By Sue-Ann Wayow
MANY essential workers are now finding it difficult to maintain a healthy diet especially with restaurants and street-food closed.
And this should be of utmost importance given the global health situation magnified by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Founder of Virtual Wellness is suggesting that with a little bit extra thought and preparation, individuals can pre-plan their meals at a reasonable budget so that they would not lack the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals that help to create a strong immune system.
Dr Muradali is suggesting a variation of the Mediterranean diet with a local twist.
“This diet has benefited my patients, and even myself, in achieving weight loss and getting tasty and nutrient-dense meals. The diet includes foods from major food groups such as nutrient-dense carbohydrates, healthy fats and plant protein,” he said.
What to purchase
With a trip to a roadside vendor or market, one should get a two-week supply of vegetables, seasoning and spices including broccoli, carrots, red and white cabbage, celery, cauliflower, beetroot, kale, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, parsley, shadow beni, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper and spices to suit your taste.
Also a week supply of fruits such as bananas, mangoes, apples, watermelon and pineapple and other seasonal fruits.
And from the local supermarket or mini-mart, a two week supply of nuts, beans, peas, seeds and tea that should consist of but not limited to peanuts, almonds, channa, black beans, lentils, pigeon peas, black-eye peas, flax meal, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, green tea and other teas and quinoa as a grain can be used.
Additionally, for healthy oils coconut oil or avocado oil was recommended for cooking and for finishing touches, extra virgin olive oil.
Dr Muradali said, “I recommend avoidance of vegetable oils due to ease of rancidity and possible inflammatory effects.”
Methodology
His methodology.
“The trick is to cut up the vegetables and fruits into ready to eat sizes and portions. They can be placed into resealable bags destined for the freezer. Many of these items can stay fresh for at least two weeks. Discretion can be used as to what can be frozen or not and what can be cut up and placed in a chiller in the fridge.”
He is suggesting that meal prepping be done on a Sunday and can take around an hour and a half. It also helps with knowing what to prepare for which day of the week.
For example, one can cook Sunday night for dinner and have enough for a Monday lunch as well. This works especially well for persons who are intermittent fasting where a meal may be eaten at 12 noon and last meal at 7 pm or a dinner or lunch may be skipped the doctor said.
Dr Muradali continued, “Meal prepping and planning saves at least 30 minutes per meal and makes it much easier to cook and clean up. The fruit bags can be thawed out and taken to work as a snack together with a mix of nuts and seeds.”
A Recipe
He shares one of his favourite recipes.
Add any beans and quinoa to a pot of boiling water until tender.
Add an already prepped bag of vegetables with seasonings and spices. This can be cooked in under 15 minutes.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Also, a light stir fry using coconut oil in a frying pan and tossing in the prepped vegetables with spices for under 4 minutes can make a great meal.
Be sure to make minimally prepared local dishes such as callaloo, plantain, dhal and various ethnic dishes that can be taken to work he advises.
For those who are not on a on a low carb plant-based diet, having feta cheese, whole grain bread, sweet potatoes, wild caught seafood and red wine are optional.
A plant-based, low carb, healthy fats and a moderate protein diet can save hundreds of dollars per month as items such as sugar, flour, rice, meat, dairy products, vegetable oils and processed snacks were not purchased in huge amounts Dr Muradali stated.
Dr Muradali said, “There is a reason why the Mediterranean diet and its modifications depending on culture has been studied and researched for decades. Persons who follow this diet not only live healthier but also live longer. In this pandemic, we should use it as a time to lose weight, eat more nutritious food and meal prep and plan our meals to save time and money.”
And he also said, “Be sure to exercise and perform yoga, dim lights and turn off all blue light devices such as cellphones at least two hours before sleep, hydrate with water and coconut water, get fresh air and enjoy nature, practice heart-based techniques and breathing exercises, and express gratitude to increase your health span and lifespan.”
