Daily Health Tips: Is It Nice to Spice?

Posted on January 16, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: What functions do ginger and garlic serve in our bodies?

A: These are two great food seasonings. For people who use a lot of salt ordinarily, using these spices help to put the zing back in your food…they add a little something extra, such that you don’t miss the salt that much.

But, they are also healthy and good for you 😉

Garlic: Yes, I know it gives you stinky breath but it is amazingly super Healthy!

Funny…but it could very well be the sulfur compounds causing that odor that also stop cancer-causing substances from forming in your body, speed DNA repair, and kill cancer cells.

Garlic also battles bacteria, including H. pylori (the one connected to some ulcers and stomach cancer), and it reduces the risk of colon cancer.

To get the most benefit, peel and chop the cloves and let them sit 15 to 20 minutes before cooking. That activates enzymes and releases the sulfur-containing compounds that have the most protective effect

And…by the way, stick with the fresh cloves. Dried garlic is devoid of its important healthy components!

Ginger: When you chew ginger, gingerols come out and are helpful in preventing nausea and high blood pressure.

So, spice away, people and have a great day 😀
Here’s to a healthier you!

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Daily Health Tips: Is It Safe To Re-use Oil For Frying?

Posted on January 15, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Should we re-use oils that have been used for frying?

A: This is a very important question. How do we tell the woman who has used a whole lot of oil to fry akara (bean cakes) to pour all that oil away afterwards? In these economic times? The truth is, even if she wanted to do that for her health, the economic imperatives make it impossible! Do you know how much that oil cost? 😀

Okay, so what can we do? Re-using oil can be done safely. First, the focus is on oils that have a high smoking point. Smoking point, simply put, is the heat point at which the oil begins to smoke 😀 (Elementary, my dear Watson!). And so, oil that has smoked, is not good for use anymore. In fact, you can consider smoking point to be that point at which oil goes from good to bad! At that point, the oil breaks down and forms free radicals that can cause cancer. Oils like peanut (groundnut) and Soya oils have high smoking points and do not break down easily.

So, you can re-use the oil provided it didn’t get to smoking point, it didn’t foam, change colour or develop a funny smell . To store the oil, let it cool, strain out all the food debris and then put in jars (glass, preferably) and refrigerate or freeze and use within one month. If food debris is left in the oil, it forms a rich culture medium for micro-organisms that can cause food poisoning to grow.

Finally, as much as practicable, try not to add salt to the food you wish to fry as salt lowers the smoking point of oils. And by the way, what’s with all the frying??? Grill, bake or roast 😉

I hope the Muslims had a good celebration yesterday? And the rest of us caught up on some rest, aye? Have a great day 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Food Storage Tips

Posted on January 14, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Is it good to store our cooked food in the refrigerator?

A: First of all, you have to be sure that the food you intend to store is good quality. We, oftentimes, have the impression that the fridge has some magical properties and so, if we put bad food in the fridge, it magically becomes good…or perhaps, if it was about going bad, then this process is halted. But this is not true. The fridge preserves the quality of what you have put in it and slows down the growth of germs that can cause the food to spoil. Please note the words, ‘slow down’. The process is delayed and not completely stopped, which is the reason why it’s always a great idea to eat up food in the fridge within 2-3 days. The freezer can preserve food for much longer though, so if it’s possible to freeze, please do.

Once food has been cooked and you want to refrigerate or freeze, be sure to do so within 2 hours of preparation (by which time the food would have cooled) to prevent germs from having already taken up residence 😀

Other general tips to remember when storing foods in the fridge:
•    Be sure that your fridge is maintained at less than 5°C

•    Ensure that you clean your fridge often to ensure that you’re not actively growing germs in them 😀

•    Be sure that all foods stored in the fridge or freezer have been cooled down. Storing hot foods straight in the fridge, increases the fridge temperature and encourages the growth of micro-organisms.

•    Store foods that go bad easily towards the back of the fridge where it’s cooler eg milk and other dairy foods

•    If your food is over-stocked, that’s also a problem as the cool air will not be able to circulate to keep things, nice, cool and fresh 😀

•    Once you have opened a can of food, take the food out of the can before storing in the fridge. If not, the food may get contaminated with the metal. Pour out the food into your storage containers and then place in the fridge.

•    De-frost food completely before cooking and if you’re in a hurry to use the meat immediately, defrost in the micro-wave. Then make sure, the food is cooked evenly all the way through.

•    If you have cause to store chicken or other meat in your fridge (like when marinating) , be sure that it is not in contact with any other food. Store them in the bottom part of the fridge away from other foods to ensure that fluids from them don’t drip onto other foods. And be sure not to store cooked meat together with raw meat to prevent transfer of germs.

There’s a whole lot more where that came from…but this is enough to get you thinking now, right? 😀

Have a fab weekend!

Here’s to a healthier you!

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Daily Health Tips: Vegetables Make Me Poop!

Posted on January 13, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: There are germs inside raw vegetables. Sometimes, washing it alone won’t kill the germs. What do we do?

A: Truth is, there are germs all around us and potentially, in other foods we eat. But that doesn’t mean that we should stop eating, right? 😀 We just need to figure out safe ways of preparing them and getting rid of germs that may be on their surface.

For green leafy veggies, buy them whole from the market. When you’re ready to use them, pick the leaves and then soak in a bowl of water that has salt or food-safe disinfectant in it, for about 5 minutes. Swish the bowl around to ensure that all the sand settles to the bottom. Then pick out the veggies carefully and rinse in clean water.

The same applies to other veggies too. For carrots and potatoes, buy them, scrub and then boil. If you wish to eat it raw, just scrub and boil before peeling.

With this, you should be home free!  😀

 

Q: I always have issues with eating vegetables. Whenever I eat it, it makes me stool.

A:Well, apart from the anti-oxidants that are available in fruits and vegetables, one of the main functions of vegetables is also to provide dietary fibre (roughage) which add bulk to your stool and ensures that you have regular bowel movement; thus preventing constipation. So, it should make you stool! 😀

This fibre is not digested by your body and so passes by, almost, unchanged. This is why it promotes a feeling of fullness without the accompanying calories.

Apart from normalizing your bowel movement, it also helps lower cholesterol level and can help you achieve healthy weight, because you need more chewing time for this (so, your brain has time to receive the message that you are full) and because they are bulky, you feel full.

Foods rich in fibre include beans, peas, apples, carrots, oats, citrus fruits, green leafy veggies etc When cooking foods like beans or green leafy vegetables, be sure not to smother them in oil. It defeats the whole essence of healthy eating, doesn’t it? 😀

 

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Daily Health Tips: Is it okay to inhale my food?

Posted on January 12, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q:I have noticed that some people hardly chew their food before swallowing. Can this cause problems?

A:Okay, this brings up visions of people who literally inhale their food! You know those ones who are already done eating when people are still trying to get the first mouthful in 😀

Well, yes this is a problem. In the first instance, hardly chewing your food means that you are eating it way too fast. One of the problems associated with this, as we discussed yesterday, is that the person is likely to swallow a lot of air leading to a feeling of being bloated.

Then, eating too fast too could lead to a situation where your stomach does not have enough time to communicate to your brain that you are full. So, you’re probably already stuffed before you stop eating. This is a bad idea when we are thinking up ways to practice portion control 😀

Food that is not chewed properly is also that much more difficult for the digestive enzymes in the stomach and even saliva to act on. Chewing your food properly to a watery paste before swallowing helps saliva and digestive juices act on your food and thus, you get the benefit of all the nutrients in the food you have eaten.

To make sure you’re not guilty of this, take small bites of your food, chew slowly and intentionally, swallow the food in your mouth before you put more food in your mouth.

So, make a conscious effort today to eat slower. For obese people, it may not solve all weight loss problems (as other factors could be involved in their not feeling full often), but it’s a step in the right direction.

Have a great week y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Why do I feel so gassy???

Posted on January 11, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Hello everyone! Hope you had a good night.

Have you ever been embarrassed by a growling stomach, a burp that came from nowhere or just that feeling of ‘gassiness’ (I’m not even sure this is a real word!). Well, you’re not alone. Millions, the world over have also experienced this.

‘Excess gas’ is produced in the body when we swallow it or when our body produces it as a result of what we have eaten. We are more likely to swallow air when we eat very fast, when we chew gum, drink through a straw or suck on hard candies.

Certain foods also cause our bodies to also produce more gas eg beans, whole wheat grains, carbonated drinks, fruits like apples. Now these are mainly healthy foods (minus the carbonated drinks) and so we are not about to ask you to stop eating them 😀 What you can do since you have this problem is to reduce the amounts of these foods that you eat.

You could keep a food diary to identify the specific foods that cause this problem for you and then, reduce those.

Have a fab day, peeps 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Cheap and Cheerful Proteins? Seriously?!

Posted on January 10, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Hallos!

Today, I’ll be treating two questions that address the same issue.

Enjoy!

Q: What about hides and skin (Ponmo)? Nutritious or not?
Q: Please what about eating Ponmo (skin) instead of the red meat?

A: I will start by saying that I know that we all love our ponmo and the delicious succulent texture it has in our mouths, when it has been well boiled and seasoned! It literally melts in your mouth! There’s just nothing like it! For all the non-Africans or perhaps, non-West Africans reading this, you will be absolutely amazed to imagine that I am describing the skin/hide of cows! Yep! That was not an error And we absolutely love this delicacy.

However, most unfortunately, this well-loved delicacy is devoid of any nutritional value. In fact, if you did a quick web search, the first quick information you would get about cow skin is how to harness this to make shoes, belts etc

And so, if the options were ponmo or red meat, the ‘obvious’ answer now should be red meat (with all the fat trimmed out). Or better still, chicken (breast is a better option than the darker meat), fish etc.

Now, I know that beyond the fact that we have elevated ponmo to an ‘art form’ delicacy, the reason why a lot of people eat it is really because it’s cheap and was thought to be an alternative source of protein. So, where do we go from here…for cheap protein sources? I’ll help you solve this problem:

Try complementary vegetable proteins. Complementary proteins are proteins that lack one or more essential amino acids (building blocks of proteins) required to keep the body functioning properly. This includes most proteins of plant origin except soya beans. When these are paired together, they produce complete proteins.

Here are complementary protein groups with examples:
• Seeds – pumpkin (Egusi) seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds
• Grains – oats, wheat, rice (brown/local), barley, corn (bread, pasta like whole wheat macaroni/spaghetti, dumplings, biscuits)
• Nuts – walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios
• Legumes – soy products, beans, peas, peanuts

What are the best combinations?
• Grains and legumes e.g. Rice and beans, corn and beans, peanut butter (groundnut paste) on wheat bread/biscuits, oats with some peanuts thrown in (I like that!). These are great combinations.
• Legumes and seeds e.g. peanuts and pumpkin seeds as a snack is another great combination
• Grains and seeds e.g. wheat meal/oatmeal paste with Egusi soup is a good combination.

Other protein sources are:
• Dairy: Low fat (eg Greek) yoghurt, low fat or skimmed milk, cheese. Some dairy and vegetable protein sources also make complete proteins. E.g. dairy and grains (cheese on wheat bread/biscuit is a great combination)
• Eggs: Make sure the egg is properly boiled to prevent Salmonella infection
• Canned tuna

So, there you go. Have a great weekend ahead 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Juicing Vegetables

Posted on January 9, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Is it okay to drink the juice of vegetables like bitter leaf?

A: Juicing and drinking vegetable juices is always a great idea. They contain loads of anti-oxidants that help you fight cancer, build and maintain your body’s immunity such that you can fight off diseases faster and better etc. In addition, some studies suggest that bitter leaf is useful in preventing type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and perhaps breast cancer.

Have a lovely day y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Lack of Sleep and…. hypertension?

Posted on January 9, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Does lack of sleep cause hypertension? Is it only excessive salt that causes hypertension?

A: Sleeping less than 6 hours daily has been shown to affect the body’s ability to regulate stress hormones. These stress hormones like cortisol have been implicated in the development of high blood pressure. Generally, we need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily and so failing this on a regular basis certainly affects our health.

The causes of hypertension are divided into primary (essential) and secondary.

Essential hypertension has no known cause but pre-disposing factors include those we cannot really do anything about like family history (if you have a family history of hypertension, you are more prone to it), age (as you get older, your blood pressure increases) and race (blacks are more likely to be hypertensive).

Other pre-disposing factors include smoking, excessive alcohol intake, excessive oil intake, obesity, sedentary lifestyle (lack of exercise), stress and lack of sleep too.

Secondary hypertension is due to an underlying medical condition like heart or kidney problems. Treatment is targeted at treating underlying medical condition.

Those at risk of essential hypertension are encouraged to make lifestyle modifications. This includes reducing salt intake and making sure there is no added salt after cooking, using healthy oils (olive oil) when cooking, exercising for at least 30 minutes everyday (this could be walking, using the treadmill and/or other gym equipment, dancing etc), portion control, stress reduction etc.

Remember that even when the oil is healthy, a little goes a loooong way! 😀 Don’t go dousing your veggies in Olive oil because it’s healthy. Every single tablespoonful is loaded with 120 calories. So when you use three soup ladles….you do the math 😀

And be sure to make your plate look colorful with veggies. Remember the 50, 25, 25 rule. 50% (half) of your plate should be filled with veggies, 25% (a quarter) should be filled with protein and the last 25% (a quarter) filled with complex carbohydrates.

Here’s to a healthier you!

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Daily Health Tips: Preparation of vegetables for cooking/eating

Posted on January 8, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Excerpts from Redeemed Camp seminar

Q: It has been noted that when vegetables are not properly cooked, there is a tendency of contacting some diseases like E. coli. What is the best way of cooking your vegetable?

A: It is not the improper cooking of the vegetables that pre-disposes to E. Coli infection. It is the preparation of the vegetables ab initio. Buy your vegetables whole from the market. For greem leafy vegetables, pick the leaves and then soak and swish around in water that has some food safe sterilizing fluid like Milton in it for a few minutes. Swishing helps the sand settle to the bottom and the food safe sterilizing fluid ‘sterilizes’ the vegetables. Then, it’s ready for eating (like cabbage, lettuce, egg plant leaves, Swiss chard etc) or ready to be cut or cooked (spinach, ugu leaves etc).

When cooking, try to minimize cooking times especially for green leafy veggies. You can stir fry (add a little oil to a pan and keep stirring the veggies to cook them in the oil), braise (add a little water and cook) or just wilt them etc. I prefer the latter and I just add some onions, pepper and some seasoning to it. I stir around for a bit (2 to 3 minutes) and it’s good to go.

Have a great day everyone and hey! drop a line too and share your vegetable cooking tips with us 😀

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