Insights on Nutrition

  Grain: Husk, bran (brown rice), germ, Endosperm Husk is inedible layer for human beings Bran is highly nutritious and has fat layer hence has shorter shelf life as it goes rancid quickly Endosperm is once bran is removed, there’s only white starchy part left which as high shelf life.  White rice is made of starch foods mostly and has two kind of starch molecules amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is smaller linear molecule and amylopectin is larger and branched out.   When water and heat is applied amylose breaks through to form a gel like substance. Rice varieties with less than 20% amylose tend to become little sticky after cooking, while varieties with more than 20 % amylose tend to have separate grains post cooking. Tip: Parboiling method is used to enrich the nutrition of the endosperm, as it drives good amount of nutrients found in bran and germ into the endosperm, hence parboiled rice is almost as nutritious as brown rice. Gelatinization: Starch molecules break dow...

  Foods, when ingested in the body, release the nutrients contained in them, for the sake of giving energy, for the various body processes, maintenance of body tissue or reproduction. The entire process that the food undergoes from the time it is eaten to its excretion is known as metabolism of food. This building up and breaking down of substances is a continuous process in the body and requires a constant supply of nutrients. Nutrients are obtained from food by the process of metabolism that takes place via:  The digestive system is specially developed for this purpose. It begins at the mouth and comprises the food pipe (oesophagus), stomach, small and large intestines, and it ends at the anus. The liver, gall  bladder, salivary glan ds and pancreas are associated with the process of digestion.                                                  ...

  Nutrition is a combination of processes by which all parts of the body receive and utilize the materials necessary for the performance of their functions and for the growth and renewal of all the components (rejuvenation). Food is the substance taken into the body that will help meet the body’s needs for energy, maintenance of health, growth and reproduction.  It has been practiced by the Vaidyas (physicians) as they are termed in Ayurveda. Every patient was given medication after thorough examination and diagnosis of the disease and also asked to follow certain dietary practices at least till complete recovery. This was known as pathya (dietary management). Many do’s and dont’s were prescribed which were tailored to suit his health and constitution. The role of diet as a part of treatment is increasing day-by-day with new observations and experience. Food is the basic necessity of life. Everybody eats food and most people enjoy it. From the beginning, scientists were curi...