Eating For Health

Most Asian food is healthy food. A Japanese diet for instance, is a good against heart disease, overweight and gout. On Chinese food, especially steamed and stir fried dishes, it is possible to reduce both weight and cholesterol count. Even the spiced food of India and Southeast Asia is beneficial. Many of the spices and ingredients such as garlic and ginger have been proved to have health giving properties.

However, with today's emphasis on weight control, modifications in the quantity and type of fat used for cooking has been modified. Ghee which is clarified butter, is the main cooking medium in North India. It keeps without refrigeration because it is pure fat with all the milk solids removed. It is essential both for flavor and for its ability to reach high temperatures without burning. It is used for flavor, and can be substituted with light oils for a proportion of the ghee.

In the food of Thailand, Philippines and certain other Southeast Asian countries, lard is used as a cooking medium. However, it can be substituted with a light vegetable oil. The flavor will be slightly different but the way it sits in your stomach will be different too.

Coconut oil, used almost exclusively in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and other coconut growing countries, is a highly saturated oil. You cannot duplicate its flavor but can be substituted with corn, safflower or sunflower oil if you are battling a health problem. You may do so by cutting down on the quantity and substitute a similar amount of skimmed milk.