In this fast paced world, we are constantly bombarded with jazzy ads, glamorous models and celebrities and of course glittering products that claim to be the only choice for a better living. While I agree that many may be such right choices and some are definitely NOT.
Most of the times we also feel that we are in complete control of our emotional dynamics and that these ads do not affect us. But let me tell you that these ads DO affect us in some way or the other and that’s the reality.
But while the ads and the scores of ad men and women are doing their job relentlessly, isn’t it our prerogative to choose wisely for the sake of our health..?
Most of the times we are so enamoured in our own myths especially about their health and more so about their diets. But then, while the ads are doing what these are supposed to do, let us do our own thing…
Take one of the commonly used products…dried soup mixes! All the soup mix advertisements claim how very healthy, tasty, yummy and easy to prepare these concoctions are. But do we really take a hard look at the ingredients of these ready-to- serve soup mixes..? Let me focus on that….. If we look at the ingredients, all dried soup mixes contain lots of salt, hidden sugar, fillers, preservatives, corn flour, few pieces of dried veggies, colouring and flavouring agents. When I tried to analyze these ingredients, to my surprise, I didn’t find any nutritional value in this so called healthy soup… How these soups could be a healthy, and nutritious supplement for the growing children, elders or even fit for healthy consumptions..? What I found in all these products 1 Corn flour or some other flour as thickening base 2 A few dried pieces of veggies 3 Preservatives, salt, flavouring n colouring agents, hidden sugar etc . I happened to even speak to a technologist who specialises in this area of food drying and what came out was while the drying process does retain some nutritional values of the original ingredient the process also likely to change the basic ‘Gunas’ values of the original. Now let us look at each of the ingredient independtly… First of all, corn flour is a big load of starch and high calorie food, which is not at all good for health. Dried veggie pieces are dried and dehydrated vegetables. This process of dehydration does reduce the certain amount of nutrients from the vegetables. And then how can these veggie pieces are healthy? Lastly the third group that is preservatives, colouring, flavouring agents, & salt are added to increase the shell life of the product and don’t have any nutritional benefits…… So if you people are hoping for good health or hoping to lose a few kilos of belly fat, with just a mug-full of soup…I congratulate all those jazzy ads for a job well done! But you are a serious reader of my blogs and conscious of your health, let me come back to you with some equally jazzy, yummy and healthy recipes of soups!
Dr. Manjiri Joshi
www.ayurconcept.com
91 9403360452