Diet Tips For Veggies With A Special Reference To Fatty Acids And Cholesterol

Common spices act as antiseptic, lower cholesterol and protect from infections. Some spices are known to prevent aches and bloating of the body. Fruit diet detoxifies body and cleans it of the toxins.When planning diet from health view point, one should keep few things in mind.

1. Include coriander in your daily diet. Green coriander leaves promote digestion and keep stomach healthy besides adding flavor to your food.

2. Using pistachios as snacks help lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and improving eyesight.

3. Inclusion of Indian spices in daily diet helps body fight infections. Turmeric acts as an antiseptic and prevents cardiac diseases by lowering bad cholesterol. It protects body from common infections like cold, cough and fever.

4. Ginger is believed to prevent body aches and bloating of the belly.

5. A fruit diet once in a week helps body free of toxins. Its better to go for a variety of fruits than having apples or bananas alone.

6. Maintain a good balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. As a thumb rule, a good daily diet should comprise of 55-65% of carbohydrates, 20-25% fat and 15-25% of proteins.

7. To fulfill carbohydrate requirement, cereals, chappatis, rice, porridge, fruits and vegetables should be included in daily diet.

8. Dal, pulses, sprouted pulses, egg, chicken and fish are good sources of protein that should be used in appropriate proportions to provide required proteins.

9. Fat requirement of body should be met from the dairy products, oils, nuts and seeds. However, one should know which are good and which are bad fats.

Fatty acids:

Saturated fatty Acids

Avoid saturated fatty acids found in meat and dairy products but don't eliminate milk fat (ghee) completely from the diet as it contains good saturated fat. One can consume one teaspoon of pure ghee in a day.

Unsaturated fatty acids

Vegetable oils from canola, peanuts, olive (Jaitun ), flax (linseed), corn, safflower and Safflower are good sources of unsaturated fatty acids.

Trans fatty acids

These are available in commercially fried foods, high fat baked foods and margarine.

Sources of good fats:

• Olive oil is richest source of mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Other sources include ground nut, sesame, rapeseed, canola and linseed oil.
• MUFA reduces bad cholesterol and protects cardiovascular system.

Effect of different fats on Cholesterol:

• Saturated fats found in meat and dairy products increases bad cholesterl (LDL) and decreases good cholesterol (HDL).
• Polysaturated fats present in vegetable oils like corn or soybean oil lowers both LDL and HDL.
• Mono-unsaturated fats supplied by fish and olive oil lowers only LDL but do not lower HDL. Hence using fish oil and olive oil is considered best combination. Other sources are nuts and avocados.
• Hydrogenated fats are considered harmful fats as these increases LDL and decreases HDL.
• Trans fatty acids found in commercially fried foods are harmful but found in small quantities naturally in pomegranate, cabbage, peas meat and milk is believed to be beneficial for health.

Essential fatty acids and balanced diet:

• Balanced diet should have more Omega 3 and less Omega 6 fatty acids.
• Omega 3 and Omega 6 are essential fatty acids that are required by the body in an appropriate ratio i.e. Less than 4:1 of Omega 6 : Omega 3
• Omega 3 fatty acids reduce blood pressure and stimulate blood circulation by increasing breakdown of fibrin
• Fibrin is involved in clot formation
  
• Omega 3 fatty acids reduce blood triglyceride level
• Cereals, grains, vegetables and pulses are sources of Omega 3
• Fish, walnuts, soybeans, almonds, leafy vegetables and flax are the sources of Omega 6

So,  what constitutes the balanced diet?

• Consume grilled or steamed fish 2-3 times a week
• Use oils extracted from olives, mustard and canola
• Eat Omega 3 rich foods like  walnuts, almonds, soybeans, leafy vegetables and sea foods etc..
• Use two tablespoonful of flax seeds powder either on salads (as powder) or as chutney. Flax seed powder increases HDL.

What should be avoided?

• Reduce intake of corn oil, sunflower oil, processed food and margarine. It will help reduce intake of Omega 6 fatty acids.
• Avoid whole milk, butter,deep fried food and red meat.