Nutrition Archives - Page 7 of 66

May 27, 2024 By Geetika Patni 7 Comments

Mindful Eating: Slow down and enjoy your meal – 2

In my previous blog, I talked about the concept of Mindful Eating and how often we instead of being mindful become mindless. (https://goqii.com/blog/mindful-eating-the-best-habit-ever/). Mindless eating is when we overeat, eat fast, do some emotional eating while we are not really hungry and disconnect with food. The first blog summarised the fact that it is extremely important to make the ‘connect’ with your food choices. Attempt to learn or acknowledge the ingredients of the dish you are eating, which food group it belongs to, combining it in ways you can enhance (or deplete) it’s nutritional quotient, and most importantly how you truly feel having it.

Today, I am going to talk about the art of eating slow. Eating is a biologically natural and pleasurable act of nourishment.

More often than not, most of us may not even recall everything that we ate in last few hours, let alone-the sensation associated with it. That is largely because we indulge in other things most times along with eating – working, driving, reading, watching television, surfing the net, social networking or simultaneously feeding a child, a pet or an emotion.

This act of mindless eating –lack of awareness of the food we are consuming- may becontributing to the national obesity epidemic and the lifestyle diseases and disorders prevalent around.

Mindful eating is nothing but, an act of eating our food with attention. Sensing the flavours, recognizing the ingredients and enjoying the dish and thus feeling gratitude towards the meal. Following mindful eating pattern you will not only reverse your weight issues, but also fix them up for life.

Eating fast is a habit in disorder. If you eat fast, you are just one step away from digestive troubles, weight gain and other metabolic dysfunctions. Here is what happens when you eat fast?

One is you skip the first step of digestion of the food, which happens when enzymes in the saliva break down the morsels when you are chewing them. This Bolus which is softened food morsel is much easier to get digested by the acids of the stomach.

Second – since you are rushing through – large chunks of undigested food is filling up your stomach – too much and too quickly. The stretch receptors of your stomach are slow acting fibres (can’t help -that is how they are made!) so when they can’t match up with the speed, the spill over happens, leading to acid reflux, burn in the chest, food regurgitation, and acid after taste in mouth.

What is supposed to be an act of pleasure turns out to be a painful experience!

Third – The delicate hormonal cross talk which happens between hunger, satiety and fullness hormones doesn’t happen that smoothly when you are gobbling down your meal, leaving one having more food but yet not satisfied.

That is why adopting slow eating as a good habit for life is necessary, to eliminate the digestive disorders, fix up weight struggles and feel satisfied with our meals, with our life.

In this article, I’ll share ways to build up your innate capability to eat slowly. As you’ll go down the pointers, pick up only one or two that you can follow easily and when you return back to this article, gradually learn more ways to practice slow eating as way of life.

Here are some tips to help you eat slowly

Chew well: Digestion of your food begins from the mouth. Gulping down your food will prevent your stomach to match up with your tongue. And, do you also know that you can’t taste your food until its mixed with saliva. Hence chewing your food thoroughly not only improves digestion but enhances perceptibility of the flavor of your food as well.

To practice chewing well and long, take smaller bites and designate number of chew per bite. Anything more than your current number till you reach over 20 is perfect. 20 seconds to every chew is also a wise idea.

Engage all your sense while eating: Sniffing the food morsel before putting it in your mouth and appreciating its taste brings in more satisfaction from the food. Also notice colours in your food and feel its texture in your mouth. Chew well then and you’ll find yourself turning into a slow eater automatically.

Deep breathe after every few bites: By following this tip, you’ll buy some more time for your tummy to assimilate all the previous morsels. The excess O2 taken in by extra breathing will also aid in better oxidation of the fats in the food.

Add fibers to your meal: They take a long time to chew. Crunching salads after every few bites will additionally supply raw enzymes to digest cooked portions of your meals.

Take intermission break: Put down your spoon and fork once your done with half your meal. This break can last till you have finished a mini conversation or taken 24-30 breaths.

# Or push away from table, get up for the second helping, take some sips of water in between, to take a break.

Pace with a slow eater: Rather than a ferocious one. We unconsciously imitate people we are close to. So eating with a slow eater will also slow you down.

Use non dominant hand to eat or use chopsticks for a week: If you make the task difficult it automatically forces you to pace down.

Eat with a baby spoon/fork: By law of volume metrics, eating with a baby spoon will put a speed breaker on your food ride.
Work up your food: Shell your pistachios or peanuts or seeds and peel your oranges yourself. Shelling, peeling or individual unwrapping of your snack will also help slow you down and reduce the tendency to over consume any snack.
Refuel-every 3-4 hours: Keeping long gaps between meals will prevent you from following slow eating, as mind is weak in the knees when we are famished. Hence, eat frequently to prevent over eating and practice slow eating at any meal time.

Practicing slow eating takes time. If you are a super fast eater, and you are trying these methods to change your habit for good, don’t punish yourself if you don’t succeed in the first few weeks. Try and try till you succeed. And, if you still fail, take help of your coach, to make you practice and push towards rewiring your old habit into a new one of slow mindful eating.

In my next blog in this five part series, I will be talking about Portion Control. I shall share some good tricks and hacks which will help you prevent over eating and the need to diet ever.

To be continued …………..

#BeTheForce

May 26, 2024 By Geetika Patni 8 Comments

Mindful Eating: The best habit ever!

Most humans eat more than their bodies require. Especially with the massive choice of culinary delights available, the eye appealing desserts, the way food is plated etc…it works on our minds to a level that we crave it. And that’s OK. Everyone loves good food too, who doesn’t.

The problem is, we eat too much of it and there reaches a point when the body does not know what to do with the crazy amounts of food we eat, so when you see your belly/tummy, mid riff, waist starting to expand, that’s your body telling you, ‘you are eating too much’.

What next? Fad Diets? Time and again it has been proved that fad diets don’t work. With a fad diet plan, you will lose weight – and gain it back eventually, and in between you may end up even damaging your metabolism, digestion and your wonderful relationship with food.

But then isn’t it true? that ‘Abs are made in the Kitchen’ and that ‘Weight Management is 70% nutrition’. Indeed it is! The hidden answer to this dilemma lies in – Mindful Eating.

Technical definition says, “Mindful eating is allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food selection and preparation by respecting your own inner wisdom”.

In easier terms – It is an art of staying aware of, not only-what you are eating, but also how you are eating. In this article, I’ll help you understand the broad prospects of nurturing yourself with the art of mindful eating. And to do so, let’s first understand the contradiction – Mindless eating.

You are eating mindless when you are –

1) Overeating (Unable to practice portion control) –

Over eating is the most common act of mindless eating and in my experience, 90% of the players who want to lose weight – overeat during one or the other meal.

Portion control is very important but why is practicing portion control so difficult? That’s because we miss recognizing the internal cues our body provides (and yes it does send those signals!) to make us stop eating when it’s time. And why does this happen? That’s because we fail to pay attention to the task we are doing, in this context it is – eating. Implementing simple habits like keeping away gadgets while eating, using smaller plates, and taking a deep breath before you start your meal, can help you to practice portion control effectively.

2) Eating Fast

This one doesn’t need an example. If you are a fast eater you know it. Eating at your best speed to win a 1 minute food challenge is entirely different than doing it every day for every meal. Eating fast can also lead to weight gain and metabolic disorders like insulin resistance and arthritis. Small discomforts such as teeth bites and ulcers in the mouth, dental cavities, and acne outbursts can also be traced back to the habit of eating fast. And you may be blaming your gassy gut to your food choices, but do ponder upon if it’s related to your speed of eating too. Ideally you must aim to finish every meal in 20 minutes. This is the time range for our fullness hormones – Leptin, Ghrelin and some neuropeptides – to reach our brain and signal the satiety centre to feel full and stop eating.

Tricks like taking an intermission break after every few bites, using your non dominant hand to eat, chewing every bite thoroughly (32 times is dramatic, I know, 20 will do), using chopsticks for a change and/or using baby forks/spoons to finish your meal, can help you learn the art of eating slow and mindfully.

3) Emotional Eating

Emotional eating is as simple as the term sounds – eating to fulfil an emotion and not the stomach. It is also termed as ‘Head hunger’. If your hunger feels sudden and urgent and you have a craving for only fries or sugary treats, you can’t stop yourself to eat and then feel guilty afterwards, it is Head hunger – caused by emotions like boredom, anger, frustration, anxiety etc.

On the other hand if you are ‘Stomach Hungry’ you will know it easily for it will come gradually and you can still postpone it. There will be a stomach growl and it will get satisfied with any food (yes even salads!) You won’t feel guilty even after eating it heartily. And best part is you’ll know when to stop when you are feeding your body (but cannot- when fuelling your emotions).

Staying mindful of your hunger triggers and enjoying the meals to nourish your system, rather than feelings, is important, as this can make or break your relationship with food. Emotional eating whereas can cultivate poor self-esteem, unwanted weight gain and the plethora of troubles related to Obesity. Overcoming emotional eating requires a good amount of practice, patience and discipline and some tricks like distraction through work to pass off the emotional storm.

4) Disconnecting

Eating each and every food that you can lay your hands on, without making a choice is what I call as ‘Disconnecting’. That’s odd! This doesn’t correlate.

Let me explain – If you belong to a club excelling in eating each and every ‘thing’ without knowing what it can do to you, where it came from and without acknowledging the feelings it produces in you (whether good or bad) you are disconnected from your foods, your meals and your nourishment – the very thing which helps you run your day and which prevents you from sufferings and sicknesses.

Disconnecting is a very subtle mindless eating practice but has profound effect on your weight and most importantly on your vital organs and their metabolic functioning. (Like a seemingly harmless can of diet-coke can wreak havoc on your pancreas and production of Insulin!)

Moreover, as we age, the mindless habit of Disconnecting does rapid harm to our system, to the extent of jeopardizing our longevity!

Hence, it is extremely important to make the ‘connect’ with your food choices. Attempt to learn or acknowledge the ingredients of the dish you are eating, which food group it belongs to, combining it in ways you can enhance (or deplete) it’s nutritional quotient, and most importantly how you truly feel having it.

In this 5 part series on ‘Mindful Eating’, I will take you through all the aspects of Mindful eating. In the second part tomorrow I will talk about slowing down while eating, how helpful can it be and some tips to help you eat slowly.

In essence, food is meant to be enjoyed and to nourish you. Adding the seasoning of Mindful eating to it, will pique up your health and wellness quotient.

To be Continued…………………

#BeTheForce

May 23, 2024 By Arooshi Garg 5 Comments

Jaggery and its Benefits!

Jaggery is one of the most common ingredients found in Indian kitchens. Apart from being one of the best natural sweeteners, it also offers a plethora of health benefits. It is good for your cardiac health, digestion, improved metabolism, blood circulation, respiratory system, menstrual cramp or pains, sexual potency and stronger immunity.

About 70-80% of the world’s Jaggery production takes place in India, where it is commonly called gur/gud. It is primarily made from Sugarcane but nowadays it can be made from coconut sap and date palm as well.

How is Jaggery Made?

Jaggery is made by first extracting juice from Sugarcane. The canes or palms are pressed to extract the sweet juice or sap. The juice is then allowed to stand in big containers so that any sediment settles to the bottom. It is then strained to produce a clear liquid.

The juice is then concentrated by placing in a very large, flat-bottomed pan and boiled. During this process, the Jaggery is stirred and the impurities are skimmed off the top until only a yellow, dough-like paste remains. This paste is then transferred to containers where it cools into Jaggery blocks.

Jaggery vs Refined Sugar

Jaggery contains more nutrients than refined sugar because of its molasses content. Molasses is a nutritious by-product of the sugar making process, which is usually removed when making refined sugar. Molasses adds plenty of micro-nutrients to the final product. Hence, it is more nutritious as compared to white refined sugar!

10 Benefits of Eating Jaggery

Prevents and Treats Common Cold: Consumption of Jaggery helps fight symptoms of a cold and cough. Mixing a small piece of it in warm water or tea can help greatly.
Immunity Booster: Loaded with antioxidants and minerals like zinc and selenium, which helps curb free-radicals responsible for inflammation, Jaggery helps boost resistance against infections, hence building stronger immunity.
Detoxifies the Liver & Other Organs: It plays a major role in detoxifying internal organs such as liver, stomach, intestines, kidneys, etc. by flushing out harmful toxins from the body. Certain compounds present in Jaggery activate the digestive enzymes in our body, which help us digest food properly and also help reduce indigestion/bloating.
Combats Menstrual Pain and PMS: It is helpful in providing relief from cramps. In case you experience mood swings, irritation before your period, you should eat a small piece as it increases the levels of hemoglobin, maintains the hydration levels in our body in heavy-flow during periods and helps in releasing more Endorphins during periods (this helps relax our body). During periods, consume a solution of a glass of lukewarm water and Jaggery. It will help you tackle period cramps for the day.
Body Pain & Aches: Do you suffer from aches and pains in your joints? Eating Jaggery can provide you with immense relief. Add some grated ginger in boiling water and strain. Add a small piece of Jaggery and drink this regularly to reduce joint pain. You can even drink it with a glass of milk everyday to help strengthen the bones. This can help prevent joint and bone problems such as Arthritis.
Prevents Constipation: It activates the digestive enzymes in the body, stimulates bowel movements and helps prevent as well as relieve constipation. A cup of warm water with organic Jaggery and half a lemon’s juice is one of the best home remedy to cure constipation.
Prevents Anaemia: Rich in iron and folate, it helps prevent anaemia by ensuring that a normal level of red blood cells is maintained. It also helps in increasing haemoglobin content of blood. This is especially beneficial for pregnant women.
Acts as a Cooling Agent: Eating a small piece of it everyday helps in maintaining normal body temperature, which helps in keeping your stomach cool. Experts recommend drinking GurSharbat (soaked in ice cold water) during the summer months to cool off.
Prevents Respiratory Problems: By consuming Jaggery regularly, you can prevent many respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, etc. Eating it with sesame seeds is beneficial for the respiratory system and preventing allergies related to it.
Regulates Blood Pressure: Jaggery contains potassium and sodium, which play an important role in the maintenance of pH levels in the body. It ensures that a normal level of blood pressure is properly maintained.

Quick Til Ladoo/Bars Recipe

You will need:

1 Cup White Sesame Seeds
1 Cup Jaggery
1 tbsp ghee
¼ tsp Cardamom Powder
Nuts of your choice

Method:

Roast sesame seeds on medium heat till light brown
Heat ghee in pan and add Jaggery
Simmer on slow flame till it melts
Put off flame and add the roasted til (and crushed nuts) and mix well
Grease your palms with ghee and make small balls or set in a plate and cut bars out of it

We hope this article equips you with valuable insights into the amazing benefits of jaggery. Incorporating this natural sweetener into your diet can enhance your cardiac health, digestion, immunity, and overall well-being. If you found this information helpful, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. For more interesting tips on diet and nutrition, check out Healthy Reads. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

May 18, 2024 By Vaishali Vibhute Leave a Comment

What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Too Much Sugar

“You are what you eat, so eat something sweet” is a very sweet quote but has a bittersweet reputation when it comes to health! Did you know that carbohydrate, an essential micro nutrient, is a producer of sugar? Sugars, in fact, are simple carbohydrates which are easily absorbed and digested by the body. It is an empty calorie food, has zero nutritional value and provides only energy. It is naturally found in lots of foods. For instance, as fructose in fruits, as lactose in dairy and dairy products and different cereals and grains.

Is It Really A Villain Of Good Health?

Along with negatives, sugar has many positives:

It makes anything taste better
Provides immediate energy to your body
Naturally found sugars in foods like fruits and vegetables have little effect on blood sugar and are considered healthy
It increases happy hormones

Adverse Effects Of Eating Too Much Sugar

Too much of anything is bad, and the same goes for sugar! Here are some ill-effects it can have on your body:

Weight Gain or Obesity: Too much consumption of white sugar can contribute to weight gain or obesity, due to it’s high calorie content. When eaten in excess, it gets dumped into cells and gets stored as fat and results in weight gain.
Type 2 Diabetes: Excessive intake creates problems for pancreas. Body monitors blood glucose levels and produces insulin to help control it. When blood glucose level is high and has more glucose than your body needs, cells become insulin resistant, the control breaks down, blood sugar rises to dangerous levels and leads to Type 2 Diabetes.
Hurt your Heart: There is a clear relation between sugar consumption and high BP. Eating too much can harden the arteries and damage heart tissues, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Tooth Decay: It is the primary food source for bacteria that can grow in your mouth and cause tooth decay.
Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): is a metabolic stress related liver disease. A diet high in sugar and specially fructose, can trigger your liver to store fat which can lead to NALFD.
Hampers Immune Function: It can interfere with the immune system as bacteria and yeast feed on sugar. So excessive glucose in the body causes these organisms to build and cause infections.
Accelerates Ageing: When it enters your bloodstream, it attaches to protein. The mix of these proteins with sugar causes loss of elasticity and increases premature ageing. Thus, it can mess with your skin by contributing to wrinkles and sagging.
Increases Risk of Developing Gout: Gout is an inflammatory condition that causes pain in the joints. Added sugars raise uric acid levels in the blood and increases risk of developing and worsening gout.
Damages Kidneys: When blood sugar is too high, the kidneys spill it into urine, which can cause permanent damage.
Fertility: High blood sugar impairs reproduction function in both men and women. Excessive consumption can rob essential vitamins and minerals.

How Can You Cut Down The Intake?

Daily recommended limit of sugar for women is 6 tsp (30gms), men 7tsp (35gms) and for children 3tsp(15gms). Apart from this recommended limit, you can also do the following:

Avoid sugary drinks such as sodas, energy/sports drinks, etc. That will reduce sugar intake and could help you lose weight. Homemade sherbet’s like lemon, kokum or amla, etc. can be a better alternative to sugary drinks.
Avoid packaged or processed food in favour of whole foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains, legumes and nuts.
When you buy ready to eat foods, read nutrition labels. If you know how much sugar is in a product, you can limit the intake of that food. Some of the common names of hidden sugars on packaged food labels are corn syrup, cane sugar, dextrose, agave, high fructose corn syrup, coconut palm sugar, etc. Food manufacturers add sugars in foods like ice-cream, cookies, candy, soda, ketchup, sauces, bread, yogurt, etc.
Instead of adding sugar in cereals or oats, try fresh fruits like banana, strawberry, sapota and apple, etc.
Avoid protein/granola bars which contain lots of added sugar. Eat low sugar snacks such as nuts and fruits.
Don’t store desserts like ice cream, cakes, different sauces in the fridge and biscuits and cookies on shelves to reduce cravings.
Natural sweeteners such as stevia and xylitol can be healthy alternatives to sweet sugar.

Sugary or sweet products are sweet to the tongue but not for the body. Consuming small quantities is the key to healthy eating. For least harm to the body and fullest enjoyment, eat it in moderation.

We hope this article helps you make healthy eating choices. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more on nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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