In Praise Of Ghee
You read right, ghee. Ghee—clarified of impurities, strengthened with all the
essential fatty acids—is a miracle worker.
RUJUTA DIWEKAR
There’s a four-letter word that comes instantly to my mind when people complain
of lifestyle-related problems—diabetes, hypertension, a bad back, high
cholesterol.
Ghee.............
You read right, ghee. Ghee—clarified of impurities, strengthened with all the
essential fatty acids—is a miracle worker. It increases the strength of our
joints, improves the texture of our skin, hair and nails, works wonders for our
insulin sensitivity, helps to burn fat efficiently and keeps the brain alert.
Difficult to believe? Then ask yourself why we tend to believe low-fat
fibre-enriched biscuits, fortified with calcium and iron, are good for us.
(Baseless theory, by the way.) Are we turning out to be a generation that only
believes in things packaged well?
Despite its negative image, ghee is good fat. We need the type of fat it
provides for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins like A and E. Both work as
antioxidants and are rich in anti-aging properties—and also help to keep our
immunity levels sky high. The fatty acids in ghee also provide strength and
hydration to our overworked joints, like those of the lower back and the knee,
and help to keep our muscles agile and strong. Of course, like with all good
things, overdoing ghee backfires. You should only add two teaspoons of it to
your daily diet. Does the thought of that make you gag? Consider this. Gram to
gram, a low-fat biscuit has more fat than two teaspoons of ghee. In terms of
quality, ghee wins hands down over that biscuit. Above all, nothing can compare
with the taste of fresh hot ghee on dal, chawal or garam rotis—or even sauted
mushrooms. Did I mention that you need to exercise regularly to reap the
benefits of ghee?
>From the desk of Dr. Avanish Thanawala, 9326028303
