One Meal A day..OMAD

A stage comes in everyone’s life when he or she becomes aware that his or her health is not what he or she desires. Everyone wants to have lean physically fit body. 

Our body is like a machine. When born it’s every organ is brand new and works most efficiently. As we grow from childhood, most of us are oblivious of our bodies. Machine is working properly. 

Slowly and slowly, as we grow older, machine become less efficient. It needs the repairs and services. At this stage, many diseases like blood pressure, diabetes and obesity appear which if not addressed to timely will take more harmful conditions.

Many factors like genetics, sedantary life style, indulgence in synthetic foods, drinking and smoking are responsible for such conditions. The visits to the doctors begin.

We daily hear about many dietary regimes being propagated by those who want to make money by this.

The science behind the weight gain is quite simple and based on the principle that mass and energy are two sides of the same coin. Energy is taken in by the body in the form of food especially fat and proteins. The expenditure of energy s basal energy consumption by body and the physical activity done by you. If energy intake is more than consumption, the extra energy will be stored in our bodies in the form of fat both internal and external.

So weight correction is basically the balance between daily intake of energy plus some stored energy and the energy expended in physical activity.

So the rule is to reduce intake of energy by cutting down the richness components and increase in the intake of salads, green vegetables, nuts and plenty of water and stepping up the exercises by walking, yoga, bicycling, running and doing house chores.

The practice of eating one meal a day, also known as OMAD, involves consuming all of one’s daily calorie needs in a single meal and fasting for the rest of the day. While this approach to eating has gained popularity in recent years, it is important to note that it may not be suitable for everyone and should be approached with caution.

Some potential benefits of one meal a day include improved insulin sensitivity, weight loss, and increased mental clarity.

However, it is important to ensure that the single meal consumed is balanced and provides all the necessary nutrients for good health.

Individuals with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes or eating disorders, should not attempt one meal a day without consulting with a healthcare professional first.

Additionally, it is important to ensure that one’s daily caloric needs are met in the single meal consumed to avoid potential health complications.

Overall, one meal a day can be a viable approach to eating for some individuals, but it is important to approach it safely and in consultation with a healthcare professional.

Remember, there is no shortcut or fast track method to become leaner and it requires time, patience and persistence. Neither dieting nor exercise should be done in extreme which can cause more harm than benefits. 

Some good references for OMAD:

The dos and don’ts of eating one meal a day (OMAD)

One Meal A Day (OMAD) Diet: Safety, Benefits, Risks

Everything You Need To Know About the OMAD Diet

Bitter Melon!??

Karela aka Bitter gourd is bitter but it is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals. Bitter gourd contains iron, magnesium, vitamins, and potassium. The calcium and potassium content in it is twice that of spinach and banana.

https://www.organicauthority.com/live-grow/why-bitter-melon-needs-to-be-in-both-your-garden-and-your-kitchenter
Bitter Melon

Are you surprised to know that it is not a vegetable but a fruit. It belongs to the family of Melons which are known for their sweetness and are popular all over the world. It is called “BITTER MELON

melonshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/07/19/melons-tips-watermelon-cantaloupe-honeydew/

Karela is a native of Indian subcontinent and now it has been established that it contains a insulin like compound polypeptide-p which helps in regulating the blood sugar.

Karela contains potassium which helps to reduce the blood pressure by replacing some of the sodium responsible for increasing blood pressure.

It improves the skin and hair. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamins A and C.


Even USA is going to take its farming in a big way recognising it’s benefits.

https://sakasaka.net/bitter-melon-juices-7-health-benefits.html

Perhaps when God was distributing goodness to the family of Melons, all the sweetness was bestowed upon its brothern. It was feeling sad as it’s taste was very bitter and it was ruing the fact that due to the bitter taste nobody will like it.

But God blessed it and said “My son, I can’t make you sweet but i will bless you with so many nutrients and medicinal properties that you will outshine all your siblings and become a darling of the human beings”

Revival of Govardhan Parvat

In our country where mythology plays a big role in the lives of its inhabitants, many sites like hills, rivers, and caves have their associations with the mythology. One such concerns the Lord Krishna and is called Govardhan Parvat (mountain).

Govardhan Parvat

The legend is that when the continuous deluge threatened to innundate Mathura, Krishna lifted the entire mountain on his little finger to make an umbrella to protect the Mathura.

UP government has planned to revive the almost barren Govardhan parvat situated about 23 kilometres from Mathura. Government plans to plant the herbal plants on the mountain. These are:

Kadamba: It is a tropical tree. Krishna and Radha are said to have conducted their love play under the cool shade of the tree. It is used as one of the raw materials in the preparation of “itars”.

Kadamb Tree

Tamala or Indian bayleaf or tezpatta: Dried leaves are commonly used in Indian cooking. It contains antioxidant enzymes which is used in alleviation of diabetes.

Tezpatta

Karira: Scientific name is Capparis decidua. It’s spicy fruits are used for culinary purposes like vegetable, curries, and pickles. It is also used in medicine.

Karira (Capparis Decidua)

Paakar : Scientifically called Ficus Virens. It belongs to mulberry family. Leaves have sour taste. It is also called Pilkhan. The fruits are used in Thai Cuisine.

Revival of local rice varieties in India

In order to increase the yield of rice to meet the needs of food in the country, high yield laboratory engineered rice varieties also called hybrid varieties have replaced the local varieties which yield less all over the country. Many areas like Punjab and Haryana in North India which were not rice growing areas have become the major rice growers. This though has helped the Green Evolution and commercialised the farming, has played havoc by excessive water drainage from the underground and contamination of water by heavy metals present in the fertilisers and insecticides which cause many diseases. But the white or polished rice that whole of our country people have become accustomed to have less beneficial nutrients and more starch which increases the risk of diseases like diabetes.

Paddy crop plantation

Some farmers in the rice growing West Bengal are trying to reverse this trend by resorting to grow the local varieties which despite being low yielding have nutritional value which more than compensate the low yield. One such farmer is Bhairav Saini who lives in Bankura, about 200 km from Kolkata.

For several years now,  he and many farmers are engaged in this task in many districts of West Bengal. Growing the rice by traditional methods without use of fertilisers and insecticides, in fact this also lowers the cost of growing the crops.

Saini, and several others in Hooghly, Dinajpur and 24 South Parganas, in West Bengal, have been engaged in reviving lost, indigenous paddy varieties of Bengal, simply because they’re cognizant of the health benefits of grains grown the traditional way. Burdwan, the rice bowl of Bengal now grows organic Gobindobhog rice in over 30,000 hectares of land. Besides Gobindobhog, other old varieties of scented rice like Radhatilak, Kalonunia, Kalojeera, Tulsimukun etc are also gaining popularity slowly. These have a high mineral and vitamin content along with other health benefits.

Unlike his peers in North India, Saini is not driven by profit making but due to his concern for the health issues of the people. As the times are changing and organic products are a buzzword, the rice they are now growing have started fetching higher prices. Some of the local varieties they are reviving have names like Kala Bhaat, Bohurupee, Leelabati, Durga bhog, Oli, Radhunipagol, Kalo nunia, Katari bhog, Radha tilak, Kalash and so on. Setting up the seed banks is also an important endeavour.

Inputs from an article published in the Economics Times of India.

Wholesome Rice!!

Rice is the staple diet of majority of world’s population. Asian people mostly eat rice with vegetables and lentils. Annapurna is the Hindu god of rice. Her name comes from the Sanskrit word for rice, “anna”. She is often depicted with a rice spoon in her hand.

What is the rice? It’s white part is the carbohydrates: precursor of sugar of the energy. The colour of rice comes from its outer shell or ‘bran’ which holds much of its nutritional value. It’s the bran or the coating which contains minerals and other micronutrients.

When rice is processed (milled) much of the nutritional value is lost when the bran is removed. The result is pure white rice which is high in energy(starch) and low in micronutrients. Polished rice are not good for the diabetic people.

Because milled rice has lots of energy but few vitamins and minerals, it must be eaten with other foods to get a proper people balanced diet.

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