Vegetarian Vitality

In this video, British chef Jamie Oliver presents the issue of childhood obesity, particularly in America and urges us to all do something about it. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, recently  launched her “Let’s Move” campaign in February to raise awareness about childhood obesity.

According to Oliver, the current generation of children is set to live 10 years fewer than their parents because of obesity.

But what can each of us do to make a difference?  Taking the decision to eat fresh, local foods that are organic where possible is a first step. And sharing our knowledge of food and cooking with others or supporting those who do is another. Other ideas are offered in the video so please watch it and share your comments and ideas below.

Growing up I always associated cinnamon with sweet dishes and still like to add it to cooked apple. Apart from its very pleasant flavour, this spice is a strong anticeptic and can be used to sweeten the breath, purify the mouth and throat and strengthen the gums. It is also considered to lower blood sugar levels and ease colds.

Cinnamon is said to originate from the cinnamon tree, a small tree mainly grown in Sri Lanka. However, the dried bark of the cassia tree is native to South India. Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices because it is mentioned in the Egyptian scrolls, sanskrit texts and the Bible.

Ayurveda Advice

In Ayurveda it is good for Kapha and Vata because it is heating. Cinnamon has the sweet, pungent and astringent tastes. It helps to promote digestion and eases flatulence and indigestion. Useful for those of a weak constituion, it can be used with chamomile for stomach upsets.

Tip: Once bought store your cinnamon sticks in the dark in an air-tight jar. The taste of cinnamon powder is stronger but its flavour fades more quickly.

Recipe Time! – Spice Tea Muffins

2 handfuls dried fruit e.g. raisins, apricots, dates, figs (soaked – overnight if possible – and cut into pieces)
125 mls non-refine olive oil
125 grs unrefine cane sugar
200 mls Rooiboish tea
300 grs spelt/kamut flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1.      Pre-heat the oven at Gas Mark 4 (350-375°F,180 – 190°C).
2.      Put individual paper muffin cases in a muffin tin.
3.      Put all the dry ingredients – flour, cinnamon, cardamom, bicarbonate of soda – (except the sugar) into one bowl and mix.
4.      Put the wet/moist ingredients – soaked dried fruit, oil, water,  – and the sugar into another bowl and mix.
5.      Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl containing the wet ingredients.
6.      Mix well. The mixture will fall easily from the spoon.
7.      Pour the mixture into the baking tin.
8.      Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes. You will be able to smell the muffins when they are ready.

What’s next?

1. Go shopping for the ingredients you don’t have – organic if possible.
2. Make and start enjoying the cake and share your experiences with us.

Turmeric is one spice which has received a lot of good press, particularly for its role in helping to beat cancer. In his book “Anti-cancer“, the doctor David Servan-Schreiber indicates that turmeric is
« a spice with astonishing properties … one of the most common ingredients used in Ayurvedic medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties. »

Turmeric has a heating action on the body but it also cleans the blood and stimulates the formation of new blood tissue. It is good for hyperacidity and helps heal stomach ulcers.

This root spice probably came from Indonesia and Malaysia where it has been consumed for thousands of years. Arab traders then brought it to Europe.

It is sold in powder form after being cooked and dryed. With the balancing effect it has on all, turmeric enhances digestion, especially of proteins, and increases the metabolism. Black pepper improves turmeric’s action to help it pass through the intestinal wall and thus be much easier to assimilate into the body.

Advice in Ayurveda

In Ayurveda, it has long been know that turmeric has many healing properties which include antiseptic, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory especially for arthritis and skin disorders. It is pungent and bitter in taste and can ease liver and stomach complaints and improve intestinal flora. A pinch of turmeric is also said to make it easier to digest milk.

Tip: Once you have bought turmeric it’s best to store it in the dark.

Recipe Time!

- Simple kitcharee (or rice & lentils)

(adapted from my book “Plans for dinner?”)

Serves 4 (as side dish)

100 grams basmati rice
100 grams red lentils
pinch salt
water (2x the amount of rice and lentils)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1. Wash the rice and the lentils until the water is clear (at least 4 times).
2. Put the rice, lentils, salt, turmeric and water into a pot and stir well.
3. Bring everything to the boil and keep boiling for 5 minutes.
4. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Cover, turn off the heat and leave to rest.
6. Serve with sautéed vegetables or salad for a simple meal.

What next?
1. Enjoy this dish and share your experiences with us below.

“Am I eating enough protein, especially as I want to move towards becoming a vegetarian?”

According to the World Health Organization we need a maximum of 10-15% protein in our daily diet. (This is, for example, the equivalent of 27 – 45 grams for a woman weighing 60 kg). This is not a large amount and most of us in the West easily take in more on a daily basis. 

And since we are able to store protein, as long as we are eating a varied whole-food diet every day, we’ll be getting enough protein, even if we decide to take it in plant form. 

In Ayurveda we are not told that we have to be vegetarian. What is important is to be conscious about what we are eating in relation to our activity or intended activity. Meat is intrinsically heavy and requires a lot of energy to digest. It is a very concentrated source of energy at all levels.

Traditional nutritional systems, like the Chinese and Ayurveda, sometimes suggest small amounts of meat as a quick way to build strength in tissues. However, questions are often raised nowadays about the quality of the meat because of how animals are kept and meat processed.

Simply put I have always found it much easier to get hold of quality plant-based protein sources. As a lacto-vegetarian, I eat dairy products occasionally but no red meat, fowl, fish or eggs. My diet consists mainly of whole-foods including nuts, seeds, pulses, grains, vegetables and fruits, all of which contain enough protein for me to cover my protein needs very well and consciously.

Moreover, a plant-based diet offers a lighter alternative to one that is meat-based. It can support those recovering from illness because less energy is used for digestion and more is left for the body to use in healing processes.

(c) 2009 Janet Gomez

About the author:  Janet Gomez, nutritional consultant, produces the “Nutri-Jyoti News”, a free bi-monthly e-newsletter for busy professionals. Feel ready to learn how to use nutritional strategies to manage your energy levels? Then sign up for her FREE e-course “5 Nutritional Keys to Vitality in your Life” at http://www.nutrijyoti.com

When talking about weight this is one term I tend to avoid because it could have a negative connotation.

A friend  I was speaking to recently expressed my thoughts perfectly when she said she felt that this term meant that the weight  “could be found again”. How beautiful and how apt! This may be the subconscious thought that is behind a lot of weight issues.

Clearly most people who decide they want to lose weight do not want to “find it again” i.e. see it coming back, yet  simply by using this term, by focusing on what they have to lose, they are likely to be setting themselves up to attract back a need to lose. 

Another reason people might not succeed with their weight loss is because they are afraid what else they may lose with the weight.

Many clients whom I see have a goal to achieve a desired weight. One of the main issues they have which stops them from moving forward with their goal is their limiting belief about food and, in particular, food cravings.

A short time ago I was fortunate to meet and interview AnaMaria Herrera, an expert in the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). She has created a system to deal with food cravings and outlines five key points that can help individuals successfully to achieve their desired weight.

1. Have a mentor – a professional who has expertise and can guide you to achieve your health goals
2. Find other people like yourself who want to achieve same goal as you
   (watch your inbox for  details of a Nutri-Jyoti group I’m setting up to help you find a “buddy” and to get support from me and others in the Nutri-Jyoti Community) Start using a technique to work on limiting beliefs
3. Engage in movement or exercise that you enjoy
4. Educate yourself about eating and food choices

To discover more about EFT and this exciting system (iamcravingfree.com) to help you reach your health and weight goals, click on the play button to listen to the interview. (Do let me know if you have any problems.)

Phone interview with AnaMaria Herrera, Agent EFT
Feel free to share your thoughts on this post with me below.