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September 14, 2015 By Nahid Khilji Leave a Comment

Nutrition for Skin!!

One is always on the lookout for that “miracle cream” that will make our skin glow and make us fair. Most of us in literal sense abuse our skin, especially our facial skin exposing it to various creams, lotions and treatments. No matter how we take it, but our skin regulates our body’s temperature, protect us from bacteria’s and viruses causing infectious diseases.

We often give much attention to our facial skin for obvious reasons. But, we should definitely try to maintain and keep our entire covering (skin) healthy rather than focusing only on face.

There are number of superficial treatments available in the market to bring a glow on your skin, however as a dietician, I will be showing you ways to keep your skin healthy by foods found in your kitchen itself.

You will be surprised to know that there is a strong link between the food choice you make and skin health. Your choice of food is revealed on your skin.

Vitamins:

Vitamins like B complex, A, D, E, and C have known to play an important role in maintaining healthy skin. They have chemical called photochemical which helps in preserving the body from various bacterial, viral, free radical invasions. They also have anti-oxidant properties which helps skin from the oxidative damage caused by stress, pollution, body’s own reaction etc.

Tip–

Eat at least 5-6 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily.
Make your salad more colourful, the more colours you add, the more beneficial it is to your skin.
Try having Amla (Indian gooseberry) juice every day. I would say, “An Amla a day keeps dermatologist away”
Drink fresh fruit juices. Try different juice every week for example- Cranberry, blueberry, orange juice etc.

Supplementation:

Supplementation helps in maintaining healthy skin. Apart from the cosmetic point of view, many dermatologists now recommend nutritional supplements to tackle issues like acne. Supplementation of multivitamins and omega 3/ fish oil capsules have shown positive effects on skin.

Supplementation is needed when a person’s daily requirement of a certain nutrient is inadequate. Hence, before starting off with any nutritional supplement, consult your dietitian.
Avoiding certain foods:

As mentioned above, the kind of food we eat reflects on our skin, avoiding eating junk food, fatty foods, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and refined products affects your skin. This can be attributed to the fact that these foods have a negative impact on health by hindering with the absorption of certain nutrients. Also smoking can accelerate aging process causing wrinkles even before time.

Water:

This is tried and tested all over and also considered as “gharelunuska”-meaning home remedy. Drinking enough water and keeping good hydration status retains moisture of the skin. Also drink adequate water clears out toxins and waste from the body keeping body healthy and which is indirectly seen through skin.

Stress and Sleep:

Ever wondered why when you’re in stress you see acne on your face?

Research has shown a positive link between people who take too much of stress and its effect on skin. Getting a good night’s sleep and de-stressing yourself from everyday routine can be helpful and also improve your skin. Insufficient sleep causes dark circles around the eyes.

Early morning yoga outdoors will not only reduce your stress level but will also give you your daily dose of Vitamin D. There is a research that shows a strong link between stress and skin ageing. I am sure nobody wants look old, right? Try de-stressing yourself everytime you find it’s taking a toll on your health.

Exercise:

It is the key to healthy skin. We all are aware of the benefits of exercise and cardio respiratory fitness, but little do we know about its effect on skin. Regular exercise helps in regulating blood flow to our body especially skin. Blood not only carries oxygen but also the nutrients to our cells. Thus, exercise keeps your skin healthy by increasing blood flow and keeping nourishing skin cells and healthy and vital.

Nutrition is one the important component to modulate the vibrancy of your skin. As a dietician, I believe we should stop taking our skin for granted and that it’s just a covering over our body. But, think of it beyond creams, make ups and laser treatments. Nourish your skin not through chemicals but through foods found in your very own kitchen

August 24, 2015 By Hetal Chheda Leave a Comment

The Power of food – the powerful immune system

The most dreaded cold and cough keeps visiting us often like our friends do. They are more prevalent in some seasons than the rest. Malaria, Typhoid, Influenza, flu are some more diseases that also play havoc in our child’s life.

Low or weak immunity is one big reason that most fall victim to such diseases. Immune-boosting nourishment can help a lot and increase your child’s resistance to fight the disease which no other medicine in the world can do. A sturdy immune system lets your child develop intellectually, physically and emotionally.

One doesn’t need to especially go purchase these foodstuffs but can be made accessible in your kitchen garden.

Why choosing food over medicine is so important.

Food has innumerable properties like antibacterial, anti-infective, analgesic and antibiotic. These properties in food will keep diseases at bay without harming your internal organs.

Your body identifies food and will accept it readily and provide you its benefits. Whereas drugs are foreign substances which your body takes time to identify and in turn harms your natural immunity. This affects your child’s body system negatively over a period of time.

Make your own cough, cold and fever syrup

COLD AND COUGH

2 tsp ginger juice + 2 tsp honey + 1 pinch turmeric + 1 pinch Salt + juice of 1 lemon + 1 tsp glycerin.

Mix them all together and give 1 tsp after every 2 hrs.

FEVER

25 raisins soaked in half a cup of water + juice of ½ lemon

Crush the raisins into the water and strain. Add the lemon juice to the water and drink twice a day.

Everyday foods that will increase immunity

Fruits and vegetables: All citrus fruits, strawberries, Grapefruit, watermelon, grapes, cauliflower, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, Mushrooms and Methi leaves.

Milk and milk products: Yogurt.

Cereals and Pulses: Oats, barley and whole grains, sprouts.

Meat, Fish and Egg: Chicken soup, Egg yolk, fish and beef.

Others: Garlic, ginger, cinnamon, Tulsi leaves, Turmeric

Other things that help

Boost your child’s sleep time.

Breast feed your baby.

If your child gets sick discard the old tooth brush.

Engage your child in some outdoor activity daily.

Make sure your child washes hand before meals.

Health is imperative to one and all; be it a child or an adult. A powerful and sturdy immune system will lay the foundation for better future, growth and development.

July 30, 2015 By Payal Choudhury Leave a Comment

Carbohydrates-“Your diet’s fuel”

The way carbohydrates are demonized today, it’s no wonder that so many people actually fear eating them. I used to be one of them. As a recovering “carb-o-phobe,” I’m now on the flip side and advocate eating complex carbohydrates for optimal nutrition.

Carbohydrates are nutrients that act as a good source of energy for our body. It is made up of sugar, starch and cellulose and it contains hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio 2:1which is the same as that of water. Although carbohydrates can be digested a lot easier than fats or proteins, they aren’t considered indispensable for the body.

While some carbohydrates make us healthy, others can be harmful to our health, if taken in excess quantities. For example, certain carbohydrates increase the risk of diabetes and heart ailments. So why are certain carbohydrates are beneficial and others adversely affect our health?…We need to go deeper and learn about the different forms of carbohydrates.

There are many forms of carbohydrates, but the three common forms are sugars, starches, and fibres. The basic unit of all carbohydrates is a sugar molecule. Then there are simple and complex carbohydrates. While sugars are simple carbohydrates, starches and fibres are classified as complex.

We generally consume simple and complex carbs. To understand what they are about, we’ll look at the list of carbohydrate rich foods and all that is essential for.

Simple carbohydrates are sugars composed of monosaccharide (single sugar molecules) or disaccharides (two joined sugar molecules) such as glucose, sucrose, lactose, and fructose. This category of carbohydrates is best found in fresh fruits.

On the other hand, however, there is another grade of foods that contain simple carbohydrates. This class of foods is processed foods. The trouble with these foods is that they provide energy and calories in abundance. It is for this reason that these high-calorie products must be kept away. Apart from that, simple carbohydrates that the body obtains from natural foods are also easier to digest than those obtained from processed foods.

Simple carbohydrates contain one or two sugar molecules linked together and are digested or broken down into glucose faster, because the bonds in these small molecules are easily accessible to the enzymes of the digestive tract. Hence, these carbohydrates are readily absorbed.

Complex carbohydrate:

Complex carbohydrates (or polysaccharides) are made up of three or more sugar molecules that are bound together. Since these carbohydrates get digested slowly, they release sugar into the system very gradually, thus allowing the body a consistent level of energy.

Often referred to as starch, foods that contain these complex carbohydrates are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fibres. The old belief that starch is bad for the body is rapidly dying, because starches by themselves contain only 4 calories per gram, while fat contains 9 calories per gram. Also, the advantage with complex carbohydrates is that they fill you up quicker, thus allowing a reduced intake of food, which very simply leads to a reduced calorie intake.

In addition, refined carbohydrates may contain hydrogenated vegetable oils, additional fat, and processed sugars. Eating refined carbohydrates like a cookie in the morning will neither give you the energy nor give you the nutrition to maintain a balanced body.

Benefits of simple sugars:

Eating sugar gives you immediate access to fuel. There are times when this is an advantage. When the level of sugar in your blood drops, you may feel sluggish or even ill. Eating a simple carbohydrate, such as a fruit, may raise your blood sugar and give you the burst you need.

Simple carbohydrates may have the advantage over complex when it comes to preparing for exercise. Before a training session, race or game, many athletes eat a large amount of carbohydrate to provide energy. So before any workout, simple carbohydrates are your best choice. Due to the fact that they’re digested more quickly, simple carbohydrates are good for athletes who need short bursts of energy, as opposed to endurance athletes who need longer-term energy from slow-digesting carbohydrates. Examples of pre-workout meals that contain simple carbs are bananas with honey, low-fat yogurt with jelly or chocolate milk.

Complex Sugars:

There a number benefits of eating more complex carbohydrates, so it might be necessary to make some switches. Here are some examples of easy substitutions:

Instead of white bread and pasta, switch to whole grain bread and pasta (if the switch is intimidating at first, try mixing half whole grain and half white when making your pastas).
Instead of munching on chips, try raw vegetables.
Instead of rice, try eating more beans as a base for dishes.

Also diets rich in fibre help to keep us ‘regular’ which also promotes greater intestinal health and, in turn, helps to guard against a number of illnesses including colorectal cancer. Immunity is strengthened. It contributes to Energy, Digestion, Metabolism, Sleep, Filling fibre, Brain function, and Nervous system function.

Well, to distinguish simple and complex carbohydrates and how they are processed by the body, one might think that foods containing complex carbohydrates are actually healthier than those that have simple carbohydrates. However, this is not always true. Rice is rich in starch which is a complex carbohydrate, while fruits contain fructose which is a simple sugar. But we all know that between the two, fruits are a better option when it comes to eating healthy.

Thus, we see that not all carbohydrates are bad. In fact, a balanced diet that has a fair share of carbohydrates, is essential for a healthy you. So let go of your carbohydrate fears and feel good about including some of these foods and reap the benefits that good carbohydrates have to offer.

July 27, 2015 By ASHWINI PRAKASH CHAUDHARI 5 Comments

5 Easy Ways to Cut Down on the Fat

During my college days, I was on the healthier side as compared to all my friends. And, I always felt I had to lose weight just to be like them. The first thing that crossed my mind was I should be skipping my meals. I did precisely that, started to skip my meals and lost weight. But, when is started back on my normal meals I realized I used to gain back the weight. After losing the weight, I also started feeling weak. Since I was into sports I needed to be fit too. I wondered why I am feeling weak. I have lost the extra weight but, yet not feeling energetic?

Slowly and gradually as time passed on, I started my dietetics studies and that’s when I realized the actual meaning of what is weight loss.

When we talk about losing weight, what does it actually mean? Does it mean losing weight or losing muscle weight??

I realized that, there is no shortcut or a magical pill for fat loss. There are several reasons and factors that are responsible for it. When I first lost weight, I started feeling weak because I lost muscle weight and not fat weight.

The key to real fat loss is combining the right foods together and eating right. When the right foods are combined there is a synergy affect resulting in double fat loss in almost half the time.

The way to successfully losing the fat weight is long-term healthy lifestyle change. I think this is a very clever way of informing people to stop trying to find a quick and easy way to lose fat. It just reaffirms that we need to mould ourselves in self created healthy environment and become a healthier individual naturally. Here, are some easy ways to cut down the fat weight rather than of yourself! So lets get started..

1)Healthy Eating Habits- When we talk about healthy eating habits what are the things that come to your mind?

Your major meals of the day which are breakfast, lunch and dinner. These meals are very important and we should not skip these meals. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your body needs to know that it can start burning calories and breakfast is exactly that flag. One should have a king size breakfast. If you do not then you will end up eating unhealthy stuff. Lunch should be lighter than breakfast and well balanced with carbs and proteins. Same with dinner, it should be the lightest of the all meals, with more proteins and less carbohydrates.

Our meals should be load up on protein and fiber. To get rid of that stubborn fat, we need proteins. As proteins helps to repair and build muscles, intake should be up to the requirement. At the same time we should not forget fiber. Fiber helps to digest and lose weight by helping you feel full. So add beans, whole grains, brown rice, nuts, and berries on to the list which are awesome foods to get going.

Not only proteins and fibers but, also the fats are important to include in the daily diet. Not any sort of a no-fat or low-fat diet. Well, a low-fat diet is good but, only if you do it right. You need to stick to the good fats. The good kind (unsaturated; your omega-3s and 6s) can actually lead to fat burn, rising your metabolism.

To reduce calories, to get rid of body fat, you need not to cut out healthy fats completely. Include avocados, fatty fish, olives, nuts and seeds, and oils such as olive, flaxseed and canola in your diet.

2) Eat often- Getting rid of body fat is all about the metabolism, and to keep up the metabolism, you got to be eating constantly.

As we are talking about the major meals same time small frequent meals are important too. When you eat small meals all the time, your metabolic rate increases and the increase in metabolism helps to lose fat. If you eat six meals a day versus just the three regular meals (breakfast , lunch , dinner) with the same total calories, you can lose more fat because more meals burn more calories by increasing thermogenesis, the production of heat, in the body.

Let’s not forget portion control, while going through proper meals you need to have look on portion control as well.

Try to take a less portion when you are serving your plate. Mindful eating works well such as chewing the food thoroughly, eating slowly. Eating slowly helps because it is known that once you cross 20 minutes of eating, the satiety center in the brain gets stimulated which sends you a signal that you are full and you stop eating. This is how portion control helps.

3) Water-The body fuel! Water is the medium in which most cellular activities take place, including the transport and burning of fat. In addition, drinking plenty of calorie-free water makes you feel full. Drink at least 3 litres of water a day. This is going to help you in washing away the toxins from your body and also to lessen the load of liver and thereby helping the liver to focus on metabolizing fat and the metabolizing rate related with fat loss.

Set yourself to accomplish this goal and you are on. Drink loads of water. It’s practically the easiest detoxifying tactic there in.

Two glasses of cold water can actually spike up your metabolism for about half an hour.

4) Exercise with proper breathing- To be on a healthy path you need a proper exercise along with the diet! Try to be more active, Daily 30-45 mins of Interval walking/ Running can be beneficial. Your main focus when you exercise should be losing body fat, and you can’t lose body fat just by burning calories. When we exercise, our bodies start burning calories, but the calories that are burned are the calories from carbohydrates in our system. In order to burn calories from your stored fat, your body requires the presence of oxygen. There is a certain amount of oxygen that your body needs in order to start burning fat and the only way for you to measure the amount needed for your own body is to keep up with your target heart rate during exercise.

Fat burns in the presence of oxygen. There’s a phrase which says (When you eat more, breathe more). It means oxygen burns the extra calories we eat, which is not required by the body and also reduces the overall fat percentage in the body. Oxygen thins the blood a little which helps lower your blood pressure and speed up the flow of blood. This increases your metabolism and burns more calories. The more oxygen you have in your blood the faster your metabolism will be. Cool air causes an additional increase in your metabolic rate because you need to expend more energy to keep the body at a comfortable temperature.

5 ) Rest– as focusing on all activities to stay healthy, along with all that your body needs a crucial ingredient-“rest”!

The culprits are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin tells your body it’s full and ghrelin stimulates appetite. When you don’t sleep, leptin levels decrease and ghrelin levels increases. The result? You eat more unconsciously which can lead to fat gain. To avoid this scenario, make sure you rest. Try to take proper 7-8 hours of sleep. Also your body requires it to reduce stress levels and rejuvenate once again with fresh energy for the next day. You are like a powerhouse that just can’t be stopped, but your body needs to rest. Especially if you’re lifting weights like it’s your job; your muscles need time to repair themselves. And the muscle repairs and recovery happens when your body is at rest. So, take a day to take it easy. You don’t have to sit on the couch all day, but do allow your body to heal itself.
These are some fat burning food- Berries, grape fruit, Green tea, Eggs, Olive oil, Enova oils (Soy or canola) Almonds and other nuts, chilli peppers, whey protein, peanut butter, oat meal, spinach and other green vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, lean meat, fatty fish (salmon, tuna, etc), dairy products (low or no fat) etc.

For fat burning exercise you can check the following blog links written by my co-colleagues

https://goqii.com/blog/interval-training-to-put-your-fat-on-flame/

https://goqii.com/blog/10-tips-for-fat-burn-exercise/