Transcript impact of bal sanjeevani on malnutrition levels

Sweetness in Indian Cuisine
and Culture
Presented By
DEEPTI GULATI
Nutrition and Public Health Consultant
Our Sweet Start to Life
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What's life without a little sweetness?
Sweets are integral to Indian way of life right from the
time we are born
As a newborn, we are welcomed into this world by a
traditional prelacteal feed comprising honey or jaggery
…. even though the pre-lacteal feeds may be
harmful and may lead to diarrhoea in the newborn.
But in majority households, ‘Prelacteals’ are considered
essential to:
 clean the stomach by aiding easy passage of stool,
 keep the baby’s mouth and throat moist,
 keep the body warm,
 promote rapid growth, and
 soothe the baby until the real milk arrives.
Influences on Indian Cuisine
Indian cuisine is a gift of its diversity of:
 Religious beliefs and culture
 Cross-cultural interactions
 Colonization: British, French and Portugese
 Topography of coastal areas, hilly areas and
midland plains
But one thing that is common in all
cuisines is the “Sweetness”
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Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Rajasthani cuisine
has a sweetness in all its dishes
The Indian Cuisine
While the Indian cuisine is characterized by a wide
assortment of dishes and cooking techniques,
reflecting the varied demography and ethnicity;
most desserts and special sweets are made with
 Milk and milk products,
 Grain / lentil flours,
 Rice and rice flour
 Jaggery and sugar
 Sesame seeds, cinnamon dried ginger
 Nuts and dry fruits
 Fruits etc.
Sweetness Through Feasting
and Fasting
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Festivities and celebrations are a fundamental part
of every Indian's life.
The celebrations that start from birth continue all
through and Indians do not need a particular reason
or a season to celebrate
From January to December, every month comes
with a particular fair or festival of one or the other
region or religion.
Festivals in India always revolve around food
and sweets and all the feasting or fasting has its
own special feast and sweets
Our Variety in Sweets
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Indian meals are never complete
without sweets, even if it may be
 mukhwas, paan or plain jaggery
Indian sweets vary
 Festival-wise
 Region-wise
In addition each home will have its
own store of:
 Fruits preserves, murraba, chutneys
 Beverages like thandai, lemon juice,
aamras, panna, gudumba, fruitbased milkshakes, jaljeera sharbats,
fruit squashes, rooh-afza etc.
Common ingredients: milk, rice, yogurt, gram-flour,
wheat-flour, sesame seeds, nuts, jaggery, sugar, dried
ginger, ghee, rawa, lentils and fruits
Science of Sweetness
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Sweetness in Indian cuisine has a cultural dimension and
a scientific rationale
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Season specific sweetmeats are made with ingredients
considered important for health
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Sushruta Samhita, the ancient Ayurvedic text, dating back
to 600 B.C. suggests that foods be varied in taste
according to the season so that the use of correct foods in
different seasons will presumably prevent diseases
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Summer sweets are milk and yoghurt based drinks and
dishes flavored with almonds, cardamom etc.
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Winter sweets are energy-dense, usually made with grain
flours, jaggery, nuts, sesame seeds, dried ginger etc. and
cooked with ghee (clarified butter / oil)
Jaggery and ghee are common to all traditional sweets
Sweetness in Feasting and Fasting
Common sweetmeats during the
festivals and fasting are:
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Laddus (til, boondi and sooji)
Kheer, Paysam, Basundi
Halwa of wheat flour, gram-flour,
sooji,carrots etc.
Gajak, rewari and other sweet
bars made with sesame seeds,
jaggery,
Mango-shakes, thandai, aamras,
Rasgulla, Gulab-jamun, Rasmalai, Barfi
Mishti-doi, Shreekand, Ice-reams
and Kulfis
Cakes, Pastries etc.
Nutritional Dimension of
Sweetness
Let us now review to look at the benefits of all
the “Sweetness in Indian Cuisine”
Jaggery
Nutritionally, jaggery, a natural sweetener, is a
storehouse of nutrients. It contains glucose
and minerals like, calcium, iron, phosphorous,
copper etc. and certain B-vitamins, thus
giving it a tremendous nutritional and
medicinal importance.
Nutritional Dimension of
Sweetness
Sesame seeds
These are an excellent source of copper and calcium,
and a good source of manganese, iron, phosphorus,
thiamin, zinc, vitamin E, protein and fiber. Thus, the
Sesame or Til seeds
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Have a cholesterol-lowering effect,
Protect the liver from oxidative damage and
Enhance the immune response.
High mineral content, in these seeds is helpful in
 reducing inflammation and pain caused by
rheumatoid arthritis and
 providing strength and elasticity in blood vessels,
bones and joints
Nutritional Dimension of
Sweetness
Nuts and Dry Fruits
These are rich sources of
 Energy
 Vitamins A, D and Riboflavin
 Minerals such as calcium, magnesium,
phosphorus, and potassium
These nutrients help to perform important
physiological functions like:
 nerve conduction,
 blood-clotting,
 maintenance of electrolyte balance within cells,
 maintenance of normal blood pressure
Nutritional Dimension of
Sweetness
Ginger
Dried Ginger is often added to winter
sweets to add that special taste and flavour.
This has great health value as
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It promotes the release of bile, thus aiding
the digestion of fat-rich foods,
Prevents dyspepsia and colic.
It is also helpful in arthritis, and
Is considered to have blood thinning and
cholesterol lowering properties.
Nutritional and Heath Dimensions
of Fasting
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Most cultures and religions around the world have
practised cleansing, fasting, and detoxification
rituals for centuries.
In almost all cultures and traditions common aspects
of cleansing practices include
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elimination or restriction of certain foods and drinks for
a designated period of time;
overall reduction of caloric intake;
inclusion of cleansing, healing, and sacred foods,
plants, and herbs;
regular seasons or times for cleansing;
contemplative, religious, or spiritual observance; and
a desire and need to heal and restore body, mind, and
spirit.
Nutritional and Heath Dimensions
of Fasting
Every week, there is one or the other ‘Fast’ and every
six-months, there are ‘Navratras’.
Fasts and Navratras often have religious dimension
but there is strong nutritional and health rationale.
The fasting body achieves complete physiological
rest which allows the body to
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repair organs and structures.
It is self-healing.
It cleanses and excretes toxic chemical residue through
the skin, urine, bowels, and mouth, thus
ridding our bodies of diseased and degenerating
tissues
Nutritional and Heath Dimensions
of Fasting
Detoxification is a normal body process of
eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the
colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph glands, and
skin
How does fasting help ?
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Detoxifying the body
Preventing oxidative damage
Building up the micronutrient stores, and
Enhancing the immune response
Nutritional and Heath
Dimensions of Fasting
Fasting is part of preventive health care
for many ancient cultures.
Foods recommended during fasting are:
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Sweetmeats
Fruits
Fruit juices
Vegetables
Milk and milk products
Nuts and dry fruits
High water content of fruit flushes out
the toxin much quicker, and sugars not
only give the much needed energy, but
will wash the system easier
Nutritional and Heath Dimensions
of Fasting
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Navratra fasts in March help people "lighten
up" after a long winter, shed the extra winter
fat layer that they acquired feasting on rich
sweet and build their immune system to
prevent diseases of the summer
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Navratra fasts in October prepare the body to
cope with cough, cold and and other winter
ailments
Gastronomic delights ushering in the
summer and winter sweetness in
Indian homes have rich traditional
wisdom and health benefits. So,
enjoy feasting on the sweetness,
without getting affected from
seasonal or long-term ailments.
However, remember, “Moderation in
Sweetness” is the mantra of
disease-free life !
Thank you !!