Interview with a Dietician – Dr. Fatema B (Mumbai)

1.How would you describe a good diet?
A. Basically one should consume the required calories within a balanced meal which meets your daily calorie requirement. Generally 2000 calorie diet for the day is a FDA yardstick. There are many variations in protein, fat, carbohydrate as a percentage, it is best one consults with a Physician, however, one should avoid high starch, high sugar, high saturated fats, and substitute for natural foods and fresh vegetables and fruits. Stay away from carbonated and processed foods.

2.How to preserve the nutrients of the vegetables while cooking?
A. Ways to prevent nutrients from leeching:
Wash before cutting them.
Cook vegetables for shorter period of time, stop when half cooked.
Always cover the utensil with the lid.

3. Are artificial sweeteners ok to use?
A. Artificial sweetners in general should be avoided as it is addictive, and side effects are not known in long term.

4. How to maintain the same taste and nutrition of food prepared for a single person and
food prepared for a large gathering?
A. The recipes on line are generally for small servings and portion, and one may try linear scaling of the ingredients (which is common), however expert cooks know better how to tweak the condiments to maintain good taste even for large vats and large quantity cooking. 

5.Why cooking with microwave is harmful?
A. As per FMB guidelines , Microwave ovens should NOT be used for cooking. Leakage from Microwave ovens will cause damage to living tissue, from leaks and improper use, so it is best  NOT to use even for warming.

6. What is a better choice butter or margarine?
A. Easy, Butter is better than margarine.
Butter is a traditional dietary staple made by churning cream.
Margarine is a processed food that is designed to taste and look similar to butter.
Butter and margarine look similar and are used for the same purpose in the kitchen.
However, their nutritional profiles differ. While butter is high in saturated fat, margarine is rich
in unsaturated fat and sometimes trans fat, which is harmful.
If you prefer margarine over butter, make sure to choose trans-fat-free brands and select
products made with healthy oils, such as olive oil.
butter should be the favorite, margarine or butter-light should be avoided, consider buying products made from grass-fed cow’s milk, as it is natural and wholesome.

7. What happens when you deep fry?
A. Any food cooked in hot oil or ghee is fried. The method of heat transference is the same whether
there’s just a little fat in the pan (sautéing), the fat comes partway up the sides of the food
(shallow-frying), or the fat completely envelops the food (deep-frying).
In the initial moments of frying, as the surface dehydrates, it forms a crust that inhibits further
oil absorption, while continuing to conduct heat to the interior of the food, where the heat causes
starches to gelatinize (as in french fries), proteins to denature (in fried chicken), and fibers to
soften (in fried zucchini). Avoid Deep frying as the nutritional value is greatly decreased

8. Can I reuse frying oil after used once?
A. Each time you reuse an oil, it gets more and more destabilised until it decomposes. The way
the oil starts looking when it starts to decompose is very distinct.
If your recycled oil is looking cloudy or has foam formed on top, it’s time for it to go. It is BEST not to re-use OIL, after using it once, Ghee could be re-used though if it has not discloured or contaminated with the other fats or starts to smell.

9. Why is excess sugar and salt not healthy?
A. In a study published in 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine, Dr. Hu and his colleagues found an
association between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of heart disease. Over the
course of the 15-year study, people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had
a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8%
of their calories as added sugar.
“Basically, the higher the intake of added sugar and other high fructose, corn syrup, palm kernel oil, the higher the risk for heart disease,” says Dr Hu.

10. What is a balanced diet? How many calories to consume in a day?
A balanced diet gives your body the nutrients it needs to function correctly. To get the nutrition
you need, most of your daily calories should come from:

● fresh fruits
● fresh vegetables
● whole grains
● legumes
● nuts
● lean proteins

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans Trusted Source explain how much of each nutrient you
should consume daily.

About calories
The number of calories in a food refers to the amount of energy stored in that food. Your body
uses calories from food for walking, thinking, breathing, and other important functions.
The average person needs about 2,000 calories every day to maintain their weight, but the
amount will depend on their age, sex, and physical activity level.
Males tend to need more calories than females, and people who exercise need more calories
than people who don’t.

11. What about canned food and frozen food.
A. Most canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are processed within hours after harvesting.
The nutrient content is NOT comparable to fresh.
 Most canned products are loaded with preservatives and additives to prolong shelf life, which may cause intestinal bloating in GI tracts

If one has to use canned products then do the following
Sodium is usually added to canned foods to preserve them so look for low-sodium,
reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added labeled foods. Compare the sodium content on the Nutrition
Facts label, and choose the product with the lowest amount.
Drain and rinse canned veggies to reduce sodium even more.
Frozen vegetables with sauces and seasonings can have excess salt and added calories.
Look for fruit that is canned in water, its own juice, or light syrup. If the fruit is canned in light
syrup, drain and rinse before use.
Make sure frozen fruits are 100% frozen fruits – no added sugars.

12. Tell us about korma meat, gustavo, Suku ghost?
A. This is similar to meat jerky , which is cooked meat (chicken, beef) , dried and shredded and then again fried. Which leaves it nothing but flavor and zero nutrition value as it is only meat fiber, and most likely over fried.. exept for taste , avoid as food

13. Why or what is it red or pink in packaged cold meat?
A. Nitrite is used during the curing of meat. The resulting nitric oxide (NO) forms a bright red and
highly stable complex with the heme group of myoglobin and even with oxidized MMb+. This
colour is even stable towards heating, which is not the case for fresh uncured meat that will turn
brown after heating. Avoid eating processed meat as preservatives can cause harm, again consider preservatives and additives and stabilizer as contrary to healthy eating , that goes for most bottle sauces like tomatoe ketchup and the like, try orhganic home grown icahrs, chutney etc

14. Why use stainless and not aluminum?
A: Aluminium is one of the most abundant element on earth, but reacts with acid and easily oxidises in to salt, which is harmful in the long run , especially to organs (brain, eys, skin, kidney, liver..). It is BEST to cook in Good steel vessels or Anodised Aluminium vessels. And FMB guidelines dictates no Alumiunium or Tin cladded vats should be used for cooking

● fresh fruits
● fresh vegetables
● whole grains
● legumes
● nuts
● lean proteins
The Dietary Guidelines for AmericansTrusted Source explain how much of each nutrient you
should consume daily.
About calories
The number of calories in a food refers to the amount of energy stored in that food. Your body
uses calories from food for walking, thinking, breathing, and other important functions.
The average person needs about 2,000 calories every day to maintain their weight, but the
amount will depend on their age, sex, and physical activity level.
Males tend to need more calories than females, and people who exercise need more calories
than people who don’t.
11. What about canned food and frozen food.
A. Most canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are processed within hours after harvesting,
so their flavor is preserved and nutrient losses are minimal. The nutrient content is comparable
to fresh.
Depending on the produce item, canning and freezing may actually preserve the nutrient
value and even increase the availability of some nutrients to the body.
Studies show that recipes prepared with canned foods had similar nutritional values to those
prepared with fresh or frozen ingredients
Sodium is usually added to canned foods to preserve them so look for low-sodium,
reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added labeled foods. Compare the sodium content on the Nutrition
Facts label, and choose the product with the lowest amount.
Drain and rinse canned veggies to reduce sodium even more.
Frozen vegetables with sauces and seasonings can have excess salt and added calories.
Look for fruit that is canned in water, its own juice, or light syrup. If the fruit is canned in light
syrup, drain and rinse before use.
Make sure frozen fruits are 100% frozen fruits – no added sugars..
12. Tell us about korma meat, Suku ghost?
A.13. Why or what is it red or pink in packaged cold meat?
A. Nitrite is used during the curing of meat. The resulting nitric oxide (NO) forms a bright red and
highly stable complex with the heme group of myoglobin and even with oxidized MMb+. This
colour is even stable towards heating, which is not the case for fresh uncured meat that will turn
brown after heating.
14. Why use stainless and not aluminum?
A:
Dt. Fazela Badlawala

That keeps in more vitamins and minerals than almost any other cooking method and shows
microwave food can indeed be healthy.
6. What is a better choice butter or margarine?
A. Easy, Butter is better than margarine.
Butter is a traditional dietary staple made by churning cream.
Margarine is a processed food that is designed to taste and look similar to butter. It is often
recommended as a heart-healthy replacement.
Butter and margarine look similar and are used for the same purpose in the kitchen.
However, their nutritional profiles differ. While butter is high in saturated fat, margarine is rich
in unsaturated fat and sometimes trans fat.
If you prefer margarine over butter, make sure to choose trans-fat-free brands and select
products made with healthy oils, such as olive oil.
If butter is your favorite, consider buying products made from grass-fed cow’s milk.
7. What happens when you deep fry?
A. Any food cooked in hot fat is fried. The method of heat transference is the same whether
there’s just a little fat in the pan (sautéing), the fat comes partway up the sides of the food
(shallow-frying), or the fat completely envelops the food (deep-frying).
In the initial moments of frying, as the surface dehydrates, it forms a crust that inhibits further
oil absorption, while continuing to conduct heat to the interior of the food, where the heat causes
starches to gelatinize (as in french fries), proteins to denature (in fried chicken), and fibers to
soften (in fried zucchini).
8. Can I reuse frying oil after used once?
A. Each time you reuse an oil, it gets more and more destabilized until it decomposes. The way
the oil starts looking when it starts to decompose is very distinct.
If your recycled oil is looking cloudy or has foam formed on top, it’s time for it to go.
9. Why is excess sugar and salt not healthy?
A. In a study published in 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine, Dr. Hu and his colleagues found an
association between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease. Over the
course of the 15-year study, people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had
a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8%
of their calories as added sugar.
“Basically, the higher the intake of added sugar, the higher the risk for heart disease,” says Dr.
Hu.
10. What is a balanced diet? How many calories to consume in a day?
A. What is a balanced diet?
A balanced diet gives your body the nutrients it needs to function correctly. To get the nutrition
you need, most of your daily calories should come from:● fresh fruits
● fresh vegetables
● whole grains
● legumes
● nuts
● lean proteins
The Dietary Guidelines for AmericansTrusted Source explain how much of each nutrient you
should consume daily.
About calories
The number of calories in a food refers to the amount of energy stored in that food. Your body
uses calories from food for walking, thinking, breathing, and other important functions.
The average person needs about 2,000 calories every day to maintain their weight, but the
amount will depend on their age, sex, and physical activity level.
Males tend to need more calories than females, and people who exercise need more calories
than people who don’t.
11. What about canned food and frozen food.
A. Most canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are processed within hours after harvesting,
so their flavor is preserved and nutrient losses are minimal. The nutrient content is comparable
to fresh.
Depending on the produce item, canning and freezing may actually preserve the nutrient
value and even increase the availability of some nutrients to the body.
Studies show that recipes prepared with canned foods had similar nutritional values to those
prepared with fresh or frozen ingredients
Sodium is usually added to canned foods to preserve them so look for low-sodium,
reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added labeled foods. Compare the sodium content on the Nutrition
Facts label, and choose the product with the lowest amount.
Drain and rinse canned veggies to reduce sodium even more.
Frozen vegetables with sauces and seasonings can have excess salt and added calories.
Look for fruit that is canned in water, its own juice, or light syrup. If the fruit is canned in light
syrup, drain and rinse before use.
Make sure frozen fruits are 100% frozen fruits – no added sugars..
12. Tell us about korma meat, Suku ghost?
A.13. Why or what is it red or pink in packaged cold meat?
A. Nitrite is used during the curing of meat. The resulting nitric oxide (NO) forms a bright red and
highly stable complex with the heme group of myoglobin and even with oxidized MMb+. This
colour is even stable towards heating, which is not the case for fresh uncured meat that will turn
brown after heating.
14. Why use stainless and not aluminum?
A:
Dt. Fazela Badlawala