A background:
So hither is a small-scale background on the genesis of this blog. I direct maintain ever had an involvement inwards cooking in addition to ever expect at trying novel things. I came from a vegetarian menage unit of measurement that was real concerned nearly wellness every bit well, so I did had a footling background of salubrious cooking. In fact, my dad has written a mass on natural living dorsum inwards India. I come upwards from Kerala where the basic diet is nonetheless real healthy, though Indian nutrient was becoming unhealthier yesteryear the twenty-four hr catamenia because every bit people got richer so did their nutrient too.
Before coming into the U.S. xiii years back, most people nosotros were nether the impression (like many others) that U.S. is a real salubrious country, amongst the likes of all the athletes/sportsmen in addition to the Hollywood stars. Even after coming into the province initially nosotros felt that anything nosotros acquire hither is healthy, fifty-fifty things that come upwards inwards boxes, every bit it comes from a reputed large society in addition to amongst agencies similar FDA/USDA, etc. at that topographic point is strict command on all things related to food/health. So all breakfast cereals were idea to hold upwards salubrious in addition to amend than the steamed idli or puttu (I cringe immediately on the thought). The juices inwards the box looked squeamish were also idea to hold upwards amend than H2O or kokosnoot H2O in addition to luckily nosotros did non venture into Sodas yet. So gullible do nosotros move ( inwards spite of the 2 of us having a master’s degree) in addition to believe that capitalism ensures all checks in addition to balances. Having said that, nosotros cannot generalize on the province because at that topographic point are also a lot of expert things happening inwards the U.S. that is exterior of the mainstream, in addition to fifty-fifty nosotros started learning nearly most of the positive possibilities from here.
The turning betoken in addition to the learning:
Then a few things happened along inwards life that caused us to pause, ponder in addition to query our lifestyle in addition to our nutrient choices. One was when I was diagnosed amongst a possibility of a medical status (which thankfully was a simulated alarm). This made us do a lot of reading of the nutrient nosotros eat in addition to nosotros started to acquire to a greater extent than educated nearly expert nutrient choices in addition to having a holistic sentiment of health. The other is when my son’s cast instructor read Michael Pollen’s ‘Omnivores Dilemma’ to the class, in addition to my boy used to come upwards dwelling every twenty-four hr catamenia in addition to educate us on what he learnt from class. This got both of us interested (and excited at the same time) inwards learning to a greater extent than nearly the origin, ingredients, procedure involved inwards commercial nutrient available. During this time, nosotros also watched the moving-picture demonstrate Food Inc which was some other optic opener. We were shocked to acquire what nosotros discovered from all of this, in addition to the to a greater extent than nosotros tried to dig in, the to a greater extent than bad intelligence nosotros found. There were quite a few merely about us who said that why elbow grease to uncovering what is behind the nutrient in addition to and then uncovering that nosotros cannot eat them, so beingness ignorant was better. I beg to differ, in addition to experience that the most of import thing is for i to know in addition to hold upwards aware of what is inwards the food, in addition to and then to brand the optimal selection based on the situation. I tin listing downwardly to a greater extent than than 100 things which mightiness surprise many, but hither are a few examples:
- Organic: Most fresh fruits in addition to veggies are loaded amongst pesticides that you lot cannot eat them raw or cooked, it is expert to hold upwards aware of what are the worst gain on this listing that you lot tin expect for organic produce. Many people know this, yet do non purchase organics. In fact, at that topographic point are some I know that tell veggies/fruits are total of pesticides, so they prefer taking meat instead :-), which makes for a expert joke but non funny inwards existent life.
- GMOs: H5N1 whole lot of nutrient nosotros eat inwards this province is genetically modified. It has real board effects on wellness in addition to environment, in addition to at that topographic point is no agency i tin avoid GMO food. Most peanuts, corn, oats in addition to rice produced inwards the U.S. are GMO, in addition to along amongst a hoard of other fruits in addition to vegetables. GMOs are idea to hold upwards the major factor inwards the ascent of allergies inwards the US, field also contributing to many other wellness issues. The shocking fact is all infant formula inwards the U.S. is loaded amongst GMO stuff, in addition to at the same fourth dimension doctors inquire parents to refrain from giving them some natural foods till they are 2-3, funny Earth nosotros alive in.
- Breakfast cereals: These are the worst possible breakfast you lot tin direct maintain every bit it is loaded amongst bad saccharide in addition to hoards of chemicals in addition to unwanted stuff. Also, corn is the unhealthiest grain out at that topographic point in addition to Americans (humans in addition to cattle alike) are beingness forcefulness fed corn yesteryear the nutrient industry. Most people (including me) who had been on a expert traditional breakfast moved to eat this junk thinking it is healthy, in addition to I am glad that this was i of the commencement things I moved away from. I nonetheless know a lot of unopen friends amongst wellness weather who eat exclusively processed cereals inwards the forenoon thinking it volition brand them healthy.
- Processed food: All nutrient that come upwards inwards boxes or packed is loaded amongst unknown chemicals, gmo ingredients, bad saccharide in addition to salt. Checkout the ingredients on the nutrient you lot purchase in addition to if you lot cannot brand sense out of it, in addition to then don’t purchase it. After all, if you lot were to acquire inwards at home, you lot would empathise each particular when you lot expect at the ingredient list. In general, if whatever particular has to a greater extent than than v ingredients, at that topographic point is something incorrect amongst it, in addition to inwards most cases a whole lot is incorrect amongst it.
- Special ingredients: There are many ingredients used yesteryear the nutrient manufacture that nosotros would non fifty-fifty imagine to swallow every bit it is non food, yet they are inwards the bulk of processed foods. One expert representative is Gelatin which is made from the waste materials from the meat in addition to leather industry. It is made from pork, horses, in addition to cattle/cow bones in addition to skins, or dissever cattle hides. It is a fundamental ingredient inwards most yogurts, viscid bears, fruit snacks, marshmallows, gelatin desserts in addition to many to a greater extent than products targeted at kids. Most vegetarians are unaware of this in addition to direct maintain all of this on a regular basis. I know most Indian vegetarians inwards the U.S. purpose a lot of gelatin filled yogurt. Would it non hold upwards amend if you lot know nearly this in addition to and then brand the correct choice?
- The all-powerful nutrient industry: This is i of the most powerful manufacture grouping inwards the province in addition to exclusively cares for profits. They consider everything inwards price of how much coin they tin brand per unit of measurement of the world or per brute or per person, wellness of a client does non matter. So their focus is inwards how they tin acquire you lot addicted to processed/junk nutrient in addition to brand you lot purchase to a greater extent than of it.
The alter in addition to our novel guiding principles:
During the initial years the focus of my cooking was on gustation in addition to I also felt that if I ready at home, in addition to then it is ordinarily salubrious (which is nonetheless valid, but at that topographic point are other factors). I direct maintain immediately realized that field cooking at dwelling is important, what is to a greater extent than of import are what nosotros ready in addition to how nosotros ready (and do nosotros actually quest to cook?). I direct maintain also realized that the existent gustation lies inwards the most natural of ingredients, in addition to what nosotros gustation from store/restaurant is non the natural taste. We are non tied downwardly amongst a specific diet, similar to telephone band ourselves every bit Flexiterians (flexible vegetarians).
We are predominantly vegetarians, amongst a small-scale dose of sustainably caught fish added to our diet. Vegan in addition to raw nutrient diets are wonderful in addition to has their merits, in addition to nosotros love both of those concepts. I am non a vegan nor do I subscribe to a completely industrial plant life based diet. I empathise the wellness benefits of getting your daily calorie intake every bit good every bit your nutrition intake from industrial plant life based food. I also empathise the adverse effects of consuming large amounts of brute products. I compass myself a few exceptions on my plant-based diet. I grew upwards inwards India, the the world of Ayurveda in addition to other ancient medicines. I direct maintain read nearly (and experienced every bit well) the medicinal, therapeutic in addition to nutritional benefits of ghee. I believe that consuming ghee inwards small-scale amounts is real beneficial if non essential. It has been used over centuries yesteryear Ayurvedic practitioners amongst expert results. Another i is yogurt, which is an essential business office of the South Indian diet. I believe the homemade yogurt is our best source of daily probiotics (which is so essential for health) in addition to I am non ready to forgo that. Finally, milk, yogurt in addition to ghee are essential business office of our religion, tradition in addition to folklore. Having said that, nosotros direct maintain reduced our dairy intake in addition to nosotros elbow grease to acquire whole milk that is local in addition to organic, in addition to definitely non from a dairy factory.
We direct maintain also supplemented milk amongst almond or kokosnoot milk (both freshly prepared), in addition to nosotros direct maintain started liking cheese for the commencement fourth dimension via cashew cheese :-). We also similar to direct maintain wild caught fish i time inwards a while. Try to direct maintain some of our diet to hold upwards raw. I also love to ready (and eat) our traditional Kerala dishes, which is inwards full general on the salubrious side. So field nosotros are non vegans or vegetarians or raw-foodies, nosotros are a mix of all of that in addition to would similar to telephone band us every bit Flexitarians :-).
Here is what I consider every bit the guiding principles to my cooking:
Ingredients: Wholesome, natural, sustainable
- Buy the most natural/wholesome cast of the ingredients. So no kokosnoot milk inwards cans for me, merely pure kokosnoot in addition to I brand the milk from it. Same amongst peanut/almond butter, I acquire raw organic nuts in addition to brand my ain butter.
- Completely eliminated processed nutrient – whatever nutrient that comes inwards a packet or can
- Try to purchase organic every bit much every bit possible, best is local organic, else local without pesticides, else organic from a grocery shop similar WholeFoods/Trader Joe’s.
- Completely avoid GMO – the exclusively agency to do that is to halt buying whatever packed/processed foods, in addition to buying local/organic
- Always purchase things which are expert for the environment, the small-scale farmers in addition to for humans, in addition to elbow grease to avoid things that drive harm. No, nosotros are not Buddha or Gandhi, but it merely makes us experience good, is that non a expert reason?, perhaps you lot tin telephone band us selfish :-)
Cooking process: Quick, Healthy, Raw or Mild cooking
- I ready three meals a twenty-four hr catamenia in addition to prefer to direct maintain freshly cooked food. I direct maintain been doing this all my life, field at operate or field taking a recess from work.
- Having a fulltime job, I direct maintain express fourth dimension available for cooking, so I prefer to brand my cooking unproblematic in addition to quick.
- Raw is best, it tastes awesome in addition to your trunk volition tell so too, but don’t trammel to merely raw
- I don’t overcook every bit it spoils the gustation in addition to kills the nutrients
- If I don’t acquire the correct ingredients, I expect to substitute amongst some other whole ingredient instead of getting the canned or bottled version of the original.
The Results:
The alter inwards our nutrient choices was non a quick i stride change, it has evolved over a catamenia of 2-3 years in addition to nosotros are nonetheless evolving every bit nosotros acquire more. The commencement major alter nosotros did was inwards moving to consuming to a greater extent than vegetables, fruits in addition to whole ingredients. We in addition to then switched to some organic gain in addition to afterward to generally organic in addition to non-GMO, in addition to included a lot of raw nuts into our food. The final stride was inwards moving to a to a greater extent than raw-food in addition to vegan based diet, in addition to eliminating all processed/canned/packaged foods. I would non similar to brag nearly the wellness improvements nosotros direct maintain seen because i never knows what is inwards shop inwards the futurity every bit at that topographic point are a lot of things beyond our control, but nosotros tin nonetheless do things from our halt in addition to leave of absence the repose to a higher element. Having said that, nosotros believe nutrient plays the biggest business office inwards wellness in addition to the results nosotros direct maintain seen are real encouraging. In general, the instances of us getting sick has gone downwardly drastically too. We also establish that all our wellness numbers changed to the positive side, including expert cholesterol increasing in addition to bad cholesterol decreasing (raw nuts in addition to kokosnoot did the trick), our saccharide levels went downwardly (though nosotros took to a greater extent than natural sugars via fresh fruits/juice, dates, dear in addition to palm sugar). One could come across alter on the physical side too, peculiarly for me. My married adult man in addition to boy did non direct maintain much to lose, but fifty-fifty for them the alter was at that topographic point to see. As for me, I direct maintain tried to shed a few pounds inwards the yesteryear via practise in addition to dissimilar diets, but hither all I did was to eat what I liked in addition to inwards a thing of half dozen months I became lighter yesteryear 25 pounds. I was quite surprised too, but I know in addition to realize that at that topographic point is a lot of ability behind expert food.
What nosotros experience nearly the change:
Beyond the looks in addition to numbers, what is to a greater extent than of import is the fact that nosotros experience so expert mentally also amongst our nutrient choices every bit it has so many benefits:
- Eating the nutrient nosotros love, all made at dwelling in addition to fresh
- Food that is tasty in addition to immensely healthy, in addition to made amongst the best ingredients (organic fruits, vegetables in addition to grains inwards its most natural form)
- Food that is ethical in addition to does non impairment animals or the environment
- Food via sustainable methods that provides for futurity generations
- Support small-scale organic farmers in addition to local communities, in addition to hence portion the profits instead of it going into large multinational firms
- Works out cheaper every bit good every bit nosotros avoid all processed foods
- Make ourselves healthier in addition to expect better
- Make us experience expert nearly what nosotros do
So that is the story of my blog. Thank you lot for reading. Next fourth dimension I promise, I volition hold upwards dorsum amongst a recipe. Now off to some biking every bit business office of Family Health in addition to Fitness Day 2013.
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