Tatyana Kour.Many people think that eating the vegetarian way puts one at greater health risks and is not as conducive to health as the nonvegetarian eating, which simply includes animal products (as in meat, chicken, or fish products). Research has shown that it truly falls upon one’s food choices over time; especially as vegetarian eating includes lower fat and higher fibre food options, such as grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits. In fact, evidence shows that the development of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer was less among vegetarians than nonvegetarians, in addition, vegetarian eating...

Tatyana Kour.Many people remain confused about what they ate to make them feel bloated. Whether it is the distention in their abdomen or the uncomfortable gassiness, being bloated is simply not fun.   One can feel so irritable that the day-to-day activities get disrupted and one’s focus is often shifted towards the actual level of discomfort instead of being productive throughout the day. Hence, it may be worth learning about what measures to take in order to prevent such bloating.   First and foremost, one needs to get to the root cause of the problem and identify problem foods while assessing eating habits...

Tatyana Kour.When it comes to weight management, everyone assumes the expert role in disseminating pieces of information and advice about what works best and what doesn’t. People seem to even encourage the adoption of certain behaviours or practices about food, nutrition and weight management without taking into consideration whether the information is compatible enough with sound nutrition principles, medical care or health condition.   However, people still think that eating mansaf is not healthy, with some even recommending people to stay away from mansaf to lose weight. Yet, from a scientific perspective, mansaf has a high nutritional value and can add pleasure...

Tatyana Kour.With December’s arrival comes the beginning of the weight loss battle. Many people opt for doing almost anything to lose a bit of weight before the new year hits, with most wanting to see a huge difference right away, and some even claiming most unrealistic weight loss goals in a relatively very short period of time.   Yet, at this time, it may be worth considering personal assessment of certain dieting behaviours that make one’s weight loss experience a failing one, including eating one meal a day and following a low carbohydrate meal plan.   Several people opt for eating one meal a...

Tatyana Kour.There are lots of temptations to indulge in while celebrating the joy and blessings of Eid Al Adha. Food may be a centrepiece festivities, but that does not mean one has to pack on the kilos.   Celebrations can often lead to overeating meat, sweets like kaek, mamoul and chocolates along with plenty of traditional Arabic coffee.   Planning ahead of time can help us cope with the temptations and hefty indulgence of the Eid celebrations and family gatherings.   One can start the day with a small meal that includes whole grains (such as half small pita bread or half a cup of cereal),...

Tatyana Kour.Despite the rising trend of cigarette smoking in Jordan, several smokers express both the interest and concern in quitting smoking.   There is a trend for Jordanian adults, especially women, to smoke if they are trying to lose weight. “It simply helps me with my stress and cravings,” a woman says. Research shows that smokers of all ages who are trying to lose weight are more likely to want to stop smoking. It is prudent to learn what nicotine in cigarettes does to one’s body and weight.   Generally speaking, people who smoke are more likely to eat less than those who do not...

Tatyana Kour.While eating healthy during the fall season might seem quite a challenge for some, it is not complicated. As the temperature drops, many individuals change their eating habits by eating fewer fruits and vegetables, larger portions, creamier sauces and more chocolates in an effort to stay warm regardless of their growing waistlines. So what should one do to stay healthy and fit during the fall season?   Eat small, frequent snacks throughout the day while keeping snack foods on hand. If desiring sweets dried fruits, as in dates, prunes, dried figs, dried apricots and raisins are good options. Dried fruits contain...

Tatyana Kour.Ever noticed that men often focus on eating more protein while women pile their plate high with salads? At the gym, men hit the weight machines pushing themselves too far while women take an aerobics class and entertain themselves with socialising.    When they stray, men crave meat and fat; women go for chocolate or saltines. Each sex has its own characteristics and differs when it comes to food, nutrition and health.   One noticeable difference is the ratio of muscle to fat. During adulthood, men tend to have 10 to 20 per cent more muscle and less body fat than women of...

Tatyana Kour.Considering the global open market and the amount of food products made available to us, it is worth giving a little recognition to the uncommon soybean. Compared with common beans in Jordan, soybeans are considered a good source of vegetable protein that contains as much protein as found in meat products, including chicken, turkey, lamb and red meat.   This is one reason why soybean products, in addition to the common dried beans, make good protein alternatives if one desires to go meatless or vegetarian for some days or for good. Besides being rich in protein, soybeans are rich in B...

Tatyana Kour.While crazy schedules, demanding errands, and fast-paced living can disrupt one’s ability to lead healthy lifestyle routines, they may not be enough reasons to make time for disease.   Some say lack of time is the single most important reason for losing perspective on how to lead a healthy life, but ironically, we often spend more time thinking about how we’ll lead a healthy life and become thinner than on acting on it.   That is often accompanied by unconscious overeating and a loss of interest in exercise. No wonder, then, that the extra kilos stay on, posing health risks.One has only oneself...

Tatyana Kour.Whether at midweek or midday, one might feel tired, and often the culprit is nutrition.Crazy schedules, demanding travel and fast-paced living could disrupt one’s eating and exercise routine, yet may not be the only reasons that make one eat to feel less tired.   Adopting different routines could bring about fatigue; for example, not eating enough, regardless of the reason (weight loss, not having enough time, lack of desire to eat), could be responsible for one becoming tired. Studies have repeatedly shown that drastically lacking diets do not really work towards losing weight, yet might tire one.   Evidence nowadays strongly suggests that...

Tatyana Kour.Being at work or unemployed, pregnant or having a new baby, getting a promotion or being laid off, dieting or not dieting, dating or not dating at all, getting stuck in a traffic jam or coming out of a few deaths in a row, the list goes on and on and on.   Stressors are everywhere, and are different among us. They make us feel differently, think differently and eat differently. Little things often become super exaggerated, and little food portions often become magnified. But, why do we do so in the first place?   Stressors are demanding of our body. They induce...

Tatyana Kour.Ever felt tired, irritable or restless in the morning, or sluggish in mid-morning or early afternoon?It could be that you are skipping breakfast.Research has shown that those who skip breakfast tend to perform poorly, both mentally and physically, as the brain and body cells are deprived of the energy that keeps them going.   After a long night’s rest, the body needs energy, in the form of glucose, to fuel the brain and body cells for the long day ahead.Skipping breakfast, research shows, may predispose one to a higher body mass index (BMI) - a screening tool to identify weight problems,...

Tatyana Kour.Several people have complained about gainingweight during Eid. “I can’t resist the cravings for abundance of food and sweets,” says Salma, 19 year old college student. On the other hand, Hala - a 29 year old working female - thinks “it is best to avoid foods altogether during Eid, but often times, I end up eating more of the leftovers after Eid”. Walid, a 41-year-old engineer, thinks it is rather too complicated to be healthy and enjoy Eid. “It takes too much effort for me to think about my choices,” he added.   However, eating healthy during Eid is not complicated....

Tatyana Kour.Beans are rich in proteins - compounds that are needed to give us energy, make us grow, and maintain and repair the health of our tissues. When eaten with grains such as bread or rice; beans make proteins as nutritious as they are found in meats.   In addition to being rich in proteins, beans contain calcium, phosphorus, folate, iron and copper. Whether as black beans, or chickpeas, kidney beans, or pink beans, pinto beans, lima beans or split peas, all kinds of beans are nutritionally dense. They also contain phytoestrogens - compounds naturally found in beans and touted for their...

Tatyana Kour.A lot of people tend to shy away from eating fruits during Ramadan. Yet, research has shown that diets rich in fruits can lower the risk for chronic illness, including high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers.   Fruits, in particular, have antioxidants in them. Antioxidants mean protection. They have disease-fighting properties that protect cells from damage by substances called free radicals. Antioxidants work by neutralising free radicals that are formed when body cells burn oxygen from food for energy. They also may help keep the immune system healthy and reduce the risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke,...

Tatyana Kour.Many people remain confused about what eating healthy means during Ramadan, at iftar. Simply put, Ramadan is a strict fast where Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn until sunset, every day of the month.   They break their fast with some dates and water at the iftar meal. Rich in fibre and concentrated sugars, potassium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium dates offer the healthiest choice to reenergise the body after long hours of fasting.   Following dates, Muslims tend to drink some soup to help prepare their digestive system to receive foods after a long fast. In order not to fill up...

Tatyana Kour.Food plays an important role in the Jordanian culture. Higher fat or calorie foods (think falafel, mansaf, pastries and brains - or nukha’at) are the exact opposite to eating healthy in the country.   However, although some dishes are fried or prepared with a lot of fat, or are high in calories, Jordanian food offers many healthful selections to choose from, like yoghurt (cooked or raw), complex carbohydrates, mostly from beans, lentils, chickpeas, grains (like bulgur, maftoul and frikeh - all based on cracked wheat), and vegetables (onions, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, peas and green peppers).   Often vegetables are added to rice and...