Chetna’s Healthy Indian – by Chetna Makan

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Indian food is wonderful—a subjective opinion perhaps, but a popular view, and one this reviewer certainly shares. And of course, cooking with plenty of vegetables and spices is a great way to get a lot of health benefits.

There are usually downsides though, such as that in a lot of Indian cookbooks, every second thing is deep-fried, and what’s not deep-fried contains an entire day or more’s saturated fat content in ghee, and a lot of sides have more than their fair share of sugar.

This book fixes all that, by offering 80 recipes that prioritize health without sacrificing flavor.

The recipes are, as the title suggests, vegetarian, though many are not vegan (yogurt and cheese featuring in many recipes). That said, even if you are vegan, it’s pretty easy to veganize those with the obvious plant-based substitutions. If you have soy yogurt and can whip up vegan paneer yourself (here’s our own recipe for that), you’re pretty much sorted.

The cookbook strikes a good balance of being neither complicated nor “did we really need a recipe for this?” basic, and delivers value in all of its recipes. The ingredients, often a worry for many Westerners, should be easily found if you have a well-stocked supermarket near you; there’s nothing obscure here.

Bottom line: if you’d like to cook more Indian food and want your food to be exciting without also making your blood pressure exciting, then this is an excellent book for keeping you well-nourished, body and soul.

Click here to check out Chetna’s Healthy Indian, and spice up your culinary repertoire!

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  • Exercise, therapy and diet can all improve life during cancer treatment and boost survival. Here’s how

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    With so many high-profile people diagnosed with cancer we are confronted with the stark reality the disease can strike any of us at any time. There are also reports certain cancers are increasing among younger people in their 30s and 40s.

    On the positive side, medical treatments for cancer are advancing very rapidly. Survival rates are improving greatly and some cancers are now being managed more as long-term chronic diseases rather than illnesses that will rapidly claim a patient’s life.

    The mainstays of cancer treatment remain surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and hormone therapy. But there are other treatments and strategies – “adjunct” or supportive cancer care – that can have a powerful impact on a patient’s quality of life, survival and experience during cancer treatment.

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Keep moving if you can

    Physical exercise is now recognised as a medicine. It can be tailored to the patient and their health issues to stimulate the body and build an internal environment where cancer is less likely to flourish. It does this in a number of ways.

    Exercise provides a strong stimulus to our immune system, increasing the number of cancer-fighting immune cells in our blood circulation and infusing these into the tumour tissue to identify and kill cancer cells.

    Our skeletal muscles (those attached to bone for movement) release signalling molecules called myokines. The larger the muscle mass, the more myokines are released – even when a person is at rest. However, during and immediately after bouts of exercise, a further surge of myokines is secreted into the bloodstream. Myokines attach to immune cells, stimulating them to be better “hunter-killers”. Myokines also signal directly to cancer cells slowing their growth and causing cell death.

    Exercise can also greatly reduce the side effects of cancer treatment such as fatigue, muscle and bone loss, and fat gain. And it reduces the risk of developing other chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Exercise can maintain or improve quality of life and mental health for patients with cancer.

    Emerging research evidence indicates exercise might increase the effectiveness of mainstream treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Exercise is certainly essential for preparing the patient for any surgery to increase cardio-respiratory fitness, reduce systemic inflammation, and increase muscle mass, strength and physical function, and then rehabilitating them after surgery.

    These mechanisms explain why cancer patients who are physically active have much better survival outcomes with the relative risk of death from cancer reduced by as much as 40–50%.

    Mental health helps

    The second “tool” which has a major role in cancer management is psycho-oncology. It involves the psychological, social, behavioural and emotional aspects of cancer for not only the patient but also their carers and family. The aim is to maintain or improve quality of life and mental health aspects such as emotional distress, anxiety, depression, sexual health, coping strategies, personal identity and relationships.

    Supporting quality of life and happiness is important on their own, but these barometers can also impact a patient’s physical health, response to exercise medicine, resilience to disease and to treatments.

    If a patient is highly distressed or anxious, their body can enter a flight or fight response. This creates an internal environment that is actually supportive of cancer progression through hormonal and inflammatory mechanisms. So it’s essential their mental health is supported.

    several people are lying on recliners with IV drips in arms to receive medicine.
    Chemotherapy can be stressful on the body and emotional reserves. Shutterstock

    Putting the good things in: diet

    A third therapy in the supportive cancer care toolbox is diet. A healthy diet can support the body to fight cancer and help it tolerate and recover from medical or surgical treatments.

    Inflammation provides a more fertile environment for cancer cells. If a patient is overweight with excessive fat tissue then a diet to reduce fat which is also anti-inflammatory can be very helpful. This generally means avoiding processed foods and eating predominantly fresh food, locally sourced and mostly plant based.

    two people sit in gym and eat high protein lunch
    Some cancer treatments cause muscle loss. Avoiding processed foods may help. Shutterstock

    Muscle loss is a side effect of all cancer treatments. Resistance training exercise can help but people may need protein supplements or diet changes to make sure they get enough protein to build muscle. Older age and cancer treatments may reduce both the intake of protein and compromise absorption so supplementation may be indicated.

    Depending on the cancer and treatment, some patients may require highly specialised diet therapy. Some cancers such as pancreatic, stomach, esophageal, and lung cancer can cause rapid and uncontrolled drops in body weight. This is called cachexia and needs careful management.

    Other cancers and treatments such as hormone therapy can cause rapid weight gain. This also needs careful monitoring and guidance so that, when a patient is clear of cancer, they are not left with higher risks of other health problems such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions that boost your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes).

    Working as a team

    These are three of the most powerful tools in the supportive care toolbox for people with cancer. None of them are “cures” for cancer, alone or together. But they can work in tandem with medical treatments to greatly improve outcomes for patients.

    If you or someone you care about has cancer, national and state cancer councils and cancer-specific organisations can provide support.

    For exercise medicine support it is best to consult with an accredited exercise physiologist, for diet therapy an accredited practising dietitian and mental health support with a registered psychologist. Some of these services are supported through Medicare on referral from a general practitioner.

    For free and confidential cancer support call the Cancer Council on 13 11 20.

    Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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  • Vibration Plate, Review After 6 Months: Is It Worth It?

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    Is it push-button exercise, or an expensive fad, or something else entirely? Robin, from “The Science of Self-Care”, has insights:

    Science & Experience

    According to the science (studies cited in the video and linked-to in the video description, underneath it on YouTube), vibration therapy does have some clear benefits, namely:

    • Bone health (helps with bone density, particularly beneficial for postmenopausal women)
    • Muscle recovery (reduces lactate levels, aiding faster recovery)
    • Joint health (reduces pain and improves function in osteoarthritis patients)
    • Muscle stimulation (helps older adults maintain muscle mass)
    • Cognitive function (due to increased blood flow to the brain)

    And from her personal experience, the benefits included:

    • Improved recovery after exercise, reducing muscle soreness and stiffness
    • Reduced back pain and improved posture (not surprising, given the need for stabilizing muscles when using one of these)
    • Better circulation and (likely resulting from same) skin clarity

    She did not, however, notice:

    • Any reduction in cellulite
    • Any change in body composition (fat loss or muscle gain)

    For a deeper look into these things and more, plus a demonstration of how the machine actually operates, enjoy:

    Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

    Want to learn more?

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  • 7 Kinds Of Rest When Sleep Is Not Enough

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    Taking Rest Seriously (More Than Just Sleep)

    This is Dr. Matthew Edlund. He has 44 years experience as a psychiatrist, and is also a sleep specialist. He has a holistic view of health, which is reflected in his practice; he advocates for “a more complete health: physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being”.

    What does he want us to know?

    Sleep, yes

    Sleep cannot do all things for us in terms of rest, but it can do a lot, and it is critical. It is, in short, a necessary-but-not-sufficient condition for being well-rested.

    See also: Why You Probably Need More Sleep

    Rest actively

    Rest is generally thought of as a passive activity, if you’ll pardon the oxymoron. Popular thinking is that it’s not something defined by what we do, so much what we stop doing.

    In contrast, Dr. Edlund argues that to take rest seriously, we need do restful things.

    Rest is as important as eating, and we wouldn’t want for that to “just happen”, would we?

    Dr. Edlund advocates for restful activities such as going to the garden (or a nearby park) to relax. He also suggests we not underestimate the power of sex as an actively restful activity—this one is generally safer in the privacy of one’s home, though!

    Rest physically

    This is about actively relaxing our body—yoga is a great option here, practised in a way that is not physically taxing, but is physically rejuvenating; gentle stretches are key. Without such things, our body will keep tension, and that is not restful.

    For the absolute most restful yogic practice? Check out:

    Non-Sleep Deep Rest: A Neurobiologist’s Take

    this is about yoga nidra!

    Rest mentally

    The flipside of the above is that we do need to rest our mind also. When we try to rest from a mental activity by taking on a different mental activity that uses the same faculties of the brain, it is not restful.

    Writer’s example: as a writer, I could not rest from my writing by writing recreationally, or even by reading. An accountant, however, could absolutely rest from accounting by picking up a good book, should they feel so inclined.

    Rest socially

    While we all have our preferences when it comes to how much or how little social interaction we like in our lives, humans are fundamentally social creatures, and it is hardwired into us by evolution to function at our best in a community.

    This doesn’t mean you have to go out partying every night, but it does mean you should take care to spend at least a little time with friends, even if just once or twice per week, and yes, even if it’s just a videocall (in person is best, but not everyone lives close by!)

    If your social life is feeling a little thin on the ground these days, that’s a very common thing—not only as we get older, but also as many social institutions took a dive in functionality on account of the pandemic, and many are still floundering. Nevertheless, there are more options than you probably realize; yes, even for the naturally reclusive:

    How To Beat Loneliness & Isolation

    Rest spiritually

    Be we religious or not, there are scientifically well-evidenced benefits to religious practices—some are because of the social aspect, and follow on from what we talked about just above. Other benefits come from activities such as prayer or meditation (which means that having some kind of faith, while beneficial, is not actually a requirement for spiritual rest—comparable practices without faith are fine too).

    We discussed the overlapping practices of prayer and meditation, here:

    The Science Of Mantra Meditation

    Rest at home

    Obviously, most people sleep at home. But…

    Busy family homes can sometimes need a bit of conscious effort to create a restful environment, even if just for a while. A family dinner together is one great way to achieve this, and also ties in with the social element we mentioned before!

    A different challenge faced by a lot of older people without live-in families, on the other hand, is the feeling of too much opportunity for rest—and then a feeling of shame for taking it. The view is commonly held that, for example, taking an afternoon nap is a sign of weakness.

    On the contrary: taking an afternoon nap can be a good source of strength! Check out:

    How To Nap Like A Pro (No More “Sleep Hangovers”!)

    Rest at work

    Our readership has a lot of retirees, but we know that’s not the case for everyone. How then, to rest while at work? Ideally we have breaks, of course, but most workplaces do not exactly have an amusement arcade in the break room. Nevertheless, there are some quick resets that can be done easily, anywhere, and (almost) any time:

    Meditation Games: Meditation That You’ll Actually Enjoy

    Want to know more?

    You might also like:

    How To Rest More Efficiently (Yes, Really)

    Take care!

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Related Posts

  • The Lost Art of Silence – by Sarah Anderson
  • Fall Asleep In 2 Minutes (Doctor Explains)

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Beyond “sleep hygiene”, Dr. Siobhan Deshauer has insights to share:

    Rest for your body and mind

    First, do still do the basics. That means dimming/filtering lights for an hour before bed, lowering the room temperature a little, ensuring you have nice fresh sheets, not having alcohol or caffeine before bed, and getting out of bed if you’re not asleep within half an hour, to avoid associating being in bed with wakefulness.

    Next, the extra tips:

    • Progressive relaxation: tense and relax each muscle group from toes to head
    • Box breathing: inhale, hold, exhale, and hold for 4 seconds each; helps calm the nervous system (it’s called “box breathing” because of the 4:4:4:4 setup)
    • Diaphragmatic breathing: focus on belly breathing, with longer exhalation to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (note that this can, and even ideally should, be done at the same time as the previous)
    • Cognitive shuffling: think of words starting with each letter of a chosen word while visualizing them (this is like “counting sheep”, but does the job better—the job in question being preventing your brain from moving to anything more strenuous or stressful)

    For more on all of these plus some extra side-along advice, enjoy:

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    Want to learn more?

    You might also like to read:

    Non-Sleep Deep Rest: A Neurobiologist’s Take ← a way to get many of the benefits of sleep, while awake

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  • Asparagus vs Carrots – Which is Healthier?

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    Our Verdict

    When comparing asparagus to carrots, we picked the asparagus.

    Why?

    In terms of macros, they’re fairly comparable: asparagus has more protein (but the numbers are small), while carrots have very slightly more fiber, and somewhat more carbs, but again, it’s not much. The glycemic indices also being comparable, we’re calling this round a tie, but feel free to swing it one way or the other if you have strong subjective feelings about those small macro differences.

    When it comes to vitamins, asparagus has more of vitamins B1, B2, B7, B9, E, K, and choline, while carrots have more of vitamins A and B6. While carrots are admittedly one of the best sources of vitamin A in existence, there is only so far that can take a vegetable, and we say asparagus wins on strength of numbers (and by large margins on each of those vitamins, too).

    In the category of minerals, asparagus has more copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc, while carrots have more calcium and potassium. Another win for asparagus.

    Looking at polyphenols, asparagus has a greater total mass of polyphenols (mostly quercetin), while carrots have more diversity, but mostly tiny numbers. We’d call this a win for asparagus, but an argument could be made for a tie in this category.

    Adding up the sections makes for an overall win for asparagus, but by all means enjoy either or both; diversity is good!

    Want to learn more?

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    Enjoy!

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  • Ayurveda’s Contributions To Science

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    Ayurveda’s Contributions To Science (Without Being Itself Rooted in Scientific Method)

    Yesterday, we asked you for your opinions on ayurveda, and got the above-depicted, below-described, set of responses. Of those who responded…

    • A little over 41% said “I don’t know what ayurveda is without looking it up”
    • A little over 37% said “It is a fine branch of health science with millennia of evidence”
    • A little over 16% said “It gets some things right, but not by actual science”
    • A little over 4% said “It is a potentially dangerous pseudoscience”

    So, what does the science say?

    Ayurveda is scientific: True or False?

    False, simply. Let’s just rip the band-aid off in this case. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily without merit, though!

    Let’s put it this way:

    • If you drink coffee to feel more awake because scientific method has discerned that caffeine has vasoconstrictive and adenosine-blocking effects while also promoting dopaminergic activity, then your consumption of coffee is evidence-based and scientific. Great!
    • If you drink coffee to feel more awake because somebody told you that that somebody told them that it energizes you by balancing the elements fire (the heat of the coffee), air (the little bubbles on top), earth (the coffee grinds), water (the water), and ether (steam), then that is neither evidence-based nor scientific, but it will still work exactly the same.

    Ayurveda is a little like that. It’s an ancient traditional Indian medicine, based on a combination of anecdotal evidence and supposition.

    • The anecdotal evidence from ayurveda has often resulted in herbal remedies that, in modern scientific trials, have been found to have merit.
      • Ayurvedic meditative practices also have a large overlap with modern mindfulness practices, and have also been found to have merit
      • Ayurveda also promotes the practice of yoga, which is indeed a very healthful activity
    • The supposition from ayurveda is based largely in those five elements we mentioned above, as well as a “balancing of humors” comparable to medieval European medicine, and from a scientific perspective, is simply a hypothesis with no evidence to support it.

    Note: while ayurveda is commonly described as a science by its practitioners in the modern age, it did not originally claim to be scientific, but rather, wisdom handed down directly by the god Dhanvantari.

    Ayurveda gets some things right: True or False?

    True! Indeed, we covered some before in 10almonds; you may remember:

    Bacopa Monnieri: A Well-Evidenced Cognitive Enhancer

    (Bacopa monnieri is also known by its name in ayurveda, brahmi)

    There are many other herbs that have made their way from ayurveda into modern science, but the above is a stand-out example. Others include:

    Yoga and meditation are also great, and not only that, but great by science, for example:

    Ayurveda is a potentially dangerous pseudoscience: True or False?

    Also True! We covered why it’s a pseudoscience above, but that doesn’t make it potentially dangerous, per se (you’ll remember our coffee example).

    What does, however, make it potentially dangerous (dose-dependent) is its use of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic:

    Heavy Metal Content of Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine Products

    Some final thoughts…

    Want to learn more about the sometimes beneficial, sometimes uneasy relationship between ayurveda and modern science?

    A lot of scholarly articles trying to bridge (or further separate) the two were very biased one way or the other.

    Instead, here’s one that’s reasonably optimistic with regard to ayurveda’s potential for good, while being realistic about how it currently stands:

    Development of Ayurveda—Tradition to trend

    Take care!

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