I called 'Indian food is diet-friendly' in an all American forum!

[JR]

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Sometimes in the past I have made posts here appreciating some good things to learn from Westerners, even why I think living in a foreign land might make you more broad-minded in some aspects!

Well, I have seen replies from fellow members here that talking about Westerners is a sin!

2 days ago, in a weight-loss forum that I am a member of, which is all-American, I made a post calling 'Indian food is diet-friendly' explaining our South Indian/Tamilian way of eating multiple servings with rice, curries, Sambar, Rasam, etc.

Except for 1 single user, nobody took my post negatively (from the way I titled it, it may seem like calling American food as 'fattening'). Several people came forward and appreciated my post.

I thought it was very nice of them to acknowledge the good facts in what I had to say, and to take it in the right spirit!

 

[prasad1]

JRji,
How a message is judged is the person who is listening. You might deliver the same message, but it will be received differently by different audience. You have no control on that in a public forum. This site has become very rude, and anti anybody outside of Tamil Nadu. They are anti-NRI, anti-delhite, anti-north, anybody non-tb etc. Even learned people who have so much to share are becoming so rude. And of course then there are RsS-mouthpieces.
Please do not get discouraged.

 

[JR]

You are so right, Prasad ji!

Anti anything is inherently incorrect, as even someone otherwise a 'crook' may have good facts to share about! If only members would evaluate the merit of a stated point rather than 'thinking between the lines' or 'exploring some hidden motives', it would be a pleasure to share almost anything!

Thank you for your understanding on this!

 

[tbs]

Sometimes in the past I have made posts here appreciating some good things to learn from Westerners, even why I think living in a foreign land might make you more broad-minded in some aspects!

Well, I have seen replies from fellow members here that talking about Westerners is a sin!

2 days ago, in a weight-loss forum that I am a member of, which is all-American, I made a post calling 'Indian food is diet-friendly' explaining our South Indian/Tamilian way of eating multiple servings with rice, curries, Sambar, Rasam, etc.

Except for 1 single user, nobody took my post negatively (from the way I titled it, it may seem like calling American food as 'fattening'). Several people came forward and appreciated my post.

I thought it was very nice of them to acknowledge the good facts in what I had to say, and to take it in the right spirit!

hi

ppl say rice is not good for sugar/other diabetic problems....our forefathers many generations eat ONLY RICE for three times a

daily..they all died.....many are died naturally without any problem...so rice/curd/kara amuthu/saath amuth/thirukanna amuthu are

diet driendly.....

 

[JR]

Tbs ji,

I am not talking from the perspective of a Diabetic, but for those other dieters (for getting thin), South Indian diet may actually be quite friendly. Just consider how much oil/fat we eat in our foods? Take a bowl of rice, some curries, Sambar, Rasam, Curd, etc. Except for seasoning, hardly we use any oil/fat. Even the veggies could be boiled and seasoned with just a tsp of oil. With so much varieties of milk, curd could be made with 2% or even 1% milk (as I make it in my home) and this is rich in protein as well as low in fat. And our Sambar and Rasam have so much dhal in them. When I did my nutrition undergraduate degree, I have read Rice (White) to have incomplete proteins in themselves, whereas when eaten in combo with Sambar/Rasam, etc, the proteins in the dhals are said to substitute for the other lacking proteins in White Rice alone, that eventually the end product (of rice mixed with Sambar or Rasam) has actually good quality proteins in them! And then, our steamed idlis and our delicious 'Upmas' (Rava, Vermicelli, etc) all having so less fat but very filling!

I know many people hate the Brown Rice, but when people can, it is very, very good for dieters (as well as Diabetics) because they are rich in fiber which fill the stomach very much and somewhat lesser in Calories than White Rice too... which makes us not crave any food for much longer!

Even our dessert such as 'Payasam' are less in fat actually! Except for a tiny bit of fat used for roasting those cashews and raisins, we hardly have any fat in the Payasam/Thirukkanamudhu -- especially more so when made with 2% milk.

So I think our South Indian food is actually very, very good for dieters! Just people need to watch out for those 'vadas' and fattening festival-time treats!

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear Jayashree,

South Indian Veggie food is very good for dieters but it depends on what we choose to eat!

Ghee roast masala dhOsa will add weight but idli with a cup of sAmbar will not! (also depends on the number!)

Deep fried items and 'usili' with lot of oil, will add weight but boiled and seasoned vegetables will not!

 

[renuka]

dear JR,

I will give you a tip to remain slim and even lose weight.

Have dinner by 7pm and do not eat anything after that.

After 7pm only drink plain water till you get up for breakfast.

Have a late breakfast say at 10.30am..but you must exercise in the morning cos after exercise we do not feel hungry..so you can delay your breakfast a little.

Then eat your usual meals after that..no need to count too many calories and make sure your dinner is sufficient to keep you full till your breakfast.

When the GI system is allowed to rest after 7pm the body has enough time to digest food properly and does not go into fat storing mode.

Oriental races have their dinner early and they are relatively slim compared to Indians who tend to have dinner late.

It works believe me...but you have to exercise in order for this to work well.

 

[krish44]

dear JR,

I will give you a tip to remain slim and even lose weight.

Have dinner by 7pm and do not eat anything after that.

After 7pm only drink plain water till you get up for breakfast.

Have a late breakfast say at 10.30am..but you must exercise in the morning cos after exercise we do not feel hungry..so you can delay your breakfast a little.

Then eat your usual meals after that..no need to count too many calories and make sure your dinner is sufficient to keep you full till your breakfast.

When the GI system is allowed to rest after 7pm the body has enough time to digest food properly and does not go into fat storing mode.

Oriental races have their dinner early and they are relatively slim compared to Indians who tend to have dinner late.

It works believe me...but you have to exercise in order for this to work well.

renukajis purgatory diet for all

we want to enjoy our food.

we have lived pretty well without much damage to our system without doing much about our diet

we ate what came our way and what appealed to us without overdoing.

we have not lost out much as far as health is concerned.

what matters more is ones mindset . one can digest stones if one has good mental health.

my philosophy -eat what comes your way in moderation and eat only half of what is put in front of you for eating on your plate .

thats best input control.

 

[renuka]

renukajis purgatory diet for all

we want to enjoy our food.

we have lived pretty well without much damage to our system without doing much about our diet

we ate what came our way and what appealed to us without overdoing.

we have not lost out much as far as health is concerned.

what matters more is ones mindset . one can digest stones if one has good mental health.

my philosophy -eat what comes your way in moderation and eat only half of what is put in front of you for eating on your plate .

thats best input control.

True...eat as you like in the day time(but do not over eat) and have your last meal at 7pm...you will see the pounds melt away.

 

[auh]

Sometimes in the past I have made posts here appreciating some good things to learn from Westerners, even why I think living in a foreign land might make you more broad-minded in some aspects!

Well, I have seen replies from fellow members here that talking about Westerners is a sin!

2 days ago, in a weight-loss forum that I am a member of, which is all-American, I made a post calling 'Indian food is diet-friendly' explaining our South Indian/Tamilian way of eating multiple servings with rice, curries, Sambar, Rasam, etc.

Except for 1 single user, nobody took my post negatively (from the way I titled it, it may seem like calling American food as 'fattening'). Several people came forward and appreciated my post.

I thought it was very nice of them to acknowledge the good facts in what I had to say, and to take it in the right spirit!

Well, it all depends on how we interpret it.

The situation could very well be seen in different lights (from what info you have given):

1) That people who responded were mainly those who took it in a different view
2) That people who took it offensively did not post
3) That most of the forum members were actually ignorant of what Indian food was and hence it was an eye-opener and hence no question of "negativity"
4) That many of the people who responded had realized the value of Indian food since Yoga is gaining popularity in the US. And Yoga, requires vegetarianism, or rather, leads to vegetarianism.
5) That those who responded were people who took it to mean that calling something friendly does not always mean that another is unfriendly.

Regards,

 

[auh]

JRji,
How a message is judged is the person who is listening. You might deliver the same message, but it will be received differently by different audience. You have no control on that in a public forum. This site has become very rude, and anti anybody outside of Tamil Nadu. They are anti-NRI, anti-delhite, anti-north, anybody non-tb etc. Even learned people who have so much to share are becoming so rude. And of course then there are RsS-mouthpieces.
Please do not get discouraged.

Shri Prasad, since you are fond of Kabir's dohas, I give one that may very well be a solution to your angst. Peace.

http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=DohaDetails&DohaID=2

Bura Jo Dekhan Main Chala, Bura Naa Milya Koye
Jo Munn Khoja Apnaa, To Mujhse Bura Naa Koye

Translation
I searched for the crooked, met not a single one
When searched myself, "I" found the crooked one
My Understanding
This doha deals with our perception behavior and tendencies. It has been invariably noticed that we tend to find fault with someone else for our situations and circumstances. Our "I", the ego, always tries to put blame on others. Non-awareness of our own self is the cause of this attitude. Resultantly, we find ourselves being busy in criticizing and condemning others and conveniently term them as crooked or evil.

So Kabir says that instead of finding fault and maligning others, dive deep into your own-self. Amazingly, an honest introspection will reveal that all fault lies with "me" and "my" own perceptions and attitudes. If there is any evil or crookedness, it is in "me". Correcting this and opting for a loving and compassionate attitude will change one's perceptions and the world will appear wonderful all over again.

 

[auh]

...Anti anything is inherently incorrect...

What about anti-ignorance, anti-criminal, anti-hate etc.?

My intention is not to belittle your views here but to merely state that there is an alternate side to every position that we take. Everyone should acknowledge this and make allowance for the other.

 

[sarang]

This site has become very rude, and anti anybody outside of Tamil Nadu. They are anti-NRI, anti-delhite, anti-north, anybody non-tb etc. Even learned people who have so much to share are becoming so rude. And of course then there are RsS-mouthpieces.

RSS is a service organization like any other, open in dealings, membership available to all with a service mindset and value hindu culture with all its glory and merit. They sing the praise of bharathmata and support all practices of sanatan dharma as branches of the same mother tree.

Only a rabid hindu hater can splurge his hatred without any logic or sense in a simple food thread. All sense of balance and rationalism is now superseded by hatred for anything remotely resembling hindu!

 

[JR]

Sarang ji,

Actually using the word in stars in your message sounds more hate-filled than anything Prasad ji could have posted!

 

[JR]

Dear Jayashree,

South Indian Veggie food is very good for dieters but it depends on what we choose to eat!

Ghee roast masala dhOsa will add weight but idli with a cup of sAmbar will not! (also depends on the number!)

Deep fried items and 'usili' with lot of oil, will add weight but boiled and seasoned vegetables will not!

Correct, Raji Mam! But when coming to identifying those culprit-Calorie-dense foods, every civilization has them... for example, I recently came to know that 1 Munchkin sold at Dunkin-Donuts is worth 70 Calories! I am on a strict diet (resumed from Jan 2015) these days and on Sundays when I attend Sunday school for my daughter, to kill the wait time of 2 hrs, I go to a nearby Mall and have the habit of eating 6 munchkins there! Ofcourse I did not know they carry that much Calories! Then I just recently browsed and learnt that I was inadvertently dumping 420 Calories (3/4th calories of my entire lunch) in one 'simple snack'!!

 

[JR]

dear JR,

I will give you a tip to remain slim and even lose weight.

Have dinner by 7pm and do not eat anything after that.

After 7pm only drink plain water till you get up for breakfast.

Have a late breakfast say at 10.30am..but you must exercise in the morning cos after exercise we do not feel hungry..so you can delay your breakfast a little.

Then eat your usual meals after that..no need to count too many calories and make sure your dinner is sufficient to keep you full till your breakfast.

When the GI system is allowed to rest after 7pm the body has enough time to digest food properly and does not go into fat storing mode.

Oriental races have their dinner early and they are relatively slim compared to Indians who tend to have dinner late.

It works believe me...but you have to exercise in order for this to work well.

Dear Renuka,

I don't eat anything for dinner except for 1 Yoghurt from the market which is just 120 Calories! I believe (from faint memory) that you too said you skip dinner, am I right?

Last year, I was on strict diet + exercise and I lost close to 40 lbs on that. This year I have resumed the same mode to shed some more!

Thanks for the tips.

 

[sarang]

No comments since you have chosen to read someone else's mind and self elected to be the spokesperson. No issues with you.
Starred word changed to soften the intent.

Sarang ji,

Actually using the word in stars in your message sounds more hate-filled than anything Prasad ji could have posted!

 

[renuka]

Dear Renuka,

I don't eat anything for dinner except for 1 Yoghurt from the market which is just 120 Calories! I believe (from faint memory) that you too said you skip dinner, am I right?

Last year, I was on strict diet + exercise and I lost close to 40 lbs on that. This year I have resumed the same mode to shed some more!

Thanks for the tips.

Dear JR,

I do not skip dinner cos I am still at work at 7pm......I have a fairly light dinner at 7pm.

I have a very good lunch. Lunch is my main meal..my dinner is fairly light but sufficient.

Tea time I take fruits.

For breakfast I only take freshly prepared Almond Milk.

Try using virgin coconut oil for cooking..it has a fat burning effect and helps shed weight.

Once we start losing weight after a while body goes into a plateau and we find shedding it a bit hard partly cos the metabolism has slowed down..so we need to restart the engine by some food modification and altering exercise trend.

Dont stick to the same routine exercise..mix and match and challenge the body.

Being on a strict diet for a long time can make us feel tired and we need to watch our iron stores in the body.

A hemoglobin test is not enough cos one could have normal hemoglobin but yet have decreased serum iron.

So do a serum iron test to check on your iron stores cos low iron stores will make losing weight very very hard cos body goes into holding back mode.

I feel the food regulating of taking a late breakfast..good lunch..and dinner by 7pm is easier cos its does not even feel like a diet cos there is no food restriction at all.

You can eat normal food and yet lose weight.

 

[auh]

...

Being on a strict diet for a long time can make us feel tired and we need to watch our iron stores in the body.

A hemoglobin test is not enough cos one could have normal hemoglobin but yet have decreased serum iron.

So do a serum iron test to check on your iron stores cos low iron stores will make losing weight very very hard cos body goes into holding back mode.

I feel the food regulating of taking a late breakfast..good lunch..and dinner by 7pm is easier cos its does not even feel like a diet cos there is no food restriction at all.

You can eat normal food and yet lose weight.

While I agree with most of your points, I really appreciate the pointers that you suggest as I get to know something new from this.

Thank you.

 

[mkrishna100]

I feel the food regulating of taking a late breakfast..good lunch..and dinner by 7pm is easier cos its does not even feel like a diet cos there is no food restriction at all.

You can eat normal food and yet lose weight.

I completely agree to your plan and find it sensible and practical only that I prefer that Breakfast must be had between 8 a.m - 9.30 a.m .

 

[JR]

Dear JR,

I do not skip dinner cos I am still at work at 7pm......I have a fairly light dinner at 7pm.

I have a very good lunch. Lunch is my main meal..my dinner is fairly light but sufficient.

Tea time I take fruits.

For breakfast I only take freshly prepared Almond Milk.

Try using virgin coconut oil for cooking..it has a fat burning effect and helps shed weight.

Once we start losing weight after a while body goes into a plateau and we find shedding it a bit hard partly cos the metabolism has slowed down..so we need to restart the engine by some food modification and altering exercise trend.

Dont stick to the same routine exercise..mix and match and challenge the body.

Being on a strict diet for a long time can make us feel tired and we need to watch our iron stores in the body.

A hemoglobin test is not enough cos one could have normal hemoglobin but yet have decreased serum iron.

So do a serum iron test to check on your iron stores cos low iron stores will make losing weight very very hard cos body goes into holding back mode.

I feel the food regulating of taking a late breakfast..good lunch..and dinner by 7pm is easier cos its does not even feel like a diet cos there is no food restriction at all.

You can eat normal food and yet lose weight.

Dear Renuka,

Thanks for revealing your diet.

However, I must differ with you on eating normal amount of food and losing weight. Well, technically this is not possible. At the max, in a workout session, I lose 300 Cal. So to lose 1 lb which is 3500 Cal, it might be possible to lose 1 lb via exercise alone in approx. 12 days but this goal is too far-fetched! In any weight loss regimen, diet constitutes the most important part and its role even outweighs that of exercise! They say in a weight loss regimen, diet is 80% and exercise is 20%. In my weight loss journey, I have noticed diet to do the trick while exercise acts as the stimulant of that kinda slowed-down metabolism.

I agree with you on using Coconut oil. I have browsed the net and learnt that Coconuts and Coconut oil are not stored in body as fat but as they pass through the intestines are immediately converted to energy and reaches the blood that way!

Thanks for letting me know about the Iron test! Right now, I guess I am on the losing mode. When I experience any unexplained stall in my progress, that would be time to consider this for sure...!

Cheers,

JR