Comfort food' soothes, but at the cost of health

The next time you reach out for macaroni, cheese or meatloaf when you feel low, give it a second thought. Because researchers say while comfort food may boost our mood, they are bad news for the arteries.

Some of these comfort foods are rich in saturated fat, which is blamed for forming plaque (clogging arteries), responsible for a host of potentially threatening ailments like cancer, stroke and heart diseases.

But do comfort foods actually work? Researchers say they do.

"For me personally, food has always played a big role in my family," says Jordan Troisi, graduate student at the University of Buffalo, US, who led the study. 

The study came out of the research programme of his co-author Shira Gabriel, which has looked at social surrogates that make people feel like they belong, reports the journal Psychological Science. 

In one experiment, in an attempt to make participants feel lonely, researchers had them write for six minutes about a fight with someone close to them. Others were given an emotionally neutral writing assignment. 

Finally, researchers had participants complete questions about their levels of loneliness. Writing about a fight with a close person made people feel lonely. 

But people who were generally secure in their relationships - something that was assessed before the experiment - were able to rescue themselves from loneliness by writing about a comfort food. 

"We have found that comfort foods are foods which are consistently associated with those close to us," says Troisi. "Thinking about or consuming these foods later then serves as a reminder of those close others." 

In another experiment, eating chicken soup in the lab made people think more about relationships, but only if they considered chicken soup to be a comfort food.

Fruit Juices - adding colour and health to your life

Easy to prepare, a good friend of your taste buds, a hit all through the year and good for your health - that's a glass of fresh juice, which can also add glow and energy to your life. Fresh juice is healthy and we all know that drinking the real thing is better than the sugary alternatives that are packed months before they reach the consumers. Fresh juices benefit us in the following ways:

•    They provide minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids, carbohydrates and proteins
•    Help improve energy levels
•    Good for the skin
•    Strengthen the immune system
•    Make the bones stronger

Despite all the benefits that fruit juices offer, there are certain things we need to know about fresh juice.

Is it okay to drink as much juice as we want daily?

No, water should be the main source of liquid and it is always better to have fruits in their natural form rather than as juice. Why? Because we all add sugar and salt to the fruit juice we make at home. This increases the amount of sugar in our diet and thus, the calorie load. But we don't really perceive drinks to be food. Eating a whole pomegranate or having three or four oranges in a row is a cumbersome job. But we would gallop a big glass of juice in a few seconds and even forget to count them as calories. So, if you take two servings of fruit in a juice, ideally you should forego your evening snacks.

Should we drink juice daily?

Drinking juice is an easy way to have two fruit servings per day that is good for the daily quota of vitamins. But, keep a check on the sugar added to the juice. It's best to have fresh juice without any sugar or salt. Though such juice might taste a bit bland and sometimes sour as in the case of orange juice, you would gradually develop a taste for them. The best choice for a daily habit of juice is carrot, apple and ginger, made with only one piece of fruit. Carrots are sweet but lower in calories and have about half the carbohydrates of fruits. Celery is also a nice low-calorie filler. Have a look at the amount of carbohydrates different fruits have.

•    Orange -16 g
•    Grapes - 28 g
•    Pomegranates - 26 g
•    Pineapple - 19 g
•    Apple - 21 g

How to use the juicer?

Now the next thing is how to use the juicer at home to get the best juice. The foremost thing is to get a good quality juicer, preferably ISI marked. If you want the fibre benefits, then put all the vegetables and fruits into a blender and don't use a juice extractor. While ordering fresh juice from outside, be sure about the hygiene and ensure that they are using a blender, not an extractor. Extractors make a smooth drink but they remove the all-important fibre from the juice.

Are juices good for children?

Replacing water with juice for children can cause diarrhoea. Having juice everyday can help to develop lifetime sweet tendencies in children. So, juices should be an occasional drink for children. Eating fruit in its natural form and relying on water, as the source of liquid, are better alternatives. Nevertheless, fruit juice is better than having aerated drinks.

Tips on getting best out of your juices

•    Always wash fruit and vegetables - even organic produce could carry bacteria.
•   Include the stems and leaves of vegetables because they have a high vitamin and mineral content.
•    Drink a juice within half an hour of preparing it, or it can get oxidised by exposure to air and develop a sour taste.
•    If you must prepare juice early, keep it refrigerated with a tight lid. Or freeze in daily-serving-size containers immediately and drink it straight after thawing.
•    Include the white inner skin of citrus fruits, as it is full of beneficial bioflavonoids.
•    Add lemon juice to preserve the natural colour and reduce the oxidation of essential nutrients.
•    If you want to lose weight, then drink vegetable juices, as they contain fewer calories than fruit juice.
•    If you have a sensitive stomach or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ensure that you dilute juices with water (three parts of juice with one part of water).

Easy to make juice-based drinks
Watermelon drink

Ingredients 
3 cups watermelon (washed and cut into small pieces), sugar (as per taste), 3 tablespoon skimmed milk, ice cubes.

Method
Blend the ingredients in a blender and refrigerate. Pour the prepared drink into serving glass, add ice cubes and serve.

Nutritive value of the watermelon juice - Apart from providing energy, watermelon protects against age-related symptoms of vision loss, fights heart disease, reduces cancer risk and is loaded with anti-oxidants. So, a glass of watermelon drink everyday not only quenches your thirst but also offers a range of health benefits.

Carrot, celery and cabbage juice
Ingredients
2 cucumbers, stalks of celery, a piece of ginger, a handful of parsley, piece of apple or citrus fruit.

Method 
Wash all vegetables and juice them together. Serve it fresh.

A glass of fruit or vegetable juice takes very little digestion. It goes right into your body and is a very yummy way of getting instant energy. Fruit juices can energise your life.

Chicken in Peanut Sauce

1 kg chicken 

2 cups chicken stock 

1/2 cup dry white wine 

For peanut sauce 

1 onion - chopped 

1 garlic - chopped 

2 inch cinnamon stick 

3 tomatoes - de-seeded and diced

1/2 cup peanuts 

salt 

black pepper 

olive oil

METHOD:

Heat oil in a pan and saute chicken till it turns colour. Add chicken stock and dry white wine and cook for 30 minutes. For the peanut sauce, heat oil in a pan and sauté onions. Add garlic, cinnamon, tomatoes and peanuts. Saute for 10 minutes and then remove from fire. Once cool grind it to a fine paste. Now mix the sauce with the chicken and cook for two more minutes. Serve garnished with tomatoes and peanuts.

Tandoori aloo/potatoes

INGREDIENTS

Oven temp: 200C-400F  4 large potatoes - peeled and boiled till half cooked  For marinade  1 cup hung curd  1 tsp garlic paste  1 tsp ginger paste  1 tsp kasuri methi (fenugreek seeds)  1 tsp garam masala  salt to taste  chaat masala to garnish  a greased drip tray

METHOD:

Mix the ingredients for the marinade.  Pierce the potatoes in 3-4 places and mix into the marinade and leave thus for half an hour or so.  Place the potatoes on the drip tray and bake for about 20 minutes in a pre heated oven or about 12 minutes in an OTG or till brown. Serve hot.

Easy spicy chicken and rice

 - 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, 1 (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes with green chilli peppers, 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 cup uncooked white rice, salt and pepper to taste. 
Method: Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. In a medium bowl combine the tomatoes/chiles, soup, rice, salt and pepper. Mix well. If necessary, add a little water. Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes, until rice is tender.

Stuffed eggplants

- 2 eggplants, 5 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 8 oz cooked meat, 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley. 
Method:  Halve eggplants. Remove pulp and set aside. Heat 1/2 the olive oil. Place the eggplant shells cut-side down and cook for 5 mins.  Sauté onions and garlic for 2 mins. Add eggplant pulp, tomatoes, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, cook over medium heat until moisture evaporates. Remove and mix in cooked meat. Stuff the eggplant shells with the stew-like mixture, and bake at 180°, in a pre-heated oven for 15 mins.

Tuna Melt

 – 12 ounces canned chunk light tuna, drained, 1 medium shallot, minced (2 tbsp), 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley, 1/8 teaspoon salt, dash of hot sauce, Freshly ground pepper to taste, 4 slices whole-wheat bread toasted, 2 tomatoes sliced, 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese. 
Method - Preheat broiler. Combine tuna, shallot, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, salt, hot sauce and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread 1/4 cup of the tuna mixture on each slice of toast; top with tomato slices and 2 tbsps cheese. Place sandwiches on a baking sheet and broil for 3 – 5 mins.

Asian Chicken Salad Sandwich

– 1 pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, 1/2  cup  light mayonnaise, 2 tsp dark sesame oil, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted, 2 scallions, chopped, 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped, salt and pepper. 
Method - Pull the meat off a rotisserie chicken, discarding the skin. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the next 5 ingredients (mayonnaise through red pepper) season with salt and pepper to taste and stir gently with a spoon to combine. Divide mixture into 4 equal parts and put on whole wheat bread.

Chicken, Green Apple and Brie Sandwich

– 2 tbsp  Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp honey, 4    kaiser rolls, 8 ounces  brie, sliced into 4 equal parts, 12  slices deli chicken (about 3/4 lb), 1/2   green apple, cored and thinly sliced.  
Method - In a small bowl combine the mustard and the honey and mix until smooth. Cut the rolls open horizontally and spread the bottom side with 1/4 of the mustard mixture. Layer on 4 slices of the chicken, 2 ounces of the brie, and 1/4 of the apple slices.

Greek Salad Pita Pocket

 - 1 cup Romaine lettuce, 3 ounces Feta cheese crumbled, 1 cup chopped cucumbers, 1 cup chopped red peppers, 1 cup chopped green peppers, 1/4 cup  chopped red onion, 2 tbsps  chopped fresh parsley, 2 tbsps  lemon juice, 1  tbsp  extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp oregano, salt and pepper to taste, 4 pita rounds. Method - Combine 1st 7 ingredients in a bowl and toss with hands. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients, whisk together and add salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the top of the mixed salad and toss again. Cut the pita rounds in half and fill each half with the dressed salad mixture.