We live in the times of smart phones, smart TVs, smart ACs, so, how can our food be anything but intelligent? But not really. We have surrounded ourselves with non-intelligent foods. Everything processed that we consume are all non-intelligent. Intelligent food items are ripe oranges and mangoes freshly plucked from your kitchen garden. We often confuse intelligent food and intelligent packaging. But the latter helps us maintain the quality, it is no way intelligent food itself.  “Typically we are living in an era, whereby we are consuming a whole deal of packaged foods. Doesn’t that bring you to the Cadbury incident, a little over a decade ago? Well it was believed that  on opening the chocolate wrapper the consumers eyes met with a number of creepy crawlies doing the rounds on the pack of chocolate. While the company blamed it on the weathermatic conditions, the retailers blamed the same on the fact that the company didn’t provide with adequate options to store the chocolate to ensure its exacting shelf life as printed on the wrapper.

Later on in the same year, various international bodies would certify the safety of all packaged foods manufactured in the country right from the very source of production. This includes they will also rate the ingredients and how the ingredients are manufactured too. They check for hygiene, and temperature control during the course of manufacture of these products.
While this has given impetus for consumers to buy packaged foods, they are still not the intelligent food that we are talking about. In a nut shell, Intelligent foods aren’t processed food,” says Chef Geeta Sridhar. Elaborating on the same, Chef Meghna says, “Intelligent food is a lifestyle change more than just adapting few recipes here & there. Let me share a simple tip. When you use less oil in your preparation, you will usually find that in Indian cooking, ingredients start burning faster. The way to stop this is to add a few drops of water & stirring the ingredients quickly so that the same do not get burnt. So a little intelligence creates an excellent intelligent dish. In most Indian curries, I fail to understand why do you have to use so much oil, when you are using tomato or palak or any other puree which is high on water. And again therefore, you could potentially avoid using the same amount of oil. With practice, you soon will realize that it is so easy to make your favorite restaurant dishes that are liked by stomach & loved by your taste-buds.” She adds, “Imagine a dining table where all your favorite dishes are served; they taste pretty much the same but when you carefully evaluate, you find samosas that are baked, Kadai Paneer without oil floating on top and Dal Makhani without butter.

That is the “Intelligent food” or what I call as the “cheat eyes- convince taste-buds” food. You are not just ‘what’ you eat, but also ‘How’ you eat. Our taste-buds feel betrayed when we are made to sacrifice our favorite food in the name of health. And so every time someone talks about healthy food; people just nod their head & unwillingly taste.

Expecting most Indians to eat salad leaves & soups as main course- is not something one expects to achieve in the near future. As a YouTuber, it was shocking for me to find that people search for Butter Chicken, Pav Bhaji & Chocolate cake a lot more than healthy recipes.”

Broadening the definition of intelligent food, dietician Sheela Seharawat lists down the foods that will boost your brainpower. “Well, some foods you can put on your plate for a healthy diet and by consuming these foods, certainly you will find increasing your intelligence level. Our top 5 fat loss winners are green tea, flax seeds, cayenne and grapefruit. Our criteria for selecting our top four fat loss favorites are ease of preparation, nutritional value and availability.”

• Green Tea

If you decide to make green tea it is the best foods because of its numerous health benefits Green tea has been popular in Asia for thousands of years as a healthy and refreshing drink. It is known to be high in anti-oxidants and helpful in fighting cancer.

Green tea’s weight loss powers come from its ability to help you burn calories and suppress the appetite. Studies have shown that drinking green tea increases thermogenesis in the body. Thermogenesis translates into the body’s ability to generate heat during bodily functions. These will certainly an ultimate brain booster.

• Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are the excellent flavor and extremely healthful benefits. Fats are an important part of every diet and not all fats are bad. Fats, like the Omega-3 acids in flax seeds can help you lose weight instead of putting it on.  Flax seeds are full of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and ALA – alpha linoleic acids, which help to protect the arteries in your heart. An added benefit is that they also help regulate brain function and blood sugar. Healthy hair nails and skin top off the benefits of flax seed for us. Flax seeds are best eaten ground and sprinkled on some of your favorite health foods. The reason for this is that completely flax seeds, which have been ground, contain fiber, while the capsules do not. This fiber acts as a gentle laxative to help flatten your tummy and suppress the appetite.

• Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne is our third favorite food for boosting your brainpower. Cayenne pepper can raise your metabolism 25%. Some diets may have you taking cayenne on a daily basis. It is not necessary to eat cayenne pepper with every meal. Two of cayenne pepper’s most useful properties are its ability to stimulate and detoxify the body. It helps cleanse the blood from toxins. However, it is the stimulant properties in this food are really, what will help you to lose weight. Cayenne can definitely get your blood pumping. Take a little before a work out for a nice, natural boost.

• Grapefruit

Grapefruit is excellent at cutting fat and revving up your metabolism. Grapefruit is high in vitamin C and immune boosting properties. However, the acids in grapefruit can also help to block fat and carbohydrates from being stored in your body. The best time to eat grapefruit is after a meal like lunch or dinner. Grapefruit is also high in fiber; it contains about 16% of the dietary fiber that you need each day. Eating foods that are high in fiber and water will help you feel fuller for longer. With so many benefits, these foods are an ideal addition to any weight loss diet.