About Komilla Pareek

I am a Nutritionist with varied experience, having worked with reputed hospitals, research institutes and educational establishments. Eating right is not a choice but our duty towards our body to keep it moving. Along with diet, right amount of sleep and exercise is essential to look good and feel good. Doing what is right starts with motivation, but lasts with a habit. Therefore, my goal here is to motivate you and make ‘healthy living’ your favourite habit.

Coach Skills

Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition. Nutrition Research with emphasis on Micronutrients and their bioavailability.

My Mantra

A Lifestyle with No Finish Line!

Certification

Masters in Food and Nutrition, Fellowship from Indian Council of Medical Research, Member of Indian Dietetic Association (IDA) and Nutrition Society of India (NSI)

July 25, 2017 By Komilla Pareek Leave a Comment

Is Apple Cider Vinegar Panacea for All Diseases?

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is gaining popularity these days as a wonder cure for diabetes, weight loss, heart disease and much more. The question however is – Is there science behind these claims or is it a classic case of excellent marketing?

Vinegar has been used as a medical therapy for thousands of years. Recorded vinegar history starts around 5000 BC when the Babylonians were using the fruit of the date palm to make wine and vinegar. Vinegar residues have been found in ancient Egyptian urns traced to 3000 BC. As well, recorded vinegar history in China starts from texts that date back to 1200 BC.

During biblical times, vinegar was used to flavour foods, as an energising drink, and as a medicine, and it is mentioned in both the old and new testaments.

In ancient Greece, around 400 BC, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, prescribed apple cider vinegar mixed with honey for a variety of ills, including coughs and colds.

Scientific evidence adds to age old wisdom by inferring vinegar’s significant role in key biochemical metabolic pathways –

Reduction in Postprandial Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels – When taken with or just before meals, ACV inhibits enzymes necessary for the digestion of starches and other complex carbohydrates, thus preventing them from being broken down into glucose and absorbed into the bloodstream. Vinegar also slows gastric emptying, so it delays the uptake of glucose and other nutrients. (Yusoff et al, Nutrients 2015, 7(8), 7012-7026 )
Like Metformin, Stimulates AMPK – Vinegar stimulates an enzyme called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) that is a key player in glucose and fat metabolism, insulin signalling, and energy balance. AMPK increases fat oxidation, improves glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity, and lowers gluconeogenesis, or glucose production in the liver. This is similar to how common diabetic drug Metformin works (Zhou et al, Role of AMP-activated protein kinase in mechanism of metformin action. J Clin Invest. 2001 Oct 15; 108(8): 1167–1174).
Nitric Oxide Mediated Protection Against Heart Diseases – Vinegar-induced AMPK activation boosts nitric oxide (NO) release in the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels.NO relaxes the arteries, protects against an atherosclerosis-the usual cause of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral vascular disease. (Sakakibara et al, BiosciBiotechnolBiochem. 2010;74(5):1055-61).
Blood Pressure Regulation – Animal studies demonstrated vinegar decreases blood pressure by down‑regulating AT1R expression via the AMPK/PGC‑1α/PPARγ pathway (Na Lixin et al, Eur j Nutr, April 2016, Volume 55, Issue 3, pp 1245–1253).
Protection Against Cancer – Vinegar is also a dietary source of polyphenols, compounds synthesised by plants to defend against oxidative stress. Ingestion of polyphenols in humans enhances in vivo antioxidant protection and reduces cancer risk.
Reduces Belly Fat – Researches demonstrated vinegar (pomegranate) consumption resulted in marked reduction in visceral fat as confirmed by CT scan(Park et al, Journal of functional foods, Volume 8, May 2014, 274-281).

While the evidence behind apple cider vinegar and other vinegar seem promising, there are a few things to keep in mind. Always take your vinegar diluted (1 tablespoon in 180 ml water). Undiluted shots have been known to wear away tooth enamel and damage the oesophagus. Also, too much apple cider vinegar may lower potassium levels in the body. If you are on medications, discuss with your doctor before starting vinegar supplementation.

Lastly, and most importantly – Making vinegar a daily habit won’t cancel out the effects of unhealthy eating. Think of it as one piece of your wellness puzzle, and not a panacea.

May 2, 2017 By Komilla Pareek 2 Comments

All you want to know about Calories

How far is your office from home?
12 kilometers?

Just as kilometers is the unit of distance similarly Calories (Cal or kcal) is a unit of energy.

When we refer to calorific value of food, we are referring to the number of calories of energy provided by that food. With increasing need to lose and maintain body weight, people are getting conscious about their calorie intake.

But, is it really that simple? Do two different foods having similar calorific value give you exactly same energy?

Let me cite an example to explain the above point:

Consider that your office is located in a less populated outskirts of the city and therefore the road to office is less crowded; whereas the movie theatre is located in busy city center.

Would you take the same time and resources to reach both these places? If you take a cab ride, will the charges be same since the distance is same for both the destinations?

The answer is obviously NO. The same concept applies even for food calories. Two different food items with same calorific value may be charged differently by your body to process it, depending on its composition.

To understand this better let’s look at food calories in detail.

How much is 1 Kcal or 1000 calories?

The Calorie you see on a food package is actually a kilocalorie, or 1,000 calories. A Calorie (kcal) is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius.

How do we determine calorific value of food?

The original method used to determine the number of kcals in a given food directly measured the energy it produced. The food was placed in a sealed container-an apparatus known as a bomb calorimeter surrounded by water. The food was completely burned and the resulting rise in water temperature was measured. This method is not frequently used today.Food Composition tables and apps usually calculate calorific value by nutrient composition of meal/food article. 1 g protein /carbohydrate gives approx. 4 kcal and 1 g fat contributes 9 kcal.

So, is the 400 kcal coming from 100 g carbs same as that coming from 100 g proteins?

No, the net effect of 400 kcal will vary depending on the source. Why and how- This info is important for you if you are trying to manage weight!

To process and utilize the nutrients, your body charges different nutrients differently (same as your cab charges differently on different routes for the same distance).

Amount of energy expenditure above the resting metabolic rate due to the cost of processing food for use and storage is called ‘Thermic Effect of Food’ (or Diet induced Thermogenesis).

Its magnitude depends on the composition of the food consumed:

Carbohydrates: 5 to 15% of the energy consumed
Protein: 20 to 35%
Fats: at most 5 to 15 %

Without a doubt, protein is the macronutrient that induces the largest thermic effect of food response.

Does this mean effective calories coming from proteins are lowest?

Yes. Roughly 25% of the calories in pure protein will be burned after consumption due to the thermic effect of food. Fat and carbohydrates, on the other hand, each induce a burn of roughly 5% of the calories consumed due to the thermic effect of food. So, for example, if you consume 400 calories of pure protein you will burn 100 (or 25%) of those calories through the thermic effect of food. If you consume 400 calories of pure fat or pure carbohydrates, only 20 calories (or 5%) will be burned through the thermic effect of food.

Do Negative Calorie Foods exist, foods that take more energy to digest than they provide in calories?

It is theoretically possible to have a negative-calorie food but, there are no scientific studies to prove that certain foods have this effect. Low calorie foods that are high in dietary fiber like green leafy vegetables are often cited as negative calorie. This is not true, it’s a myth.

What are Empty Calorie foods?

Empty calories apply to food such as solid fats or added sugars supplying food energy but little or no other nutrition.

High intake of empty calorie foods leads to Hidden Hunger. This can be one of the reason for weight gain.

For a sustainable and healthy weight loss, focus on nutrient content and not calorie content of food as all calories are not equal.

December 29, 2016 By Komilla Pareek Leave a Comment

Are you eating your beans right?

My friend Neetu, recalls an incident from her childhood when she went to receive her aunt at the railway station who was arriving from Lucknow. On seeing Neetu, her aunt spontaneously asked her, “Guess your favourite thing that I’ve brought for you” and Neetu spontaneously replied “Rajma Chawal”! (Of Course, it was not Rajma Chawal that her aunt was referring too !!)

Kidney beans or Rajma is liked by kids and adults alike. It’s not just the taste but, the nutritional profile which makes it my favourite too. While it’s rich source of protein and fibre, it’s also packed with several micronutrients, especially molybdenum, folate, copper, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B1, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Dietary fibre in these beans helps in lowering cholesterol and prevents the rapid rise in blood glucose levels after consuming meal.

However, in kidney beans, these nutrients exists with certain anti-nutrients or natural substances that can be harmful to our health.

1) Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA): This substance is classified as a lectin-glycoprotein. Lectins are known for their ability to agglutinate red blood cell types, alter cell membrane transport systems, alter cell permeability to proteins, and generally interfere with cellular metabolism. Even a small amount of PHA can have a negative effect on health. You may not consume enough to become noticeably sick, but continued exposure can result in poor growth, malnutrition, or liver damage. White kidney beans contain about one-third the amount of toxin as the red variety.

2) Raffinose and Stachyose: These are carbohydrates that are not digested in the small intestine by human gastrointestinal enzymes. They are passed into the large intestine where they are fermented by intestinal micro flora with the production of gas. It is this behaviour which is responsible for flatulence, bloating that many of us experience after consuming these beans.

Central Public Health Laboratory (PHLS, UK ) and FDA (US) recommends this procedure to render kidney, and other beans safe for consumption:

Soak in water for at least 5 hours.
Pour away the water.
Boil briskly in fresh water, with occasional stirring, for at least 10 minutes.
Undercooked beans may be more toxic than raw beans.

Tips for cooking –

1) Add salt to the soaking water and cooking water as it helps remove raffinose and stachyose and thus reduces gas producing tendency of beans. Also, salt improves water absorption so beans are evenly softened and cooked.

Isn’t this what we have been watching our grandma and mum doing – Soaking overnight in salt water! Now we know the scientific basis for that.

1) Acids, including tomatoes, lemon etc; prevent beans from absorbing water efficiently and thus may result in uneven or partial cooking, thereby retaining anti-nutrients. Always add tomato/tomato puree after boiling the beans.

2) Microwave cooking is not recommended. Microwaves do not heat food evenly. This can cause parts of beans to remain undercooked. Boiling /pressure cooking is best. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Next time when you enjoy beans, make sure they are safe as well!

December 14, 2016 By Komilla Pareek Leave a Comment

The Weight Loss Link You May Be Missing – Dietary Minerals

The most challenging case for a Dietitian is perhaps – Weight Loss! Why – because, each case is unique and the most important task is to find out the root cause of weight gain (which, contrary to popular belief, is not always overeating or lack of physical activity). It is prudent that the underlying cause be identified and targeted, not only to ensure sustainable weight loss but also because these reasons are linked to diseases in waiting as well. Genetic predisposition, low BMR, stress, lack of sleep, hormonal disturbance, chronic mild dehydration etc. are few recognized causes of weight gain.

However, if adjusting your diet, water intake, exercising more and controlling your stress and sleep hasn’t helped you reach a healthy body weight, check your mineral status. Mineral deficiency often happens slowly over time and can be caused by an increased need for the mineral, lack of the mineral in the diet, or difficulty absorbing the mineral from food.

You may be suffering from deficiencies because the nutritional value of the produce has been steadily degrading for the last couple of decades. Increased intake of processed foods is another reason devoiding you of not only fiber but also many of the vitamins and minerals.

Since the deficiency symptoms of these minerals are largely general, they go unnoticed and hence get overlooked while diagnosing unexplained weight.

I have discussed these in my previous blog: http://goqii.com/blog/hidden-hunger-are-you-suffering-from-it/

Let’s discuss four major minerals (or their deficiencies) that are directly or indirectly associated with your weight –

CHROMIUM: Chromium is an essential mineral that regulates insulin action and its effects on metabolism.Insulin is essentially the fat-loss gatekeeper, so anything that improves insulin efficiency is great for fat loss.

Chromium determines the way our body uses insulin. The glucose tolerance factor (GTF) interacts with insulin and regulates how much glucose (sugar) enters a cell. GTF encourages energy production (burns calories) and may also curb feelings of hunger.

Identifying the link between chromium and weight loss is crucial because someone who is overweight is often at high risk of becoming insulin resistant (diabetic).

Chromium is lost in the process of refining foods. For example, when sugarcane is refined into white sugar, 93 percent of the chromium is lost. Because our soils are depleted of chromium and because we consume more processed foods nowadays, chromium deficiency is becoming increasingly prevalent.

IODINE: The thyroid gland depends on iodine to manufacture thyroid hormone. The thyroid’s main function is to manage the body’s metabolism.

A shortage of iodine can cause changes to the thyroid gland and an under active thyroid gland slows your metabolism; you thus burn dramatically fewer calories and feel sluggish. Also, under active thyroid gland promotes excess weight and cellulite by causing water retention.

Inadequate intake of iodine was once a recognized problem that was solved by universal iodization of salt. Salt was fortified with Potassium Iodate to ensure controlled consumption by all sections of society. Once this was done, the obvious symptoms of severe iodine deficiency disappeared from view, and little further thought was given to matter, though sub-clinical symptoms remained. Today’s health conscious consumers have lowered their salt intake and now fail to get even that small amount of iodine in their diets. Presence of goitrogens in certain foods is another cause of iodine deficiency arising from inadequate iodine utilization.

MAGNESIUM: Magnesium is needed to extract nutrients from food and for optimal insulin function. The more nutrients you extract from food the less you have to eat to feel full. When we aren’t getting what we need from our diet, the body will crave more food in an effort to obtain those vital nutrients.

Magnesium is also a vital nutrient for reducing stress which is one of the most important keys in fighting obesity. Magnesium supports healthy adrenal glands that control the release of adrenaline and cortisol, two hormones related to stress response. While these hormones are vital to living, too much of them can cause weight gain and other health problems. Magnesium helps regulate these hormones so they are not overproduced.

One of the major causes of Magnesium deficiency is over-medicating with pharmaceutical drugs. They prevent the body from absorbing magnesium.

IRON: Iron is a critical nutrient because it is essential for the synthesis of hemoglobin, a metalloprotein that carries oxygen from lungs to all the tissues in body. Diminished oxygen carrying capacity can leave you feeling very fatigued, lethargic and irritable. In this state, your body signals you to slow down physical activity and you may find yourself seeking opportunities to sit or lie down, thus leading to weight gain.

Also, low iron promotes fat storage and cause abnormal blood sugar elevation.

Reasons responsible for iron deficiency can be dietary as well as non-dietary. Your excess body weight too can contribute to iron deficiency. Inflammation associated with excess body weight elevates a hormone hepcidin, which has the net effect of reducing iron absorption from digestive tract.

Now, before you finish reading this article and jump to quick fix by googling for these mineral supplements, a word of caution -Over dose of these minerals, especially from synthetic sources, are extremely harmful. Do not take these minerals as supplements without professional guidance.

You may improve your mineral intake by following the golden rule – Go low on processed foods and buy your foods fresh, local and seasonal to remove any possible degradation in nutrient quality.

Don’t eat less, eat right and live a healthy active life.