One fruit a day, keeps the doctor away

An apple a day, keeps the doctor away — is a very old saying. Apple may not be the answer to your health, but fruits are definitely one of the ways of having good health. They are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins and enzymes. Moreover, in many cases the ailments caused by the intake of unnatural foods can be successfully treated by fruits. Fruits are helpful in so many ways. Such as

- Apples, grapes and many other fruits contain pectin, a soluble fiber that helps regulate blood cholesterol levels.

- Fruits are easily digested and have a cleansing effect on the blood and the digestive tract.

- Fruits are an excellent source of important vitamins.

- Many fruits are high in potassium, an electrolyte essential to maintaining a proper balance of body fluids. Adequate potassium also appears to reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure.

- Fruits are rich in antioxidants that works by preventing cell damage caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that are released when the body burns oxygen.

- Fruits are rich in bioflavonoid which protect against cancer and other diseases.

- Fruits are high in fiber and low in calories, that helps you to maintain a healthy weight.

- Fruits are a good source of natural sugars that provide quick energy with less calorie.

- The carbohydrates of fruits are easily digestible and are completely absorbed. Therefore they are very useful for sick and invalids for rapid energy supply.

- Fruit is also low in sodium so they help reduce the chance of gaining water weight.

- Many fruits contain large amount of fiber that can help prevent constipation.

- Fruits can help prevent wrinkles and help give you a smooth and radiant complexion.

Ways to get the most benefits from eating fruits

- Fruits are at their best when eaten in the raw and ripe state, because portions of their nutrient get lost during cooking or processing.

- Fruits are best eaten on an empty stomach; don't eat any cooked food for at least half an hour after you have eaten the fruit.

- It is also advisable to take one kind of fruit at a time.

- Fruits are most beneficial when taken as a separate meal by themselves, preferably for breakfast in the morning.

- Dr Md Shamim Hayder Talukder and Shusmita Hossain Khan

News Source: The Daily Star

Delicious Dough

Glazed, custard, cream, chocolate, jam, cinnamon, sugar – the list goes on and on. In case you are wondering what these refer to, here’s the answer – DOUGHNUTS.

Doughnuts are a very popular American dessert, and it goes without saying that it is quite popular in other countries too. Doughnuts have a much disputed history. An American named Hanson Gregory claimed to have invented the ring shaped doughnut in 1847. Gregory was not satisfied with the raw centre of the doughnuts and its various shapes. So, at the age of 16, when he was aboard a lime-trading ship, he punched a hole in the centre of a doughnut with a tin pepper box. Later, he taught this technique to his mother and thus the modern doughnut was born.

Thanks to Gregory, we can enjoy this delicious dessert. While you surf through the TV channels, when you suddenly stop somewhere and see a gorgeous-looking doughnut staring back at you, the mouth-watering temptation that you experience is heavenly. Instead of waiting for the technology to arrive when you can simply grab things out of the TV, why not just make some doughnuts yourself? Trust me, it’s not as hard as it sounds. So here are two simple recipes of doughnuts.

Jam Doughnuts

Ingredients:
Flour – 2 ½ cups
Butter – 1/2 cup
Sugar – 1/4 cup
Milk – 2 cups
Yeast – 1 tbsp
Egg – 4
Oil – As needed for deep frying

Method
Take a bowl and put in sugar, butter, and lukewarm milk. Then add the yeast and mix them. Add the eggs and flour next to make a soft dough. Then cover it and put it aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour to let it rise. After it has risen, take a saucepan and pour in some oil to deep fry them. Take a round spoon, fill it with some of the dough and put it in the hot oil, and fry till its light brown. Do the same with the rest of the dough. Put some jam into a piping bag, and put it in the doughnut by making a small hole in it. Sprinkle some icing sugar over it, and you’re done!

Cake doughnuts

Ingredients:
- Flour – 2 ½ cups
- Sugar – ½ cup
- Baking powder – 1 tbsp
- Salt – ½ tsp
- Cinnamon (grounded) – 1 tsp
- Milk – 1 cup
- Egg – 1
- Butter (melted) – ½ cup
- Vanilla – 2 tsp
- Oil – As needed for deep frying

Method
At first, mix the sugar, egg and butter. Then slowly add the cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Then whisk it softly. Separately mix the flour and baking powder and put it in the other mixture. Then add milk to make dough. Use a doughnut cutter to cut the dough into preferred sizes. Then deep fry those. Fill a bag with ½ tsp ground cinnamon and ½ cup icing sugar and put in the doughnut, cover the opening and shake the bag. Take them out and serve.

- Nabila Rahman

News Source: 

The Daily Sun

Early morning meat meet

A popular saying says 'no man is an island'. In these politically correct times, neither is a woman, child or furry animal. People and furry animals are social creatures. They need each other to stay alive and sane. Hence, the popularity of Facebook. But social networking sites aren't really 'real' if you know what I mean. As people, we need to be in touch with other people, literally. That's what weekends are for. Plan them right, utilise every waking hour and get in touch with friends, family and even foe. 

In these modern times we all 'do lunch'. We meet up for dinner. But why shun breakfast? It's the perfect time to meet people you love or moderately like (such as most family members). It's the start of a new day, minds are rested and it's a time ripe with possibilities. The best part is that people are in no rush. It's Friday morning, shops open late, offices are closed and as long as you don't turn on the TV, the world is apparently at peace.

Best of all, it is not too hot yet. The mornings are chilly and it feels great to be in bed. But an even better option is to get out of said bed and have something delicious and warm. Enter your Nehari Breakfast Meat-up (pun intended).

For the uninitiated, nehari is a delicious dish that's soup, meat and awesome all in one neat bowl. It's primarily made from cattle legs with generous helpings of meat. The bones are rich in thick tasty marrow. The ingredients are boiled till the bone itself softens a little. The beauty of nehari is that it's an overnight dish. Cook it, leave it, and let it simmer. That way, the bones are juicy and soft and the meat is tender enough to melt in the mouth. When morning comes, heat and serve.

We just passed an Eid a couple of months ago where cattle left the green pastures for the cool comfort of our freezers. Some stocks may still remain. Add some spices to the concoction as you wish and it can be tailored any way you please. Call up friends and family. Meet up as early as possible and it's a meet-up unlike any other. It's a heavy breakfast so leave plenty of time for lunch.

If you don't want to cook it, go to Old Dhaka or try Star Kebab. In the winter, most of the food shops open early and they all pretty much serve the dish. Have it in your car, take a takeaway or better yet, find someone who lives there. Nehari goes perfectly with some naan roti. After serving, lemon squeezed judiciously makes it taste even better. And you can feel slightly at ease knowing the vitamin C in the lemon is somehow offsetting the juicy cholesterol of the red meat. Somehow.

Nihari Recipe

1/2 Kg. beef -ask for Nihari meat (shank)
1½ tsp. salt
½ tsp red chili (Lal Mirch) powder
½ tsp. Kashmiri chili (Lal Mirch) powder
¼ tsp. turmeric (Haldi) powder
1 tbs. coriander (Dhaniya) powder
1½ cup oil
3 tbs. white flour (maida)
1 tsp ginger (Adrak) paste
½ tsp. garlic (Lehsan) paste

For garnishing
1 to 1 ½ inch ginger (Adrak) (Julian)
2 tbs. chopped coriander (Dhaniya) leaves
3 to 4 chopped green chilies
2 Lemon (sliced)

Special Nihari spices
2 tbs. Fennel (Saunf)
½ tsp black pepper (Kali Mirch)
½ tsp. cumin seeds (Zeera)
2 green cardamom (Chhoti Ilaichi) seeds
10 cloves (Laung)
2 black cardamom (Bari Ilaichi)
1 stick of cinnamon (Dalchini)
1 bay leaves (Tezpatta)
¼ tsp. nutmeg (Jaiphal) and mace (Javitri)
2 tbs. coriander (Dhaniya) seeds
1 stick (Piplee)
1 aniseed flower (Badian)

Instructions
Put ½ cup oil in a pot. Add meat and fry it a little.
Add salt, chili powder, Turmeric (Haldi) powder, Coriander Seeds (Dhaniya) powder and Ginger (Adrak) paste. Add a little water and mix well.
Dissolve maida in 1 cup of water and add this to the meat and bring to boil.
Grind all the special Nihari spices, put the grounded mixture of spices in a fine cotton cloth bundle and add to the meat.
Add 5-6 glasses of water, cover and leave to tenderize on very low flame.

News Source: 

The Daily Star

‘Vitamin C’ Power House - Amla

These days one sees a lot of Amla, differently called as Amalika or Indian gooseberry, stacked in the vegetable shops. Before the season is over and the stocks get exhausted, it would be in the interest of every one to buy and consume as much as possible this exquisite little spherical greenish and amazing vegetable, fit to be weighed in gold, as a part of his or her daily diet.

Amla contains Vitamin C in high doses which can have a dramatic effect in improving allergy symptoms particularly Hay fever and asthma, due to its ability to counteract the inflammatory responses that are part of such conditions. Amla contains the highest natural source of vitamin C and has been traditionally used to promote immunity.

A few wonderful qualities of amla

- Amla contains 720 mg of vitamin C for every 100 grams of fresh pulp or up to 900 mg of vitamin C for every 100 grams of pressed juice.
- The Vitamin C in amla is of a heat-stable form which does not lose its value through processing . This is one of the main reasons it is an essential ingredient in the preparation of the very popular Ayurvedic medicine Chyavanaprash.
- The edible amla fruit tissue has three times the protein concentration and 160 times the ascorbic acid concentration of an apple.
- Since amla also comtains tannins, its dried form retains most of the vitamin contents
- Amla fruit juice is said to contain nearly 20 times as much vitamin C as orange juice.
- Amla fruit also contains considerably higher concentration of most minerals and amino acids than apple.
- Amla fruit has also Chromium, Zinc and copper.

No wonder in olden days, elders in the family used to buy Amla in large quantities during the season, and prepare pickles out of it and keep them properly, so that all through the year they could consume Amla and enjoy the various benefits of Amla.

The Goodness of Beetroot

Many people are of the belief that Beetroot is good for the blood. This is not correct.

Of course beetroot is good for you it is not high in iron so it will not help prevent anaemia, which many believe it will do. Beetroot's main benefits are that it contains no fat, very few calories and is a great source of fibre.

Beetroot has for many years been used as a treatment for cancer in Europe. Specific anti-carcinogens are bound to the red colouring matter which supposedly helps fight against cancer and beetroot also increases the uptake of oxygen by as much as 400 percent. Additional studies are taking place to add support to these claims. The green leafy part of the beetroot is also of nutritional value containing beta-carotene and other carotenoids,( Carotenoid refers to plant pigments - of which there is a family of about 600 different types. These all function as antioxidants. The yellow, orange, and many of the red pigments in fruits, vegetables, and plant materials are usually carotenoids.) This part of the beet also contains lots of folate, iron, potassium and some vitamin C. The roots and greens therefore are great for women in general and for those planning pregnancy. Try eating the leaves and stalk boiled or steam and accompany with other more flavorsome vegies like onions and garlic. Or chop finely and add to quiches or stir-fries.

Fresh beetroot
Beetroot can be eaten raw. You just need to peel it and it's ready to use. Beetroot can add a refreshing touch to a salad, a sandwich (try it with cheese!) or as an accompaniment to other vegies...

Try:
•grating it finely to add to other vegetables
•mix grated beetroot with raspberry vinegar
•mix grated beetroot, grated orange rind and orange juice
•plain grated beetroot is great on hamburgers

Cooked beetroot
Usually when you buy fresh beetroot it will still have the leaves and stalks attached. To cook the beetroot simply cut off the stalks but make sure you leave some of the stalk in tact. By doing this it will help to stop the beetroot from losing it's color when you cook it and helps to hold in the nutrients.

Beetroot can be steamed or cooked in boiling water. Cooking time can be from 20 to 50 minutes depending on the size of the beetroot. Test the beetroot with a skewer: when it's soft, remove it from the heat and cool it under running water - this will make the skin easier to remove for serving.

You can serve cooked beetroot:
as a hot vegetable accompaniment to a meal; or
allow it to cool and slice it to put on a homemade burger.
Cut into cubes and stir-fry it with some steamed cubed potatoes and pumpkin. Add a little garlic and some diced onions – this makes a delicious vegetable dish to serve with the rest of your meal.

Foods That May Help You Lower Your Cholesterol

Has your doctor told you that you need to start keeping a closer eye on your diet to better manage your cholesterol? You may know that it is important to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products to help reduce your chances of developing heart disease.

What you may not know is that there are certain foods that could help reduce your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (also known as “bad” cholesterol) when eaten as part of an overall heart-healthy diet.

The next time you head to the grocery store, consider adding these foods to your shopping cart:

Oats and oat bran – The soluble fiber found in oats and oat bran has been shown to help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol when eaten as part of a heart-healthy diet. Eating 3 grams of oat-soluble fiber daily from a good-sized bowl of Quaker Oatmeal may help you lower your cholesterol.

Nuts, including almonds and walnuts – Certain types of nuts, including almonds and walnuts, have most of their fat as mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Some preliminary studies suggest that eating a small amount of nuts (1.5 ounces) every day as part of low saturated fat and cholesterol diet may help reduce LDL cholesterol.

Fish – Fatty fish, including tuna, salmon, mackerel, lake trout and halibut, are all good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and some studies show that consumption of these types of fat may help support heart health. The American Heart Association recommends that people consume at least 2 servings of fish per week.

Foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols – These substances, found in plants, help block the absorption of cholesterol. Margarines and orange juice are two of the foods that are most commonly fortified with sterols and are available at most supermarkets. Proper use of these types of foods requires that two servings per day be consumed.

Beans and lentils – Rich in fiber and protein, beans and lentils may also help reduce LDL cholesterol levels. According to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2005, cholesterol levels fell nearly twice as far in participants who added beans and lentils, along with more whole grains and vegetables, to a low fat diet.

Saturated fat – One of the most important things that determine your cholesterol levels is the amount of saturated fat you eat. Food sources that tend to add the most saturated fat to your diet are animal products, particularly fatty meats and full-fat dairy products. These foods should be limited if you are trying to lower your cholesterol levels.

Body weight and physical activity – In addition to diet, your cholesterol levels can be affected by excess body and a sedentary lifestyle. Conversely, reducing you body weight towards a more healthy level and becoming more physically active can help reduce cholesterol levels.

Lobon Craze - The Beet

What makes roasted peanuts sold on the roadside delicious? What makes amra (hog plum), kamranga (star fruit), chatpati, phuchka, chanachur and muri and all germ filled unhygienic street food so irresistible? I'll tell you what. Its black salt, more commonly known as beet-lobon. If you are Bangladeshi, then you are familiar with this pinkish orange, deliciously pungent smelling, heavenly condiment.

Beet-lobon is good with almost anything and once you start eating it, it's really, really difficult to stop. I tell you this from personal experience. A few weeks ago, folks up at our office canteen added beet-lobon to their menu. At first, those of us who are lovers of all things unhealthy and fattening, were so excited, we went up to the canteen at least three times a day and ate it with every greasy item they serve (puri, keema-puri, kebab, paratha, rooti, daal, halim, chop etc etc).

But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and so it did. Some of us, and I am not mentioning any names, became paranoid (true to our nature) and started believing that anything that tastes this amazing can't possibly be good for us.

It started with “We should really stop, or at least reduce the amount we eat,” and “Did you know it causes kidney problems,” and “It will make you anemic!” and escalated to “hide it from Anika,” and “ We forbid you to serve it to any of us, even if we beg for it.”

I admit, eating it with doughnuts and cookies and mixing it with tea may have been the root cause of some of this alarm, but mostly it was a strong belief that beet-lobon is bad for you.

After several arguments and tantrums, I was given an assignment to find out the negative effects of this special salt and write a health piece to cure my obsession. I took the assignment grudgingly, but I actually started enjoying it once I started my research.

Beet-lobon or black salt, is made of sodium chloride and has trace impurities of sodium sulfate, iron sulfide and hydrogen sulfide. The salty taste comes from sodium chloride, and its purplish hue comes from iron sulphide. All the sulphur compounds give it a bitter taste and its characteristic smell.

Although hydrogen sulphide, which is the main contributor of this smell, is toxic in nature, the amount present in beet-lobon is small and therefore not harmful for us. Some sources say that this salt is created from harad seeds, while others suggest that it is a natural halite, found in the mines. The salt crystals are black , but turn into a pinkish orange colour when they are ground to a fine powder.

Contrary to popular belief (among my colleagues and a few friends), black salt has its benefits. In North India, it is considered a cooling spice in ayurvedic medicine and is used as a digestive and laxative aid. It also helps relieve heartburn and intestinal gas. It is believed to be lower in sodium and therefore does not increase the sodium content in the blood and is used by people with high blood pressure and those who are on low-salt diets.

This salt is not only used as a remedy for constipation, hypertensive patients are also advised to have this salt instead of common salt.

Black salt is also used to cure skin swelling, and stomach swelling caused by indigestion and other illnesses. It cures stomach cramps, gastric troubles and helps reduce phlegm and other inflammation. It is also used in medicines to reduce the risks of various conditions ranging from heart disease to cancer.

Of course, large quantities of anything is bad for us and too much of black salt may cause diarrhea and low blood pressure. Did I mention it's also an aphrodisiac?

I sincerely hope that after this little rant, I will once again have access to the beet-lobon bottle hidden in the canteen and this time, be allowed to eat in peace. To my colleagues I would like to come out of the closet and finally admit:

My name is Anika and I am a beet-lobon addict.

I feel better already

News Source:   The Daily Star

Fish oil prevents sudden cardiac death

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils could protect dialysis patients from sudden cardiac deaths, says a study.

"We found that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood of patients who were just starting (haemo) dialysis were very strongly associated with a lower risk of sudden cardiac death over the first year of their treatment," says Allon N. Friedman, associate professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine and study co-author.

"This study is a first step toward identifying a possible treatment for sudden cardiac death in dialysis patients," adds Friedman.

Sudden cardiac death is an unexpected death due to cardiac causes occurring in a short period (generally within one hour of symptom onset) in a person with known or unknown cardiac disease.

The study is based on 100 patients who died of such causes during their first year of haemodialysis, and 300 patients who survived, according to an Indiana statement.

"The risk of sudden cardiac death in haemodialysis patients is highest during the first year of treatment. The annual rate of such deaths is about six to seven percent, which may even exceed the rate in patients with heart failure," Friedman said.

"Because omega-3 fatty acids can be obtained from certain foods, such as fish oil, our findings also have important implications for the type of diet we recommend to patients on dialysis," Friedman said.

The five-year survival rate for patients on haemodialysis is 35 per cent, with the risk of death highest in the first few months of starting treatment. The most common cause of death in these patients is sudden cardiac death, which accounts for about one out of every four deaths.

Assam's village of magic is a tourist hotspot

An eerie silence envelopes Assam's Mayong village, well known for its magic and sorcery, as one drives towards it from the nearby city of Guwahati.

With a history that is bound to scare the daylights out of believers and make others gape in wonder, the peaceful ambience somehow looks like a cloak of mystery.

Situated near the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, about 40 km from Guwahati, Mayong has often been called India's magic capital. Astounding tales of a man disappearing into thin air, or being turned into an animal, or a fierce tiger being tamed and serious illnesses being cured lie in the treasure trove of almost every family.

Today Mayong's fascinating stories are attracting tourists, prompting the government to develop this place as a tourist hotspot.

Lots of curious visitors come to the village to enquire if people still practise magic.

Nowadays, it's (magic, sorcery) not practised as much as before. These are modern times. People don't believe in magic or spells as much as they used to. Children go to school and shun these things as superstitions

Legends - like those of Chura Bez who could disappear into thin air just by muttering the 'Luki Mantra' and sedate an angry tiger with his 'Baagh Bandha Mantra' - anecdotal accounts and magical texts abound in Mayong's esoteric history.

Septuagenarian Basanta Nath, a magic practioner of the village, is a strong believer in magic.

"People these days dismiss magic as superstition. But when you see things for yourself, you believe. Nowadays, when people fall ill, they generally prefer to go to the doctor instead of us. But there are still people who come to us with their troubles," Nath said.

"People from far off states like Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal, other than from Assam and the surrounding places, come to Mayong to learn magic," he added.

Believer or not, courtesy its fascinating history, and also its beautiful surroundings - Mayong sits in the lap of nature, near the Brahmaputra, and has rich wildlife - the government is promoting it as a tourist destination for its culture, flora and fauna, along with the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, which has a high concentration of the one-horned rhino.

Season 2 initiated - Spelling Bee

The second season of "Spelling Bee" beginned yesterday to help school students enhance their spelling skills.

Spelling Bee, an initiative of The Daily Star, the contest will be held in 3,000 schools across the country. Students of class VI to X, except for the SSC and O Level examinees of 2013, from both English and Bangla medium schools are eligible to take part in it.

More than 200 teachers of 150 city schools joined the launching ceremony of the contest at The Daily Star centre in the capital, hosted by Champs21.com.

The event is styled "The Daily Star Spelling Bee - Powered by Horlicks, brought to you by Champs21.com."

Spelling Bee is an internationally acclaimed competition where participants are asked to spell English words correctly. It is quite popular in the USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, Pakistan and India. The contest first began in the US in 1925.

Last year, more than 1 lakh students took part in the event mainly in seven divisions of the country and this year, the number would double in 64 districts.

GlaxoSmithKline is the power sponsor of the event, while Channel i is the official telecast partner.