| Spa Cuisine and Healthy Eating - From Chef Patrick at Ma Joly Restaurant |  | | RULES AND TIPS: |  | As fresh as possible. Buy freshly picked fruits and vegetables. Sometimes it means waking early to go to the market, but nothing compare in taste to an ingredient just taken from the earth, the sea or meat just slaughtered | | As natural as possible. Buy naturally grown or organic products. Fruits and vegetables are not as nice looking as the one treated with chemicals, but your body will have fewer toxins to eliminate. | | Don't skip meals. Plan your daily meals and snacks. For healthy eating, if your weight is normal, enjoy three meals and two additional snacks if you're hungry in between mealtimes. | | Learn simple ways to prepare food. Healthy eating doesn't have to mean complicated eating. Keep meal preparation easy; eat more raw foods such as salads and vegetables juices, and focus on the pleasure of eating healthy food rather than the calories. | | Sauces and Condiments for your dishes. Seasons the meat and marinate before you cook it. | | Avoid eating more sugar. If you feel tired in the afternoon, reach for fruits, veggies or a high protein snack rather than sweets, which actually rob your body of energy. | | Listen to your body. Stop eating when you feel full. This will help you remain alert, relaxed and feeling your best. | | | Healthy Habits | | Most people I know, want to diet and reduce weight, feel healthy and gain energy. There are so many diet plans in the market that it is difficult to choose the right one. Over the years, I have researched a few and suggest the following to stay healthy. These ideas are common over various diet plans, though the relative emphasis on these steps may differ. | | | | The Trick is Sensible Eating With Regular Light Excercise | | Restrict carbohydrate and fat intake. Most diet plans will suggest that the intake of carbohydrates and fats should be reduced. But not eliminated. A threshold level of carbohydrates is required by the body because they convert to energy but excess gets converted to fat. Similarly small amounts of fat are essential for the maintenance of a healthy body, but excess is bad for the heart and the body. | | | | The Problem is that Most Foods which are Palatable and Enjoyable are Carbohydrate and at Rich | So dieting becomes a chore to be hated. But I suggest a little bit of everything is good, it is the excess that is bad.
So add whole grain cereals like brown rice, whole wheat bread, home made breads made with wheat grain, multigrain bread, porridge, and oats as they help to fill you up. They contain vital fiber, most essential to the proper functioning of the stomach and intestines.
Cut out refined cereals (white bread, white rice), roots and tubers such as potato, sweet potato, tapioca and yam. All these have high carbohydrate content. Fast foods like burgers, fries etc also need to be cut out of the diet.
Limit fat intake by reducing intake of red meat, fried foods of all kinds, butter, cream, mayonnaise, cutlets, burgers, fries and other fast foods. In case you cannot eliminate them from your diet, take your favorite food, only once a week.
Cook the healthy way. Reduce and eliminate frying. Instead, roast and bake your food. Eat roasted dry fruits or in the raw and avoid salted and sweetened snacks.
Reduce white sugar intake. One sure way to find good health, increased vitality and energy levels is to cut and reduce white sugar intake. Processed white sugar is bad for the body. Try to sweeten your food by adding honey or jaggery instead. Use natural fruit purees and natural fruit juices as sources of natural sugar and enjoy healthy living.
Eat a balanced Protein Rich Diet. Adequate amount of proteins are a must to feel full and satiated. They also provide necessary health, vigor and energy and are a must in your diet.
Proteins from vegetable sources like pulses, nuts, mushrooms, cottage cheese do not contain harmful cholesterol and are good for the body. Enjoy grilled or baked fish, chicken and seafood. Cut out fried meats and reduce red meat. Frying adds oil and cholesterol to the foods which can be done without.
Add fresh fruits, leafy vegetables and sprouts to your diets in the form of salads before and during meals to get your daily dose of vitamins, minerals and many vital ingredients which your body needs.
Enjoy salads before meals. Incorporate the concept of meal before meal by adding healthy salad ideas before meals. Eat a small plate of raw vegetables & sprouts seasoned with natural seasonings like curds, oregano, basil, thyme and coriander. This meal before meal will reduce your craving for unhealthy foods in the main meal.
Snack often, the healthy way. Snacks such as fresh fruit and roasted dry fruits (without salt or sugar being added to them) are a good way to control hunger pangs. They are healthy and also provide much needed fiber.
Eat more than three meals. Yes! Eat more than three times to stay healthy. Instead of three large meals, it is better to eat say 5 small meals. But the breakfast should be big and healthy as it has to provide calories to jump start the day. Try incorporating this idea into your daily life. It is fun and healthy too. Learn to stop eating after one serving. Never over eat. Your body will always tell you when it is full. It gives you enough hints when it is hungry. Doesn’t it? Listen to it. It knows best.
Chew well and sit straight. Chew food well and sit straight while eating. This will enable better digestion and better food absorption.
Keep temptations out of sight. Do store sweets and deserts out of sight. This helps in controlling temptations. Enjoy small portions of your favorite deserts only once a week and learn to live a balanced life.
In conclusion, a balanced diet with adequate fat, carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins balanced with less sugar and adequate exercise is must for a healthy body. There are really no fixed ratios for the various parts of a meal. Experiment a bit to find what combination makes you feel good and full of vigor. Then stick to that combination. Every body has different needs so find your combination. Use the above tips to find a healthy way to cook and eat. | | | | Highest in Pestisides | | Apples | | Peaches | | Bell Peppers | | Pears | | Celery | | Potatoes | | Cherries | | Red Raspberries | | Grapes | | Spinach | | Nectarines | | Strawberries |
| | | | Lowest in Pesticides | | Asparagus | | Kiwi | | Avocados | | Mangos | | Bananas | | Onions | | Broccoli | | Papaya | | Cauliflower | | Pineapples | | Corn (sweet) | | Peas (sweet) |
| | | | Some Healthy Food Choices | | Grilled chicken or fish | | Whole wheat rolls | | Fruit or fruit and yogurt | | Baked potato (with vegetables instead of cheese, butter or sour cream) | | Salad with dressing on the side or fat free salad dressing | | Lean grilled beef | | Low fat deli sandwiches on wheat bread or on pita bread | | Fat free / low fat milk or water |
| | | | Avoid These Dressing | | Cheese sauce | | Sour cream | | Most “special sauce” | | Gravy | | Tartar sauce | | Guacamole |
| | | | Select Foods | | Steamed , Broiled, Baked, Roasted, Poached, Sautéed or Stir-fried |
| | | | Essential Vitamins | | Vitamin A (Beta Carotene) – Sources: carrots, peppers, green leafy vegetables such as spinach helps regulate the immune system | | Vitamin C – essential for the healing of wounds, and the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth | | Sources: citrus fruits, tomatoes and spinach | | Vitamin D – helps maintains bone health and the absorption of calcium. Most common Sources: dairy products and cereals | | Fat-soluble vitamins like A and D tend to accumulate in the body and become toxic in large amounts. Water-soluble vitamins like C are flushed through the body on a daily basis. |
| | | | Essentials Minerals | | Iron – Sources: green vegetables, beans, poultry and red meat - Helps red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body | | Calcium – Sources : dairy products - Considered one of the most important minerals for the growth, maintenance, and reproduction of the human body | | Potassium – Sources: bananas, other fruits and vegetables
Helps with muscle and nervous system function and helps balance water in blood and tissues | | Zinc – Sources: red meat - Helps in the proper functioning of the immune system and plays a role in the metabolism of carbohydrates | | Magnesium – Sources: fruits, vegetables and whole grains
Helps with muscle and nervous system functioning and the production of energy and protein |
| | | | Food Family | | Grains - Whole grains include whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain barley, millet, and popcorn. Whole grains are more nutritious than refined grains which include many breads, pastas, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits | | Vegetables – Go for the bright: the deeper the color, the greater the concentration of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Dark green and orange vegetables, from broccoli, kale and mustard greens to butternut squash and sweet potatoes, are several excellent choices. Dried beans and peas, such as black beans, kidney beans and tofu, count in the vegetable category as well as the meat group. 100 percent vegetable juice counts, too | | Fruits – Fruits can be enjoyed a number of ways: fresh, canned, frozen, dried, whole, cut-up, or pureed. Go easy on the fruit juices, though; they contain a lot of natural sugars. Besides the standards such as apples, bananas, oranges, peaches, pears and plums, try mangoes, blackberries, papayas, hybrid melons and avocados | | Milk and other dairy – As part of a healthy diet, the USDA recommends choosing fat-free or low-fat dairy products. If you're lactose-intolerant, there are lactose-free and lower-lactose products, such as hard cheeses and yogurt. Harvard Health suggests a dairy or calcium supplement as an alternative to milk and cheese, which can contain a lot of saturated fat | | Meat and beans – This group includes fish, poultry, eggs, beans, peas, nuts and seeds, so it's easy to vary your menus. Avoid red meats because they contain a lot of saturated fat | | Oils – Oils are a major source of fats in your diet. Common plant and fish oils include: canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil | | Discretionary calories – include “the extras” like solid fats, added sugars, and alcohol, or more food from any food group. Alcohol is okay in moderation and that sweets should be avoided |
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