Healthy But Thrifty

In light of my nephew’s dengue fever which I wrote about in the blog entitled “Pain,” I felt I had to share with you what I’ve been learning on improving the immune system. It’s the rainy season and there are many sicknesses out there that can be caught. So, stay physically strong. I’ve always been a believer of PREVENTION…

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Don’t wait to be brought to the emergency room. Do what you can to stay healthy. But others might say it’s EXPENSIVE to be healthy. Well, it NEED NOT BE! There are many nutritious food out there that are cheap. For today, I’ll focus on VEGETABLES.

Let me tell you a story about my Lola (Grandmother) or “Mamang.” As an industrious woman, she loved planting vegetables. When she was still young and was living in the province, she planted all kinds of vegetables in front of their house so that every time she cooked, she would just harvest from their backyard. Because of this, her children learned how to eat veggies everyday. When I was growing up, I would always see her cooking and eating vegetables and fish. Her specialty was the Ilocano dish, dinengdeng. Dinengdeng, also known as inabraw, is similar to pinakbet but it has fewer vegetables and more bagoong soup base. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinengdeng)

Mamang in the garden. Fort Bonifacio officers' quarters, 1971. 

Mamang passed away at the age of 87 without any complicated or debilitating sickness. In fact, in the morning of her death, she even did some household chores. She was a very strong woman.

Now, I’m really appreciating the wisdom of my Lola. Her eating habits are admirable. She still ate meat, of course, but in moderation. It really pays to watch our diet. Lots of green leafy vegetables will do wonders. And those vegetables which are sold in the nearest market are very CHEAP!

So, let me share with you the simple recipe of my Lola’s dinengdeng. Try it at home and feel the positive effects of vegetables on your body. Be healthy! J

MAMANG’S DINENGDENG

Ingredients:

Onion (1 medium, sliced)                       Ampalaya (Bitter melon) – 1 small, sliced

Tomato (1 medium, sliced)                     Talbos ng kamote (Sweet potato tops) – 1 bunch

Ginger (1 thumb-size, crushed)              Malunggay leaves (Horseradish) – 1 bunch

Eggplant (2 medium, sliced)                    Hugas bigas (Rice washing) – 3 cups

Saluyot (Jute) – 1 bunch                         Bagoong isda (Fish paste) – 1 tbsp.

Okra (Gumbo) - 8 small                          Fish (grilled or fried) – leftover fish (2-3 slices)

Sitaw (String bean) – 1 bunch, cut

Procedure:

1. Boil the hugas bigas.
2. Add the onions, tomatoes and ginger into the boiling water.
3. Put bagoong isda (not too much) to taste.
4. Bring in all the vegetables and cover the lid. Wait for the okra, bitter melon and sitaw to soften a bit.
5. When vegetables are cooked, place the fish on top of the bunch and cover.
6. Simmer. Serves 6-8. 

That’s it! Serve and enjoy. Happy eating! J

A different version of the dish.. With dilis/anchovies..
Photo Credit: http://angsarap.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/dinengdeng.jpg 

Some Useful Information:

Saluyot –  rich in calcium, iron, protein, vitamin A, C and E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate and fiber.

Source: http://www.medicalhealthguide.com/articles/saluyot.htm 

Talbos ng kamote – rich in potassium, beta carotene and fiber. They are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin (xanthophylls) which are good for the eyes especially in the prevention of AMD (age-related macular degeneration) and cataracts.

Source: http://foodtech.uonbi.ac.ke/node/1164 

Malunggay leaves – rich in protein, vitamin A, B, C and minerals.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moringa 

This time with beans.. Delicious and nutritious!
Photo Credit: https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1 

MANGAN TAYON! Let’s eat!