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About Komal Mehta

Komal Mehta has worked extensively in the field of Dietetics and has indulged in counseling and educating the public about the importance of healthy lifestyle. A Diploma holder in Dietetics and experienced in Clinical Dietetics, she has worked in hospitals like Asian Heart Institute and counseling Endocrine patients at Dr. Shashank Joshi's Clinic. Her own fitness mantra is ‘Health is the greatest of all possessions as it is a complete harmony of body, mind, and soul’. Food should be our medicine and medicine should be our food. Komal uses her diet counseling as a strong base and imparts good knowledge on managing hectic daily routine and stress. She believes in compilable prescription and goals since she considers individuals’ likes/dislikes along with overall lifestyle. According to her, the secret of getting ahead is to get started.

April 8, 2018 By Komal Mehta 4 Comments

Keep it cool this summer with the right foods

summer-foods

It’s summer—that amazing time of year when fresh produce abounds. We need to relish the fresh produce as summer brings in lots of nutrient rich, healthy choices.

But, what about the scorching heat and associated dehydration, perspiration, rashes, itchiness, tiredness which we experience in summer. Well, of course drink more water!!! Everyone knows that, also, add some lemon juice and watermelons to keep you hydrated. Have you ever tried any other natural coolant? Let me remind you of these food products our grandma used every summer to keep the heat at bay.

  1. Kokam: Kokam juice is a very refreshing drink with cooling effect on the body. It not only quenches the thirst, but also prevents dehydration and sunstroke due to summer heat. Kokam has other health benefits like, garcinol present in kokam is an excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory hence inhabits cancer cell growth. Also, hydroxyl acetic acid helps reducing the conversion of carbohydrates to fats, so it prevents fat deposition.
  2. Dried black currents: Dried currants are also an excellent source of nutrients that are essential for health, including dietary fiber, copper, manganese and potassium. Potassium allows electrochemical balance that allows muscle contraction and nerve cell impulse transmission to occur properly. Because of water loss potassium becomes important.
  3. Fennel seeds: Fennel is an aromatic and flavorful herb that has several culinary as well as medicinal uses. In addition to its popular use as a breath freshener, it helps relieve a number of ailments and facilitates better health due to its anti inflammatory, antimicrobial,expectorant, diuretic, anticarcinogenicand antioxidatIt contains vitamin C, potassium, manganese, iron, folate, and fiber. It is also rich in phytonutrients and has a high concentration of volatile oils. It cools the body off by increasing perspiration and maintaining body temperature.
  4. Rock sugar candy or Mishri or khadishaker (in Hindi): Mishri or Rock Sugar is crystallized sugar, sweet candy is packed with numerous health benefits. Mishri is widely used as a refreshing drink during summers, Fennel seed powder with ground mishri makes a refreshing drink to fight harsh summer heat. It exerts a soothing effect on the mind and body and relaxes you from stress.
  5. Sattu or barley water: Sattu has extremely good properties for your health. It is extracted from barely, wheat or gram. Mix sattu, little lemon juice drops, salt and roasted cumin powder to get a very healthy drink.

Consuming foods that are not in season may come with a risk of chemicals and preservatives that are applied to fruits and veggies to keep them fresh. With these food one can also use:

  • Curds or buttermilk.
  • Raw mango
  • Watermelon
  • Coconut water
  • Bottle gourd
  • Salad leaves, especially mint leaves.

With all these food always go for light diet which can be easily digested by our body without much effort. Oily and junk food should be avoided.Avoid too much of tea and coffee as it contains caffeine which results in dehydration.

Restrict tea and coffee to two cups a day. You can switch to green tea as it contains antioxidants which are great help to body during summer seasons.Do not eat spicy, hot and extremely salty food as they are hard to digest and will have ill effects on the skin.

So keep cool and Have a happy summer!!

June 8, 2017 By Komal Mehta 9 Comments

How to eat to beat high blood sugar

good-carbs

Moderation is key holds true for all including people who are diabetic. There is no specific diet plan or pattern for Diabetes. It’s the small changes that you make with foods that will in turn help you normalize the blood sugar.

Here are few pointers for you to take note of

  • Have small and frequent meals: Having small meals will control the sugar spikes. Long gaps between meals can increase as well as drop the sugar. Long gaps also leach out energy and makes you tired. Having 4-5 small meals with balanced carbohydrates helps managing sugar well.
  • Choose the right carbs: All the grains have carb, be it potato or oats, it’s the quality which matters. Opting for carbs allowing slow release of sugar are best to choose. Carbs with high fiber content like whole wheat flour, Jowar, Ragi, Oats can help control sugar as it will release the sugar slowly and control blood sugar not showing those spikes.
  • Avoid processed foods: We all know refined foods; packaged foods are not that great for our health. With diabetes, it affects the blood sugar directly. The refined food gets absorbed very easily as it lacks fiber and can help increase sugar. Always add lots of vegetables or protein rich food if you have to have a packaged food and portion control always works for best results.
  • Add more proteins: Protein rich food are not readily available to raise blood sugar. You will see the positive impact on blood sugar once you add protein foods with every meal. Having more sprouts salad, paneer bites, curd raita fills you up as well as stabilizes sugar
  • Include Fiber: Fiber plays an important role in digestion of food. Fiber not only delays sugar absorption but also binds cholesterol and reduces the risk of obesity, heart ailments. Don’t think twice add those raw salads, soups to major meals.
  • Cut down fat: There is nothing wrong if the fat is coming from right source. All vegetable fats from avocado, seeds, nuts like peanuts, almonds, home- made ghee are all good to go. Just make sure it is in moderation. Good fat helps you manage weight which has direct relation with sugar control and in a way also helps release sugar slowly as fat takes time to digest.
  • Exercise: How much ever you control over food but if the muscles are moving you get to see the best results. Just a 40-minute brisk walking increases blood circulation, manages weight and fat metabolism. Every 5% reduction in weight has positive result with diabetes, heart health and overall wellbeing.
  • Cut out the refined sugar: Aim to have as less sugar as possible. Direct form of sugar results in major spikes. Cutting on refined sugar, cadies, cakes, pastries definitely gets the sugar high and it stays for 3 months as the blood RBC is made every 3 months. High HbA1c is associated with long term complication. It is best to try and keep the HbA1c in control by having a good portion control with right choice of food.

Don’t fall for that diabetes friendly, sugar free products. Just choose from the natural foods available to have desirable blood sugars. It’s not as difficult just a few choices that will make you feel better and keep you in best of health.

January 12, 2017 By Komal Mehta Leave a Comment

Prediabetes and its risk

535895-diabetes

Recently, we featured a story of a GOQii player Natarajan Vishwanathan who almost was on the sidelines of life two years ago due to being overweight, lack of exercise regime and no proper nutrition. A visit to the doctor and subsequently followed with a full body check-up revealed that despite all tests were normal, he was bordering on diabetes. He did have a family history of diabetes and above all his doctor warned him and asked him to reduce weight and get fit. All he did was a lifestyle change and today his prediabetic condition is under control and he runs 10 km now four days a well and his goal is to run the marathon this year.

Getting tired very easily, Fatigue, Black patches around Neck, elbows, knees, knuckles, arm pit or blurred vision, increased thirst than normal, frequent urination, losing weight in spite of eating moreetc are all signs associated with Diabetes.

Diabetes develops gradually. Prediabetes is pre-diagnosed diabetes, wherein, the blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not as high to be classified as Type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is reversible with lifestyle changes.

Glucose is required to give energy for various activities. Insulin is the key which allows this glucose to go in the cells. When body is not producing enough insulin or Insulin is not able to enter the cells because of excess fat around cells, the glucose in the blood rises.

It puts you at risk when-

  • one is overweight or have high BMI of more than 25
  • sedentary lifestyle- desk job
  • age above 45 years
  • family history of diabetes
  • Polycystic ovarian
  • High blood pressure
  • Abnormal lipid profile.

Prediabetes is reversible, Lifestyle changes can have positive changes. And, this has been proved by Vishwanathan. All that his lifestyle coach did was to get him to improve his improved nutrition by focusing on high fibre, high protein and small frequent meals, Millets were introduced in his diet, he cut down on fruits at night and salads were added to his meals. He started exercising simultaneously by going for morning walks and has now started running.These are simple changes that every prediabetic can follow.

Having said that let me share few simple points which can delay the process of type 2 diabetes and have a positive impact on overall health.

  • Weight loss: Reducing 5 to 10 % of body weight can cut down the risk of developing diabetes.
  • Eat healthy: Include soluble and insoluble fiber rich food with low glycemic index like whole grain, whole pulses, dals, beans, vegetables, oats, whole fruits, nuts. Fiber controls blood glucose spikes and also improves insulin resistance. Protein too helps control sugars.
  • Get active: Exercise can lower blood glucose levels and lower the insulin. 150 minutes of moderate activity per week i.e. 30 minutes 5 days a week is recommended. It could be walking, swimming, cycling, jogging. One can split the exercise through the day. Moreover, exercise will help reach desirable weight, healthy for heart, controls lipids and blood pressure.

These 3 simple changes can go long way. As Prediabetes is more a lifestyle related condition, a consistent lifestyle modification can help delay and prevent Type 2 diabetes.

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