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October 4, 2016 By Komilla Pareek 1 Comment

High Fructose diet and Vitamin D

high_fructose_corn_syrup_570

We are all aware that lack of sun exposure and spending more time indoors makes us prone to Vitamin D deficiency. But, did you know that Vitamin D deficiency could also occur due to an unhealthy diet –especially one that is loaded with high fructose.

In fact, what led me to write this blog is a recent conversation with a close friend of mine. Anita, as I knew her was always conscious about her diet and what she ate. Her seemingly healthy breakfast included packaged cereals and fruit yogurt. Trying to keep her meals small and frequent, her snacking included salads from fast food joints and her quick fix dinner at home mostly comprised of fruit juices with a veg sandwich.

But, something seem to bother hear off late. When I casually asked her how she was doing and that she looks a bit perturbed, she mentioned about her recently diagnosed Vitamin D deficiency at the age of 35 years.

What triggered the check up? Well she had a fall and fractured her right hand. It intrigued me to find out more. Anita was also keen to find out if there was anything in her diet that had led to the Vitamin D deficiency. She was obviously under the impression that she was eating healthy.

As a nutritionist, let me tell you that the sunshine vitamin-Vitamin D, can have reasons other than insufficient exposure for its deficiency. Fast paced lifestyle and dependence on packaged foods pointed to high fructose in the diet, which could be a major cause. Precisely, what triggered the deficiency in Anita as well?  Surviving on packaged foods is not a good idea at all.

Fructose, as we know is a fruit-sugar; unfortunately, it’s not fruits from where we get most of the fructose in our diet. A large part of fructose in our food enters via HFCS – High fructose corn syrup which is an alternative to sugar in most packaged foods.

This low cost sweetener is favorite of food processing industries.Being stable in acidic foods and beverages, HFCS is attractive alternative to sucrose and is found in many unsuspecting packaged foods such as – Packaged fruit juices, carbonated drinks, breakfast cereals, flavored yogurt, salad dressing, ketchups, soups, sauces, nutrition bars etc. Baked products such as biscuits and breads, which is a classic case of ‘HFCS camouflaged with the whole grain marketing’.

When we consume high levels of fructose, an enzyme called  24-hydroxylase (which is responsible for degrading vitamin D3) becomes more active, while another enzyme, 1α-hydroxylase (which helps synthesize vitamin D) becomes less active.  As a result of this high level of fructose consumption, the body tends to start breaking down whatever levels of Vitamin D you have. In other words Fructose reduces blood levels of active Vitamin D.

Vitamin D in the form of calcitriol plays a critical role in maintaining calcium levels in blood. It regulates active calcium transport in the intestine, helping increase its absorption from food. In fact, in Vitamin D deficiency, we absorb only about 10 to 15% of the dietary calcium we eat!

We need calcium for proper functioning of nerves and muscles, including the cardiac muscle –Heart. When calcium levels go too low,in its survival mode body starts pulling calcium from bones. Boom: suddenly we enter a state of bone-tissue breakdown, because of a chain of events initiated by excess fructose. Over time, skeletal health becomes compromised, and the risk of osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fracture may go up.

A study published by PLOS One in April 2014 demonstrated that a chronic intake of high levels of dietary fructose can lead to a decrease in circulating levels of Vitamin D and also creates physiological increases in calcium requirement. They quoted this finding as highly relevant since fructose, a sugar contained in many types of foods that are being consumed at high levels, may contribute to the increasing prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency, especially in sensitive populations with high, processed sugar intakes. (http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0093611).

Before it’s too late, cut down on your fructose intake. Less than 40 g of fructose from whole foods sources per day is a great target. For reference, that’s what we’d get from 1.3 whole mangoes or 3.5 apples. Yes, 2-5 servings of fruit per day (depending on fruit choice, stick to max 2 if high fructose fruit) is perfectly fine!

September 14, 2016 By Saba Mirza 4 Comments

Know about ‘PROCESSED’ foods and its harmful effects

425-food-bad-effects-of-fast-foods

Processed foods are something we humans cannot seem to stay away from. What starts with saying “once in a while,” invariably becomes an addiction that cannot be given up easily.

Why are they so hard to refuse? First off…the term ‘Processed foods’ can be a bit ambiguous. It can encompass foods that is commercially prepared to ease their consumption. Given that vague definition…it’s important to note that not all the processed food are bad. Some foods, for example,are “processed” mechanically and are still considered “whole foods.” One good example of this would be like packed, chopped vegetables, fruits cut and packed would be another example. In their own juices are few examples.

For the purposes of this article, we are referring to foods that are industrially processedand chemically altered in a fairly significant way.

In other words, the foods we are concerned about include:

  • Instant noodles (& please keep in mind..am not just talking about maggi!!)
  • Chips such as potato chips.
  • Pretzels
  • Beverages such as soft drinks, juices
  • Fast food
  • Candies,
  • Cookies
  • Canned products such as soups and pasta
  • All ready to cook food items like ready to cook soup packets, oats, and pasta
  • Packaged mixes like cake mixes, mac & cheese, brownie mixes and different gravymixes

In other words, when I say “processed food” I’m primarily referring to those foods considered “junk food.”

But It’s Just Food. What Could Possibly be the harm in Eating Food?

It’s a fair question to ask. After all…why should we avoid them if our FDA has approvedall these products in the market and deemed them “safe” for consumption?

Well…the thing is “safe” is a relative term. The FDA has found it to be true that none of these foods will kill you on the spot but that doesn’t mean they won’t cause cumulative harm in the long term. Nor does it mean it won’t disrupt your health…

Here is why you should run away from all these devils…

A) TRANS-FATS: (http://goqii.com/blog/trans-fat-the-biggest-enemy-of-your-heart/)

This should be the single most pressing reason for you to leave all your favorite noodles and chips.. But what are Trans-Fats, anyway?

  • Trans-fats are the hydrogenated oils which after processing act as saturated fats. Have youever noticed that vegetable oils are liquid? But butter is solid? A trans-fat is a fat that began as aliquid, but by changing the chemical structure of the oil, became a hardened fat. Think…margarine.
  • They are considered as the most dangerous fats more harmful than saturated fats.
  • They increases the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and decreases good cholesterol (HDL) thus making you more prone to heart diseases,hypertension.

SO WHY FDA IS ALLOWING THEM IN THE FOOD?

Yes, FDA has made it mandatory for all the food companies to mention trans-fat levels on their nutritional labels.But a ‘zero’ level of trans-fat doesn’t indicate that the product is completely trans-fat free.The products which contain trans-fat below 0.5g are free permitted to omit or to market it as ‘trans-fat free’,So, a product which is containing 0.4g of trans fat can claim is as ‘trans-fat’ free…But 0.4 g is a significant level to be harmful (at least cumulatively)and, moreover, we don’t stop with a single serving of these items.

How often have you foundyourself opening a bag of potato chips only to find you have dug your way through half the bag?That’s well over a single serving. And that double serving will for sure make a huge impact.. Thus, even if a package says it is “free of trans fats” – check the ingredient list. Make sure it doesn’t say “hydrogenated oils” in the list. Any hydrogenated oil is a trans-fat.

WHICH FOODS CONTAIN TRANS-FATS?

You’re most likely to find them in processed foods which are either fried or processed in fat or oil. Trans-fats tend to be cheaper to make, so you’ll also find them in low-cost foods like instant noodles,chips, and ready- to- make flour mixes. Another section to keep an eye on is in the bakery. They are often put in cookies, cakes,and breads made in stores. Trans-fats can help preserve these foods longer, so it makes for a useful ingredient for those making them behind the scenes.

B) SUGAR: (http://goqii.com/blog/are-you-a-sugar-addict/). Most of the processed foods contain very high amount of sugar. In many cases, a single serving of these packaged foods contain a sugar amount that is higher than the recommended daily intake of sugar. That’s right. That one serving of cake from the store may have more than the total daily amount of sugar that you should consume.

For example. A half litreof coke contains 70g of sugar..this means you are taking in

12-14 teaspoons of sugar you are drinking in one go!!! Why should you worry about this?

Read this earlier blog on Sugary drinks: (http://goqii.com/blog/hidden-dangers-of-sugary-drinks/) Well…high amounts of sugar in our diet is linked with Diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.That’s true even if you stay lean and manage your weight.

A study published in the British Medical Journal finds that people in the habit of drinking one sugar-sweetened beverage — such as a soda or sweetened tea — every day had an 18 percent increased risk of developing the disease over a decade. That’s compared with people who steer clear of sugary beverages.

C) SODIUM: (http://goqii.com/blog/salty-facts/)

We derive our daily sodium dose from the common salt we use in our kitchen. As we all know, there are harmful side effects associated with an excess dose of sodium including hypertension,water retention, and kidney dysfunction.We should take sodium in limited amounts.

The upper safe limit to take sodium is 2200 mg/day …which we are able to get from whole food sources such as meats, beans, dairy, grains and even some vegetables.

Almost all the processed foods contain relatively high amounts of sodium. It makes sense! Doing so increases the flavor as well as the shelf life of the product. That’s great news for the company trying to sell the food…and but, as a single serving of most of these products often cover more than half of your recommended daily intake, it’s not really good news for you or for your health.

D) FIBER CONTENT: (http://goqii.com/blog/finding-health-through-fiber/) Most processed foods lose their fiber contents during all those chemical processes. Fiber makes the food harder to cook. Removing it makes their preparation easier. Again – that is great for the food industry, but it’s NOT so good for your health. They turn a profit. All you are left with are empty calories without any nutritional value.

Bottom Line:

Almost all the junk foods are devoid of any nutritional value,contain very harmful substances (or substances in higher amounts than our bodies need) making you prone to different life style diseases like hypertension,obesity,cardiac disorders and type 2 diabetes.

So stay away from them and go for real food!!

September 13, 2016 By Hira Junaid 1 Comment

8 Foods you should include in your Pre-Workout Meal

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Most people who work out regularly are very particular about their body and fitness levels. However,one of the main questions that they constantly battle within themselves is whether to feed or fast before a workout?For your body to continue performing well, you’ve got to fuel up-and that means eating the right foods before your workout. Not eating before a workout can result in low blood sugar, which leads to fatigue.

Manuel Villacorta, R.D., author of Eating Free and Peruvian Power Foods says, “If I don’t have my pre-exercise meal, my workout isn’t the same and it feels like a waste.” “If you fuel correctly, you will work out harder,” he adds.

Here are some Pre work out food options :

We are well aware that protein is vital for muscle growth and carbs are crucial for energy.But, certain foods are better than others for fueling up your body before you work out. After all, you use different muscles and burn out different levels of calories depending on if you’re lifting, doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or doing cardio.

Eating clean prior will give you the pump to rip up that work out. You should ideally eat at least 1 hour before the work out. This will do three things: sustain energy, boost your performance and speed up the recovery process.

Pre-workout food needs to have carbohydrates, some protein and some fat, to get you through longer workouts by providing you with energy. It also has to be light enough so that it doesn’t weigh you down or make you lethargic.

  1. FRUITS

Fruits- mainly Banana and Apple are one of the most perfect pre workout food as they are loaded with digestible carbs, packed with minerals such as potassium and fiber which helps to maintain both nerve and muscle function. According to Dr. Louise Burke, head of Sports Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport and coauthor of The Complete Guide to Food for Sports Performance: Peak Nutrition for Your Sport, Bananas are nature’s Power Bar. They are also linked in lowering the blood pressure, boosting the alertness, etc.The carbs from fruits break down quickly and the protein is used later to prevent the damage of muscle.

  1. PEANUT BAR

Peanut bar is a perfect pre workout snack if you’re hitting the gym straight from work/office, as these are portable and energizing yet wholesome. It provides carbs to fuel up your muscles and is rich in fiber, protein, necessary fats, etc. It will keep your stomach satisfied and the energy levels up.

  1. GREEK YOGURT

It has double the amount of protein than a regular yogurt, has fewer carbs, sodium, and sugars, making it a pre-workout supplement power house. Unless you’re lactose intolerant, it is very easy on the stomach. What you get is a mix of fast and slow digesting proteins, which provide muscle-building amino acids while you work out.  You can add fruit, whole-grain cereal or honey, for an extra kick of energy.

  1. AVOCADO

For a sustained workout, eating an avocado just a few hours prior can provide valuable and healthy fat for that energy boost when depletion of carbohydrates occur. A small avocado is enoughsince you don’t need a lot of fat. But, don’t be afraid of this kind of fat. Avocado also contains vitamins that help your body metabolize all those healthy carbs and proteins you’ve been packing away.

  1. NUTS & SEEDS

Munching nuts and seeds is the best for pre-workout nutrition as they cover all your macronutrient bases, having carbs, protein, and fat. Eating a few nuts/seeds during a sustained workout can also provide a boost of energy to keep you going during endurance activities. I personally love chia seeds, as they’re loaded with omega-3 fats for sustained energy, protein, and antioxidants. Having these just a few hours before a long, intense workout can really help in fueling up. You can even have them during sustained activity such as trekking or cycling to get a boost of energy.

  1. ALMOND BUTTER/ PEANUT BUTTER

High in protein and unsaturated fats, Almond butter and peanut butter are great for your pre-workout meal. They are minimally processed with few added sugars and also has double the cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat. Moreover, almonds can protect against insulin resistance and prediabetes. Spread Almond/Peanut butter on a slice of wholegrain bread for a long, slow-burning energy supply.

  1. OATS

They are packed with fiber and you must be aware of why fiber is important for your diet. Slowly releasing glucose into the bloodstream without the insulin spike, and B vitamins boosts metabolic conversion, oatmeal gives you satiation and sustained energy. Steel-cut oats are the least processed as they are finely chopped. Ready-to-cook or instant oats are precooked, dried and mostly contain added sugar. So swap that instant oats pack with steel-cut oats.

  1. WHOLEGRAIN BREAD

Wholegrain bread is a very good source of carbs. And, you can top it up with honey, low fat spread like almond butter, or eggs for high quality protein supplement etc. This means it has flexible partners. If you’re to hit the gym during lunch hours, eat this about 45 minutes before you head out.

Plan your exercise for the day, add some pre-workout supplements and nosh on these foods to fuel up your body to give your best during the workout.

So, how are you fueling up today?

August 31, 2016 By Divita Bhatt 8 Comments

Detoxification: Some do’s and don’ts for Detox Diet Day

Detox diet

Did you know….that As we breathe and live life, day- on today, we also accumulate toxins into our bodies?. That’s right…we are exposed to toxins on a fairly consistent basis. Some of these accumulate due to our diet and others are due to the environment around us. Of course, our lifestyle also adds to it—if you smoke or drink alcohol on a regular basis you tend to accumulate more toxins.

The good news is that your body has a means of processing and eliminating these toxins. Also, when you make healthy changes to your diet or lifestyle…you can help support or maybe even accelerate that process. When you make a healthy change in your diet or lifestyle, this is part of the reason that short-term detox diet plans have gained popularity.

If you should decide to embark on such a plan, it can be a powerful tool. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind. For example, toxins are released into the bloodstream and carried through the circulatory system before being eliminated from your body. This process may result in a headache, diarrhea, or constipation, or symptoms like lack of energy.

The benefits, though, are usually worth the discomfort. Detoxification is one way to cleanse and throw out the toxins out of our body. Interestingly, Linda Page (http://www.webmd.com/linda-page ) , ND, Ph.D., a Naturopathic doctor, lecturer and author of the book ‘Detoxification’ –defines detoxification of the body as “spring cleansing.”

“It’s a way to recharge, rejuvenate, and renew, says Page in her article in WebMD. “Anybody can benefit from a cleansing. The body is coming out of what might be called hibernation. It’s a way you can jump-start your body for a more active life, a healthier life.” “Our bodies naturally detoxify every day,” Page tells WebMD.

“Detoxification is a normal body process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver.”

There are some nutrition experts who are reluctant to recommend detox diets, so it’s important to be informed. Katerine Zeratsky, specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, for example, argues that it may just be because detox diets get rid of a lot of processed foods – which has the effect of making us feel better. And either way, she advises getting the OK from your doctor – especially if you have chronic conditions.

If you decide to move forward, there are several ways to detoxify. There is a “water only” fast (which is pretty straightforward). Interestingly, there has been some evidence to suggest fasting in this way may even help trigger stem cell regeneration (Link: https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regeneration-of-damaged-old- immune-system/), diet detoxification (adding in food) is another, gentler, strategy. But it’s a bit more involved.

 

One of the hardest things about detox or cleansing is really knowing what to do and what not to do. One can undergo a Detox day or ten-day detox. The duration and severity of symptoms depend on your lifestyle before making a change and how quickly you make it.

Here are few do’s and don’ts to go on a ‘Detox Diet Day’. The basic key is to think and feel positive and treat yourself with some foods every 2 hours. You would definitely feel lighter the next day. More specifically:

  1. You can go for a ‘detox day’ once in a week or once in a fortnight. Either way, you want to be sure you don’t go longer than 2 consecutive days.
  2. When you engage in a detox plan, you are limited to fruits, or homemade fruit/vegetable juices.
  3. You can have Sautéed/stir fried vegetables or green leafy vegetables in cooked form. You can have boiled vegetables as well.
  4. Minimize your cereals intake. If you want to have you can have one serving of fibrous cereals like broken wheat (Daliya in Hindi) or one millet flat bread (chapatti) in a day.
  5. No coffee. No caffeinated tea. You can have green tea if you wish, along with some herbal teas..
  6. No processed food, No sugar. You can have jaggery in small quantities
  7. Your meals should be vegetarian.
  8. You can make soup out of your favorite vegetables and season it with Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Coconut oil. Better to use this oil in all your preparations like salads/soups/stir-frying
  9. You can have sprouts to feel full
  10. No milk allowed on a detox day

Make sure that before you go on a detox day, you check with you coach, nutritionist or a doctor about doing it. Once you get the go- ahead, then you can begin. Once you are successful in following all instructions and doing the right things, you will probably also notice that each time you do an effective detoxification, the next time is even easier as you have fewer toxins to process.

And if you’re feeling overwhelmed…take heart. As a health coach, I am personally here to, personally help you get the best results from this valuable health tool.

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