Search Results for: grains

April 24, 2015 By Hardika Vira 3 Comments

5 WAYS TO BOOST METABOLISM

In so many years of my practice as a dietician consultant, I have seen people literally starving themselves to lose weight. But, what if I could convince you that without starving and just by eating healthy and your heart felt or more than what you generally eat, you can lose fats/ look more toned and reduce weight at the same time? You can achieve this by improving your basal metabolism.

What is basal metabolism?

It is the rate at which our body burns calories when even at rest. It includes calories burnt for the process of digestion, and carrying out basic functions of the body. Basically when you are not being physically active.

We have an assumption that exercising is the only way to improve metabolism. It is true but, there is loads to add to the list of foods that help improve metabolism like having small frequent meals i.e every 2.5-3 hours, quantity and quality of food consumed etc.

Today I will share 5 of easiest ways for the same

CONSUMING MORE FIBER RICH FOODS

Fiber is the undigestible material of the plant that provides bulk and adds satiety levels. When we include more fiber in the meals, our body takes more time and effort to break those fiber molecules thus spending/ burning more calories. There are 2 kinds of fibers, soluble and insoluble.

Here is a list of fiber rich foods: whole grains, bran, whole fruits, vegetables like carrots, cucumber, green leafy vegetables, cabbage, bell peppers, broccoli, etc., beans, nuts,

INCLUDE PROTEINS IN EACH MEAL

Proteins take more time to digest than carbs and hence the thermic effect of food i.e the calories that are burned during the digestion of proteins increases. Proteins also aids in functions of growth and development i.e. building muscles, growth and for wear and tear of the tissues used throughout the day this requires a lot of energy. Higher the muscle content in the body, higher is the metabolism.

Sources of proteins: Milk, paneer (cottage cheese), plain yoghurt, buttermilk, pulses, sprouts, soya, tofu, eggs, chicken, fish. Also lente carbs in chick peas (chhole) and kidney beans (rajma) keep you full for long time and helps increase the metabolis

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

2/3^rd of your body is water. Muscles are approx 75% water and cells, bones, blood hold water and float in it.Basically it is required to carry out each and every biological function in the body. Thus when the body is in the state of dehydration, the metabolism slows down as the ability to generate energy and body’s ability to utilize fat as fuel is severely inhibited.

INCORPORATE SPICES IN THE MEALS-

Ginger (gingerols and capsaicin), garlic (allicin), cinnamon, pepper and chillies (capsaicin), turmeric(curcumin) etc. also known as hot spices are known to improve metabolism and also help in carrying other antioxidant functions.

OPT FOR GREEN TEA-

Green tea is rich in polyphenols like catechins and flavonoids which are antioxidants. It also contains caffeine in small amounts. Through few studies, it has been seen that green tea increases metabolism and rate of fat burning. But ensure that you consume a glass of water after every cup of green tea as the caffeine present in the green tea helps in dehydration of cells apart from giving a boost to metabolism.

The above ways are the some of the simplest ones which can be controlled/ practiced without any difficulty. Apart from these as mentioned above exercise helps improve metabolism. But, do you really know which one is more effective?

Combining strengthening exercises in the schedule will really help improve the metabolic rate for a longer duration until the repair/wear and tear of the broken muscles occur as compared to the cardio exercises which raises metabolic rate only for a limited period. It is always better to practice each on alternate days. Afterall, every exercise has its own benefits.

April 15, 2015 By Ami Shah 1 Comment

TRANS FAT-The biggest enemy of your heart

I have friends who binge all the time on deep fried chips/wafers.. Its their way to satisfy their hunger. I asked them if they were aware that of why these chips feel scrumptious and crispy. Their reply was who cares we are just happy that it tastes so good.

This is not the case with only my friends, most people never bother to find out what the chips is made of, what goes into make it so tasty and crispy. Instead of creating nutrition awareness, the gimmicks around it entice people and children to buy these crispies.

Nutritional labels are overlooked. Many people don’t know how to read the nutritional label and what do the fancy ingredients mean? Even if they know they will only look for major component such as carbs, proteins, fat what about the breakdown of these macro nutrients like sugars/fiber comes under carbs.

Likewise, saturated fats/trans fat/MUFA/PUFA is also part of the Fat group. These lip smacking wafers which most people and kids gorge on area red alert for your heart! That’s because of the TRANS FAT (Bad fat). Caution- It’s a major enemy of heart!

First let’s understand what is trans fat??

Most trans fat are artificially synthesized through an industrial process that adds hydrogen molecule to vegetable oil, which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature. This partially hydrogenated oil is less likely to spoil, so foods made with it have a longer shelf life. Some restaurants use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in their deep fryers, because it doesn’t have to be changed as often as do other oils. These fats are used in making c akes/pastries/puffs/rolls, margarine, doughnuts/wafers/chip/butter/margarine etc which provides empty calories (only calories and no nutrients).

Trans fat are inexpensive and gives a desired texture and taste to the item. (yes, you got it right.. the secret behind all these irresistible things is TRANS FATS!).

What does this trans fat do in the body?

Trans fat gets deposited in the arteries making them clogged. Clogged arteries are a sign of heart disease; they increase your risk of both heart attack and stroke. Here’s how it works: Trans fats raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol levels. This contributes to the buildup of fatty plaque in arteries and lowering of your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Eating trans fats increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. It’s also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2diabetes by increasing insulin resistance!

How can you limit your intake of Trans Fat?

Checking the nutrition label is very important.. When the Nutrition Facts label says a food contains 0 g of trans fat, but includes partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list, it means the food contains trans fat, but less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. The daily limit intake of trans fat should be zero. If you are buying any fod packet, please check the nutritional label for trans fat.

Here are some alternative to Trans fat:

Keep the usage of butter/margarine at bay. Instead use ghar ka desi Ghee. 🙂
Choose to eat foods that contain healthier fats, such as nuts ( walnuts and almonds), seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, watermelon, flax seeds), olives and avocados.
Opt for Rice bran oil, Oilve oil, Soyabean oil and mustard oil. They are a good source of MUFA (good quality fat)
Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products and lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry. Keep red meat at bay.
Get plenty of foods that are naturally low in fat and high on fiber, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

So, next time when you grab a packet of chips or wafers, remember the above points.

April 7, 2015 By Shimpli Patil 4 Comments

Body cleansers: Liv-kid!

Our body is well-equipped with 2 sturdy cleansers which work day in and day out to clean the dirt that we pollute our body with- Liver and Kidney! They are like colonial cousins, having one function common- body detoxification.

Liver and kidney are our body’s ‘care-takers’ who constantly strive towards keeping the body healthy by protecting it from the external invaders that intoxicate our body and make sure our body runs smoothly. Instead of reciprocating the good things they do for us, we end up troubling them even more by loading our body with more and more toxins.

Liver is the second largest organ of the body (after skin) and its primary function is body detoxification and secondary is fat metabolism. It keeps the body clear of junk which can otherwise pose a risk of diseases. Little do we think about liver’s state when we gorge on that pizza/burger or any other refined food and drinks (including alcohol). Sugar is the top most useless substance that is known to slow down the liver. Continuous exposure to junk/alcohol/drugs and medicines, makes our liver appear like a terrible porous sponge that needs to be wrung out.

You probably have a burdened liver if you have –

*A frequent headache

*Fatigue

*Poor concentration

*Allergies and rashes

*Itchy eyes,

*A bitter taste in the mouth.

While liver ensures effective excavation of toxins, kidney ensures efficient filtration of the by- products of the proteins and some minerals like sodium, potassium, etc which otherwise can pose a toxic threat to the body. Any glitches in kidney can affect its function of filtration, causing these substances to build up in body. Uric acid, creatinine, urea are few of these by-products which when accumulated in body can hamper our health.

Few early symptoms of a troubled kidney include-

*Blood pressure fluctuations

*Water retention (edema)

*Urinary problems

*Fatigue

*Skin rashes/itching

*Metallic taste in mouth (due to urea build up)

*Nausea and Vomiting

This requires a fix! Rather than wait for these symptoms to proceed into a full blown disease, we need to take some preventive measures to halt the progression.

A liver and kidney cleanse can sort it all out. A regular cleansing of the two will not even let you go through these off-putting symptoms, but in fact will make sure we keep these organs hail and hearty.

To flush these organs-

Stay off from animal products twice a week including eggs, chicken, red meat, seafood.
Up the fiber content of your meals through green veggies, nuts, whole grains- Ragi/ jowar/ whole wheat/ bajra/ brown rice and legumes.
Go fruity- Enjoy the natural colours through oranges, sweet lime, guava, pear, papaya, berries, etc. Cranberry, pomegranate, and blueberry juices are known to enhance kidney function.
Enjoy vegetable smoothies made out of beetroot, celery, carrots, cucumber.
Keep the enemies away- Saturated fats (bakery items, red meat, butter, mayonnaise, etc.), refined sugar and alcohol.
Go easy with caffeine (tea/coffee) as that’s another toxin liver and kidneys have to deal with.

Water is their best friend! 2 liters or 8 glasses are not enough to cleanse these burdened organs. 3-3.5 liters of water (12-14 glasses) is what we need to keep them sparkling fresh.

Regular flush out of liver and kidney will not only treat but, will also keep us miles away from headache, fatigue, abdominal discomforts, skin problems, etc. An added advantage of cleansing is, when the liver is freed of toxins, it reduces its efforts of detoxifying the body and it can then focus better on its next function of fat metabolism, resulting in a faster breakdown of fat.

Don’t just keep your body clean from the outside; take care of it from within too.

March 25, 2015 By Aqsa Shaikh 9 Comments

Food Pyramid – Did you Know? A guide to healthy eating with the Food Pyramid

Good food after a day’s hard work is always a pleasure and there is no substitute to good wholesome and nutritious food. But, more often than not, we are so engrossed in our work that we fail to think about our health which in turn means that we neglect good food.

And most think it’s a cumbersome task to deal with all these nitty gritties, think about nutrition, good food etc.. It’s so complicated. The idea ultimately is to just eat whatever is available when hungry.

But, it’s not difficult as it seems. Well, while you are in a restaurant you always think about ordering something tasty and compromise often with the nutritional aspects, here is a simple food pyramid tips which can be followed easily without any complications. This can be followed in restaurants or while you are out and at home.

So in the food pyramid, there is a cereal and grains group, followed by fruits and vegetable group, dairy products and non-veg, and then oil fat and sugary foods,

1.Cereal and grains group.
These are mostly staple foods which is consist of nutrients like carbohydrates ( Complex carbs ), proteins, fibre, minerals, calcium and B-complex vitamins. An individual should have 6-11 servings of this portion in a day. Common food items in this group- Whole grain cereals, millets, rice, Jowar, Bajra, Makai (Corn), Barley Oats, Poha (Puffed Rice) and Upma. These foods are rich in nutrients and good to provide the necessary fuel for our body to run all day long

One serving of this equals
-1 cup of rice, Poha or Upma
-1 cup of oats
-1 Paratha
-2 Phulka
-1 Jowar, Bajra or Makai roti.

2.Vegetables and Fruits group (Protective Food Group)

These foods are a must eat and should be added to our food plate daily. A person should have at least 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruits each day. They contain vital nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, folate, iron and potassium and many more nutrients. These foods consist fiber help our digestive system and also gives us different types of nutrients, phytochemicals and are also rich in antioxidants.

One serving of vegetables consists of:

1 cup of leafy vegetables ( Lettuce, spinach, Fenugreek, Dil, spring onions)
1 medium potato/yam, ½ medium sweet potato ( cooked )
1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or raw ( You can also include some of them as salads too )
3/4 cup of vegetable juice(vegetables like Bottle gourd, carrot, beetroot, French beans, green peas, are good to grind and have as smoothe with a pinch of salt and pepper)

In fruits one serving is:
One small apple, orange or banana or any other fruit
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked or canned fruit

3.Dairy products and non-veg food items

These foods are the main protein building group because it is important to maintain the strength of our bones and muscles. Apart from providing proteins these food items also provide B-complex vitamins, invisible fat, fibre, calcium, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12, iron and iodine. You should ideally have 4-6 servings of this group each day. These foods are mainly important to build up our muscles and help to recover the wear and tear that might occur during the hectic day

One serving of this group consists of:
1 cup of milk, curd
40g (2 slices) cheese, paneer
1 cup dal, pulses, sprouts
1 handful of dry fruits, nuts like groundnuts
1 Egg
65-100gm cooked meat/chicken (½ cup mince, 2 small chops, or 2 slices roast meat)
80-120g cooked fish fillet

4. Oils, fats and sugar:

There are certain good fats which are useful and beneficial for our body, as the cell membrane around our brain are made up of good fats, These are the foods which should be eaten by keeping the portion control in mind and even the time of the day should be noticed as its important.

Some good source of sweetners are Raw honey/Jaggery/Dates/Prunes, these are the healthy sweetners, But, because of today’s lifestyle some unhealthy sweetners have sadly become the staple diet in our lifestyle. Ideally this should not have happened. Choose Any of the junk food item and it will contain these ingredients – burgers, pizza, vada pav, samosa, fizzy drinks, alcohol, instant noodles, chips, frankies etc.

These are not bad to have but, at the same time we should keep our portion in control. We shouldn’t have more than 3-4 servings of these food items in a day. Some common basic sources are vegetable oils, butter, sugar, jaggery and honey.
One serving is defined as 1 tsp of oil, ghee or butter and also 1 tsp of sugar, jaggery and honey.

Now last but the least…WATER:. Water is one of the most important component that cannot be ignored in this entire pyramid. We should have at least 8 glasses of water, as it is very important to keep our cells well hydrated and alive. The above given quantity is for a non-active person, but an active person needs at least 10 to 12 glasses of water average..