自然飲食過渡小錦囊3— 媽咪救命秘笈; Diet in tune with Nature3-- Survival guide to beginning moms

自然飲食過渡小錦囊— 媽咪救命秘笈
作者：符慧敏醫生及愛心顧問*
第一部份：常見困難應付有辦法

Diet in tune w/ Nature-- Survival Guide to beginning moms.
Authors: Dr WM Fu & Devoted Advisers*
Part I: FAQs & Our tips

3. 全穀類米價格較白米貴, 加上減少了肉食後, 家人飯後沒多久便嚷肚餓 (因較易消化). 皮費可不輕哩!

3. Everybody turns hungry sooner after we switch to less-meat-&-whole-grains meals (look, better & more efficient digestion!). This eats into the family budget. Help!

有辦法： 可加入其他含碳水化合物的雜糧，如各式應時豆類，或馬鈴薯、甘薯 (即蕃薯)和山芋，淮山片 (春季尤合)、南瓜、小米、薏米、 粟米粒等，既豐富米飯的口感和味道，也減輕皮費。亦可考慮做菜飯和菇菌飯。

Our Tips: Add in supplementary carbohydrate-rich vegies: seasonal lentils & beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin dices, milias, polentas & other grains. Taste & texture of your rice is greatly enriched. Similarly, rice enriched with sauteed vegies or mushrooms can be considered for the same budget-lowering effect.

豆類應與米同浸同煮，或看受熱程度先下豆, 水煮開了再下米. 夏季可選綠豆、眉豆、 赤小豆、 扁豆； 冬季可選紅豆、黑豆、紅腰豆。 薏米、玉米全年皆宜。印尼雜貨店有一種袋裝碎玉米，易存放易煮，方法與煮豆飯同。秋季的當然之選必是栗子。

Beans often take longer cooking time depending on their bead size, so boil them a few minutes ahead of the soaked rice as required. According to Ayurvedic medical principles, diet in line with the seasons is the best proof to Health & the colour often gives the observant the hints: red beans, black beans or kidney beans are best for Winter; green beans & eye beans for Summer. Corn kernels, pearl barley or polentas are all-seasons versatile add-ons. Think about chestnuts in Autumn to early Winter.

煮南瓜、薯芋類需時較短，最好切成小塊，在飯將煮好收水時才加。注意：甘薯和芋多吃易滯，只宜佔少量，食滯胃痛和胃腸濕熱皆忌。薯類的皮含豐富養分， 能接受的話，最好選購有機種植的，用刷子刷淨連皮同煮來吃。芋皮卻不能吃。

On the other hand, pumpkin, Taro & the potatoes are done sooner. Cut them into small dices to be added to your rice later at the final stage of low fire. This little trick gets every ingredients ready at the table in their respective required cooking time; thus no more soggy overcooked pumpkin or potatoes like rags. The skin of these stem-roots (except Taro) are wonderful source of nutrients. For the best benefits, buy organic, clean the surface w/ an old toothbrush & skip the peeling. Pls take note that patient of stomach problems or dyspepsia should avoid bulk amount of Taro or sweat potato.

不良飲食與很多慢性病的關係已不容置疑。自然飲食帶來健康，所省下的大病小恙醫藥費無從估計，還沒有算到生病時的心力勞損。選好食材，此正所謂「貴有平用」。

Take it this way: would U rather spend on medical bills or on your food? Long-termed inappropriate diet is already beyond doubt the culprit of many chronic diseases. Let alone the medical bills, some may argue their insurance being seamlessly comprehensive, & what about the mental & emotional stress during even minor ailment?. It surely pays here: U're what U eat.

4. 煮全穀類米飯，很花時間才能把飯煮開. 家人都投訴飯硬和「頂胃」。

4. It takes a long while to cook un-milled whole grains like wheat, red or brown rice. And everybody complains against the 'hard' meal.

有辦法: 除了提早幾小時浸透生米，或混和白米這些方法外，有一個又快又好的妙方：把米浸好連水置塑料器皿放進冰格，水結冰膨脹，令穀物的纖維鬆軟，易煮快熟，省時省能源。

Our tips: We all know hours of soaking the whole grains ahead of cooking saves time & energy. One may also like to begin by mixing whole grains w/ white rice to soften meal texture. One quick fix is: soak the grains in a frost-resistant container to be placed in your freezer. Grain fibres get softened by ice crystals as a result & your tenderly chewy rice will be ready for the hungry gang soon enough.

另一個煮「快粥」的方法，是用碎麥片代米來煮，加入雜糧或肉類便成又綿又入味的「粥」了。

最重要, 而都市人都多不去注意的是: 細嚼慢嚥 (想想您上一次, 認認真真的花上只管是半小時, 全心全意, 心無旁騖地吃一頓是甚麼時候?)。根本這是老掉牙的話題, 卻是各地民族的傳統智慧, 亦已得到腸胃專家的科學證實: 毎口飯至少應咀嚼五十次, 食物才夠細碎, 及有足夠時間與唾液混致充分消化吸收, 穀物的天然滋味這才好戲在後頭哩。何苦賺那十數分鐘而賠上健康代價? 慢慢開始培養這健康習慣吧, 別再讓我們的腸胃幹粗活了。

Yet a most important & highly overlooked point is the invaluable bit of how your eat-- chewing (just think about this: when did U last spend at least half an hour at the table for a totally 'devoted', un-distracted meal?). An universal piece of traditional wisdom, as well as well-proven in modern medical terms, it is known that chewing of no less than 50 times is needed for adequate pulverization & mixing w/ saliva for the best digestion and absorption. U'll find the natural delicate grain flavour the ultimate bonus. Why so much hard work for our dutiful stomachs all these years in place of mere negligible minutes 'earned' from hashed meals?

看較早前 "小錦囊" , Click 入本文未的 "SMART EATING; 自然飲食."

For related posts, click the label "at the end.

預告:

5. 煮全穀類飯，家人時有投訴「無味」。

6. 想讓小朋友多吃水果，總是給各種包裝零食比下去，很是氣餒。

Coming next:

5. I want to cook whole grain meals but they all detest the bland charmless taste... .

6. I think my kids are not eating enough fruits but they'd rather turn to packaged snacks. This is so depressing.

*愛心顧問: 胡蘭華女士, 邱詠瑜女士. Fanny Wong 女士.
*Our Devoted Advisers: Ms Ida Wu, Ms Virginia Yau, Ms Fanny Wong