Archives for July 2017

July 12, 2017 By TAARIKA ARYA 1 Comment

Dressings/Seasonings : The “MAKE-UP” to your Salads/Soups

DRESSINGS and SEASONING’S to foods is what make-up is to your face. The wrong types can make you look cakey and fake. Similarly, the wrong choice of toppings to your foods can mask the benefits of your salads, soups or sautéed veggies.

Now the next question rushing through your mind would be: So what’s the swap?
I agree sometimes the condiments make the meal; but the wrong ones are not at all goal friendly. These 6 swaps can help you slash the fat content and boost nutrients — without sacrificing the flavours !

1. EAT THIS : Avocado / Nut butters , NOT THAT : Butter .

Let’s go natural and explore the benefits of Nature’s butter: Avocado. Factory made butters can mean a lot of saturated fat, sodium and preservatives. The avocado fruit is loaded with good fats (heart healthy) called MUFA’s. Plus it has loads of Vit E (anti-oxidant) and Potassium (important for cardiac health and muscular contractions). It also can help to de-bloat since it acts as a natural diuretic.

All nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids so grinding them can give a buttery texture. Make them into a paste with a slight drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle some Himalayan pink salt/Kosher salt and Voilà ! Walnut, peanut, almond, cashew, hazelnuts. you just name it!

USE: Spread it on your whole wheat toast, add a dollop of it to oatmeal and enjoy the creamy goodness knowing that per tablespoon, it packs 3/4 fewer calories. You could even take a tablespoon of it to stave off afternoon hunger pangs.

2. EAT THIS : Hummus / Thick yoghurt , NOT THAT : Mayo

Is it the white creaminess of mayo that makes you reach out for that jar ? You must try Hummus. This switch results in half the fat for double the amount and since its made from garbanzo beans and garlic, it can boost your intake of protein, minerals and antioxidants.
What more? Add some cilantro or mint leaves for some flavour. You will seriously forget mayo.

Or, blend yogurt, lemon juice, pepper and spices. Yogurt provides a smooth, creamy consistency and it easily absorbs flavors you add to it, so a spoonful or two is sure to be delicious. Its rich in gut friendly bacteria, protein and calcium. Something that the mayo missed out on.

USE : Try it on an open faced sandwich , a whole wheat wrap or as a dressing to a salad.

3. EAT THIS : Vinaigrette , NOT THAT : Ranch

There is a bonus over here. Vinegar has been shown to control blood sugar levels and curb fat gain. The pectin content in it makes you feel fuller for longer.

Feel free to add variations like: apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, wine vinegar. It all becomes even more interesting with the addition of herbs, spices and flavourings. Ginger, garlic, basil, oregano, dill, black pepper, mint and mustard are all perfect examples.

For some reference, you could visit : http://paleoleap.com/salad-dressing-and-vinaigrettes/

USE: Drizzle it on your salads, marinate the veggies and roast them , in sautéed vegetables , add them to soups.

4. EAT THIS :Spicy Mustard / Home-made Salsa , NOT THAT : Ketchup.

Let us strictly say NO to ketchup. Each tablespoon packs about a teaspoon of HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP aka Refined Sugar. It’s said that one fourth of a bottle of ketchup is sugar. Ketchup lovers.. Hope you are listening?
Kick up the flavour with Mustard (commonly Dijon mustard) . The presence of cancer fighting anti-oxidants similar to the ones present in broccoli or cabbage is like an added feather.

Salsa are typically made of tomatoes, onions, chilies and cilantro. It’s rich in cancer fighting lycopene. You can easily make a large batch and let it sit in your fridge for a couple of days.

USE: It’s actually a part of Mexican cuisine, but goes well with sandwiches, lentil pancakes , vegetable dips.

5. EAT THIS : Fruit purées , NOT THAT : Jam/Marmalades

Not even kids! This one again has a LOT of sugar and preservatives. Cook the fruits from your favourite jams, such as strawberry, apple, guava, in a saucepan at medium heat with water. Add water if you want a spreadable purée. Use fresh mint, lemon rind, cinnamon or nutmeg to enhance flavours without adding sugar.

USE : It can be used very much like the jam, in between breads , as a flavour to yoghurt , breakfast cereals, etc.

6. EAT THIS : Nuts/seeds, NOT THAT : Croutons

Crave for that CRUNCH ? Whether they’re whole-wheat or white, baked or fried, croutons don’t offer much nutritional value. Only fat and bad carbs.
Try tossing crunchy veggies like bell peppers (best if coloured), celery, carrots strips or heart-healthy nuts and seeds. Seeds can be anything like, sunflower, flaxseeds, sesame, pumpkin , watermelon.
USE: Croutons are generally add-ons to salads and soups. So next time you hit the salad bar, skip the croutons (even if it says ‘whole-wheat’) and ask for some nuts/seeds.

This is what I could put up together. I mainly emphasise on Soups, Salads and Whole wheat toasts, since these are trending at the moment in the quest for something healthy to eat when we go out.

Sadly, the Sauces and Seasonings block their nutritional punch and make your efforts go down the drain. So let these swaps still keep you in love with lettuce and at the same time tantalize your taste buds.

(Wondering, how to go about it ? Read this blog on Summer Salads by Coach Manisha :https://goqii.com/blog/tag/summer-salad/ and dress it up taking help from above. )

Disclaimer: People with nut allergy do not try the salad dressing and salads that contain nuts.

July 10, 2017 By Anusha Subramanian 2 Comments

Do’s and Don’ts of Trail walker

When I was told to be a part of a 100 km trail walk, I agreed. My initial reaction was there is nothing new about long distance walking. I do it all the time and do it in the Himalayan and the Sahyadri hills. But, yet there is a new challenge in doing the 100 km trail walke. Have done it once and I would say it is still a challenge for myself- a challenge to test my own endurance.

Honestly, I will reiterate this point again that there is nothing tough about walking a long distance. Walking 15-20 miles (24-32 km) daily is what human bodies are built for. But, sadly none of us walk that much even in a week in our normal course of routine. So for many when they end up taking up such a challenge of 100 km they get a bit perturbed.

I would say first and foremost think and figure out why are you doing this? Are you doing this for yourself and to build your own endurance? Are you doing it because you are being forced -because you think you will be judged based on doing this challenge? Are you doing this to prove a point to others? Once you have the answer for why you are doing it you will be at ease in deciding your next step. I would say do it for yourself.

While this is an endurance challenge, it is also largely about teamwork and a strategy game. It’s about patience and temperament.

All rookies to the 100 km challenge remember one thing –be mentally prepared and don’t think too much about it. Even when I did it for the first time, I was not sure what to expect but, after two practice session of 25 km each at Garudmachi also known as the Eagles Plateau, I was clear of what to expect.

With exactly 20 days left for the D -Day, here are a couple of dos and don’ts for the trail walker that might help. This is based on a few learning from my own experience and practice sessions.

Dos: Get your footing right during your practice session especially if you are doing treks. Do not injure yourself during the practice. Do enough strength training for neck, shoulders and legs.

Dos: Ideally, it would be good to practice in a mixed terrain (both tar and hillocks) so you are comfortable on the day of the walk.

Dos: Be positive and happy all along the trail. Sing to yourself, laugh and motivate yourself.These ease the pressure on you and your teammates.

Dos: On the day of the trail walk try to rest a bit at checkpoints and then move forward. Target to cover 60% on the first day. Believe me, the remaining 40% will be easy on you.

Dos: learn to walk in the heat no matter how grim, awful and humid you feel.

Dos: Remember to thank your support crew after the event is over. Because they are going to be the ones who are going to be there for you waiting to make you feel comfortable with whatever you might need after long hours of walk. They will motivate you and make sure you do not have to think about anything else and just concentrate on your walk. So thank them.

DON’T talk much on the trail. Conserve energy. But do not be afraid to communicate uneasiness.

DON’T overload the backpack you are carrying with you on the trail. 1 to 2 litres of water is essential and your personal medication if you need anything on the trail. You really don’t need so many eatables and energy bars on you at all times. Let your support crew carry the extras.

DON’T argue with your teammates. Always try and come to a consensus on any issues that may arise. Remember this is a team effort.

DON’T get overexcited early on in the walk. Walk at your pace lest you end up getting tired very soon.

DON’T: Walking with earphones on could prove dangerous.

DON’T: Lastly, do not litter. We are all educated people. However tired you may be and might just want to throw away that bottle down, do not do it. Keep it with you in your bag and dispose it later.

Follow these dos and don’ts and you will be good to go for the 100 km trail walk.

July 7, 2017 By Parwage Alam 9 Comments

Educating players to read Nutritional Labels

How many of us really read nutrition labels when we buy a food product?

Today, the market is full of fancy branded food products with fancier food labels that are very confusing and tricky to understand. To add to that, our busy schedule seldom allows us enough time to read, ponder and interpret the labels and figure what it means and how to use the products.

But, as people are getting more health conscious they have started checking out nutrition labels. Having said that, the food companies are no less and have gotten smarter than the consumers and have started choosing different ways to entice the consumers into buying products by making them believe that they are choosing healthy food. But, in reality, the consumers are just buying the same unhealthy food with fancy and attractive packaging.

Let me give you an example to explain the above better- It’s no secret that Bollywood and Cricket is a religion in this country. These stars are worshipped like a god. Probably one of the reasons why companies bring on board film stars and sports stars to endorse brands.

Stars endorse anything from perishable products like food and beverages to non-perishable items such as hair oils, cars and mobiles. The advantage of getting a film star or a sporting star on board is that they will prompt the consumers to buy the product. Anything recommended by our favourite star whether or not it’s required or beneficial to you, a consumer will buy the product only because it has been endorsed by the Star.

Take for instance beverages. Most of the Bollywood and Sports stars endorse them. The product is largely seeing sales thanks to these stars fan following.

Consumers here seldom have the habit of reading labels on food products whether be it for its expiry date or to understand its nutritious value. Therefore, the understanding of whether an aerated beverage is good for health or no is out of the question.

In reality, if one checks the label on the bottle, a half- litre aerated beverage bottle contains approximately 64gms of Sugar, which does no good for one’s health. Some adverse effects of Sugar include the rise in triglycerides, reduction in HDL (good cholesterol), suppressing your immune system, causing hyperactivity, anxiety, inability to concentrate and crankiness, especially in children.

Given the above example, you would realise how important it is for us to read the nutrition label on each product. As per my knowledge and the studies undertaken by me, here are a few tips I can safely recommend for packaged food and beverages.

Understanding food labels can help you make wise choices―if you know what to look for. Here’s a rundown of the most important elements.

# Do not get fooled by fancy packaging. Always check the facts on the Nutrition label and ingredient list

# Always check the first ingredient in the greatest amount (by weight) in a food product. So if the first ingredient is SUGAR, you can easily conclude if the product is good or bad for you.

# Always avoid products that contain artificial flavours, partially hydrogenated oil, Trans Fat, Salts, High Fructose Corn Syrup.

# Try to choose food with the less Ingredient list because long ingredient list may hide things that your body doesn’t need. In general, foods with shorter lists tend to be closer to nature (more wholesome with more natural ingredients).

# Among the grain products try to get the product which has at least 2 grammes of fibre per serving. Beware of “whole grain imposters”. Choose whole grains and fewer refined grains.

While the above might come across as being very restrictive ideally, it is not so. You do not have to give up on the food you like; all you need to do is make the right choices. Today, there are a number of options available in the market. Therefore, you need to take care and read the nutrition label carefully and select the right option, which is good for your health.

July 4, 2017 By Neha Morche 4 Comments

Tips for Healthy Skin

Having flawless skin is every girl’s dream and why not? It only adds to the beauty of her personality. Most girls and women especially try every possible thing to make their skin look healthy and glowing. However, all these efforts are only for the betterment of the outward appearance which means that the actual overall nourishment that is required for the skin is not met. Let me inform you that skin is the largest organ of the body so you can imagine the urge of nutrients that skin needs.

So many people visit a dermatologist for some or the other reason and they do prescribe medicine or foods accordingly. Every now and then you will find a column written on the skin in newspapers and magazines for every season. Still, we don’t pay heed and try to follow the artificially made or let’s say wrongly marketed products for instant results.

There are three types of skin: dry, oily and normal. So accordingly we must look after it in a natural way.

As it is said that ‘You reflect what you eat’.. quality of food does matter to the skin. Here are the precautions we can take to make our skin healthy.

Drink 2.5 litres of water every day to eliminate toxins, to clear your bowel movements, to increase blood circulations.
Include fresh fruits and vegetables like oranges, all types of berries, tomatoes, leafy vegetables etc, Oilseeds, green tea to get anti-oxidants, vitamin A, C, E, zinc which also protects your skin from free radicals produced in your body and from ageing.
Wash your face twice a day at least to keep it clean from dirt and sweat.
15 minutes of activity daily will improve blood circulation and hence provide nutrients to the skin.

5 . Do include Amla juice, Aloe Vera juice early in the morning on empty stomach. You can revisit my blog on Aloe Vera

Try and include a variety of foods to receive a variety of nutrients.
Be patient for at least 3 months to a year to see the improvement in your skin.
Include first class proteins and good quality proteins in your diet like milk and it’s products, eggs, chicken etc.
Include whole grains cereals to get a good amount of fibre to improve digestion.
Include omega 3 food items like flax seeds, fish, walnuts, soybean etc.

Things to Avoid

Avoid meat, fish, eggs, fried foods, white flour and it’s products, coffee, tea, soft drinks, alcohol, tobacco.
Avoid wearing too much of make- up .and do use mineral rich products if you do have to wear make- up.
Avoid long exposure to the sun (10 am to 4 pm). Do apply sunscreen even if it’s cloudy.
Avoid dehydration as dryness as it leads to wrinkled skin.

You have got an idea on how to maintain healthy skin but, the most important aspect that one should not forget is ‘Keep Smiling’ the best exercise for the face because happy face will always make you look beautiful.

Dressings/Seasonings : The “MAKE-UP” to your Salads/Soups

Do’s and Don’ts of Trail walker

Educating players to read Nutritional Labels

Tips for Healthy Skin

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