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About Zehra Fatima

Zehra Fatima is a lifestyle and fitness coach. She has a masters degree in nutrition and dietetics. As part of her master's programme, she worked on a project on the quality of life and lifestyle modification in diabetic patients. Apart from clinical nutrition, she is also well versed in many forms of exercises, benefits of foods and physiology of food interaction. Her mantra for life is -Do not go on Quantity go on Quality.

November 28, 2017 By Zehra Fatima 4 Comments

Myths and Facts about Dieting

diet myths

Dieting is synonymous with Weight loss. But what does dieting mean? There is a lot of misconception among people that going on a diet means not eating enough food is dieting.

Let’s clear this misconception by proper examples and scientific approach.

1. Dieting means to skip meals?

The major misconception that leads to health risk is skipping meals which people assume will help them to achieve weight loss. Skipping meals will only increase acidity levels, more food cravings and large portion size. The sensible approach is to take lesser quantity food at regular intervals what we call as “small ad frequent meals”.

2.Reducing calories

Reducing calories doesn’t mean you skip your major course meals, for instance, skipping rice, roti or oats. The smart approach is to fill your stomach with low calorie and more fluid foods. If you take a salad plate include more cucumber and sprouts which will fill your stomach with a good amount of food but are low in calories.

3.Restrict non-vegetarian food

The non-vegetarian food contains all the essential amino acids that lack in vegetarian or vegan food. However, food preference is a matter of choice for each individual. If you choose chicken, fish or lean beef you are probably increasing proteins in your diet. Make sure the portion size is not more. Your plate should have more of low calorie, high protein food and less of calorie dense food.

4. Cut back on carbs to lose weight.

Carbohydrates come in different forms: simple and complex. Simple carbs found in foods like cookies and candy lack vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Cutting back on these sweets is a great way to eat healthier. Foods with complex carbs like whole-wheat bread, beans, and fruit, have lots of nutrients that are good for you. Cut back on simple carbs but keep complex carbs on the menu.

5. You need fat in your diet. Fat keeps you full and satisfied.

Fat is the slowest food component to clear the stomach. For ages, it was assumed that fatty foods slow digestion and keep you feeling full longer. Recent research proves that the proportion of sugar and fat has little or no difference in satiety ratings. What’s more, fat actually has twice the calories of protein or carbohydrates. In reality, protein tends to leave people feeling more satisfied than either carbohydrates or fat while fibre and whole grains affect feelings of fullness and satisfaction. To stay full longer, eat healthy foods that are high in fibre, like fruits and veggies and lots of healthy whole grains.

6. Only dieting will promote weight loss.

Weight loss is 50% with proper diet (as mentioned above) and 50% with exercise. You need to burn already stored calories in the body to lose weight. Extra calories and extra carbs are converted into fat in the body for storage. Extra proteins get converted to uric acid. You need to burn out and eliminate that extra energy. Choose exercise from low intensity to gradually increasing to moderate and then high.

7.Detoxification is the quickest way to lose weight.

The truth is that while detox actually does help you lose weight very quickly, most of the weight loss is body water and the weight will come right back on as soon as you stop doing it. Detox can also help you lose stool through diarrhoea and that will cause your weight to drop fast but as soon as you eat, the stool will build up again. You can lose only so much weight when participating in a cleanse diet. It is much better to lose weight the conventional way—through eating a low-calorie diet and exercising in order to lose the extra pounds.

 

November 14, 2017 By Zehra Fatima 4 Comments

5 major reasons why people give up?

never-giveup

As a lifestyle coach, I have come across many who initially set for themselves very high goals to achieve but, after few weeks they give up thinking they cannot do it anymore. One does not just give up, there are several reasons attributed to giving up. Some of these are…

why people give up

  1. Expecting fast results: Most people have a mindset of achieving higher goals in a shorter span of time and once they are unable to achieve it in the said time frame, they get disheartened. One must understand that one size does not fit all. Each one of us is different with different body type and levels of metabolism. You just cannot predict how much of workout you should be doing to lose X no. of kgs in so and so time frame. A person whose BMI is high tends to lose weight faster than a person whose BMI is low. Initially, some people achieve weight loss in few months due to high metabolic rate and some people achieve weight loss due to high metabolism in later months.
  2. Past Failures: No success stories comes with ease and especially if you are pursuing a health goal never be dependent on shortcuts. A person may try weight loss program through shortcuts like going in for a herbal product or supplements but eventually after a few days do not see any considerable change and give up. The products that are available for weight loss in the market might work on a few and might not work on some. Always approach a goal in a scientific and realistic manner. To be able to do this, you have to bring about the desired modification in your lifestyle by slowly and steadily shedding your unhealthy habits and acquire healthy ones. Patience is therefore key ingredient.
  3. REGRET: “Regrets are just wasted thoughts, focus on the Present”. Regret can only make you guiltier, unworthy of yourself and develop inferiority complexes. But, instead of wallowing in self-pity and regret, it’s never too late to start a new journey with a new perspective towards life. Mistakes happen for a reason and that you may learn from them and do better then what you use to do. There is no successful person in this world who has not tasted failure in life. It is how you handle that failure, learn from it and move on to do better in life.
  4. FEAR TO CHANGE: In a complex society, the truth is, many people shy away from change because of fear of doing or indulging in something that most people aren’t. People want to be a part of a crowd than stand alone. Bringing about change is definitely difficult and requires strong willpower and confidence. Never settle to fit in the box. You might be that one person to take the first leap and try something new or bring about a change and, you never know you might just have followers who believe in you. Take that one step ahead confidently and change.
  5. ASSUMING THEIR PROBLEMS ARE UNIQUE: Many feel this way because their whole focus is their own life. They fail to see the larger picture. For instance, you might be suffering from a medical condition for the longest time and there are no visible signs of its curing. Given this condition, if you are trying to bring about a change in your fitness goals it could take a while to achieve your goal. For instance, if you have been trying to lose weight and have not seen significant results, chances are that it is because you are not medically fit. The first thing is such a case is to treat the medical ailment, bring your body on normal parameters and then work on weight loss or a good physique body.

“NEVER GIVE UP IN LIFE NO MATTER WHAT. GREAT THINGS TAKE TIME TO COM

October 10, 2017 By Zehra Fatima 8 Comments

STEVIA (A 0 calorie, 0 carbs, 0 protein and 0 fats natural sweetener)

stevia

Yes, you have read right! A null nutritional value sweetener which is sweeter than sugar. Stevia has 0 kcal energy, 0gms of carbohydrates, 0gms of proteins, 0gms of fats yet a very sweet product and gained popularity in foreign countries. Let’s find out more about Stevia.

What is stevia?

Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia Rebaudiana.

The active compounds of stevia are steviol glycosides (mainly stevioside and rebaudioside), which have up to 150 times the sweetness of sugar, are heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable. Stevia’s taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, and some of its extracts may have a bitter or liquorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.

Benefits of Stevia

Apart from using it as a replacement for Sugar it has additional benefits like

  • IN DIABETES: Research has shown that stevia sweeteners do not contribute calories or carbohydrates to the diet and do not affect blood glucose or insulin response, which allows people with diabetes to consume a wider variety of foods and comply with a healthful meal plan.
  • IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: The intake of added sugars has been shown to contribute an average of 16 percent of the total calories in the American diet and has been linked to weight gain and adverse effects on glycemic control. Plant-based, zero calorie stevia can be part of a well-balanced diet to help reduce energy intake without sacrificing taste.
  • IN BLOOD PRESSURE: Certain glycosides in stevia extract have been found to dilate blood vessels, increase sodium excretion, and urine output. In higher doses, stevia could potentially help lower blood pressure. The plant may have cardiotonic actions, which normalize blood pressure and regulate heartbeat.

Good and bad Stevia

Stevia’s green leaves are naturally sweet. However, those white powder and clear drops we find in groceries have very little to do with stevia leaves. They aren’t really stevia at all. They’re an extract that’s been super-refined using toxic chemicals, bleach, and marketed as “healthy”. When you look at the chemical refinement process, stevia is no more natural than Aspartame, Splenda, NutraSweet, Equal, Sweet N Low, etc. Everybody is looking for a non-addictive, healthy sweetener. But, beware of any sugar-free sweetener that gives you the illusion of a “free ride”, because you may just be deepening your addiction.

Green leaf stevia is the least processed of the stevia types. The leaves are basically just dried and ground into powder form. This is the type of stevia that’s been used in South America and Japan for centuries as a natural sweetener and health remedy. This type of stevia is about 30–40 times sweeter than sugar.

The best stevia is the kind you can grow yourself. When it’s alive you know it’s REAL! Stevia plants grow beautifully in a pot, a garden, a window box, or on your kitchen window sill.  Just pull off a leaf when you need to sweeten something. This way you can be sure it’s organic, and the soil is healthy.

September 20, 2017 By Zehra Fatima 12 Comments

Know about the Caffeine in your tea?

 

Tea pix (2)

We live in a country where our day starts with a cup of tea or a conversation starts with a cup of tea. Tea is offered to every guest who comes at home. In offices or any workplace, we just grab a cup of tea when we feel tired or exhausted. Tea is the most consumed beverage in India at present. But, is your tea making you healthy or is it making sick?

Many Indians have a habit of having tea as soon as they finish their meal. Let me start with saying while there is no harm in consuming tea, when you consume is what matters.

Tea contains “CAFFEINE” which is a psychoactive drug. It inhibits calcium, iron, vitamin D, zinc, copper, manganese and many other nutrient absorption. When you consume food along with tea all the micronutrients that are essential for the body are not absorbed and are directly excreted in urine. Milk should be ideally consumed as plain milk without flavours.

Evidence also suggests that caffeine may lead to harmful effects on health. It may interact with satiety and is also associated with stress levels in individuals. Caffeine may have an adverse effect on insulin-dependent glucose uptake, irrespective of obesity, type 2 diabetes and exercise, heart rate and blood pressure. The risk of myocardial infarction with caffeine is higher in present or past smokers. Caffeine may increase blood pressure, the risk of negative cardiovascular consequences and may enhance stress responses in men as well as women. If combined with a high dosage of sugar, may cause obesity and overweight.

Caffeine can cause insomnia, nervousness and restlessness, stomach irritation, nausea and vomiting, increased heart rate and respiration, and other side effects.

This is one of the major reasons 80% of Indian population especially women are osteoporotic. The main reason is they are deficient in calcium and vitamin D. When you mix milk with tea powder you are mixing calcium and anti-calcium ingredient together.

Your body requires at least 2 hours to digest your food. An ideal time to consume tea is 2 hours before and 2 hours after you consume your meal. The same implies to coffee or any beverage that contains caffeine.

How much caffeine is present in your tea?

There are many factors influencing caffeine levels in tea, including brewing time/ temperature, tea grade, and tea varietal.

Tisanes or “herbal teas” (including many of Celestial Seasonings’ “teas”) are usually caffeine free. Similarly, teas blended with other ingredients (such as mint green teas or masala chai) will often have lower caffeine levels than unblended teas. Most studies show that black tea has between 40 and 120 mg caffeine per eight-ounce serving. Decaf black tea usually contains about two to ten mg of caffeine.

The information below comes from a very interesting article on tea and caffeine by Bruce Richardson, who has been instrumental in debunking caffeine myths surrounding tea.

Each seven-ounce cup of tea was steeped for three minutes.

  • Assam Black Tea (FTGFOP Grade) – 86 mg
  • Bai Mu Dan / China White Tea – 75 mg
  • Chinese Ti Kuan Yin Oolong- 37 mg
  •  DarjeelingAutumnal (SFTGFOP1 Grade)  Darjeeling White Tea – 56 mg
  • Indian Green Tea – 59 mg
  • Kenyan Green Tea – 58 mg
  • Ceylon Black Tea (OP Grade) – 58 mg.

Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, a day appears to be safe for a most healthy adult. Bringing desirable change in this habit may make a lot of difference in your health.

 

 

 

 

 

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