Category: Nutrition Education

Happy New Year to all my friends Far and Near.

2020 has been unlike any in the past but that does not mean we cannot start 2021 on a positive note. Positivity is the key to being resilient, which helps us move forward and allows us to learn and grow from all stressful situations, big and small.

Starting and ending our day by being grateful for the smallest blessings, can play a role in how our day and night goes by, this morning I was grateful for the hot cup of coffee that kept me awake and warm and now I am grateful for the heater that buzzes while I write.

Each one of us has gone through some trial and tribulation, more so in 2020. We all deserve some self compassion and some self love as it is very hard to truly give to others without burning out and making ourselves sick both physically and mentally..

I urge all of you to read my article below and do something for yourself today!

https://healthmatters.nyp.org/how-to-practice-self-care-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

You can do anything!!!

Happy New Year to all of you, I hope and pray 2021 brings us all abundant blessings and good health and happiness to all.

I spent the end of the year with my loved friends and family and the love I received is truly overwhelming.

In this time of social distancing from the world, I feel is a perfect time to bond with our immediate loved ones and take time for our selves which we all need desperately and don’t realize.

In Karachi I was able to cook and bake a few times and my chocolate almond cake has been a hit, it is a simple and quick recipe that I wanted to share, it takes less than 15 minute to make and around 25minutes to bake and is delicious. It does have sugar but the almond, cocoa powder and eggs give it some nutrition!

Let me know what you all think?

Recipe : chocolate almond cake

• 1 1/4 cup almonds
• 1 cup sugar or coconut sugar
• 3 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

In a food processor , crush almonds then add the sugar and baking powder and salt and crush again. Once it’s fine crumbs add the eggs and pulse then add the oil and vanilla. Pour mixture into an 8 inch pan and bake for 25-30minutes. Once it’s out you can sprinkle cocoa powder or icing sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream..The cake was in honor of my handsome nephew who is getting married next week!

Today, I want to focus on happiness and what it means to be happy.

The definition of happiness by psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar is “the overall experience of pleasure and meaning.”

There is a lot going in our lives and in this world and just changing your mindset from a negative one  to a positive one can play a difference in our happiness, personally for me being grateful for a sunny day and having a job that fulfills me allows me to re frame my negative thoughts, and believe me there are many!!

Concentrating on the positives in our life first can also help with optimism, our brains always scream the negatives and whisper the positives and changing that is key for our overall well being.

I want to share a quote: “Mind is a flexible mirror, adjust it, to see a better world.”
― Amit Ray, Mindfulness Living in the Moment – Living in the Breath

I hope you all can practice some of these actions to bring happiness into your lives.

On the note of happiness, since I cannot fly anywhere, we decided to take a road trip to Connecticut  and the highlight of my trip was juicy red strawberries from Bishops orchard, each bite was bursting with sweetness. I also caught up with two close friends and I realize that the support from friends and family is key in getting through these uncertain times. I am so grateful for all my amazing family and friends. Each one of you play a role in my sanity!

I leave the best for the end! I came home and made a delicious simple strawberry cake and chocolate almond flour cookies. The cake does have some butter and sugar but the strawberries are the stars. The cookies have dark cocoa and almond flour and I  sweetened them with coconut sugar. So lots of nutrients apart from the fat and sugar. Moderation!

The recipe is for only two people, you can double it for 4-6

Simple strawberry cake

• Ingredients
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ½ cup strawberries hulled
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder

• Method
• Turn on oven to 350 degrees and grease a 4x 6-inch dish or a 6- inch round dish
• Mash the berries with a fork and add ½ the brown sugar. Set aside
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining brown sugar, milk and salt, then add the flour and baking powder and continue whisking till batter is smooth.
• Transfer to greased dish and spread evenly into corners.
• Spoon the strawberries and all their juices over the top of the cake. Bake for 15-20 minutes and then serve with ice cream

Chocolate Almond Flour Cookies

• Ingredients
• ¾ cup blanched almond flour ( Not almond meal)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 1/2 Tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup water

• Method
• Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• In a medium bowl, whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt.
• Add the water and stir till blended.
• Drop by tablespoon on the sheet, 2 inches apart or make balls and flatten
• Bake in preheated oven and cool for 10 minutes

You can add coconut flakes or nuts or coffee instead of water. The sky is the limit!

Next post, I have some amazing summer salad recipes and roasted vegetables. I think I need to slow down the baking!!!!

Happy 4th of July and stay safe!

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I cannot believe that we are nearly halfway through the month of Ramadan.

Being in quarantine has made this a very different Ramadan, more time for reflection and baking!!!

My biggest issue in Ramadan is constipation, this year is worse due the limited movement. Working from home makes it harder to motivate myself to move, but I am trying to get out and walk a couple times a week.

I have been experimenting with high fiber recipes and in fact have been baking brownies, muffins and bread all with whole wheat flour and best of all for the fat I use olive oil. I will add some of the recipes on this blog.

I know I need to increase my fiber foods, but I need foods that are energy dense but also small as in Ramadan the stomach shrinks and it is hard to actually eat as much as we want.

The American Heart Association recommends that you consume at least 25 grams of fiber each day. Fiber reduces your risk of constipation and hemorrhoids by encouraging proper digestion and regular bowel movements. 

At Suhoor which is the meal before sunrise, it is really hard for me to eat anything substantial. When I wake up to eat at 3.30am, I am still full from dinner. I usually eat breakfast foods like muesli or cheese toast, but have been experimenting with recipes.

I love these energy balls, we have them daily, they give you sustained energy from the oats and banana and have flaxseeds and chia to add more fiber and omega 3. The protein comes from the almond butter. Rolled in coconut they are delicious.

I sometimes add a tablespoon of cocoa or if I want to be indulgent add some chocolate chips. You can roll them in chopped nuts if you prefer. They take 15 minutes to make.

Dates are great in energy balls as they are a good source of fiber and antioxidants, but we eat dates daily to open our fasts at sunset. So I did not want to over do the dates.

Coconut energy balls

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup oats

• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut plus more for rolling

• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 2 Tbs chia seeds ( optional)
• 1 1/2 mashed banana
• 1/4 cup almond butter( can try peanut butter)
• 1Tbs cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup maple syrup ( can try honey)
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbs olive oil

Soften the almond butter and mix all the above together. Then with wet hands make round balls. If the mixture is too sticky, put it Into the fridge for an hour. Roll each ball in coconut and place in tray.

They are not overly sweet and the best thing is that they require no major equipment.

Hope you enjoy the recipe.

May is mental health awareness month, so my next few blogs will include ideas to build our emotional resilience, which is the ability to cope or bounce back after an adverse event.

Even when it feels paradoxical, feeling positive emotions (love, gratitude, joy) in the midst of a global crisis can promote resilience (Fredrickson, Tugade, Waugh, & Larkin, 2003).

Happy Mother’s Day to all the hardworking mothers.

Love and gratitude to all my readers.

Stay safe and stay well🙏

This Friday we begin the holy month of Ramadan. For Muslims these 30 days are a time for prayer and reflection and most importantly fasting from sunrise to sunset. It does require a lot of discipline and it is not easy but somehow we do get the strength to complete this month and then celebrate.

My coworker Beheshta Kiyam is a Registered Dietitian and has graciously written today’s blog! Follow her on Instagram @thehijabidietitian and enjoy the below 🙂

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Today, I received my serological test results and I have positive antibodies for Covid19. It is good news but again like everything else with this virus, we still don’t know. One of the silver linings to the roller coaster we went through!!

Vitamin D is one of the fat soluble vitamins that plays a huge role in our bone health. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), the key benefit of vitamin D is that it helps keep a person’s bones, muscles, and nerves healthy. It also contributes to a healthy immune system.

Vitamin D is the only nutrient your body produces when exposed to sunlight. Unfortunately about 50 percent of the Worlds population is deficient. This is partly because people spend more time indoors, wear sunblock outside, and eat a Western diet low in good sources of this vitamin.

The foods that are high in this vitamin are not those we eat on a daily basis, so it’s important to try to eat some of these foods regularly.

I hardly eat any of the above foods except for yogurt and sometimes eggs, and unfortunately I am very deficient, so I have to take a supplement. Without Vitamin D, Calcium cannot be efficiently absorbed, thus making me at risk for osteoporosis.

Since Amir is not a fan of fish, I have to be really creative with fish. I decided to make Salmon with hemp seeds in a spicy Asian sauce. I served it with broccoli fried rice.

3 small salmon fillets

2 Tbs sesame oil

1 Tbs maple syrup

1 tsp chili flakes

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 Tbs rice vinegar

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup hemp seeds

It has been 4 weeks since the lock down in NYC and 5 weeks since my family was affected by this virus. AJ is about 90 percent better, so more time is still needed.

Since the quarantine, life has changed for all of us and I hope most of you are settling into a new normal. I do not think it is easy!! But I am one of the fortunate ones to have a job and a roof over my head and I cannot be grateful enough for my blessings.

That being said, I am besides myself on the weekends and cannot figure out how to stay busy apart from resorting to screen time.

Luckily, cooking and baking is something I am resorting to and blogging the nutritious benefits of different foods from time to time.

To carry on the education on Vitamins, I will talk about Vitamin E.

Vitamin E is the third antioxidant, which means it is an anti inflammatory, and can help against chronic diseases and may help with strengthening our immunity.

After speaking to a close friend about making bread, I decided to try but there was no yeast available so I made a quick whole wheat bread with flax and sunflower seeds. It tastes delicious with any type of nut butter or simple butter and honey like I had it. I served it with a berry banana smoothie to add some color to my meal.

I used the recipe below but added sunflower seeds for an extra crunch.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/260016/whole-wheat-quick-bread/

Since it’s Sunday today, I decided to make brunch, high in all 3 of the antioxidants ACE.

Avocado toast with scrambled eggs made in olive oil with red peppers and feta. I served it with melons and mango salsa.

AJ is slowly and steadily improving but in this disease if you get the pneumonia, your lungs do get a beating and only time can heal.

One day at a time!!

Today I want to discuss the importance of Vitamin A, my very close friend sent me a study.

Vitamin A is an antioxidant and helps against inflammation, which is the start of many chronic diseases.

Vitamin A plays a vital role in maintaining your body’s natural defenses.

This includes the mucous barriers in your eyes, lungs, gut and genitals which help trap bacteria and other infectious agents.

It’s also involved in the production and function of white blood cells, which help capture and clear bacteria and other pathogens from your bloodstream. 

This means that a deficiency in vitamin A can increase your susceptibility to infections and delay your recovery when you get sick.

We have all been increasing our Vitamin C and Zinc but we need to pay attention to this important vitamin.

The best way to get this vitamin is through our food as mega supplements may cause toxicity.

Liver has the most vitamin A but fruits and vegetables are the best way as you also get antioxidants, fiber and other vitamins and minerals.

I roasted sliced sweet potatoes with honey, olive oil and some seasonings. I made a home made tomato sauce with red peppers, which I served with pasta and we had Shishito peppers on the side.

My meal was full of Vitamin A and many other beneficial nutrients.

AJ finally tested negative yesterday, we are all relieved and thankful to God and all our family friends and well wishers. We thought it was all over after 2 weeks, but this virus had a mind of its own. The new mentality AJ has is we have to show this virus that we can beat it by being as positive but aggressive as possible.

The more I listen to the news, I realize that this whole ordeal and what’s going around the world is really not in our control and by totally accepting that fact, only can I get some internal peace.

I was supposed to be in Karachi, visiting my parents this week and had been planning my trip since last November. I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams, that I would be cancelling my trip, but unfortunately I have no control over the situation.

The important thing is to think about the things we can control:

• Staying home and socially distancing
• Washing our hands and surfaces often
• Staying active as much as we can
• Staying positive and optimistic
• Taking time out to look after our emotional health by breathing, meditating and praying
• Giving ourselves some tech free time daily
• Taking one day at a time
• Eating lots of plant foods which have antioxidants to help with our immunity

Getting enough fiber is something people don’t think about all that often. Most of us haven’t a clue how many grams of fiber we’re taking in on a typical day.
We’re not even close to meeting the recommended intakes of 20-35 grams a day for healthy adults (25 daily grams for those eating 2,000 calories per day, for example, and 30 grams for 2,500 calories a day) according to the American Dietetic Association. The mean fiber intake in the U.S. is 14-15 grams a day.
We get fiber from unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans, and most Americans aren’t exactly loading their plates with these items. Americans are definitely eating more prepared and processed foods.

A higher-fiber diet has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent constipation. High-fiber foods also tend to contain more nutrients and fewer calories, are digested more slowly, and help us feel full sooner.

How do we get that fantastic fiber in our diets, below are 5 easy ways to add foods to try and get the daily 25 grams.

1. Get Those Whole Grains

1 cup of cooked brown rice = 4 grams of fiber.
1/4 cup of whole-wheat flour, used in baking = 3 grams of fiber.
The next best thing to whole-wheat bread is fiber-enriched white bread (such as School Bus or Iron Kids). 2 slices = 3 grams of fiber.
7 Reduced-Fat Triscuit crackers = 3 grams of fiber.

2. Choose High-Fiber Breakfast Cereals

1 cup of Raisin Bran = 7.5 grams of fiber.
1 cup of Quaker Squares Baked in Cinnamon = 5 grams.
2 slices of whole wheat bread = 4 grams.
3/4 cup of cooked oatmeal = 3 grams of fiber.
1 cup of cooked Cream of Wheat = 3 grams of fiber.
1 cup of Multigrain Cheerios = 3 grams of fiber.
1 cup of Wheaties = 3 grams of fiber.

3. Eat Beans a Few Times a Week

1 cup of canned minestrone soup = about 5 grams.
1/2 cup of vegetarian or fat-free refried beans, used to make easy microwave nachos = about 6 grams of fiber.
1/4 cup of kidney beans, added to green salads = 3 grams of fiber.
A bean burrito at Taco Bell (or made at home) = 8 grams.

4. Work in Fruits Whenever You Can

Try to get several servings every day. Add fruit to your morning meal, enjoy it as a snack, and garnish your dinner plate with it. You can even have fruit with — or instead of — dessert!

1 cup of strawberries= 3.8 grams of fiber
1 apple = 3.7 grams of fiber.
1 banana = 2.8 grams of fiber.
1 pear = 4 grams of fiber

5. Work in Veggies Whenever You Can

Again, aim for several servings every day. Include a vegetable with lunch, have raw vegetables as an afternoon snack or pre-dinner appetizer, and enjoy a big helping with dinner. And make a point of having vegetarian entrees several times a week.

1 cup of carrot slices, cooked = 5 grams of fiber.
1 cup of cooked broccoli = 4.5 grams of fiber.
1 cup of raw carrots = 4 grams of fiber.
1 sweet potato = 4 grams of fiber.
1 cup of cauliflower, cooked = 3 grams of fiber.
2 cups of raw spinach leaves = 3 grams of fiber.

So on the note of fiber, I want to share the whole wheat and Oat pancake recipe. Its from Epicurious, but I added a cup of blueberries. It was filling and delicious. It had the fiber from the oats and the whole wheat flour and the added antioxidants and fiber from the blueberries.

Whole-Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons well shaken buttermilk
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 cup blueberries

PREPARATION

Soak oats in 3/4 cup buttermilk for 10 minutes

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl.

Stir egg, butter , brown sugar, remaining buttermilk, and oat mixture into dry ingredients until just combined.

Heat a griddle over medium heat until hot and lightly brush with oil. Working in batches pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle until bubbles appear on the surface and undersides are golden brown, about a minute. Flip with a spatula and cook other side, about 1 more minute.

Recipe is by Andrea Albin.

I added the blueberries at the end and served the pancakes with bananas on top. The recipe does take some time but is great for a lazy Sunday morning. You will stay full till dinner.

Lots of articles and studies are being done on Sugar. The FDA has made it mandatory that all boxed items have added sugar on their label.

We as consumers have to really step up and take care of our health. We need to read labels and the list of ingredients. Sugar has many sneaky names hidden in the label so beware.

The below article is taken from the Tufts Health and Nutrition Update-

“In addition to those white crystals in your sugar bowl, added sugars come in many forms, including corn syrup, honey, molasses, maple syrup, brown sugar, agave syrup, fruit juice concentrates, and evaporated cane juice. Most forms of sugars are chemically similar, so switching from one kind of sugar to another won’t make a huge difference in terms of your health. The key is to cut back on sweet treats in general. It’s estimated that 75 percent of packaged foods sold in the U.S. contain added sugars. If you see a sweetener listed as one of the first three ingredients in a packaged food, it likely contains a significant amount of added sugar.

Nearly half of added sugars that people consume are in the form of sugar sweetened beverages, especially soft drinks, but also fruit drinks, coffee, tea, and sports and energy drinks. Other major sources of added sugars include sweets and snacks such as candy, ice cream, cookies, granola bars, flavored yogurts, cake, and doughnuts. People also get a significant amount of added sugars from less obvious sources, such as pasta sauces, salad dressings, ketchup, barbecue sauces, breakfast cereals, breads, baked beans, and many other packaged foods.

Spotting Added Sugars in Packaged Foods

The American Heart Association recommends woman and children limit intake of added sugars to 6 teaspoons or less a day, and men aim for less than 9 teaspoons. But food labels list sugar in grams! To figure out roughly how many teaspoons of sugar are in a packaged food, divide the number of grams by 4.

Added sugars go by many names on package labels, but the body metabolizes them all in essentially the same way. Check ingredient lists for:

• Sugar (white granulated sugar, brown sugar, beet sugar, raw sugar, sugar cane juice)

• Other common names for sugars: (cane juice, caramel, corn sweetener, fruit juice/fruit juice concentrate, honey, molasses

• Nectar (agave nectar, peach nectar, fruit nectar)

• Syrup (corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, carob syrup, maple syrup, malt syrup)

• Words ending in “-ose” (including sucrose, dextrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose, galactose, saccharose, or mannose)

• Foreign or unusual names for sugars (demerara, muscovado, panela/raspadora, panocha/penuche, sweet sorghum, treacle)”