Rujuta Diwekar's Blog
March 7, 2017
The women I love
For their grit, determination and their whole hearted ambition. But the reason i look upto them is because they don't down play themselves, are aware of their achievements and unapologetic about the fact that they are in position of power. And above all, i respect them. Respect because they are kind, driven and compassionate towards all - irrespective of age, gender or social background. This is what successful women look like, if you find them in your life, keep them close and watch them grow.
Chiki Sarkar - My editor for the first book and the latest book too - Indian Superfoods. She works all day, and probably all night, you can chat with her about the book at 11:30 pm and she will write to you about it at 2:30 am. Now heads her own publishing company @Juggernautbooks and if there's a successful book out there, she probably is the person behind it.
Aswati Dorje - The first IPS woman to be posted in a naxalite area and the current Addl CP Armed Police, Mumbai, this woman has now trained her guns on uplifting the health of men and women in the armed police. The special booklet 'Fitness Policesancha' will be released at Naigoan, her headquarters, this evening by CP Mumbai, and she aspires for the entire community, even the police families to be fit.
Nina Lekhi - The baggit girl. There isn't a girl in India who hasn't owned or aspired to own a baggit purse. From fab designs, to a pan-India reach, and now even across globe, this is one girl who knows how to sell. She's even written a book about it recently.
Rajvi Mehta - Leads the Iyengar yoga community in Mumbai from the front by doing all the back end work. A doctor by training and a committed yoga teacher, she aspires to bring yoga to all - abled and disabled, young and old, Mumbai or out of Mumbai. Easily the most hassle free, unassuming and grounded yoga teacher out there.
Sadhavi Bhagwati Saraswati - the lady behind the rise and rise of Parmarth Niketan ashram in Rishikesh. From allotting rooms, to sound check to inviting guest speakers, theres not a thing that this woman misses. The International Yoga Festival is probably her fav project. If there's anyone writing on spirituality in India, you are mostly likely to find her featured there.
Ankita Diwekar - My sister but she features here for the school she runs - @FountainHead. An IIM-A grad who kicked a high paying job even before it was fashionable to be foolish or hungry. Started with a pre-school in a town house in Surat and soon grew into THE school of Surat and amongst the best IB schools in India.
Anita Bhogle - 1/2 of the Winning way couple. Focusses on making good content and delivers motivational speeches and stays punctual with every commitment she makes. In her search for good content, never compromises on credibility and thats such a rare quality.
Kareena Kapoor Khan - What can i say? Ever hungry for good roles, good food and good conversations, there's no stopping this girl. Celebrates her success and physiological milestones with equal aplomb and goes about her glam life by keeping her head down and focussing on keeping life simple - be it food or anything else.
This is not an exhaustive list, and all my women are dear to me. They make life worth living and every moment worth cherishing. #HappyWomensDay to all.
Chiki Sarkar - My editor for the first book and the latest book too - Indian Superfoods. She works all day, and probably all night, you can chat with her about the book at 11:30 pm and she will write to you about it at 2:30 am. Now heads her own publishing company @Juggernautbooks and if there's a successful book out there, she probably is the person behind it.
Aswati Dorje - The first IPS woman to be posted in a naxalite area and the current Addl CP Armed Police, Mumbai, this woman has now trained her guns on uplifting the health of men and women in the armed police. The special booklet 'Fitness Policesancha' will be released at Naigoan, her headquarters, this evening by CP Mumbai, and she aspires for the entire community, even the police families to be fit.
Nina Lekhi - The baggit girl. There isn't a girl in India who hasn't owned or aspired to own a baggit purse. From fab designs, to a pan-India reach, and now even across globe, this is one girl who knows how to sell. She's even written a book about it recently.
Rajvi Mehta - Leads the Iyengar yoga community in Mumbai from the front by doing all the back end work. A doctor by training and a committed yoga teacher, she aspires to bring yoga to all - abled and disabled, young and old, Mumbai or out of Mumbai. Easily the most hassle free, unassuming and grounded yoga teacher out there.
Sadhavi Bhagwati Saraswati - the lady behind the rise and rise of Parmarth Niketan ashram in Rishikesh. From allotting rooms, to sound check to inviting guest speakers, theres not a thing that this woman misses. The International Yoga Festival is probably her fav project. If there's anyone writing on spirituality in India, you are mostly likely to find her featured there.
Ankita Diwekar - My sister but she features here for the school she runs - @FountainHead. An IIM-A grad who kicked a high paying job even before it was fashionable to be foolish or hungry. Started with a pre-school in a town house in Surat and soon grew into THE school of Surat and amongst the best IB schools in India.
Anita Bhogle - 1/2 of the Winning way couple. Focusses on making good content and delivers motivational speeches and stays punctual with every commitment she makes. In her search for good content, never compromises on credibility and thats such a rare quality.
Kareena Kapoor Khan - What can i say? Ever hungry for good roles, good food and good conversations, there's no stopping this girl. Celebrates her success and physiological milestones with equal aplomb and goes about her glam life by keeping her head down and focussing on keeping life simple - be it food or anything else.This is not an exhaustive list, and all my women are dear to me. They make life worth living and every moment worth cherishing. #HappyWomensDay to all.
January 2, 2017
The case for Sugar
The 50 year-old actress who once stole your heart is now running behind an 8 year-old boy with chocolate coated cereal. She’s playing a mother to a fussy boy who’s only chance of getting nourishment is through the cereal. They don’t explicitly show it but in your head, you have already imagined that there is low fat milk in it. Thankfully, the boy has the meal, he loves it in fact, and now the mother and son celebrate this meal by playing a video game.
Another 50 year-old actor, beats mountains, traffic and death itself to pick a bottle of what the EU calls as SSB or sugar sweetened beverage. That essentially expands the list beyond the colas to include packaged fruit juices, probiotic yogurt drinks, energy or sports drinks.
Kids from 9th standard hang out in cafés sipping from monstrous glasses of cold coffee or choco shakes after tuition classe. When they study, they quickly make themselves some noodles, or now pasta, in two minutes. They watch TV programs interspersed with ads that ask them to mix powders in milk to grow taller, run faster or simple look cooler.
All of the above have tons of sugar in it but I hope you are beginning to realize that the sugar is hardly a problem. The product, positioning, pricing is. That our kids are moving lesser on bikes and sitting more in cafes is. That we reduce 50 year old women to aunties and 50 year old men to dudes is. That we don’t have a policy on how junk food should be advertised is. That we don’t tax food companies or hold them accountable for the garbage that they create with their packets, tetra-packs and bottles is. Pick on the big guys and leave the rag pickers of deonar alone man. But that’s not how this works.
So instead of looking at the picture in totality we reduce our problem to sugar. Sugar is the enemy. Sugar is killing us. Sugar is making us fat. Sugar is giving us Diabetes and the likes. Isn’t there a word for it - deflection? We are sure that governments cannot be held accountable, food companies or any industry is above the law and probably even making the law and we are too short on time for any kind of activism. If we look at the total problem, we don’t know what to do. But if we have something fairly simple to make a lifestyle choice with, we will adopt it.
So no more sugar for me in the chai but I will eat the Marie biscuit to go with it. Marie or digestive is a healthy choice because its not as sweet as a regular biscuit. There you go, the sweetness is the problem. So no more sweet fruits like – Mango, seetaphal, Jackfruit, Chickoo etc. Doesn’t matter if they are local, doesn’t matter if they contain natural fruit sugar, fructose. American Diabetic Association can recommend Mango to Diabetics but in the land of its origin, its banned by the doctor and dietitian. We don’t outrage about it on social media. We are quite cool about the bannistan as long as its about all local fruits and produce in general.
Once sugar is the problem, then you can replace it with substitutes. The sugar substitute market is expected to reach 16.53 Billion USD by 2020. The growth is driven by the health conscious modern consumer looking for sugar alternative in their food and beverages, and the health and personal care industry demands from developing countries like India and China.
In USA, Clinton and Sanders fought over soda tax in their presidential campaign and UK will levy soda tax from April, 2018. What we must consider before buying into the fear of the West about sugar is that Nutrition science, as we knew it, something that split everything into carb, prot, fat and calories is changing. Food scientists world over are acknowledging the fact that there is more to food than what meet the carb, protein and fat split.
Sugar to India is as ancient as Yoga and Ayurveda itself, it firmly occupies the position of being one of the panch amrits or nectars of life. What has changed is the way India consumes its sugar. Being a native plant, we have had the sophistication to use the plant in diverse, versatile ways based on the season and region.
-Diwali to Sankranti period has festivals that celebrate the power of sugar cane as that is also its harvest time. Sugarcane is not just great to taste but is a fibre, mineral and vitamin rich plant. Its also a folk remedy for jaundice. Sugar cane juice boiled with pulses is a nutritious and inexpensive but complete meal for the tribals of Western Maharashtra.
- Jaggery and ghee combinations along with Bajra and other millet rotis are known to provide the body with warmth and the joints with mobility in the harsh winters of North India. In Bengal, it gets turned to Sandes, the delicacy whose mere thought can uplift the most cynical leftists.
- The mishri with suaf is the digestive aid for the summers post a meal.
- And the crystalline sugar is in everything, from a Prasad to a sherbet, to beat the heat or a sprinkle on your sabzi to bring out the richness of its flavours.
None of the traditional ways we use sugar are mainstream or find depictions in ads or marketing. Why must we give up on the traditional uses of sugar and use packaged products that use sugar substitutes?
Sugar is not the problem. India now consumes 3 times more sugar than what it used to just in 1970s and that’s not because its eating more ladoos, halwa and sugar in chai. But because its drinking more colas, packaged juices, cereals. It is distributing brownies, cup-cakes and frozen yogurts instead of dryfruits, ladoos and traditional mithai for Diwali. Because it is patronizing food products from big food companies over the small women run enterprises that made mithai. Because it is funding the third house or a reclining bed on the food company’s CEO private jet instead of the dance class for the daughter of a small family business that sells Puran poli. Sugar is not the problem, giving up on food traditions without a thought is.
P.S: I wrote this for Sunday Times and was published in May 2016.
Another 50 year-old actor, beats mountains, traffic and death itself to pick a bottle of what the EU calls as SSB or sugar sweetened beverage. That essentially expands the list beyond the colas to include packaged fruit juices, probiotic yogurt drinks, energy or sports drinks.
Kids from 9th standard hang out in cafés sipping from monstrous glasses of cold coffee or choco shakes after tuition classe. When they study, they quickly make themselves some noodles, or now pasta, in two minutes. They watch TV programs interspersed with ads that ask them to mix powders in milk to grow taller, run faster or simple look cooler.
All of the above have tons of sugar in it but I hope you are beginning to realize that the sugar is hardly a problem. The product, positioning, pricing is. That our kids are moving lesser on bikes and sitting more in cafes is. That we reduce 50 year old women to aunties and 50 year old men to dudes is. That we don’t have a policy on how junk food should be advertised is. That we don’t tax food companies or hold them accountable for the garbage that they create with their packets, tetra-packs and bottles is. Pick on the big guys and leave the rag pickers of deonar alone man. But that’s not how this works.
So instead of looking at the picture in totality we reduce our problem to sugar. Sugar is the enemy. Sugar is killing us. Sugar is making us fat. Sugar is giving us Diabetes and the likes. Isn’t there a word for it - deflection? We are sure that governments cannot be held accountable, food companies or any industry is above the law and probably even making the law and we are too short on time for any kind of activism. If we look at the total problem, we don’t know what to do. But if we have something fairly simple to make a lifestyle choice with, we will adopt it. So no more sugar for me in the chai but I will eat the Marie biscuit to go with it. Marie or digestive is a healthy choice because its not as sweet as a regular biscuit. There you go, the sweetness is the problem. So no more sweet fruits like – Mango, seetaphal, Jackfruit, Chickoo etc. Doesn’t matter if they are local, doesn’t matter if they contain natural fruit sugar, fructose. American Diabetic Association can recommend Mango to Diabetics but in the land of its origin, its banned by the doctor and dietitian. We don’t outrage about it on social media. We are quite cool about the bannistan as long as its about all local fruits and produce in general.
Once sugar is the problem, then you can replace it with substitutes. The sugar substitute market is expected to reach 16.53 Billion USD by 2020. The growth is driven by the health conscious modern consumer looking for sugar alternative in their food and beverages, and the health and personal care industry demands from developing countries like India and China.
In USA, Clinton and Sanders fought over soda tax in their presidential campaign and UK will levy soda tax from April, 2018. What we must consider before buying into the fear of the West about sugar is that Nutrition science, as we knew it, something that split everything into carb, prot, fat and calories is changing. Food scientists world over are acknowledging the fact that there is more to food than what meet the carb, protein and fat split.
Sugar to India is as ancient as Yoga and Ayurveda itself, it firmly occupies the position of being one of the panch amrits or nectars of life. What has changed is the way India consumes its sugar. Being a native plant, we have had the sophistication to use the plant in diverse, versatile ways based on the season and region.
-Diwali to Sankranti period has festivals that celebrate the power of sugar cane as that is also its harvest time. Sugarcane is not just great to taste but is a fibre, mineral and vitamin rich plant. Its also a folk remedy for jaundice. Sugar cane juice boiled with pulses is a nutritious and inexpensive but complete meal for the tribals of Western Maharashtra.
- Jaggery and ghee combinations along with Bajra and other millet rotis are known to provide the body with warmth and the joints with mobility in the harsh winters of North India. In Bengal, it gets turned to Sandes, the delicacy whose mere thought can uplift the most cynical leftists.
- The mishri with suaf is the digestive aid for the summers post a meal.
- And the crystalline sugar is in everything, from a Prasad to a sherbet, to beat the heat or a sprinkle on your sabzi to bring out the richness of its flavours.
None of the traditional ways we use sugar are mainstream or find depictions in ads or marketing. Why must we give up on the traditional uses of sugar and use packaged products that use sugar substitutes?
Sugar is not the problem. India now consumes 3 times more sugar than what it used to just in 1970s and that’s not because its eating more ladoos, halwa and sugar in chai. But because its drinking more colas, packaged juices, cereals. It is distributing brownies, cup-cakes and frozen yogurts instead of dryfruits, ladoos and traditional mithai for Diwali. Because it is patronizing food products from big food companies over the small women run enterprises that made mithai. Because it is funding the third house or a reclining bed on the food company’s CEO private jet instead of the dance class for the daughter of a small family business that sells Puran poli. Sugar is not the problem, giving up on food traditions without a thought is.
P.S: I wrote this for Sunday Times and was published in May 2016.
November 7, 2016
Oats Vs traditional breakfast
Q - Oats are not local but they still have an impressive nutrition profile, high in protein and fibre. They are easy to cook and consume, recommended by doctors, etc., should i still bother with cooking poha, paratha, etc?
Ans -
1. Improving the marketability of packaged products by focussing on nutrients is an old trick that the food industry uses and quite successfully. From sponsoring competitions in nutrition colleges to medical conferences and seminars, the influence and budgets are impressive. Moreover, the same companies sell you both colas and oats. Roping in celeb chefs, promoting "health products" and long term strategies of bringing in more fruit and vegetable based produce is a clever strategy that is in place to ward off the negative health image of colas and to diversify given the soda tax that many Western countries now levy on the products.
2. The new frontier in nutrition science is the live micro organisms that live in our body, called the microbiota. The gut bacteria is specifically been studied as it influences our health and risk to diseases, especially the non communicable ones like - obesity, cancer, heart disease, etc.
The human body maintains good health when the food is diverse, it in fact remains the corner stone of maintaining gut bacteria diversity too. Diverse diets are achieved by eating fresh, local and cooking by using regional or time tested recipes. This works well for small farmers too as they dont have either the budgets, reach or vocabulary to influence the influencers. Patronising local food also means lesser carbon foot print.
3. Overall, the cutting edge nutrition science is saying look at diets that are based on food systems (health, economy, ecology) and not food groups - carb, fat, protein, fibre, etc. Even the advice to health professionals is to make food based and NOT nutrient based recommendations. E.g. - say eat poha, upma, paratha and not eat more fibre, eat good fats, etc.
Having said that, the role of fibre, especially preferentially using foods based on fibre content, is now being looked at with skepticism. In fact, gastroenterology journals now invariably carry articles on how reducing dietary fibre intake may actually help relieve constipation and other digestive issues.
Ques - So is there any harm in consuming oats?
Ans - The nutrition profile that it sells itself on, already exists in our traditional breakfast options, which are much tastier too. Oats in fact tried to become more like our traditional foods with addition of herbs and spices, and there are plenty of masala versions in the market now.
The harm that i see in oats is that it sells the idea of convenience and weight loss to us women. Its not that women lack the time to cook, its that they lack help from the male members in the kitchen, and thats a problem across the globe. The UN's Sustainable developmental goals have good health and wellbeing along with education and gender equality amongst its top 5 goals. Also the message to women that we must lose some weight to get more attractive/ acceptable gets reinforced with all the oats adverts.
Ans -
1. Improving the marketability of packaged products by focussing on nutrients is an old trick that the food industry uses and quite successfully. From sponsoring competitions in nutrition colleges to medical conferences and seminars, the influence and budgets are impressive. Moreover, the same companies sell you both colas and oats. Roping in celeb chefs, promoting "health products" and long term strategies of bringing in more fruit and vegetable based produce is a clever strategy that is in place to ward off the negative health image of colas and to diversify given the soda tax that many Western countries now levy on the products.
2. The new frontier in nutrition science is the live micro organisms that live in our body, called the microbiota. The gut bacteria is specifically been studied as it influences our health and risk to diseases, especially the non communicable ones like - obesity, cancer, heart disease, etc.
The human body maintains good health when the food is diverse, it in fact remains the corner stone of maintaining gut bacteria diversity too. Diverse diets are achieved by eating fresh, local and cooking by using regional or time tested recipes. This works well for small farmers too as they dont have either the budgets, reach or vocabulary to influence the influencers. Patronising local food also means lesser carbon foot print.
3. Overall, the cutting edge nutrition science is saying look at diets that are based on food systems (health, economy, ecology) and not food groups - carb, fat, protein, fibre, etc. Even the advice to health professionals is to make food based and NOT nutrient based recommendations. E.g. - say eat poha, upma, paratha and not eat more fibre, eat good fats, etc.
Having said that, the role of fibre, especially preferentially using foods based on fibre content, is now being looked at with skepticism. In fact, gastroenterology journals now invariably carry articles on how reducing dietary fibre intake may actually help relieve constipation and other digestive issues.
Ques - So is there any harm in consuming oats?
Ans - The nutrition profile that it sells itself on, already exists in our traditional breakfast options, which are much tastier too. Oats in fact tried to become more like our traditional foods with addition of herbs and spices, and there are plenty of masala versions in the market now.
The harm that i see in oats is that it sells the idea of convenience and weight loss to us women. Its not that women lack the time to cook, its that they lack help from the male members in the kitchen, and thats a problem across the globe. The UN's Sustainable developmental goals have good health and wellbeing along with education and gender equality amongst its top 5 goals. Also the message to women that we must lose some weight to get more attractive/ acceptable gets reinforced with all the oats adverts.
June 6, 2016
An eating plan for Ramzan (Part 2)
Ramzan Mubarak! Ramadan Kareem!!
This is an updated chart, have tried accounting for the season (the drought and the hot summers, we have had) and regions this time. The meal options in the Meals column are the more common ones that you can style according to your family tradition and regional cuisine.
Hope you find this helpful and also read the first blog - An eating plan for Ramzan (Part 1)
Meals
East
West
North
South
Saheri
· Banana· Rice with milk
Pakhala or Choora & dahi
Pohe
Ajwain paratha & dahi
Ragi dosa/ mudde
Iftaar
· Dates, Jamun, (*Jackfruit & Mango may last only for first half of Ramzan)· Aam panha/ Nimbu sherbet
*Jackfruit & Mango
Khus sherbet/ sardai
*Jackfruit & Mango, white Jaamb
Kokum sherbet/ Variyali paani
*Mango
Bel sherbet/ Lassi
*Jackfruit & Mango
Nannari
Post Magrib
· Kanjee preparations (your style)· Dahi rice options (your style)
Khar (rice, pulses & veggies)
Sabudana khichdi
Jowar roti, onion & raita, chtuney
Appam & stew
Post Big Namaaz
· Dahi rice papad· Biryani or Pulao (your style) + raita· Roti sabzi dal (your style)· Bhakri bhaji (your style)
Pitha & meat
Waran bhaat + meat kebab
Kadhi pakoda & rice
Rasam rice/ Bisebelle
Post workout
Dinner or follow 4 Rs from Don’t lose out, workout
Dinner or follow 4 Rs from Don’t lose out, workout
Dinner or follow 4 Rs from Don’t lose out, workout
Dinner or follow 4 Rs from Don’t lose out, workout
Constipated/ Bloated
· Gulkand milk with soaked sabja
Tender coconut/ Mohi
Tadgola/ Aliv ladoo
Phalsa/ Thandai
Tadgola/ Bonda sherbet
Irritable/ Cranky
· Cashew milk
Chena toast
Poha milk sugar
Fresh fruit milkshake
Rajgeera chiki
Weak/ Dizzy
· Avoid over eating & sleeping at odd hours
Sattu drink
Sheera
Kheer
Payasam
Super busy at work/ submissions
· Dahi, kaju
Jhalmoori
Roti kept overnight with ground nut chutney
Makhana roasted in desi ghee
Boiled jackfruit seeds with black salt
Breaking out/ acne
Naarikolor (coconut balls)
Ragi satva/ Sutari (rice beans)
Water chestnut
Tamarind seeds roasted or soaked
Add –
· Milk to meals – will help you last longer without drop in energy or feelings of hunger· Ghee – to regulate blood sugars and to prevent overeating · Dahi – cools you down, restores electrolyte balance, prevents feelings of thirst· Soaked sabja – thermo-regulates, avoid constipation· Gulkand – prevents acidity & bloating· Eat till you feel light not dull.
Workout –· Don’t workout over a stuffed or empty stomach· Best time is either just after big namaaz (BN) or 60-90 mins of dinner post the BN· Post workout meal – within 20 mins of workout· Sip on water thru the workout· Do not increase intensity or volume during Ramzan· Work at being consistent with exercise, it helps regulate your appetite· Workout in well ventilated rooms to ensure a quick recovery· Pay attention to your warm up & cool down routines· Weight training, yoga, sport, riding cycles, swimming, running etc· Walking is an activity, walk through the day. Don’t wait for post namaaz to walk
Sleep –· Stay gadget free 60 mins prior bedtime· Regulate your bedtime
Hydration –· Avoid packaged juices/ colas/ store brought sherbets· Check that urine is crystal clear, stay well hydrated.· Not more than 3 cups of tea/ coffee per day and not as first or last thing in the day
· Avoid packaged foods – bhujiya/ chips/ biscuits/ ice-cream/ mithai (other than what is made at home)
This is an updated chart, have tried accounting for the season (the drought and the hot summers, we have had) and regions this time. The meal options in the Meals column are the more common ones that you can style according to your family tradition and regional cuisine.
Hope you find this helpful and also read the first blog - An eating plan for Ramzan (Part 1)
Meals
East
West
North
South
Saheri
· Banana· Rice with milk
Pakhala or Choora & dahi
Pohe
Ajwain paratha & dahi
Ragi dosa/ mudde
Iftaar
· Dates, Jamun, (*Jackfruit & Mango may last only for first half of Ramzan)· Aam panha/ Nimbu sherbet
*Jackfruit & Mango
Khus sherbet/ sardai
*Jackfruit & Mango, white Jaamb
Kokum sherbet/ Variyali paani
*Mango
Bel sherbet/ Lassi
*Jackfruit & Mango
Nannari
Post Magrib
· Kanjee preparations (your style)· Dahi rice options (your style)
Khar (rice, pulses & veggies)
Sabudana khichdi
Jowar roti, onion & raita, chtuney
Appam & stew
Post Big Namaaz
· Dahi rice papad· Biryani or Pulao (your style) + raita· Roti sabzi dal (your style)· Bhakri bhaji (your style)
Pitha & meat
Waran bhaat + meat kebab
Kadhi pakoda & rice
Rasam rice/ Bisebelle
Post workout
Dinner or follow 4 Rs from Don’t lose out, workout
Dinner or follow 4 Rs from Don’t lose out, workout
Dinner or follow 4 Rs from Don’t lose out, workout
Dinner or follow 4 Rs from Don’t lose out, workout
Constipated/ Bloated
· Gulkand milk with soaked sabja
Tender coconut/ Mohi
Tadgola/ Aliv ladoo
Phalsa/ Thandai
Tadgola/ Bonda sherbet
Irritable/ Cranky
· Cashew milk
Chena toast
Poha milk sugar
Fresh fruit milkshake
Rajgeera chiki
Weak/ Dizzy
· Avoid over eating & sleeping at odd hours
Sattu drink
Sheera
Kheer
Payasam
Super busy at work/ submissions
· Dahi, kaju
Jhalmoori
Roti kept overnight with ground nut chutney
Makhana roasted in desi ghee
Boiled jackfruit seeds with black salt
Breaking out/ acne
Naarikolor (coconut balls)
Ragi satva/ Sutari (rice beans)
Water chestnut
Tamarind seeds roasted or soaked
Add –
· Milk to meals – will help you last longer without drop in energy or feelings of hunger· Ghee – to regulate blood sugars and to prevent overeating · Dahi – cools you down, restores electrolyte balance, prevents feelings of thirst· Soaked sabja – thermo-regulates, avoid constipation· Gulkand – prevents acidity & bloating· Eat till you feel light not dull.
Workout –· Don’t workout over a stuffed or empty stomach· Best time is either just after big namaaz (BN) or 60-90 mins of dinner post the BN· Post workout meal – within 20 mins of workout· Sip on water thru the workout· Do not increase intensity or volume during Ramzan· Work at being consistent with exercise, it helps regulate your appetite· Workout in well ventilated rooms to ensure a quick recovery· Pay attention to your warm up & cool down routines· Weight training, yoga, sport, riding cycles, swimming, running etc· Walking is an activity, walk through the day. Don’t wait for post namaaz to walk
Sleep –· Stay gadget free 60 mins prior bedtime· Regulate your bedtime
Hydration –· Avoid packaged juices/ colas/ store brought sherbets· Check that urine is crystal clear, stay well hydrated.· Not more than 3 cups of tea/ coffee per day and not as first or last thing in the day
· Avoid packaged foods – bhujiya/ chips/ biscuits/ ice-cream/ mithai (other than what is made at home)
January 18, 2016
Beyond weight loss series
Beyond weight loss – Interactions and life lessons
Sometimes it's easy to forget that there's more to life than weight loss, numbers on the scale and getting back into that skinny black dress. There are things that hold us back, there are things that we have not looked at or things that we have long forgotten and it's these little things which are the real big deal. It's these little things that rob us of a wholesome life and joyful existence. 'Beyond weight loss' is a small attempt to put the focus back on things that make us happy and let us breathe easy.
What is it?
A series of 12 open, honest interactions with experts in their chosen fields, facilitated by Rujuta Diwekar and her team. No commercial angle, no media involvement.
How can listeners participate?
You can either be a part of the small group who sits with wada paav and chai in our space in Khar, listening to people who speak from their hearts or you could simply tune in to the live webcast from the comforts of your home. Announcements and registrations will be made through Rujuta’s social media channels.
List of speakers for the 'Beyond weight loss series of interactions' in 2016
Date
Timing Name of speaker Topic Description of speaker Jan 23rd 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Shameem Akhtar No yoga without inversions Author and Yoga exponent from the Sivananda tradition.About the speaker - here
Feb 20th 11:00 am – 12 noon Madhav Pai Solving transportation woes Advocacy for sustainable urban spaces and cities.
About the speaker - here
Mar 19th 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Anand Rathi Why should women invest Leading financial and investment expert in India & S.E Asia.
About the speaker - here
Apr 16th 11:00 am – 12 noon Chintan Upadhyay Dhrupad the forgotten art The next big name on the Indian classical scene according to Shubha Mudgal.
About the speaker - here
May 21st
11:00 am – 12 noon Gaur Gopal Prabhu Women and spirituality Engineer by training and spiritual seeker by calling.
About the speaker - here
June 18th
11:00 am – 12 noon Suni Handa Entrepreneurship Runs a flagship program ‘Laboratory in Entrepreneurial Motivation’ (LEM) at IIM- A. The man behind more than 250 successful entrepreneurs.
About the speaker - here
Will update shortly for the sessions after June.
Pic from the first BWL session with Mr Anupam Kher.
December 9, 2015
Top 3 foods for the alluring shaadi glow
It’s the wedding day and you have butterflies the size of elephants in your stomach and not just figuratively. The stomach actually feels like its flopping out just when you want to look at your best, its your day after all. So first of all, relax. On the one hand, women’s magazines are supposed to empower us, on the other hand they tell us how to look on which day. But then this is NOT meant to be an article asking you to look a certain way on a certain day but to ask you to please use your brains. For many reasons, but for starters, the brain burns calories when we use it. And losing weight is something we would like because we want to look our best and by that we mean at our thinnest. But have we really thought this through? At what cost do we really want to lose weight? Is thinner necessarily prettier? Does it really empower you to wear “whatever you want”?
If we do use our brain then we realize that what really looks good on us is confidence and good health. That’s all that we need to look our best not just on D-day but day after day. Because what looks really ugly is gaining double the weight one has lost for shaadi within two months of being married. Its easy to not go down that road if we decide to chart our own path and define our beauty on how much in harmony we feel with our body, mind and emotions. Because really, its not worth living with someone if we haven’t even made the time to figure ourselves out. Thankfully, health, harmony and confidence come in the form of good food so its really easy to build on that.
Here are the top 3 foods that you must have all the time, especially for 3 months before your D-day, to reap their full benefits. (Note - Also these are foods for everyone who want that all elusive shaadi glow regardless).
1. Shudh desi ghee - The same one that your grandmom irritates you about. She’s told you all the benefits, all I can say is that the grand old lady who defies her age, has a point and you ought to be listening. You should have it because –
· It helps the mucus lining of the intestines thereby reducing the chances of bloating. Especially the one that comes with late night eating and sleepless nights. Now I would expect that thanks to all the late night romantic calls.
· The essential fatty acids in ghee lead to good assimilation of fat soluble vitamins, more specifically Vitamin E and add that touch of glow to your face.
· Increases flavor of food and therefore satiety, helps auto-reduce the portion size of every meal and the calories consumed.
Tip – Have 3-5 tsp of ghee everyday, preferably with meals.
2. Good old haldi – You don’t need me to sell you this idea, in all probability you are also going to have a haldi function. There are reasons why haldi is so celebrated, it helps you get off that soup salad regime and have regular dal-chawal-sabzi for dinner. And you do want to eat that haldi because -
· It is known for its ability to bust both physical and mental stress and trust me you are going to need it.
· Prevents infections and no one wants to land with a urinary tract or vaginal infection ever but surely not close to the Wedding day.
· Here’s an aesthetic reason – it helps the skin beat the effects of tannin and pigmentation and allows you to put your best face forward.
Tip – use turmeric in daily cooking, and preferably buy it from a small women’s organization to reap its full benefits.
3. Home set, full fat dahi and chaas – I said home set and full fat because I don’t want you buying packaged yogurt or fat free version. The beauty lies in the fat and without it, the curd is not of much use.
· It’s the tastiest and easiest way to provide your body with the gut friendly bacteria. Not just reduces bloating but actually gives the stomach a flat look.
· A good source of minerals like calcium, it helps strengthen the bone density and gives you a good toned versus a flabby look.
· India’s favorite digestive aid, it will actually allow you to metabolise the food that you are eating. Oral wisdom also says that it lets you metabolise or digest tough situations and wedding seasons offers you more than one tough situation. So bring on the lasssi.
Tip – have atleast few tea-spoons of dahi before stepping out for long shopping hours and parties. Will reduce the acidity that follows. Better still, carry chaas with you in a flask.
I wish you a long and healthy life and partnership with Mr. Right.
If we do use our brain then we realize that what really looks good on us is confidence and good health. That’s all that we need to look our best not just on D-day but day after day. Because what looks really ugly is gaining double the weight one has lost for shaadi within two months of being married. Its easy to not go down that road if we decide to chart our own path and define our beauty on how much in harmony we feel with our body, mind and emotions. Because really, its not worth living with someone if we haven’t even made the time to figure ourselves out. Thankfully, health, harmony and confidence come in the form of good food so its really easy to build on that.
Here are the top 3 foods that you must have all the time, especially for 3 months before your D-day, to reap their full benefits. (Note - Also these are foods for everyone who want that all elusive shaadi glow regardless).
1. Shudh desi ghee - The same one that your grandmom irritates you about. She’s told you all the benefits, all I can say is that the grand old lady who defies her age, has a point and you ought to be listening. You should have it because –
· It helps the mucus lining of the intestines thereby reducing the chances of bloating. Especially the one that comes with late night eating and sleepless nights. Now I would expect that thanks to all the late night romantic calls.
· The essential fatty acids in ghee lead to good assimilation of fat soluble vitamins, more specifically Vitamin E and add that touch of glow to your face.
· Increases flavor of food and therefore satiety, helps auto-reduce the portion size of every meal and the calories consumed.
Tip – Have 3-5 tsp of ghee everyday, preferably with meals.
2. Good old haldi – You don’t need me to sell you this idea, in all probability you are also going to have a haldi function. There are reasons why haldi is so celebrated, it helps you get off that soup salad regime and have regular dal-chawal-sabzi for dinner. And you do want to eat that haldi because -
· It is known for its ability to bust both physical and mental stress and trust me you are going to need it.
· Prevents infections and no one wants to land with a urinary tract or vaginal infection ever but surely not close to the Wedding day.
· Here’s an aesthetic reason – it helps the skin beat the effects of tannin and pigmentation and allows you to put your best face forward.
Tip – use turmeric in daily cooking, and preferably buy it from a small women’s organization to reap its full benefits.
3. Home set, full fat dahi and chaas – I said home set and full fat because I don’t want you buying packaged yogurt or fat free version. The beauty lies in the fat and without it, the curd is not of much use.
· It’s the tastiest and easiest way to provide your body with the gut friendly bacteria. Not just reduces bloating but actually gives the stomach a flat look.
· A good source of minerals like calcium, it helps strengthen the bone density and gives you a good toned versus a flabby look.
· India’s favorite digestive aid, it will actually allow you to metabolise the food that you are eating. Oral wisdom also says that it lets you metabolise or digest tough situations and wedding seasons offers you more than one tough situation. So bring on the lasssi.
Tip – have atleast few tea-spoons of dahi before stepping out for long shopping hours and parties. Will reduce the acidity that follows. Better still, carry chaas with you in a flask.
I wish you a long and healthy life and partnership with Mr. Right.
November 14, 2015
World Diabetes day from the Chirota’s point of view!
Hello friends. Not a very happy Diwali for me if you are asking who’s chirota. Don’t google, there’s no English name for me, I am a native just like you. The reason why I am writing is that just like native plants and fruits no one seems to care that I am about to be extinct. If I was an animal the WWF would put me on that critically endangered list. I am grateful for the long life I have had, I have seen the world go by and may be its just age (though my creator promised me that I was ageless like Bheeshma) but I am beginning to understand that no one quite cares about us native, traditional sweets. Not the government, no right wing group, no leftist, no atheist and of course no chef, dietitian or doctor.
At one point I was made with great fanfare during special occasions and Diwali celebration was incomplete without me. The entire family got together to make me, people from all genders and ages in the household contributed equally. And it wasn’t even fashionable for men to cook then, nor was there any Instagram for foodgasm or FB for live update. But then that was my ability, to bind and to keep it together, not just the sweetness through my flaky exterior, but the family through its apparent differences.
The maida, the white butter, the sugar and the final deep frying in ghee – from sieving the maida, to how the ingredients were mixed to the final colour and degree that I got deep fried too, every step recorded for hundreds of years in an unbroken chain of food culture passed from one generation to another. And done delicately and crisply – just like my true nature. You may not know of my delicate nature or crispiness if you haven’t bitten into me, just like how you wont know the fragrance of a rose if you have never held one in your hand.
After being made, I got shared with extended family, friends and neighbours whose families may not have the tradition of making me. And thus I not just acted as a medium of spreading sweetness but also acted like the glue that kept the society bonded.
Anyways the reason for my critically endangered status is the exact same that makes us a Diabetic nation – misinformation. And misinformation repeated multiple times by doctors, dietitians, etc., till it becomes the truth. And its not just me, I am just one sweet from Maharashtra but there are many like me across every region in India and I am not even counting the ones across the developing world who join me in this plight. But then every truth must be questioned before being accepted.
So I am my own voice and I want you to hear the truth. If you are reading this on laptop, phone, computer, you didn’t need me, free internet should have allowed you to have all this information, but then here goes –
1. Food is not the sum total of carbs, protein and fat, there’s much more there than meets the eye. And nutrition science is taking its own sweet time to get there.2. Sugar is not the problem, nor is it the solution, you are. If you drink sugarless tea with a biscuit in your hand (however tasteless the biscuit) you are just clueless. The American Diabetic association says that roughly about 10 – 15 teaspoons of sugar a day is healthy. Now trust me, even by Chirota standards that’s too much. In that much sugar I can feed 6 of you a super size me each.3. Addition of fat, especially the good old ghee, delays gastric emptying by up-regulating the response of a gut hormone called GLP-1. Basically this means that it lowers the glycemic index and helps regulate the blood sugar response. So adding ghee to food, in this case adding it to maida, lowers the glycemic index of maida which on its own is pretty high on the GI. Whether its hormonal imbalance, obesity or diabetes that you are fighting, adding ghee to your diet is a great idea.4. Even the USFDA in its recently reviewed guidelines confirmed that there is no upper limit on fat intake and that cholesterol is no longer a nutrient of concern for overconsumption. In short, they confirmed that when your dadi said eat ghee and eat as much as you want she was more updated on scientific truths than what USFDA’s current guidelines.5. So really, Diwali deserves to be celebrated with us native sweets that bring families and societies together and that’s not something that chocolates, cupcakes and mindlessly re-cycled gifts can ever do.
Where will you find a chirota?
Not at any fancy store, not when you unwrap fancy packing, its now made by small women’s groups or co-operatives. So till you don’t learn to make a chirota at home, know that every time you buy a chirota, you keep a woman in business, a child in school and a family financially capable of celebrating Diwali!
October 15, 2015
Food trends
Food trends come and go and leave behind a history of fat people!
Interestingly, they come to make us thinner than what we are, its just that it never works like that. Someone said of data analytics that you have to look at the past to know what is coming in the future. It’s the same with food trends. The game changer in any diet is what the latest villain gets replaced with. When fat was the villain in 70s, it got replaced with sugar and low fat products flooded the market. Today sugar or carb is the villain and fat is gaining new found glory. Soon the villain is going to be protein, veganism is a proof. Time and again, atleast modern nutrition history teaches us that when you make a villain out of a food product, 30 years later it comes back as the hero and what replaces it becomes the new villain. But, as a population who rather lose weight yesterday than make lifestyle changes today, learning, whether from the past or present, for a better future or atleast for a better body composition, is asking for too much.
Let’s look at three of the latest food trends:
1. Cold pressed juices
Any box that you can open for detox, cleansing, fat burn, etc, is a wonderful revenue model and gets the cash registers ringing. It takes more than a beautiful revenue model to give you detox/ cleanse/ fat loss though. You need to open your heart and think, how fresh is this kale/ apple/ beetroot, etc., in my “fresh juice”? All of us who are gifted with gums and teeth, can just make the cold pressed juice in our own mouth. That’s when it really works wonders. Eating a whole fruit would also mean that you take the pains to actually visit the market and pick the fresh fruit or seasonal vegetable yourself. That way, even the main ingredient’s purity, freshness, wholesomeness is guaranteed.
Its also about how you sell an idea. The good old aamras never got sold to us as cold pressed, hand crafted, polyphenols & fibre enriched, so we treat it with suspicion and link it to obesity. Not fair! We had it purely for its heavenly taste, and that’s the foolproof way to eat a fruit.
2. Paleo diet – (presumably what early humans ate -meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit and excluding anything cultivated, like grains).
India, China and other ancient, and therefore more evolved, civilizations, have grown and celebrated rice (Mohenjo-Daro had a flourishing trade in grains). Both India and China offer rice even to the dead, so if you are born into this DNA and gene pool, doubt you can escape it.
As for Paleo, it allows nuts which are just like grains, cultivated, not exactly growing in the wild. The “game”meat is not hunted with boulders and arrows but bought from a counter. So the risk of the genes interacting with the new environment is still very much prevalent. And then what about the grain free muffin, protein rich cookies and so on? Did the hunter-gatherer breed also make time to bake while living in their caves? For a culture like ours which doesn’t open boxes for breakfast or goes “take out”for lunch/ dinner, the meat based diet is not “wilder” or coarser than what we are currently eating. Also, making a villain out of any food group invariably leads to health issues, the carb-fever in the case of Paleo (where the body suffers from mild fever to full blown adrenal fatigue and hormonal imbalance).
So I guess one needs to look at ancestors in totality and give them more credit than being just hunters and gatherers and not overlook the value of eating wholesome, local and home-cooked, irrespective of where one lives.
3. Grow your own food
But everything is not so bleak, the hottest trend in food is the return of common sense. There is a, albeit a tiny and slowly growing, population of the been there, done that, hotshot NY banker, rich socialite, not taking a job post IIM variety that’s taking to farming. Real, hands on farming. It’s like the old left which respects the fact that it is capitalism which has afforded them the opportunity to farm. The good thing is that they are growing their own food, bartering it within their community and even selling it to those who will pay their price.
From haldi to curry patta, rice to mango, dudhi to avocado, they are growing it with pride and selling it with a halo. More power to this variety. I hope their numbers increase and that it leads to India owning its Mangoes and Bananas with pride and not gushing over the blue berries and kiwi. It will also be nice if this trend leads to the use of native or heir loom seeds to grow more indigenous species versus going for the modified higher yield variety.
Interestingly, they come to make us thinner than what we are, its just that it never works like that. Someone said of data analytics that you have to look at the past to know what is coming in the future. It’s the same with food trends. The game changer in any diet is what the latest villain gets replaced with. When fat was the villain in 70s, it got replaced with sugar and low fat products flooded the market. Today sugar or carb is the villain and fat is gaining new found glory. Soon the villain is going to be protein, veganism is a proof. Time and again, atleast modern nutrition history teaches us that when you make a villain out of a food product, 30 years later it comes back as the hero and what replaces it becomes the new villain. But, as a population who rather lose weight yesterday than make lifestyle changes today, learning, whether from the past or present, for a better future or atleast for a better body composition, is asking for too much.
Let’s look at three of the latest food trends:
1. Cold pressed juices
Any box that you can open for detox, cleansing, fat burn, etc, is a wonderful revenue model and gets the cash registers ringing. It takes more than a beautiful revenue model to give you detox/ cleanse/ fat loss though. You need to open your heart and think, how fresh is this kale/ apple/ beetroot, etc., in my “fresh juice”? All of us who are gifted with gums and teeth, can just make the cold pressed juice in our own mouth. That’s when it really works wonders. Eating a whole fruit would also mean that you take the pains to actually visit the market and pick the fresh fruit or seasonal vegetable yourself. That way, even the main ingredient’s purity, freshness, wholesomeness is guaranteed.
Its also about how you sell an idea. The good old aamras never got sold to us as cold pressed, hand crafted, polyphenols & fibre enriched, so we treat it with suspicion and link it to obesity. Not fair! We had it purely for its heavenly taste, and that’s the foolproof way to eat a fruit.
2. Paleo diet – (presumably what early humans ate -meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit and excluding anything cultivated, like grains).
India, China and other ancient, and therefore more evolved, civilizations, have grown and celebrated rice (Mohenjo-Daro had a flourishing trade in grains). Both India and China offer rice even to the dead, so if you are born into this DNA and gene pool, doubt you can escape it.
As for Paleo, it allows nuts which are just like grains, cultivated, not exactly growing in the wild. The “game”meat is not hunted with boulders and arrows but bought from a counter. So the risk of the genes interacting with the new environment is still very much prevalent. And then what about the grain free muffin, protein rich cookies and so on? Did the hunter-gatherer breed also make time to bake while living in their caves? For a culture like ours which doesn’t open boxes for breakfast or goes “take out”for lunch/ dinner, the meat based diet is not “wilder” or coarser than what we are currently eating. Also, making a villain out of any food group invariably leads to health issues, the carb-fever in the case of Paleo (where the body suffers from mild fever to full blown adrenal fatigue and hormonal imbalance).
So I guess one needs to look at ancestors in totality and give them more credit than being just hunters and gatherers and not overlook the value of eating wholesome, local and home-cooked, irrespective of where one lives.
3. Grow your own food
But everything is not so bleak, the hottest trend in food is the return of common sense. There is a, albeit a tiny and slowly growing, population of the been there, done that, hotshot NY banker, rich socialite, not taking a job post IIM variety that’s taking to farming. Real, hands on farming. It’s like the old left which respects the fact that it is capitalism which has afforded them the opportunity to farm. The good thing is that they are growing their own food, bartering it within their community and even selling it to those who will pay their price.
From haldi to curry patta, rice to mango, dudhi to avocado, they are growing it with pride and selling it with a halo. More power to this variety. I hope their numbers increase and that it leads to India owning its Mangoes and Bananas with pride and not gushing over the blue berries and kiwi. It will also be nice if this trend leads to the use of native or heir loom seeds to grow more indigenous species versus going for the modified higher yield variety.
September 9, 2015
The Gluten free fad
1. Why are many people (gluten-intolerant or not) switching to gluten-free diet?
Its amongst the latest trends, in the same vein as kale/ quinoa/ chia seeds. Most of us dont like to believe that eating right and exercising consistently will help us lose weight and stay off diseases. Like true love, we look for the elusive answer to our weight loss issues. And if it comes in the form of rubbishing home grown wisdom or neatly packaged from foreign shores, then we simply latch on to it. It makes us feel very cerebral about our weight loss.
Also most people think of weight loss as 'sab kuch try kar liya'. Gluten is one of the things in the list of sab kuch. There is something called the nocebo effect, similar to placebo, it makes you feel good because you are NOT doing something. Like avoiding gluten for example.
2. Is it easy for Indians to make the switch, considering that our diets consist of a high-dose of wheat based products?
Most of us living along the coast will almost never have a chapati and eat rice and rice preparations for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition to rice, all millets - jowar, bajra, nachni, etc are gluten free.
3. Which other Indian foods have gluten in them?
Wheat and wheat products have gluten. But most importantly everything thats pacakged - cakes, breads, biscuits etc will have gluten as it uses refined wheat flour. Typically when people used to avoid gluten 5 years earlier, they would feel better because that meant that they were avoiding packaged and processed food.
But now you have an entire industry of packaged food products that are gluten free. So you can eat the same cake, the same biscuit, the bread but its gluten free so it will be priced atleast 40% more than a product with gluten. The gluten free food industry is worth over 10 bn dollars the last time I checked.
4. Is there something like high gluten or low gluten? Does that or the amount of a gluten food intake make any difference?
The amount of packaged food you eat, whether or not gluten free, makes a difference to your health. Oats, for example, are always made in units that also package wheat, and I see a lot of people who avoid gluten eating oats. So clearly there is no intolerance there.
5. Is gluten free diet a life long promise or in a short period, it fixes the damage and one can go back to normal diet again?
There are a lot of 'non-nutrient compounds', which are essential for the body that you fall short on when you avoid gluten. Thats precisely why one study showed that people who avoided gluten over the last 5 years were fatter than people who did eat gluten in the last 5 years. The only thing that is sustainable long term without a side effect is eating in awareness.
6. Could you mention a famous personality case study to who gluten free diet helped immensely?
I never put anyone on gluten free diet, unless its a celiac disease.
7. Give us an exclusive day's plan on going gluten free.
Start with a fresh fruit. Have poha for breakfast. Dal rice for lunch. Thalipeeth or rajgeera chiki as a mid meal and for an evening snack. Khcihdi dahi or dahi chawal for dinner. Sound exotic enough? ;)
This is the full version of the interview published in Mumbai Mirror on 7th Sep, 2015.
July 30, 2015
Top 5 Indian food secrets that help you kill cellulite (stretch marks)
Almost everyone is worried about stretch marks/ cellulite. Almost everyone thinks that there is no cure. Almost everyone has spent money on creams/ oils/ gels that dont really help. And almost everyone has ignored the open secrets from the Indian kitchen that actually help prevent cellulite and even get rid of existing ones.
So here are the top 5 Indian foods to get rid of cellulite -
1. Kharvas/ Cheek/ Bari or Colostrum - Rich in antibodies and growth factors like IGF-1 it not just helps burn fat but also works at visibly reducing stretch marks from the skin.
2. Kokum - Has made it to the list of UN's list of NUS (Neglected and under utilised species) for its multiple nutritional benefits but more relevant for us here is the HCA, hydroxy citric acid, that prevents lipogenesis, i.e. build up of fat stores.
3. Ghee - No list of Indian foods can be complete without it. Rich in SCFA (short chain fatty acid), Butyric acid, it prevents inflammation of not just the intestines but all the tissues of the body and ensures that nothing pops out of that smooth skin of yours.
4. Banana flower - rich in enzymes and its ability to strike the right hormonal balance (specially in women) it ensures that stretch marks dont even begin to appear on your body. No wonder it enjoys the reputation of preventing menstrual pain and excess bleeding (hormonal balance).
5. Kesar - Celebrated world over for its ability to give you a smooth skin and glowing complexion, kesar is rich in aromatic volatile compounds that help keep the free radicals (metabolites that can cause skin damage or ageing) under check. PS- is also the secret therapy for premature ejaculation.
So here are the top 5 Indian foods to get rid of cellulite -
1. Kharvas/ Cheek/ Bari or Colostrum - Rich in antibodies and growth factors like IGF-1 it not just helps burn fat but also works at visibly reducing stretch marks from the skin.
2. Kokum - Has made it to the list of UN's list of NUS (Neglected and under utilised species) for its multiple nutritional benefits but more relevant for us here is the HCA, hydroxy citric acid, that prevents lipogenesis, i.e. build up of fat stores.
3. Ghee - No list of Indian foods can be complete without it. Rich in SCFA (short chain fatty acid), Butyric acid, it prevents inflammation of not just the intestines but all the tissues of the body and ensures that nothing pops out of that smooth skin of yours.
4. Banana flower - rich in enzymes and its ability to strike the right hormonal balance (specially in women) it ensures that stretch marks dont even begin to appear on your body. No wonder it enjoys the reputation of preventing menstrual pain and excess bleeding (hormonal balance).
5. Kesar - Celebrated world over for its ability to give you a smooth skin and glowing complexion, kesar is rich in aromatic volatile compounds that help keep the free radicals (metabolites that can cause skin damage or ageing) under check. PS- is also the secret therapy for premature ejaculation.
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