Supersize me? Indian food.

ddevadatta

Sorry but I really don't (perhaps I should) think of health issues when i eat Indian food. It is too good to get distracted by health issues.

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shpatel

I'm so HUNGRY now. I wish I was back in India so I could order palak panner(spinach with cheese cubes) and garlic naan. Mmmmm......

50sQuiff

you do make a good point Ddevadata. I couldn't bear being a 'health freak', too neurotic to enjoy good food. However I feel a sensible approach with some degree of moderation is appropriate.

Sadhu

I always lose weight in India. In So. India I stick with idlis or pongal for breakfast, and I find even eating dal makhni, or saag paneer all the time I still lose weight, since I don't normally eat many snacks or other junk foods. I also go for a couple of eggs now and then, or Chinese food for variety. Above all else, I never overeat, as that gives me more problems than unclean food ever did.

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Karma Queen

i lost weight in india. and i felt healthier, probably due to the fresh ingredients - lack of nasty e numbers etc... stop worrying about your weight. the food is a big part of india. eat and enjoy.

ddevadatta

This thread made me so hungry earlier. I drove an hour away to the closest Indian Restaurant to my place. Had a buffet of yummy stuff. They have dosai on sundays and so I pigged out on them. The tandorri was a bit too dry for my liking. The sambar was great and the cold Taj Mahal hit the spot.

Thanks for making me hungry!!!

Sunray

Don't, I had that yesterday and it was so lovely, I'm going to have it again today, with some plain roti.

I found that the heat prevents me from eating very much. Certainly cant eat the sack of rice that these people do for lunch. I've never ordered anything more from an unlimited thali, often skip lunch. Without the fat in the food I think I would have wasted away by now.

Had the amazing disovery, eating fresh onions with curry adds a great flavour to it. Highly recommended.

renedu

I find even though it is a tad more fatty than what I like to eat, I eat much less (due to the heat - of the food and outside temp!) Plus I am statisfied much more with the delicious food here, just came up to do internet from nice veg place with a little idli sambar - too bad too late in the day for rotis (How many calories did that save!). I also find drinking lots of nimbu panis (salty more than sweet) keep me very satisfied during the day. The only thing I cannot resist is a dry fruit kulfi falooda..no will power there! I actually think it is very easy to eat extremely healthy here, low-cal don't mean healthy - I just saw some French ladies eating big salads and putting ice in their lassies (hope they have en-suite bathrooms) - they looked like they were just off the boat!

Sunray

I've noticed that some places put those small bags of drinking water in the freezer. One guy offered me an Aquafina from the freezer! So if you wanted an ice drink, buy one of those and chop it with that knife you brought.

christie

I workout every morning here and still battle gaining weight....
the food is just too good, and i find my craving for sweets increases as well. I always go for the tandoori, and continue to embarrass my boyfriend by wrapping the chicken cubes in napkin to remove excess oil. One roti per meal, and I try to avoid rice altogether. My favorite little snack are the roasted (never fried) chick peas, soy beans and moong, a handfull of that stuff and a banana will keep you going for hours. I basically made a pledge to avoid fried food completely. They are so bad for you, and with the weather getting hotter, they are also the last thing in the world i want.

I cannot live without vegetables, but was also scared about the water used to wash them. If you have a kitchen, try washing your veggies in Sterilique, the one with the blue top. I usually wash the produce in regular water then fill a bowl with mineral water and a capful of sterilique and let everything sit for about 15minutes, no need to re wash they are ready to go. Yeah, you do feel like a yuppie washing vegetables in mineral water (must confess, I use tap water on some days when I'm feeling brave. or have run out of mineral water) but it is a shame not the eat the fresh fruits and vegetables here and I haven't been sick yet. I shouldn't tempt fate like that...

sticky

The whole white rice/brown rice thing is a bit of a misconception.
There is virtually no difference between brown and white rice of one variety: Brown has a little more fibre and slightly more vitamins
BUT there is a huge difference between varieties of rice.

Some rice varieties have a really high GI (they break down quickly giving a sugar hit and make you feel hungry sooner) others have a low GI (make you feel full for longer, which is HEAPS better for you).
Fortunately for all indian lovers Basmati is the best of them all

My doctor told me i had glucose intolerance a while back and i had to look all that stuff up, check this site out if you want to know any more http://www.glycemicindex.com/ its run by the university of sydney so its accurate.

Anyway, back to the topic, you could try eating some soups too. Rassams are great, and there are heaps of other lentily soups that are filling and healthy.

I wouldnt worry too much about the oil, as long as its not too over the top. things like dahls have very low GI's and lots of protein, a small amount will make you feel full and your body is more likely to burn the fats if you eat foods like that.

Also, why not eat fish instead of meat some of the time.

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sticky

You might also find this interesting, its on the effects of different fats on metabolism

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1241479.htm

cyberhippie

Mmmm a thread about watching your weight in a developing country like India, nice to have the option I suppose!
Well I'm a bit on the bouncy side shall we say but find that despite what I eat here in India I usually shed a few Kilos whilst on a trip around India!
I don't avoid fatty foods though I body soon let's me know if I've gone overboard with batura/Samosas and the like!! I think your body quickly gets tired of deep fried food.
So what to eat that isn't dripping with oil (by the way I think most places use Vegetable oil or peanut oil which isn't so bad!!)
Ask for dal instead of dal fry, Masala Papads are a nice light snack with the papad roasted of course, Tandoori Paneer, chicken or mutton will remain low in fat. Soups are available anywhere (though these may also be oily ask then to leave out the croutons and knob of butter) idlis as someone mentioned are oil free or in Rajasthan try Dal Bhati Chourma the chappati dough is made into a little ball and baked in the. tandoor
If it's a salad your after, well make your own, a favourite of ours is buy some tomato/onion/cucumber borrow a bowl and buy a tin of tuna drain the oil (just leave a smidgin for the taste), mix with a bit of vinegar/lemon and you have a great tuna salad
Breads are perfectly healthy and avoiding them is nothing more than a western fad, try chappatis with Local "cottage cheese" and garlic, or garlic nans.
Fruit salads are available everywhere and fruit is cheap and healthy.
Don't get too fanatical about your weight and health (though a bottle of multi vitimins is a good idea) remember India has forgotten more about healthy eating and food combining than us faddests in the west will ever know. Look around you how many overweight Indians do you see??? Indian food is generally pretty healthy, oil and all, if you find some of the food too oily you can always request that they use less oil in the preparation.
For an insight into the India dietary regime try buying an Aruvedic cook book, get a good one and you'll discover how the west has been foisting Indian ways of eating on under the diguise of the "latest healthy diet" for years.
In fact anyone interested in a healthy diet should take a look at these books it might give you a fresh outlook on what to eat/combine!!

Krishnika

I'm surprised no one has mentioned drinking lots of water, unless it's understood that everyone already does. This not only is very good for flushing your system, it also reduces your appetite. When I feel like losing a bit of weight, I consider this an essential part of my diet. And with the heat in India, this is an easy thing to do. If you always have a bottle of water with you, you're not even conscious of how much you can drink in a day. The only time I have difficulties drinking lots of water is in winter, but then I drink tea.

rangss

18 Kilos in one meal? I don't understand? Only Bakasura could eat like that!

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