[lifestyle ] Make a conscious shift to a healthy lifestyle

[_Happy boy]

 

he Covid-19 pandemic has brought the importance of healthy living to the forefront like never before. People are more aware than ever regarding the food they consume to help them combat various known and unknown diseases and viruses present in the environment. In the meantime, a widely prevalent mentality in India is also leading to people trying out 'ghar ke nuskhe'(home remedies) that are used for curing various diseases.

While there may be varied opinions about the efficacy of home remedies, experts are unanimous that home-cooked healthy meals, made in light heart-friendly oil, take precedence over the so-called fast-food or meals-on-the-go like pizza or burger that working professionals chomp down while commuting. Fear always keeps lurking in minds about mutant Covid virus or other infections being on the prowl. Therefore, it is always advisable to cook something wholesome in some gut-happy oil.

Healthy-heart is important
According to doctors and other health experts, keeping your gut and heart-healthy is very important and therefore one must keep in mind that high-fat oils can raise LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in the body and in turn increase the risk of heart diseases and a stroke. Needless to mention, the extra calories will definitely cause weight gain too. Among various options, olive oil again doesn't suit Indian cooking with its low smoking point.

A better alternative to high-fat oils can be canola oil, heart-healthy oil suited for all types of cooking. Made from seeds of Brassica/Napus Flower, it is one of the healthiest cooking oils available which is versatile as well as affordable.
It is the most suitable one for making a variety of dishes, both at home and for commercial purposes too. Odourless, neutral in taste and with a higher smoke point of 242 degree Celsius, it is indeed the right choice for Indian taste, because this oil doesn't hamper the original taste of the dish, as also for those craving for continental or any other cuisine.Canola oil, being the only oil that has the highest unsaturated (good) fat proven to reduce the LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good fat), also reduces the risk of heart diseases. According to the US FDA-certified research, if you include just one and a half tablespoon of canola oil in your daily life, then it can cure your risk of coronary heart diseases. This oil is most helpful in treating Type-II Diabetes and is the highest consumed oil in all the developed countries such as the U.S., Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Australia. In fact, canola oil is the world's third-largest used oil.

According to a study conducted by W.H.O., the lesser the ratio of omega 3 & omega 6, the better is the oil. In canola oil, this ratio is the least which is 1:2 (Omega 3 & Omega 6). Canola oil has just 7 percent saturated bad fat, which is the least among all the cooking oils.

Giving credence to its usefulness, high oleic canola oil has been authorized as a qualified health claim by the US Food and Drug Administration. These two being among the most strict health regulators in the world, canola oil's credentials as a healthy oil have got a major boost and therefore its importance rises further in such unprecedented times the world is going through when people are extra cautious about what goes into their mouths. It is definitely a need of the hour, as the age-old saying goes - 'Precaution is always better than the cure'.