KNOW ALL ABOUT CURRENT FOOD FADS
· Fads come and fads go, but a healthy nutrition plan must remain.
· Currently, the top five fads are: genetically modified (GM) foods, probiotic foods, organic foods, diet foods and ready-to-eat meals.
1. GM foods
· Genetic engineering allows for faster and more precise production of new and more useful plant species by introducing the gene controlling a desirable trait in one species into another.
· But genetic manipulation of plants might cause potentially harmful bacteria in our digestive tracts.
· Genetic modification is also seen in conflict with the concept of biodiversity preservation.
· On the positive side, use of GM products may lead to reduction in pesticide use, preservatives and additives, by producing disease-resistant and preservative-free varieties.
· GM foods can also contain more protein and more nutrients, and can, therefore, help make food more nutritious, abundant, convenient and cheaper.
2. Probiotic foods
· Our good health depends on 400+ friendly, symbiotic bacteria present in our digestive tract.
· When the balance between good and bad bacteria is disturbed (due to stress, unregulated lifestyle, or improper eating habits), problems such as flatulence, bloating, constipation, intestinal toxicity and poor absorption of nutrients arise.
· Probiotics are live micro-organisms (mostly bacteria) that are similar to the beneficial micro-organisms found in the human gut, which when ingested, help in maintaining a healthy intestinal tract and fighting diseases by enhancing your body's immune system.
· Sip natural buttermilk, or choose from many brands of probiotic drinks, milk, yoghurt and ice-cream available at grocery stores.
3. Organic food
· Organic food, fruits and vegetables are definitely more nutritious and tastier, besides being low in pesticides.
· The problem is lack of awareness in differentiating between organic and conventional foods.
· ‘Organic’ is a 'process' and not a 'product'.
· An ‘organic’ label signifies that the farmer is producing the food item without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers.
· If the label is on meat, poultry and dairy products, it means that the animals have not been given antibiotics or growth hormones.
· Check the certification of International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) on the pack to ensure that products claiming to be 'organic' are actually so.
4. Diet foods
· Diet food (or dietetic food) includes those recipes which have been altered to reduce the calories.
· This process requires an acceptable low calorie substitute for some high-calorie ingredient.
· This includes replacing some or all of the food's sugar with low fat ingredients, or baking instead of frying.
· Diet foods are neither weight loss miracle-foods, nor totally bad.
· Their benefits depend on the amount of artificial flavour, chemicals, trans fats, salt, sugar and refined flour, and shelf life.
5. Ready-to-eat meals
· Packaged ready-to-eat foods, with a long shelf-life and cooking convenience, have tricked us into believing they are the best meals.
· However, they often have high amounts of stabilisers, preservatives, trans fats and salt.
· It is important not to make them the mainstay of your regular diet.
· Always make sure to check the expiry date carefully.
· Use your common sense while buying them.
It is important to maintain a balance in your overall diet content.