Obesity

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Caution – (i) The roots and leaves of tomatoes are poisonous. (ii) Solanine in green tomatoes can trigger migraine. Also their intake should be restricted by those with a tendency towards renal stones or those suffering from gout or elevated uric acid. This is because of high oxalic and purine content of tomatoes. (iii) If you suffer from heartburn after every meal, a chronic cough, sore throat – these are all the symptoms of acid-reflux disorder, an uncomfortable condition where stomach acid is forced up into your throat; stop eating tomatoes and tomato products and see your naturo-food therapist. Along with smoking, alcohol, caffeine and large meals, tomatoes probably make your discomfort worse.

 

Olive Oil

312.   Greeks know how to eat well. Their typical diet includes lots of fibre-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, proteins from fish and very rarely from red meat, moderate amount of red wine – and fat. But not just any fat. Unlike the standard American diet, Mediterranean diet uses olive oil as its main source of fat. Olive oil containing Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, made from pressing ripe olives, is 77% monounsaturated fat, the good kind that helps rather than hurts your body. It also contains vitamins A, D, E and K and has several compounds that resist cancers. This flavourful oil fights heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis; and as a mild laxative, olive oil may also help with gall bladder problems. Mustard, sesame, peanut, canola, almond and walnut oils are also of the monounsaturated variety with benefits similar to olive oil.

 

313.   Inspite of their high-fat diet, the Greeks hardly ever develop heart disease or hardening of the arteries called arterioscelerosis. The compound, phenol, in olive oil, especially in virgin or extra virgin, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and clot-preventing powers. Studies show that oleic acid in olive oil may reduce your risk of breast, colorectal, prostate and esophageal cancers.

 

314.   No one considers oil an important diet food, since most oils, including olive oil contain 120 calories a tablespoon. But there are reasons why substituting olive oil for others could help you lose weight. Researchers at Penn State University found that oils rich in monounsaturated fat, like olive oil, fill you up more than others. In their study, people who ate mashed potatoes prepared with monounsaturated oils were less hungry later in the day than people who ate the same food cooked with polyunsaturated oils. If you are less hungry, you are less likely to snack, overeat and put on extra kilos. And because olive oil has such a rich flavour, you don’t need to use as much of it.