For our body to work optimally, we need to be hydrated. After 7-8 hours of sleep when we consume water immediately on waking up, it hydrates all the organs of the body which makes us alert and refreshed. This also increases the metabolism and helps the kidneys effectively eliminate various toxins and waste products. It also adds to the total water consumption of the day!

I hope this new year, you are able to achieve all that you set your heart on. Wish you good health and a Happy New Year!

Kickstart your day with a yummy breakfast smoothie.....

Breakfast is the most important meal of   the day! We have heard that often enough, but it is tough to find time to prepare and eat something that is nutritious as well as appetizing in the morning rush!

There are several advantages to eating a healthful breakfast -

It revs up your metabolism! After a 12 hour night time fast, when you eat a nutritious breakfast, the brain and the body feels alert and energized and reassured with the supply of energy (and hence doesn't try to conserve or store it as fat reserves for contingency/starvation ) but prepares to use the energy for all the day's activity.

Eating breakfast keeps you from bingeing.  A lack of real food in the morning, followed by many rounds of coffee or tea to camouflage the hunger,  creates  an artificial satiety and then by lunch time you are ravenous and are likely choose fatty calorie dense food and too much of it!

A morning meal keeps your blood sugar regulated and that, apart from keeping your body stress free, also keeps you in a good mood.

I begin my day, everyday, with this amazingly delicious, raw, vegan smoothie, which is now a favorite with so many of my friends, family and clients!
To call it a protein shake just doesn't do it justice, it's a complete meal, antioxidant rich, full of vitamins, minerals, omega -3 essential fatty acids, digestible energy, amino acids and protein.
Each ingredient in this smoothie is nutrient rich and adds it's own unique set of benefits to the mix.

Sprouts, which is a great breakfast/smoothie ingredient, is said to, ‘represent the miracle of birth’. They are in the true sense, super foods. They are alkaline, whole, pure, and natural foods.                


A sprout is at the transitional stage between seed and plant. Sprouts are essentially pre-digested foods as the seeds’ own enzymes do most of the work. During sprouting, much of the starch is broken down into simple sugars such as glucose and sucrose by the action of the enzyme ‘amylase’. Proteins are converted into amino acids and amides. Fats and oils are converted into simpler fatty acids by the action of the enzyme lipase. On sprouting, there is also a tremendous increase in nutrients as compared to the dried grain. The vitamins, minerals and protein content substantially increase (to give you an idea, the vitamin B2 content goes up by over 500%) with a simultaneous decrease in caloric and carbohydrate content. 
Also, during sprouting there is a reduction in the gas producing quality of beans. Mainly oligosaccharides have been held responsible for gas formation. As the process of germination ends and sprouting begins, the content of oligosaccharides is reduced by 90 percent.
The content of fiber and water increases tremendously, which is a boon for a healthy digestive system.
Sprouts are a good source of chlorophyll, said to have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. They are highly beneficial foods for losing weight too. They keep one full for a long time and also prevent over-eating as one feels satisfied on consuming just a handful and is the best way of getting the advantage of complete nutrition.

To sprout the grain, wash and soak it in water overnight, in the morning, drain the water and tie the grains in a cheese    cloth or a thin muslin cloth in a pouch and let it hang for a couple of hours (to drain the extra water). Now, put this pouch in an air tight container and store it in a warm humid place for 18 - 24 hours, depending on the weather.

So, here's the recipe that will change your life, it did mine...

Ingredients

1 apple

3 small (cardamom) bananas

1 orange peeled with an inch of it's peel

1 pear

1 kiwi fruit

5 almonds

5 cashews

1 tbsp flax seeds

2 cups water

1 cup ice

1 tbsp of sprouts (ragi/moong/red rice)

Blend the above in a  high powered blender.

Now, that's a great start to a wonderful day! Enjoy!

Protecting your spirit

No matter what you are told, how you are treated, you have to believe in yourself, protect yourself, stand up for yourself.... No one else is going to do it for you.
Food cannot be a substitute for actually feeling good with yourself, and that is not dependent on any one except you. You, are responsible for your own happiness , not your spouse, not your boss and not the amount of money you make !
Sometimes, we go through life, having no sense of awareness, just getting thrown from one situation to the other, from being elated one moment to being despondent the next, feeling helpless and out of control! And it's the same lack of awareness with food! There is an intense craving, followed by bingeing, which results in a euphoric sugar high, then a crash and a guilt trip.
That's when we need a realistic, detached assessment of our situation, a bird's eye view.
So, ask yourself, are you stuck in a rut? Can a change in your attitude or behavior help you deal with it better? Certain things are beyond your control and certain things are within, can you identify them and focus only on what is within your control? Are you appreciating all the positives, big and small that you have been blessed with?
Food needn't control your life, you should be in control of the food!
The first step is to recognize emotional eating for what it is, stop and analyze the real issue, try to work through it, find a hobby or social work to immerse yourself in (there is nothing like seeing other's problems up close  to get a realistic perspective on yours)!
Focus on all the positives in your life, appreciate the good that people do for you and remember, food cannot fulfill an emotional void, only you can.
Eat clean, nutritious food that will energize and nourish your body, make you healthier and stronger. Food shouldn't evoke feelings of guilt, food shouldn't make you sluggish and drowsy, food shouldn't clog your arteries or give you disease!
Take time out for yourself everyday, even if it is just 10 minutes of drinking your ginger tea in peace or doing Pranayama or yoga or even watching your favorite TV show or read a book!
Experience joy each day:), even it's for a few moments!