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nutritiousness_by_sadaf, Dubai (2025)

27/04/2021

Metabolism is perhaps one of the most prominent and recycled terms in the weight loss sphere, where media and food companies enjoy selling different solutions and products labeled to boost your metabolism.

Metabolism can slow down as we age or with certain medical condition. But it is not something that turns off for a while and then turns back on; we wouldn’t be able to function or survive in that case.

Here are few points to remember when you think about your metabolism: -
🔸Unfortunately there is no magic food or drink or ingredient that will drastically boost your metabolism.
🔸There is not much evidence that suggest eating food after 8pm slows your metabolism and makes you gain weight. However, the case might rather be you snacking mindlessly while watching TV, which can lead to the weight gain.
🔸Exercise and any kind of physical activity especially resistant training help build muscle mass which in turn helps increase our metabolism
🔸Chronic dieting to lose weight can backfire, as our body is very smart and programmed for survival. Skipping meals or going on very low calorie intake can lead to slowing down our metabolism

Instead of falling for gimmicks on how to boost your metabolism, focus on basics such as eating and sleeping well, moving daily and managing your stress.

25/04/2021

✅Start by switching refined grains such as white bread, white pasta, and white rice to whole grains. Whole grains are minimally processed preserving all the vitamins and fiber intact. Try incorporating variety in your diet such as oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, wholegrain/whole meal/multi seed bread, amaranth, barley, buckwheat, faro, bulgur, freekeh, millet, quinoa, etc.

✅Include vegetables in each meal. You can add vegetables as a side dish in form of salad / roasted vegetables or add them in your curries and stews.

✅Don’t peel off the skin of your fruits and vegetables such as apple, potato, and cucumber and eat them in whole form instead of juicing them.

✅Have at least two portions of fruits as in between snacks combined with some nuts, for example banana + peanut butter, apple + almonds. You can pair fruit of your choice with different nuts or nut butter instead of snacking on chips and junk.

✅Sprinkle seeds such as chia seeds, flax seeds, h**p seeds, and sesame seeds to your morning porridge, smoothies, yogurt, or on your meals.

✅There are several ways you can add legumes to your diet such as making hummus and bean dips, adding smashed or whole bean to your beef mince, topping your salad with cooked lentils or beans.

It is important to note that when you increase your fiber intake, you may get a bit gassy as your gut microbes are enjoying the fiber uptake. It takes a little time for your large intestine to adjust to this, so it is a good idea to add them slowly each week with an increased portion or few grams in one meal and then eventually building it up. This gives your gut the time to adjust; also drinking plenty of water would be helpful.

24/04/2021

Do you know what resistant starch is? Swipe left to learn about the benefits, sources and how you can add them into your diet!

15/04/2021

Chocolate 🍫 Avocado 🥑 Mousse

Swipe right on the image for the ingredient list 😁

Recipe: -
In a food processor add avocado, cocoa powder, cinnamon powder, maple syrup or honey, milk of your choice, vanilla extract and blitz until everything is mixed well. Once you have a smooth paste empty it in bowl and refrigerate for an hour or two.
Sprinkle any topping of your choice such as strawberries, shaved dark chocolate, walnut or shredded coconut.

Enjoy this healthy version of chocolate mousse

P.S. I promise it does not taste like avocado🥑

14/04/2021

What is Fiber? Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that humans cannot digest. This is due to the lack of digestive enzymes that is required to break them down; hence they pass through our digestive track, enter our large intestine and become nutrients to our gut microbiota.

It is an essential nutrient that supports our overall gut health, which in turn helps keeping our organs such as heart, skin, and brain healthy. Fiber adds bulk to our stools and aids in preventing constipation. It keeps you full for longer, prevents blood sugar spike, aids in weight loss and lowers your cholesterol levels. It also plays a role in reducing risk of certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer, etc.

Sadly diets these days are quite high in processed foods and low in fiber.

The recommended fiber intake for women is 25g and for men are 38g per day. However, many of us manage only to consume half this amount or lower.

For good health and good gut, it is required to eat a diet rich in fiber with diversity, which is done by consuming wholegrain, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and pulses. Rather than sticking to same type of ingredients each week, try different grains instead of just rice and bread. Pick and try different types of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds each week to add variety.

Watch out for my next post tomorrow on how you can increase your daily fiber intake in your diet.

13/04/2021

▪️Dietary fiber is something we do not include enough in our diet. The recommended daily consumption amount is 25-30g. Increasing your fiber intake can lead to a feeling of fullness which in turn can help with weight loss.
▪️Increased portion sizes lead to consuming excessive calories, which can contribute to weight gain. Portion control is a good way to reduce your calorie intake. You can start by using a smaller serving plate to lower the amount of food and see if you are satisfied after the meal. If you are still hungry, you can take a bit more of food.
▪️Stress management is very crucial, not only it impacts your overall health but also contributes to weight gain. A lot of us when stressed out tend to emotional eat. If you tend to get emotional and feel the urge to eat whenever stressed, try to drink more water or take a walk outside or talk to a friend. This way you are distracted which will prevent you from overloading calories.
▪️Move everyday; try doing some kind of physical activity even if it’s walking for 15-30 minutes. It is estimated that we sit at least 67 hours per week i.e. 9 hours per day, especially if our job is sedentary which requires you to sit at the desk. This leads to burning fewer calories, which in turn cause weight gain. Getting up and moving around every hour from your desk can be helpful.
▪️Protein keeps you full for longer; it reduces hunger hormone ghrelin by increasing the appetite reducing hormones GLP-1, Peptide YY, Cholecystokinin. So including protein in each meal can help you from overeating
▪️Drinking water keeps you hydrated as well as full, which can help in your weight loss journey. It helps with removing waste from your body so staying hydrated is also good to avoid retaining waste, which can add few extra pounds to your weight.
▪️Sleep is equally important along with healthy diet and exercise routine. For a healthy mind and body getting a good 7-8 hours of sleep daily is needed. Less sleep leads to your body producing more ghrelin and less leptin (appetite hormone) that in turn makes you overeat. Hence developing a healthy sleep routine can be helpful towards maintaining a healthy weight.

10/04/2021

Salt, also known as Sodium Chloride, consists of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. As today is the last day of salt awareness week, I thought that this topic would be a good one to bring in awareness on the amount of salt we consume daily.

We all know by now that high intake of salt can be harmful as it contributes to high blood pressure and can lead to cardiovascular diseases, kidney problems, fluid retentions, stroke and so on.

Let’s first talk about few functions of sodium/salt in our body. It is needed to: -
🧂maintain fluid balance in the body
🧂keep healthy blood pressure
🧂support nerve and muscle functions

While a bit of salt is necessary in a healthy diet, keeping a check on your consumption is equally important. The recommended amount of daily salt intake should not be more than 1tsp (i.e. 6g salt or 2.3 g of sodium). A lot of us exceed this recommendation easily. You can start by always checking the labels of packaged food items to see that sodium levels are not more than 120mg per 100g as your total sodium should not exceed more than 2300 mg per day.

Below I have listed few ways to reduce excessive salt intake: -
💫Eating more fresh foods than processed foods that are high in sodium
💫Using different herbs and spices to add flavor to your meals
💫Keeping your salt shaker in the cupboard instead of having it on your dinning table
💫Limiting packed snacks, canned foods, instant soups, processed meats, soy sauce, and pickled foods as they usually have high levels of salt.

If you do have high blood pressure, to manage the condition make sure you reduce your salt intake, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, reduce stress, and limit smoking and drinking alcohol.

P.S. On another note there are so many different types of salt being sold nowadays, such as Pink/Black/Himalayan/Sea/Rock. At the end of the day all of them are salts and does not mean taking more of a certain type gives you extra benefits or is less harmful. As long as you are eating a healthy diet, which consists of whole foods, fruits, vegetables and sticking to the recommended salt intake, you are on the right track😊

08/04/2021

The fad about lemon water is something that never gets old. The claims that lemon water will make you burn fat which in turn will help you lose weight is completely untrue. Don’t get me wrong but adding lemon to water is not going to make a miracle drink for weight loss or detox. There is no scientific evidence behind the claim that lemon water by itself can help you lose weight. Also when it comes to detox, our body inherently cleanses itself in different processes performed by our liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract.

Lemon water just like normal water quenches your thirst, provides you with hydration and small amount of Vitamin C. If lemon adds flavor to your normal drinking water leading to increase in your water intake or cause to replace the high sugary drinks such as sodas and fruit juices, then go ahead and enjoy it.

Like I always say, when it comes to weight loss, it is you’re overall eating habits and lifestyle that matters. There is no extraordinary ingredient or drink that will provide a magical cure.

07/04/2021

Did you know that Vitamin D, although we call it a “Vitamin”, is actually a hormone that our body makes?

It is a major fat-soluble vitamin, which has many important functions in our body such as: -
😎Supporting our immune system which in turn helps us fight against infections
😎Regulating absorption of calcium and phosphorus which in turn helps keep our bones, teeth and muscles strong & healthy
😎It may help in reducing the risk of certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis and cancer
😎It may also help improve mood and lower risk of depression

Deficiency can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

Vitamin D is often known as the 🌞sunshine vitamin 🌞since the sun is the main source for most of our body need. Our skin produces Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.

There are two form of dietary Vitamin D: -

💫Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) found in plant-based foods such as mushrooms
💫Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) found in animal-based foods such as oily fish (salmon, tuna, herring, sardines) and egg yolk

However, only small amounts are found in the above food sources, which is not comparable to the quantity our body produces when it is exposed to sunlight.

A lot of people can be deficient in vitamin D due to various reason such as staying mostly indoors (i.e. not being exposed enough to sunlight), using lots of sunscreen, covering most of the skin with clothing when going outside, air pollution and so on. Vitamin D deficiency naturally exacerbate in winter months, as it is a bit difficult to get enough sunlight. In this case consuming Vitamin D supplements may be required, however, it is always best to check with your GP and get a blood test done before self-supplementing.

06/04/2021

Chocolate is something that most people are fond of. It has some benefits when eaten in form of Dark Chocolate (70% and above) or unsweetened Cocoa Powder or Raw Chocolate with no preservatives, sugar, dairy or coloring added.

Quality dark chocolate is said to be rich in fiber as well as certain minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, etc.

Darker chocolates (aka higher percent of cocoa) are beneficial due to presence of polyphenols with antioxidant properties.

Dark chocolate may also be linked to lower the risk of: -
🍫Heart disease
🍫Blood pressure
🍫Cholesterol

Potentially it may also protect our skin from sun damage and could improve our brain function.

However this does not mean you should go all out and finish a whole bar of dark chocolate daily, as it is still high in calories. You can enjoy a piece or two few times a week as part of a healthy balanced diet. Remember there are no miracle food or ingredients but rather your overall diet and lifestyle, which lead to a healthy living.

P.S. Try always purchasing quality dark chocolate (70% and above) or you can even try cocoa nibs, which are roasted cocoa beans.

I love adding cocoa nibs to my pancakes or oats. What about you?

05/04/2021

There are two forms of Vitamin A: - Preformed Vitamin A also known as Retinol and Provitamin A also known as Carotenoids.

Retinol mainly found in animal foods is more bioavailable and easily absorbed by the body. On the other hand, carotenoids mostly found in fruits and vegetables require first to be broken down and converted into active retinol in order to be absorbed by body.

Swipe left to learn more about Vitamin A ⬅️

03/04/2021

🫐🍓Mixed Berry Gummies 🫐🍓

Why buy gummies from the supermarket when you can make them fresh at home?

Ingredients: -

🍓200g Mixed Frozen Berries or any fruit of your choice
🍓30g Unflavored Gelatin
🍓2-3 tbsp. Maple syrup or honey
💧Water

Recipe: -

In a saucepan add the frozen mixed berries with some maple syrup and about 2-table spoon water and let it simmer on low heat until the berries are soft. Now blend the mixture with a blender to form liquid.

Bloom your gelatin in ½ cup of water, and keep it aside for few minutes. Alternatively you can also use kombucha instead of water if you like.

Add the gelatin to the berry mixture and let it cook for about 4 minutes on low heat until the gelatin has melted and mixed well with the berry liquid. Pour the mixture into a mold or if you do not have one then pour it in a square shaped glass container and let it set in your refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Do not forget to slightly grease the surface of the container with oil before pouring the mixture.

Once ready cut it into square shaped pieces and enjoy as a snack.

Let me know if you tried making them at home! You can also make Gummies with some freshly squeezed orange juice 🍊

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