As in many cultures, food plays an important role in the lives of the Desi people. Food is a great source of comfort, and it brings back many memories from the homeland. But this same food may be at the root of health problems from which many South Asian people suffer. In Desi Diet and Health Tips, authors Ali Noor and Fazil Zafar offer a simple and easy-to-use guide to help the Desi population lose weight for the long-term, increase their overall health and fitness, and look and feel better without obsessing over calories. It includes menus, recipes, and shopping lists, as well as recommendations for on-the-go snacks, vitamins and supplements, and better sleeping habits. With Desi Diet and Health Tips, you'll still be able to enjoy your roti and paratha-just without all that ghee. You'll even get to eat your kaati rolls and vada sambar, hyderabadi chicken biriyani, or tandori shrimp. Noor and Zafar place the focus on cooking the foods you love with healthier methods, reducing portion sizes and eating more often, and even getting out there and doing some exercise to increase your overall health and well-being.

Desi Diet and Health Tips

South Asian Healthy CookingBy Ali Noor Fazil Zafar

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Ali Noor and Fazil Zafar
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-1970-0

Contents

Introduction...............................................................................1Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats..........................................................9Calories—and Their Importance to Your Diet...........................................20Tapering Meal Size.........................................................................34The Importance of Sleep....................................................................53Vitamins and Minerals: What They Are and Their Importance to Your Diet.....................64The Desi Diet Recipes......................................................................81Menu Overviews and Recipes.................................................................85Achari Machli Steak........................................................................91Tuna Fish Curry............................................................................93Fish Singapuri.............................................................................95Venison Masala.............................................................................97Lamb Chop Kashmiri.........................................................................99Saag Gosht.................................................................................102Lamb Dopiazza..............................................................................104Malaysian Spicy Chicken....................................................................106Spicy Chicken Curry........................................................................108Karachi Chicken with Vegetables............................................................110Masoor Biryani.............................................................................114Gujrati Biryani............................................................................116Fava Gobhi.................................................................................118Spicy Karahi Aloo..........................................................................120

Chapter One

Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats

Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats make up the three major, or macro, nutrients. Although they are each required by the body for healthy living, they are each very different and thus, must be consumed differently for optimal health. This chapter will tell you the important points you need to know about each. Along the way, we'll shatter some common myths about each and show you how to eat them and when to eat them. Most importantly, after reading this chapter, you will know how to incorporate each into the Desi Diet.

Proteins

Protein is absolutely essential for cell maintenance and repair and regulates a wide range of our bodies' functions. Proteins account for the bulk of cell structure; some function as enzymes and catalyze cellular activities. One key point to know is that how much protein we need to eat each day depends on our ideal body weight. This is because amino acids are not needed by fat cells, only by our lean body mass. Unlike carbohydrates and fats, proteins are comprised of a nitrogen-containing group called amino acids.

These amino acids function exactly like building blocks. There are twenty-two amino acids, and they are divided into two main categories: Indispensable Amino Acids (IAAs) and Dispensable Amino Acids (DAAs). Essential amino acids must appear in our diet because they are not and cannot be made by the body. The eight essential amino acids are: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Although we don't think about it when we eat our turkey sandwich for lunch or chicken marsala for dinner, the content and balance of amino acids—and most importantly the ratio of IAA to DAA—determines the health-maintaining value of a protein.

The Three Categories of Protein

Proteins can be broken into three main categories, depending on the speed in which they are broken down by our bodies: 1. fast-absorbing, 2. medium-absorbing, and 3. slow-absorbing. As far as our natural food sources go, fish, chicken, meat, and eggs provide great fast-absorbing protein; dairy products provide slow-absorbing proteins.

Tips to remember regarding protein consumption:

• Take fast-absorbing proteins first thing in the morning and after workouts since the body needs these immediately in order to prevent muscle breakdown. (When we exercise, our muscles naturally look for amino acids/proteins to rebuild muscle.) • Muscle burns more calories than fat, so if you lose muscle, you burn fewer calories per pound of body weight. And this is exactly why many people who go on restricted-calorie diets find they have problems losing fat and become flabby and bloated. • Take slow proteins before traveling or when you will be without proteins for awhile. Slow proteins, such as casein from milk, are good when you will be without nourishment for hours. This way, protein breaks down slowly, slowing muscle loss, even though you are not eating. • Don't forget turkey! In Desi culture, we do not eat a lot of turkey, since the bird is not native to our homelands. However, turkey is an excellent source of L-tryptophan, which later converts to the 5HTP amino acid and also suppresses cortisol levels. Cortisol is one of the main causes for excess fat storage and can lead to many age-related diseases.

On a personal note, when I visit Pakistan, I don't have access to protein shakes, so every morning I eat four eggs and then work out on the rooftop lifting bricks as my weights. (We told you health and fitness is a lagging concept in the Southern Asia!) It is very hot there, so I do my workout very early in the morning. Afterward, I usually eat keema (cooked ground meat). My aunt finds this weird, since this is typically a dinnertime meal. Additionally, I usually drink laasi immediately before hiking. The sugar provides energy, while the casein protein prevents muscle breakdown while outdoors for hours without a meal.

On my recent trips to this area, I have noticed a recent trend that might be due to Bollywood movies: more and more Desis seem to be trying to build up their bodies. However, they seem be going about it in the wrong way, thinking that if they keep eating roti, they will gain muscle. However, roti does not provide a good source of protein. This protein-roti myth might have risen because back in the day someone would eat a few roties and be able to walk miles without getting tired. However, this energy was because of the food's carbohydrate content, not protein. However, people have taken this myth too far. People eat a few roties and don't really work it off, adding useless, unused calories to their daily intake, which later converts to fat.

Carbohydrates

Simply put, carbohydrates, or "carbs," are sugars that provide our body with energy. However, you will see that all carbs are not created equally. Consuming "good" carbs can help transform our bodies into lean, fat-burning machines; eating too many "bad" carbs can be as detrimental to our overall health as any junk food.

Good Carbs and Their...