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Great breakfasts are made of grandmother’s stories and savoury oatmeal

Great breakfasts are made of grandmother’s stories and savoury oatmeal

Here are quick recipes for tangy, nutritious oatmeal starring pineapple, bird eye chillies and green tomatoes

My first encounter with oats was something out of a fairy tale. Literally. I was a kid, reading the story of Goldilocks, when I came across this bewildering thing called “porridge”. It was not only not pronounced “porridugee”, but my grandmother — the indulger of all my toddler-sized whims — flatly refused to make this dish for me. Porridge was oats boiled in milk, she explained with a shudder. It was tasteless slop. I was extremely confused. Why would Goldilocks eat three bowls of tasteless slop? It made no sense. Approximately 30 years later, as I sprinkled bacon bits as a final garnish over my oats with fresh pineapple jam, I found myself longing for my grandmother. She opened up the world for me, with everything that she fed me, whether it was with food or stories. I’d have loved to have changed her mind about porridge because here before me were the boiled oats that she’d so despised and in their ungarnished innocence, they did indeed bear a striking resemblance to slop. But tasteless? Not by a long shot.

Here’s what not enough people tell you about oats while singing their praises. Yes, they’re nutritious, a great source of fibre, low calorie yet filling, and capable of boosting your superpowers. But most importantly for gluttons like me, oats are very easy to cook and incredibly versatile. Not that I knew this when I picked up my first packet of oats. The idea of having oatmeal (or porridge) for breakfast had been part of a doomed attempt to lose weight. If I’d stuck to the instructions on the back and simply boiled the oats in milk and drizzled honey or sprinkled a little sugar over them or added some fresh fruit, as per the instructions, maybe I would have lost a kilogram or two. Unfortunately, in this avatar, oats taste the way they look: awful and gloopy. There was no way I could begin my day with something so depressingly bland. So I started rifling through my fridge and found some chunks of pineapple, some bird’s eye chillies and a couple of strips of bacon. About 30 minutes later, the pineapple had been blitzed and cooked with sugar to become a lovely, runny, fresh jam. The bacon had been fried crisp and the chillies had been diced. Into the oats all this went — warm, yellow jam; bright, red spots of chilly; crunchy, rust-coloured bacon. It was no longer low calorie but praise the pineapple, it was delicious. The beauty of oats is that they can be sweet, savoury, spicy, tangy — whatever you chuck at them, oats will absorb that flavour. Boil the oats in milk (with a touch of vanilla, if you’re feeling indulgent) and they become the perfect base for a sweet breakfast. Swirl in some strawberry puree or treacle or some ginger syrup. Garnish with some pomegranate or chopped walnuts or even green chillies (depends on how adventurous you want to be with your breakfast). For savoury oats, cook them in water or diluted milk and fold in leftovers. From chilli chicken to sambar, bhindi bhaji to kosha mangsho, everything works with oats. But don’t limit yourself to recycling. Cook the oats in stock and turn those humble grains into gourmet. A few minutes in a tom yam broth and suddenly, each spoonful of gloop is plump with spice. The trick is to pick strong flavours that will swamp the oats and add a garnish that’s crunchy or compliments the oats with a little extra texture. So yes, it’s taken a few decades, but finally, I understand why Goldilocks slurped her way through three bowls of porridge. And yes, like the bears in that story, I’d be extremely upset if Goldilocks ate my oatmeal. 

Add a broth made of lemon grass, Kaffir lime leaves, galangal, garlic and bird eye chillies to your oatmeal and your Tom Yam oatmeal is ready. 

Tom Yam Oatmeal with Tomatoes This is a very basic recipe that you can add bells and whistles to, depending upon your taste. Non-vegetarians can add prawn to this, for instance. How much you use of each ingredient will depend on how much you broth you want to make. I usually make a big pot and freeze half of it for later use. Ingredients (All measures are approximate) For about one litre of broth 5 to 6- Chopped tomatoes 2 stalks- Lemon grass 10 to 12- Kaffir lime leaves ½ inch- Galangal 5 cloves- Garlic Bird’s eye Chillies, to taste Lemon juice, of 5-6 lemons 1 tsp- Sesame oil A pinch of sugar Salt, to taste Method *Bruise the stalks of lemon grass and galangal. Tear up the Kaffir lime leaves. Bruise the garlic and slice the chillies. If you can’t get Kaffir lime leaves, use regular lemon zest. *Heat the sesame oil. *Add the tomatoes, lemon grass, galangal, garlic, chillies and lime leaves. Let it cook on medium flame for a couple of minutes. When the aromas are released, add a litre of water. Lower the flame and cook for at least 30 minutes. Some foam may collect on top. Just skim it off. Add sugar and salt to taste and stir. The broth should be pungent. Turn off the flame and add the lime juice. You can also use tamarind for the sour taste. *The easiest option, though, is to buy tom yam cubes that you just have to drop into boiling water to make the broth. *Cook oats as per instructions on packet, only replace the milk with tom yam broth. *Add sun-dried tomatoes to the oats. *Cook until both oats and tomatoes are soft. Add broth if the mixture becomes too thick. Optional garnish: *Chop up one green tomato and half an onion. *Heat a dash of sesame oil. *Add the chopped tomatoes and onion. Sprinkle some sugar over them. Take off the flame when the tomato has browned a little. The crunch of green tomatoes with the thick pungency of the tom yam oats works beautifully. 

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Have 5-6 cups of coffee daily to fight fatty liver disease

Have 5-6 cups of coffee daily to fight fatty liver disease 

According to researchers, increase in coffee consumption can provide protective effect against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 

If you drink five-six cups of coffee daily, here comes some good news. According to researchers, increase in coffee consumption can provide protective effect against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Daily dose of coffee can check non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by reducing permeability of the gut, the team reported after conducting the research on mice. 

They found that a daily dose of coffee (equivalent to six cups of espresso coffee for humans) improved several key markers of the disease in mice who were fed a high-fat diet. The mice also gained less weight than others fed the same diet without the dose of caffeine.“Previous studies have confirmed how coffee can reverse the damage of NAFLD but this is the first to demonstrate that it can influence the permeability of the intestine,” said Vincenzo Lembo from the University of Napoli, Italy. The results also show that coffee can reverse NAFLD-related problems such as ballooning degeneration, a form of liver cell degeneration. The scientists showed how coffee protects against NAFLD by raising levels of a protein called Zonulin (ZO)-1 which lessens the permeability of the gut. Experts believe that increased gut permeability contributes to liver injury and worsens NAFLD. People suffering from NAFLD can develop scarring of the liver – also known as fibrosis – which can progress to a potentially life threatening condition known as cirrhosis. The results suggest that coffee supplementation could cause variations in the intestinal tight junctions which regulate the permeability of the intestine. “The study offers insights that can help future research into and understanding of the therapeutic role coffee can play in combating NAFLD,” added professor Laurent Castera, secretary general of The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). The findings were presented at the International Liver Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain, recently.

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Magnesium deficiency — a less detected condition with serious effects

Magnesium deficiency — a less detected condition with serious effects

Magnesium deficiency in our bodies is one of the most under-recognised deficiencies compared to other nutrients. The mineral, widely available in our food supply and environment, seems to be causing serious concern. According to research published in the journal ‘Nutrition Reviews’ in March 2012, more than half (56 per cent) of the US population consumed less than the required amount of magnesium in 2001-02, which corresponded to a sharp increase in type-2 diabetes in the country.

Magnesium plays an important role in energy production and storage, muscle contraction and maintenance of blood glucose levels. It has been established as a key nutrient, especially for individuals with a regular exercise regimen and athletes.

The mineral is known to improve athletic performance as it increases glucose availability as well as lactase clearance in the muscles during exercise. Magnesium is also known to promote strength and cardio-respiratory function. Its role among athletes appears to be far more significant than realised and can have life-threatening consequences if overlooked.

Magnesium deficiency is associated with muscle weakness, cramps, structural damage of muscle fibre, strength and power limitation, therefore increasing susceptibility to cellular damage and affecting muscle performance. Symptoms of the deficiency include insomnia, muscle cramps, muscle weakness, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, irritability, hyper-excitability, decreased concentration and depression. Severe magnesium deficiency may cause low blood calcium and potassium levels, loss of appetite, nausea, arrhythmia (irregular heart beat), even cardiac arrest and sudden death.

As magnesium is lost through sweat and urine, individuals engaged in intense exercise or those working out at high temperatures lose more of the mineral than the average person; hence their requirement is 10 to 20 per cent more than most individuals. Accumulating evidence supports the theory that athletes and those involved in regular exercise must pay special attention to their nutrient and micronutrient status.

Magnesium deficiency is not only extremely common but is also linked to several diseases and health problems. But many symptoms of low magnesium are not unique to this deficiency alone, making it difficult to diagnose accurately. Blood or serum magnesium levels may not always reflect the true status. Therefore, low magnesium levels often, go completely unrecognised and untreated.

Magnesium deficiency is common among those suffering from chronic digestive problems, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, mal-absorption, celiac disease, gluten-related disorders, endocrine problems, vitamin D deficiency, diabetes, chronic alcoholism, diuretics or among those who consume excess sugar or caffeine. The mineral is found abundantly in foods like green vegetables, legumes, peas, beans and nuts (specially almonds), some shellfish and most whole unrefined cereals. Hard water has been found to contain more magnesium than soft water. Cooking decreases the magnesium content of food. There is experimental and clinical evidence that the amount of magnesium in urban and western diets is insufficient to meet individual demands and that magnesium deficiency may be contributing to common health problems. However, supplementation must be done under the care of a qualified professional.