Archives for June 2014

June 19, 2014 By Aqsa Shaikh 1 Comment

Effects of ALCOHOL on your health..?

Today, most of are used to late night parties- be it an office party, a birthday party, a marriage anniversary or the likes. Partying has been taken as a way to relieve our stress and thereby let your hair down and enjoy.

One of the most common beverage in parties is ALCOHOL…Any celebration and there is alcohol to celebrate it with or in other words there is beer, vodka, champagne, tequila, rum, whisky, etc…..flowing like water does. Some people enjoy drinking alcohol be it hard liquor or beer, while some are social drinkers who drink to enjoy and celebrate. Many drink under the garb of being stressed or over worked. The stress drinking invariably ends one to become an alcoholic.

The harmful effect of alcohol is known to all what it can cause to our body and immune system but, yet there is this constant feeling of wanting to drink at the drop of a hat.

The real fact is that one is not completely aware of the dangerous side-effects of alcohol and that it can get one addicted to it which is harmful for one’s immune system and the liver.

A good immune system helps our body to fight diseases and virus that enter our body. But, too much of alcohol deprives the body of valuable immune-boosting nutrients such as Vitamin A, and can make white cells, which is our body’s defense against illness and disease – less able to kill germs.

Damage to the immune system increases with the level of alcohol consumed. For those who are addicted to alcohol there are several issues such as

Slurred speech
Drowsiness
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Upset stomach
Headaches
Breathing difficulties
Distorted vision and hearing
Impaired judgment
Decreased perception and coordination
Unconsciousness
Anemia (loss of red blood cells)
Coma
Blackouts (memory lapses, where the drinker cannot remember events that occurred while under the influence)

LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

Binge drinking and continued alcohol use in large amounts are associated with several issues and heart problems including:

• Unintentional injuries such as car crash, falls, burns, drowning

• Intentional injuries such as firearm injuries, domestic violence

• Increased on-the-job injuries and loss of productivity

• Increased family problems, broken relationships

• Alcohol poisoning

• High blood pressure, stroke, and other heart-related diseases

• Liver disease

• Nerve damage

• Sexual problems

• Permanent damage to the brain

• Vitamin B1 deficiency, which can lead to a disorder characterized by amnesia, apathy and disorientation

• Ulcers

• Gastritis (inflammation of stomach walls)

• Malnutrition

• Cancer of the mouth and throat

By the way alcohol is not just harmful to your body and its system; it can also lead to weight gain. As per research, Calories from alcohol are ’empty calories’, they have no nutritional value. Most alcoholic drinks contain traces of vitamins and minerals, but not usually in amounts that make any significant contribution to our diet.

Drinking alcohol also reduces the amount of fat your body burns for energy. While we can store nutrients, protein, carbohydrates, and fat in our bodies, we can’t store alcohol. So our systems want to get rid of it, and doing so takes priority. All of the other processes that should be taking place (including absorbing nutrients and burning fat) are thus interrupted due to alcohol.

Here are some of the various forms drinks and the alcohol content in them :-

Beer 2-6% alcohol

Wine 8-20% alcohol

Tequila 40% alcohol

Rum 40% or more alcohol

Brandy 40% or more alcohol

Gin 40–47% alcohol

Whiskey 40–50% alcohol

Vodka 40–50% alcohol

These are some calories counts and the quantity of the per glass of drink

(1) Beer contains 43 calories per 100 ml

(2) Wine contain 83 calories per 100ml

(3) Tequila contains 96 calories in 1 jigger (glass) of tequila shot

(4) Rum contains 231 calories per 100 ml

(5) Brandy contains 104 calories in 1 jigger (Glass)

(6) Gin contains 222 calories in 100grams

(7) Whisky contains 700 calories in per 100 ml

(8) Vodka contains 231 calories in per 100 ml

Having said all this would you still want to consume alcohol? Think twice.

June 16, 2014 By Balwant Singh 1 Comment

Yoga and its Origins

I started practicing yoga two years ago when I was working on an Island in UAE. My job was very stressful. I was away from my family working as a fitness trainer. But, over a period of time I realised I myself was getting so stressed due to the fact that I was over worked. I was working for twelve hours a day without any weekly off. I was on a 5 month rotation and then would get one month off.

But, working for five months continuously without a weekly break was strenuous and very difficult. Also my job was not all that interesting. I was doing the same thing day in and day out. Also, in the 5 months that I was there I wasn’t allowed to step out of the Island. It was almost like I was jailed in that Island. All this naturally took a toll on me and more often than not I would be stressed.

It was in order to control my stress that I started practising yoga. Few days into practicing yoga and I started feeling better. I could control my stress levels easily and was more relaxed both physically and mentally. Thus, my interest towards yoga started developing.

After 5 months when I returned back to India, the first thing I did was to enrol myself into a one year Executive P.G. Diploma in yoga. Yoga is a gift from ancient Indian tradition to mankind. Despite more than a century of research, we still do not have much knowledge about its earliest beginnings of Yoga. It is known that it originated in India 5,000 or more years ago. Until recently, many Western scholars thought that Yoga originated much later, maybe around 500 B.C., which is the time of Gautama the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

But then, in the early 1920s, archaeologists surprised the world with the discovery of the so-called Indus civilization—a culture that we now know extended over an area of roughly 300,000 square miles. This was in fact the largest civilization in early antiquity. In the ruins of the big cities of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa, excavators found depictions engraved on soapstone seals that strongly resemble yogi-like figures.

Today, it is one of the oldest forms of exercise that people have been practicing for centuries now. Yoga has also crossed the seven seas and has become one of the most sought after recreational and fitness activity in the western world.

Having learnt yoga and got a degree in the same, I can definitely talk to you about yoga at a different level. To begin with I would like to let you know that there are different styles of Yoga but I would encourage people to practice only ‘Traditional Yoga’.

Traditional Yoga seeks to provide plausible answers to such profound questions as, “Who am I?”, “Which place do I come from?”, “Where do I go?,” and “What must I do?” These are some of the questions that, sooner or later, we all end up asking ourselves. Some of us postpone thinking about these questions, but they don’t ever go away. Yoga is a good way to tackle these issues that play on our mind. Yoga doesn’t champion dark moods, but it is definitely in favour of awareness in all its forms, including self-awareness.

The different types of yoga are:

Bhakti Yoga
Janan Yoga
Karma Yoga
Raja Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga
and Hatha yoga

Let us now try and understand what Yoga is according to different texts?

Yoga i.e. Yuj in Sanskrit means the union of mind and body. Patanjali, the author of Yoga Sutra – and who is often called the “father of Yoga who understood the process of Yoga thereby restoring the spirit in its absolute purity. According to Patanjali- AshtangaYoga , is ‘Chitta Vritti Nirodha’ which means the control of thought waves coming to the mind. In other words Yoga helps us develop the ability to focus and ability to defocus.

According to Yoga Vashishtha, yoga is a technique to silence the mind. Bhagwat Geeta says that equanimity is yoga .Efficiency in action is yoga. And the definition of yoga according to Aurobindo is integration of personality of physical, vital, mental, intellectual and spiritual sheaths. There must be a balance between all the five sheaths of human existence.

There are various misconceptions about yoga which I have experienced while teaching yoga

Yoga is only for selected people i.e. only for old people
Yoga is religion and practiced by only Hindus
Yoga is about chanting Mantras.
Yoga is more philosophical.

According to me Yoga is not about twisting the body and mind but, it is about how to develop a higher level of consciousness.

June 11, 2014 By Neha Morche 5 Comments

How to lead a Healthy Lifestyle?

Healthy Lifestyle
Living a healthy lifestyle is easy…hmm…really? I am afraid it is not. I have been asked this question an umpteen times and my answer has always remained that one should strive to change their routine or habits to maintain physical and mental health, both of which works simultaneously.

Seldom have we found people doing this. Healthy habits are not taken care of by majority of people. Considering the fast paced techno savvy lives that we all lead money is something that everybody is chasing and in the process forget to take care of themselves and their health.

To lead a healthy life one should eat healthy, exercise regularly, drink lots of water daily and reduce stress.

Here are a few healthy habits that can be practiced in our day to day life with no extra efforts irrespective of what age or gender you are.

In order to live a healthy lifestyle one should have a balance. Here is how you can get a balance in your life:

(i) Exercise for at least 45 mins five times a week

(ii) Consume 2.5 to 3 litres of water daily

(iii) Eat 6 -7 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner will remain main meals and mid- morning, mid-afternoon, mid-evening will remain small meals).

(iv) Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts.

(v) Choose foods that are low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars; look at the labels because the first listed items on the labels.

(vi) Control portion sizes; eat the smallest portion that can satisfy hunger and then stop eating.

(vii) Snacks are OK in moderation and should consist of items like fruit, whole grains, or nuts to satisfy hunger,

(viii) Turn the TV off and get 7-8 hours of sleep everyday

(ix) Follow a food pyramid which is –keep an eye on your portion size,

(x) include fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet

Physical Wellness (For The Body)

Good Nutrition, Eating Right
Getting Physically Fit, Beneficial Exercise
Adequate Rest
Stress Management

It is said that ‘a sound mind is in a sound body’. This old adage is true and I am sure most of you will agree with me.

In order to live a mentally healthy lifestyle it is important to have control on our minds and emotions. It’s just not enough to have a positive attitude, mindful eating is equally important.

Do not let stress take over your life. Try to follow your dreams or engage in some kind of a hobby that relaxes you and relieves you of your stress. Try and avoid junk food as much as you can because that satisfies only your taste buds not your system’s hunger. Our body receives zero nutrients from it.

Emotional Wellness (For The Mind)

Positive Thoughts and Viewpoints
Positive Self-Image
Give and receive
Forgive
Love
Laugh
Inner calmness
Be outgoing

God gifted us super system it’s BODY so let’s nurture it by promising ourselves to sustain it by inculcating good habits.

June 6, 2014 By Ami Shah 1 Comment

What is Food Faddism – Crash Dieting?

Crash Diet

Food faddism is gaining lot of importance in today’s culture, influenced more from western culture. What do you mean by food faddism or in other words ‘Crash Dieting’? It means, temporary way to lose weight in a quick manner for a short duration!

As a nutritionist, I have come across many people longing for such diets, and when asked the reason why do they want to go in for such diets, they don’t have any specific reasoning. Like one individual who I was consulting came to me saying she just finds these crash diets quiet interesting and so out of curiosity, she just wants to give it a try! Another said, she has to surprise her hubby on his birthday by slimming down. Likewise, another said, she has to shed five kilos in a span of ten days and get in shape, as her wedding is due soon.

I personally got intrigued to find out more about these crash diets and why do people indulge in them. In the yester years doctors recommended these diets to their patients from a therapeutic point of view to lose weight People are also influenced by the fact that some well-known celebrities have tried such diets and have succeeded and thus today these diets have become a trend.

Research indicates that these diets are very traditional by origin and dates back to eighteenth century. But, lately has gained lot of attention as people are getting worried about their so called ‘health’.

So what are these fad diets? There are plenty of them and one new one comes up every day such as cabbage soup diet, blood group diet, grape fruit diet, acai berry diet, Mediterranean diet and so on. I would like to take you through few of the popular ones

General Motor diet: It is commonly known as GM diet. One always thought GM diet was a diet where you ate genetically modified fruits and vegetables. But, no GM diet is a weight loss management plan developed by the General Motors Corporation to help keep their employees stay in shape. It is supposed to be followed for seven days. The pattern of the diet (Indianized version) is listed below:

Day 1. All fruits. All kinds of fruit may be consumed except for bananas. 10-12 glasses of water should be consumed throughout the day.
Day 2. All vegetables. All sorts of vegetables may be consumed during the second day. Potatoes may be served during breakfast to boost energy levels
Day 3. Mixture of fruits and vegetables. A mix of fruits and vegetables may be consumed on Day 3, together with 10-12 glasses of water. Bananas are still not allowed in this day.
Day 4. Banana and milk. Skim milk and banana, together with the GM wonder soup or any type of vegetable soup may be served on this day.
Day 5. Brown rice, curd and tomatoes. Soybean curd or 1 cup of brown rice may be used as a substitute for beef, or a cup of cottage cheese
Day 6. Brown rice and vegetables. On Day 6, brown rice or other beef substitute will be matched with vegetables, but potatoes are still restricted. It is best to consume cottage cheese and soybean curd in vegetable bowls.
Day 7. Brown rice, vegetables and fruits. Two cups of brown rice may be consumed together with unlimited servings of vegetables and fruits. Fruit juice may also be taken along with 8-10 glasses of water.

1. Atkin’s Diet: This diet was discovered by Robert Atkins to resolve his own issue of being overweight. It is a very low carbohydrate diet and high protein diet. the first phase ‘induction’ which includes only 20gms of carbohydrates followed by other phase ‘on going weight loss’ wherein you can incorporate slowly add more vegetables, and you can include seeds, nuts, legumes, berries and other fruit, wine and other low-carb alcohol, and whole grains.
2. South beach diet: The South Beach Diet is a diet plan designed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and dietician Marie Almon. Although the original purpose of the diet was to prevent heart disease in Dr. Agatston’s own patients in the early 2000s, this diet focuses on eating right amount of carbohydrate and fats. It has three phases, you eat normal portion sizes in Phase 1, but all carbohydrate is restricted. This is the strictest phase in the diet and will last for two weeks. It emphasizes lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish. Low-Glycemic-index vegetables are allowed as well as low-fat cheese, nuts, eggs. In Phase 2, some of the banned foods are slowly introduced. You should remain on it until you lost your desired amount of weight. Phase 3 is for maintenance and should be followed for life.
3. Weight watchers diet: Weight Watchers International is an international company based in the United States that offers various products and services to assist weight loss and maintenance. It was founded by Jean Nidetch. The core philosophy behind Weight Watchers programs is to use a science-driven approach to help participants lose weight by forming helpful habits, eating smarter, getting more exercise and providing support.

I quiet fail to understand why people follow such diets blindly and believe in the figures that pop up on weighing scale? I have never understood this obsession to lose weight especially losing two to three kilos in short duration. They get happy seeing their weight reducing. But, what about gaining those back? When you are dieting, you are almost starving your body; also it does not get enough nutrients which the body requires. The first thing that the body loses while dieting is muscles and water (which are two most crucial elements for maintaining body metabolism). Muscles and water are easy to lose and that’s the reason why you lose weight.

The fat in the body which is the culprit stays behind and is very difficult to lose! The moment they come back to the normal routine (stop dieting) they gain extra fat than what they already had which can be dangerous in the long term. Most really don’t care about the after effects that these crash diets can cause so long as they see their see their weight going down!

Being a professional nutritionist, I would never recommend such fad diets. I recommend that one should balance their lifestyle with proper nutrition and physical activity.