HIV - Healthy Living Recipes

SELECTION OF RECIPES


Recipes and foods for a healthy diet - Living with HIV and AIDS.

Most organisations in South Africa have some form of inhouse HIV/AIDS management programme. Few have considered the benefit of directly addressing the nutritional intake of employees infected with HIV/AIDS.

All client recipes and menus have been reengineered to proactively address nutritional intake with particular attention to a balanced diet for improving immune systems which will benefit all employees, specifically those who are HIV Positive.

Project managing this ground-breaking approach to the treatment of HIV/AIDS is Alan Brand, Group National HIV/AIDS manager of Fedics and the Hospitality Sector representative on SANAC.

Bringing personal experience to the debate - he was diagnosed HIV positive in 1997 and developed AIDS in 1999 - HIV wellness goes beyond the use of anti-retrovirals and must incorporate a growing emphasis on good nutrition which complements and reinforces the effect of any medication taken.

Banana bread.

HIV/AIDS AND NUTRITION - Going bananas for a healthy immune system.

Vitamin B6 performs a wide variety of functions in your body and is essential for your good health. For example, vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism. It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism. The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B6 to function efficiently, and it is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin (a vitamin).

Calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals are all important to your immune system because they promote the growth of white blood cells that directly fight infections. Because of its involvement in protein metabolism and cellular growth Vitamin B6 is important to the immune system. It helps maintain the health of lymphoid organs (thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes) that make your white blood cells. Animal studies show that a vitamin B6 deficiency can decrease your antibody production and suppress your immune response.

Bananas are a source of vitamin B6 but as indicated above, of much greater importance to people with HIV and AIDS, bananas facilitates metabolism and absorption of fats and proteins and thus help to maintain and gain weight.

When suffering from diarrhoea bananas also help to replace lost minerals and as they contain soluble fibres they are of great benefit. Remember that when suffering from diarrhoea foods with insoluble fibres make the diarrhoea worse.

It is also recommended to eat soft mashed, moist foods when suffering from mouth sores and again bananas are great for this purpose.

Banana bread.

Really ripe bananas are best for this recipe as they are full of flavour. I recommend that the bread be stored in an airtight container for 1 day before eating to allow the flavours to develop.

Ingredients:

  • 270g plain cake flour
  • 150g-castor sugar
  • 1-teaspoon baking powder (5ml)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (2,5ml)
  • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 120g margarine
  • 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Method:

  1. Heat the oven to 180ºC. Grease a 23x13cm loaf tin and line the base with greased greaseproof paper.
  2. Sift the first five ingredients into a large mixing bowl, (flour, castor sugar, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda). Add the margarine and rub into the dry mixture using your fingertips to create a mixture that resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre.
  3. Add the bananas and eggs to the well and mix lightly with a fork, gradually ensuring that all the dry and wet mixtures are incorporated. Beat for 1-2 minutes until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
  4. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and smooth the surface. Bake for about 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  5. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out of the tin, peel away the lining paper and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. To Serve: slice thickly and spread with margarine or butter.