Six healthy foods to get over Maggi

The Maggi controversy is refusing to die down… it is, in fact, being stretched and mined optimally to whet the appetite of us Indians who haven’t really tasted a food recall this big before…

It’ll eventually peter out in good time, but I hope one learning that sticks out in this noisy brouhaha is that convenient, quick (results) deliverer, expensive (so must be good)… are not the promises that pave the way for well-being. Instead, they reek of a bandaid approach to health. They don’t go down deep. Please understand, and quit looking for overpriced, quick-fix solutions for health and beauty.

Now to cheer you up, here’s a list of natural foods that provide more bang for your buck and deliver big. Going natural will obviously be a comparatively slower process… but a safe and super effective one. And one that won’t pinch your pocket, looks and health one bit.

Pep up

Stop depending on energy drinks to pep up. They do more harm that good. Look towards sprouts instead. Sprouts are an excellent source of enzymes - and our body need lots of enzymes to keep us on the go (they act as catalyst for the biochemical reactions that keep our body functioning).

Unfortunately when we cook (even overcook) our foods, the heat kills a lot of the enzymes present naturally in food. With sprouts you can get a stockpile of these energy boosting enzymes - very easily.

Zap that pimple

Mushrooms are probiotic – the magic "get healthy" buzz word of this generation. They help our body fight off illness by helping restore our natural resistance to diseases. Plus they are high in zinc, which doesn’t just boost our immunity but also helps ward off irritating acne that pop up every now and then.

So to counter just sauté these fungi every now and then and dig in. Now that’s an interesting alternative to expensive cosmetic treatments to prevent the pimples, don’t you think! And recent research has clearly proven that common white button mushrooms have as much antioxidant properties as its more expensive varieties, so no need to burn a whole in your pocket too.

Take heart

Red wine too expensive to guzzle every day? Don’t lose heart, simply make a cup of hot cocoa (heat helps trigger release of more antioxidants) every evening and get the same, maybe even more heart friendly benefits.

Cocoa in fact has extremely high levels of antioxidants (according to some reports twice as much as red wine, and nearly three times stronger than green tea). Plus it is even better, and cheaper than a bar of chocolate, as chocolate has relatively larger amounts of saturated fats.

Skin lift anyone?

Eat more oranges instead of spending money on Botox. Why?

'Coz they keep skin’s vitamin C levels high. C is not just a nifty antioxidant, it also helps keep collagen, the supportive protein fibers that stop skin from sagging strong and resilient (flimsy collagen equals lines and wrinkles). Vitamin C also prevents pigmentation clumping (which leads to age spots) and strengthens capillaries so they don't break or bruise easily. In fact it is well known that consuming inadequate amounts of Vitamin C can result in slightly thinner skin, rougher texture and less elasticity. And oranges are deliciously juicy, so what’s your excuse for not chomping them everyday!

Fat chance

Agreed almonds are good for us but if their cost is proving prohibitive, you can look at peanuts instead to get your quota of good monosaturated fats - as both have comparable amounts.

Plus peanuts also contain oleic acid, the healthful fat found in the much revered olive oil - at much lower cost.

Ease your BP

Bananas are a brilliant food for lots of reasons. But what you probably don’t know is that two bananas a day can help prevent high blood pressure too.

They are, in fact, a perfectly affordable and preferable alternative to expensive drugs. Surely! Just for records one banana contains a whopping 467 mg of potassium and only 1mg of sodium and this mineral can sure keep your blood pressure in pink.

(Three more real lessons from the Maggi controversy coming up in the next post.)