Archives for May 2015

May 11, 2015 By Shimpli Patil 9 Comments

Kick your bad cholesterol with the top 10 cholesterol lowering foods

In my previous blog on Cholesterol, I had talked about the different kinds of cholesterol, including the good and bad cholesterol and the vital functions that it performs in our body (Refer-https://goqii.com/blog/the-truth-about-cholesterol/).

In this blog I am listing out a few foods which overstep the rest in lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL), out of which a few also help in increasing the good one (HDL).

A few key things that we need to look at when we are aiming at cholesterol reduction:

*A high fiber diet: Adding vegetable salads in the meals, having unstrained vegetable juices and soups, consuming whole fruits, choosing whole flour over the refined one etc. Fiber binds with the cholesterol and removes it out of the system through stools.

*An Omega 3 intake- Omega 3 has a wonder effect of reducing the LDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides and increasing HDL.

*Reduction of red meat consumption- Eggs, chicken and fish are a better choice.

*An overall low fat intake- Choosing a good quality fat and staying away from saturated and trans-fat. Full fat dairy products, red meat and some oils contain saturated fats which raise the total cholesterol level. Trans-fats found in bakery items (cookies, biscuits, cakes and crackers) increase the bad cholesterol and lower the good one.

Check out the list-

1) Omega 3 Containing foods-

This category includes flaxseeds, walnuts, fatty fish like salmon, sardine, tuna, mackerel, herring and halibut.

As per the American Heart Association guidelines, we need to eat minimum 2 servings of fish a week to get maximum Omega 3 for healthy cholesterol levels. Since Omega 3 is heat susceptible, make sure you do not overcook the fish, you can simply bake it or grill it.

If you do not eat fish, you can get your Omega 3 dose from 1 tbsp flaxseed once a day OR a handful of walnuts on a regular basis.

2) Lycopene-
Lycopene is a carotenoid pigment responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their red color. It’s seen in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, etc.

An intake of 25 mg of lycopene on a regular basis helps knock off 10% of LDL. It not only stops the LDL synthesis but also helps break down the existing LDL in the body.

1 cup of tomatoes provides us with 5 mg of lycopene, so imagine how many tomatoes we need to eat every day to get the 25 mg lycopene dose (Do the math)! One more interesting fact about lycopene is, it gets activated only when heat is applied to it. Thus, a raw tomato salad is good, but a better choice would be a tomato soup or a ravishing red tomato base in your meal preparations.

3) Green Tea

This antioxidant packed herbal beverage does good to our body in multiple ways. A regular intake of sugarless green tea has been shown to reduce cholesterol by 2-5% keeping the HDL levels untouched.

To make the cholesterol reducing efficacy of green tea even better (and to enhance its flavor), we can add half a tsp of cinnamon into it which has also shown to reduce triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol levels.

4) Almonds

They are not only packed with good quality fat but also with fiber and Vitamin E which prevent LDL from getting oxidized. Now this is an interesting trait because once LDL is oxidized, it tends to choke the arteries, which restricts the blood flow to heart, leading to heart attacks and stroke. Almonds prevent all of it! Snack on it more often, mix them with walnuts to reap most benefits.

5) Olive Oil

It tops among all the oils in terms of fatty acid profile. Being rich in MUFA (heart healthy fat), antioxidants and phenolics, it lowers the LDL, increases the HDL and makes blood less likely to clot. 2 tbsp a day can be used for shallow frying or salad dressing purpose.

6) Oats and barley

They are rich soluble fiber, called beta-glucan which forms a gel in the intestine and prevents cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream. 5-10 gm of soluble fiber a day is good enough to take care of the cholesterol levels. One and half cup of cooked oatmeal supplies 6 gm of fiber, top it with an apple or a banana to get the extra 3-4 gm of fiber and we are sorted.

7) Unstrained bottle guard juice with a dash of crushed garlic-

It’s the perfect mix for cholesterol reduction. Rich in soluble and highly alkaline in nature, bottle guard is very well appreciated in the weight loss segment. However, regular consumption of bottle guard also helps keeping the lipid profile in check. Adding crushed garlic while juicing this fiber rich veggie enhances the cholesterol reducing properties to a great extent.

8) Avocados

Generally, fruits do not contain fat. But, this is one peculiar fruit that is full of fat, but thankfully, a good quality fat- MUFA that helps kick off LDL and triglyceride and boosts up the HDL. You can snack on avocado, add it in the salads or sandwiches or make a spread out of it to smear on a whole wheat bread slice. Definitely, it’s the best substitute to butter and cheese.

9) Dark chocolate-

For all the chocolate lovers! Since it is rich in flavanoids and oleic acid, dark chocolate does good to our lipid profile. We can nibble on 2 pieces of 70-80% dark to get the most of its benefits.

10) Fenugreek seeds-

They provide a 3 way benefit- They contain saponins that reduce body’s absorption of cholesterol. These saponins also reduce cholesterol synthesis in the body. Apart from saponins, the fiber component of fenugreek also helps fight cholesterol in all the ways.

The best way to incorporate fenugreek is: To consume 1 tbsp of seeds soaked in 1 cup water overnight on an empty stomach in the morning OR you can dry roast 1 tbsp of seeds until they turn brown, powder it and add it in our meal preparations.

That was a comprehensive list of cholesterol lowering foods, however, for any of these foods to work, it’s necessary we make other lifestyle changes too, including a regular physical activity, adequate water intake and balanced meals.Now you know which foods to fill up your cart with, the next time you are at the grocery store.

May 7, 2015 By Ashwinkumar Rahate 3 Comments

How to Breathe Correctly During Weight Training

Exercise is essential for good health. In exercises we often give importance to the workout pattern, form and technique as it enhances the performance. Today, through this blog I would like to focus more on the breathing technique during Weight Training

Weight training is subject to moderate or high intense workout. When we exercise at the end of every set the muscles lack enough oxygen and lactic acid is produced. In a short, we are unable to do more repetitions or exercise with more weight. The universal method of breathing during weight training exercise is opposite of gravitation- exhale means lifting the weight or pulling the weight and breath out and when we come back to the starting position inhale or breath in .

Here I would like to give 2 examples

First Example is a bench press:

Bench press is known as a pushing movement of exercise. Here we are pushing the barbells or the dumbbells opposite of the gravity so we need to exhale while pushing it up. And while we bring down the barbell or dumbbells towards gravity inhale.

The Second Example: Lat Pull Down

Now we are focusing on the pulling movement. The name of the exercise itself tells us this is the pulling movement of exercise

When we pull the Lat Pulley bar down we need to exhale because weight is going up during this phase remember opposite of gravitation exhale. Again coming back to the starting position inhale.

There are benefits of breathing right while exercising. Some of these benefits include boosting energy levels as well as metabolism. We can do our exercise with more weights; correct breathing will help us to improve our posture.

May 6, 2015 By Ami Shah 5 Comments

5 ways to boost your hemoglobin

One day, my client came to me for the regular follow up. She looked pale to me which ideally was never the case. I tried to find from her why was she looking pale. I probed her to find out if she felt tired after doing any work. And, she said she feels lethargic throughout the day and can’t walk for more than 10 minutes. She felt breathless. I immediately asked her to get her Haemoglobin checked and when she got me the reports. I was surprised to see that her hemoglobin was just at 9. She was definitely anaemic.

The ideal range for women as you all would be aware should be above 12-16mg/dl for children 11-13mg/dl and for males 14-18mg/dl. I believe in “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Nourish your body with a good dose of iron through nutrition rather than popping in supplements. I told her about hemoglobin boosting foods which I would like to share with you all.

Garden cress seeds: Few years back, this seeds were not commonly known. As, the awareness on health is spreading, this seeds have created its own space in the fitness industry. It is known as Halim (Hindi) or Aliv (Marathi). It is one of the richest vegetarian sources of iron with good bioavailability. 100gms of garden cress seeds provides 1.5mg of iron. It is often given during pregnancy and also it acts as Galactagogue which stimulates milk production in lactating mothers. Daily recommendation is 2 tsp. You need to soak the seeds for a while so that it emanates less heat. If you are trying for the first time, start with ½ tsp to see if your boy easily accepts it because of its heat. You can have garden cress in different forms such as it can be added in kheer, ladoos and be sprinkled on salads.

Haeme Iron– It includes liver/oysters/red meat. Liver (pork/beef/chicken/turkey) gives roughly around 23mg of iron in 100 gms. Oysters/mollusks give around 28mg of iron in 100 gms. However, as we know these foods are very high on cholesterol and saturated fats. The frequency of these meats should be minimal. Once in a week 2 medium pieces can be consumed. Also, try to go for either grilled/baked/steamed to make it healthier.

Pumpkin seeds- Like, garden cress seeds these seed are gaining popularity these days. 100 gms of pumpkin seeds serves around 8 mg of iron. Pumpkin seeds are not only rich in iron but also in calcium, magnesium, and manganese and iron. Include at least 2-3 tsps in your daily routine. You can have it as a mouth freshener or else sprinkle it over salads.
Spinach– 100 gms of cooked spinach gives around 3.75mg of iron. It is packed with calcium and fiber too. So, next time don’t forget to add this lovely looking greens in your salads/soups and veggies.

Dark chocolate– To your surprise, dark chocolate with 75-80% cocoa contains around 17mg of iron. It is also packed with antioxidant. Next time, you can enjoy dark chocolate without any guilt. While savouring, portion needs to be monitored. You can have 2-3 pieces of the chocolate.

The daily recommendation allowance (RDA) for iron:

Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy	Lactation
Birth to 6 months	0.27 mg*	0.27 mg*
7–12 months	11 mg	11 mg
1–3 years	7 mg	7 mg
4–8 years	10 mg	10 mg
9–13 years	8 mg	8 mg
14–18 years	11 mg	15 mg	27 mg	10 mg
19–50 years	8 mg	18 mg	27 mg	9 mg
51+ years	8 mg	8 mg

* Adequate Intake (AI)

In animal foods, iron is often attached to proteins called heme proteins, and referred to as heme iron. In plant foods, iron is not attached to heme proteins and is classified as non-heme iron. Heme iron is typically absorbed at a rate of 7-35%. Non-heme iron is typically absorbed at a rate of 2-20%.

Also, Vitamin C rich foods like kiwi/amala/lemon/guava/strawberries/sweet lime/oranges enhances the absorption of iron. Henceforth, whenever you consume any iron rich food, don’t forget to have a glass of lemon water along with it which would double up the absorption of the iron.

May 5, 2015 By Jyoti Sawant 21 Comments

Amazing Health Benefits and Uses of Jamun Fruit

Jamun or Black plum is an important summer fruit, associated with many health and medicinal benefits. The black plum is known to relieve stomach pain, carminative, anti-scorbutic and diuretic. Black Plum vinegar is good to reduce enlargement of spleen, diarrhoea, and those have urine retention problems. Jamum’s ployphenolic compounds are effective against cancer, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma and arthritis.

Black Plum fruit and its leaves are good for diabetic patients. The black plum has anti-diabetic features. The fruit helps to convert starch into energy and keep your blood sugar levels in check. In the summer season, the sugar patient should eat Black Plum regularly because of its low glycemic index. It reduces the symptoms of diabetes like frequent urination and thrusting. The extract of bark, seeds, and leaves are too beneficial in the treatment of diabetes.

Black Plum has adequate amount of iron and vitamin C. The presence of iron in the black plum is good to increase the haemoglobin count. The fruit’s iron content acts as blood purifying agent. Since, it is the medium of purifying your blood; therefore, it is good for skin and beauty. Iron content is beneficial in menses where the lady faces blood loss. People suffering from anemia and jaundice should eat Balck Plump because of its high iron content.

Black Plum juice has many health and medicinal benefits. Being a seasonal fruit, one should try to have more and more amount of Black Plum juice during the month of June, July and August. Some of the amazing and surprising health benefits of this juice are given below.

It is used to treat digestive disorders such as diarrhoea
This juice along with curd is good against digestive problems.
Teeth related problems can be solved by applying black Plum juice or by drinking it.
Jamun juice is beneficial in treating of piles.
Drinking of the fresh fruit juice helps in cough and asthma.
Jamun juice enhances your immune system.
It protects you from cold and acts as anti-aging agent.