Neerob_#WFPB001- Introducing Izzy & The Neerob project

 

Meet Israt "Izzy" Rito.

Izzy is a wonderful young lady who works with the PEP Agency in our neighborhood (Parkchester Enhancement Program for Seniors), a social services agency. She and I have begun to collaborate with outreach in the Bangladeshi community, specifically in connection with the Lifestyle Medicine Dinners at Neerob, and my cooking classes at St. Helena's church. 

I was very impressed when she told me her story about researching ways to help her mother with diabetes, and on her own she helped her mother switch to brown rice instead of white, and they already noticed a significant improvement. Now, she is learning about the whole range of Whole Foods Plant-Based nutrition, and I am sure that will help her even more.

In the context of my involvement in these things, we are now beginning to work on a collection of Bangladeshi-style recipes, some that will come from Neerob restaurant, and some that came from home cooking. Inevitably some will be more Bangla - #WFPB - Fusion. We will clarify that in each article.

What is inspiring to me from living in this Bangladeshi community, which grew up around me, is all the new fruits and vegetables I learned to eat, and I am still learning. Learning also how Type Ii Diabetes (T2D) and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) run at levels of 30-40% above the average population, because of a genetic handicap of simply smaller diameter blood vessels, it is particularly inspiring to be working on a way to help with health improvements through better nutrition and better kitchen techniques. There is so much healthy food in the Bangladeshi kitchen, but, besides leaving out animal protein, it is also the style of preparation that makes all the difference in the world. We look forward to a healthy collaboration involving Izzy, Neerob Restaurant and its owner, Mohammed "Khokon" Rahman, and myself, along with Plant Powered Metro New York and the T. Colin Campbell Institute of Nutrition Studies.

Ever since we met Dr. Zafar Mirza from Pakistan a few months ago, who is now the President of the Pakistan Association for Lifestyle Medicine, we have become aware of how Lifestyle Medicine has caught on in Pakistan, and we hope that the Bangladeshi community will follow suit.  

My Favorite Natto Breakfast

 The collection of Natto at Chang-Li Supermarket seems to be growing. 

This particular brand is organic, and it comes in two varieties with a subtly different flavor. One is made with whole soybean halves, and the wrapper is a darker green, the other is made with broken up soybeans, and seems to have a lighter flavor, which I think I prefer.

My favorite breakfast at the moment is Natto with a mixture of brown Basmati and black rice, plus about 3 scallions and some chives (can't find them fresh, so I use the dried kind).

Since everyone always gets concerned about protein, which is typically over-emphasized in traditional nutrition. To refresh the reader, Whole Foods, Plant-Based nutrition rests on the knowledge that an adult male, requires only about 10-12% of calories from protein, and and adult woman can get by on even less in a pinch, but it is very hard to get below 10-12% no matter how hard you try.

The total concept of #WFPB nutrition is:

• 10% of calories from naturally occurring fats/oils (beans etc)
• 10% of calories from (plant-) protein
• 80% of calories from complex carbohydrates
• no added sugars, oil or salt (no SOS).

And that is how simple it is.

So let´s go over Natto. 

It is a fermented soy product and it contains in one 1.41 Oz breakfast serving the following:

• Calories: 85
• Fat: 35 grams
• Carbs: 5.4 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams
• Protein: 7.65 grams
• Manganese: 27% of the daily value (DV)
• Iron: 19% of the DV
• Copper: 30% of the DV
• Vitamin K: 8% of the DV
• Magnesium: 11% of the DV
• Calcium: 7% of the DV
• Vitamin C: 6% of the DV
• Potassium: 6% of the DV
• Zinc: 11% of the DV
• Selenium: 6% of the DV
• Additionally: Natto also contains smaller amounts of vitamin B6, folate and pantothenic acid, as well as antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds (5)
• Trusted Sourc).

  Natto is especially nutritious because its soybeans undergo a process of fermentation, which creates conditions that promote the growth of probiotics. 
   (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

• This is one reason why natto is considered more nutritious than boiled soybeans.

• Natto also contains fewer antinutrients and more beneficial plant compounds and enzymes than non-fermented soybeans
   (5Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10).

Now I eat that with a cup of mixed rice, brown basmati and black rice, which has another 5 grams of protein.

The one cup of rice contains approximately the following:

• Calories- 210 calories
• Protein- 5 grams
• Carbohydrates– 46 grams
• ·Fat- 0.5 grams

And then I also add some three scallions, cut up and some chives.

In short, that one silly little bowl contains dynamite nutrition.

There are always rumors about soybeans being bad, but those largely are unfounded, see here, and here. Unfortunately, too many of the diet gurus do not know anything about nutrition. Or only enough to be dangerous.

One last thing about the natto breakfast, I think it is ideal food after a water fast.

I usually end up with a Kombucha the night before (fermented/probiotic) and then a smoothie in the AM, and then I might have some fruit and typically a bowl of natto will be my first solid food. You can chew it really well and thus get the maximum benefit. Great way to give your gut flora a boost. 

P.S. A special Thanksgiving addition: You can even make your natto hot and spicy. I make it with sliced, seeded jalapeño, or I could even see a serrano pepper. For now, my preferred way to spice it up over and above the traditional cut-up scallions, is settling at some chives, one jalapeño and one serrano pepper. Everyone can experiment on their own. Maybe I could see parsley. To me, I run a fusion kitchen, where the rule is #WFPB, without SOS, and otherwise anything goes. With traditional recipes, I first try to come as close as I can to the original flavor, and then the experimentation starts and dishes evolve beyond their original "traditional" flavors.
Along those lines, I made a vegetarian spaghetti sauce when I was a teenager, and I had a reputation for doing that quite well. I used mushrooms instead of meat, but otherwise it was quite traditional. Today, it has become totally 3WFPB, and I make numerous variations, and I love spaghetti even better now.