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Indulge: Eat Without Feeling Guilty!

food

Ever since I have started health counselling, I have met at least 8 out of 10 people who go through a guilt factor after having eaten foods that they love the most.. Some of these people literally hate themselves for having done that. For most of these individuals an  outing/ family occasion/weekend/holiday means more worry about weight and less enjoyment.

Some of them miss meeting their friends and have stopped living their life because they don’t want to indulge while they are out.

Are you one of them?

If you are then, you must know that worry puts you and your body through stress and stress releases a hormone called cortisol which in turn promotes fat storage in our body. It increases the heart rate and breathing too. All of this can make one sick.

Cortisol makes you depressed and creates an imbalance in the biochemical reactions of the body. If you are worried about your health and weight, you must also be aware of the connection between the body and your mind. Our emotions share biochemical links with our digestive, nervous, endocrine and the immune system.

You must keep your negative thoughts and guilt away, else it will add up to stress. Your body will not be able to digest the food when you are very stressed! It’s like trying to stop a bull when he gets out of control.  It’s just a’int going to happen. Everyone has one weakness in food it could be a brownie, an ice cream cake, cheese cake, Pizzas, burgers and the likes that can make you go off track. For me it’s the brownie cake and oh yes how can I forget Pizzas! If one keeps feeling guilty about these foods one in a way then guilt is going to take the pleasure out of eating.

I would say eating without guilt is the key to keeping yourself healthy. It’s about enjoyment, spending time with family and at the same time having a balance  in everything you do. One should not worry unless you know you are eating extra everyday.

You must remember that there are no bad foods, there are just poor habits.

If you can form good habits over a period of time, eventually you will build a healthier you and start eating in moderation without guilt.

Here are some tips to eat guilt free and keep yourself in shape:

* Eat a bowl of salad before heading for a dine out as it will add on to the fiber in take, so while you enjoy family favorite, fiber will help you keep full for longer time.

*Enjoy your favorite food, savor it, eat mindfully, slow eating will automatically lead to portion control.

*Hydrate your body cells well, the craving for junk might be just that your body is thirsty.

*Moderation is the key.

*Don’t forget to add greens along with your favorite food.

*One meal or one food doesn’t make you healthy or unhealthy, worry is less healthier.

* Emotions are important, try to build good connect with people around you and contribute to the society, that will help you keep yourself positive and increase your serotonin levels. (The feel good hormone), in a way you are doing good to yourself while doing good to others.

*Remember a workout is not about just going to gym, it’s about doing what you love, it can be  dancing, chasing dog,washing car,gardening, cycling, have a life out of weight loss.

*Sleep well it will help restoring mind and body.

* Emotional eating due to stress is a part of life, try to reduce it by getting into hobbies, if you are finding it difficult to manage, relaxation techniques like breathing,meditation and yoga will help,feel good about yourself,live this moment, try to focus on present.

*Try adding food instead of subtracting and starving yourself, eating at regular interval helps your body boost metabolism.

*Slurp your juicy favorite fruits in the first half of the day when you are going to party out.

*Try switching from beer/diet sodas to wine.

*Go walking when the weather’s nice and you are looking pretty, enjoy the wind that shall make you move.

*Share your meals with your partner/friend so that you don’t stuff yourself.

*Don’t worry if you overeat a little, make sure of regular exercise and balancing out meals.

I would say shed off the guilt and move on!

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CARBOHYDRATES’- Seven Engines of POWER SUPPLY

carbohydrates

Carbohydrates is the first source of energy to the body. It is one of the most important major nutrients, which also means we need it in major quantity. Thus, recommended to have about 60% in our daily food intake. It has one of the best advantages to our overall health.

  1. Provides Energy: Our body requires energy to do even simple activity like moving from one place to another and carbohydrates helps us in that. So whichever the activity is walking, running, playing a sport, working in office or writing a blog –all require energy.
  2. Elevates mood: Carbohydrates help you release Serotonin in our body which in turn will elevate your mood and give you the feel good factor. Remember the feeling when you have a spoonful of Dal rice or Hot phulka with vegetable when you are super hungry, exactly the same feeling. You feel relaxed and calm.
  3. Muscle Recovery: Talking about muscle doesn’t mean only sports person require them. We all have muscles in our body that go through wear and tear with our daily activities too. Thus, we all need this wonder nutrient to recover our muscles, as they need to restore their deposits in form of Glycogen( stored form of glucose)
  4. Helps prevent disease: The fibre that comes with this carbohydrates help us prevent many diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart problems , Constipation and many more.
  5. Weight loss: This point may grab your attention, as it really helps in losing your weight indirectly. When we have the much needed carbohydrates, the body will not take up protein as a source of energy to work, thus avoiding muscle loss and in turn keeping the body’ metabolism high.

Carbohydrate intake-> Protein Sparing-> Muscle intact-> Metabolism high-> Burn more fat -> Weight loss.

One more reason being, the slow release carbohydrates helps in slow release of insulin in body, which in turn can avoid weight gain.

  1. Good Memory: Glucose is the key brain fuel, which comes from carbohydrates and various studies have also shown that people who have a regular intake of carbohydrates have a better memory than the ones who avoid it.
  2. Fuel for fitness: Sports person, runners, people doing regular exercises, they all need carbohydrates as the first source of fuel before, during and after the activity. As the body will use it the most and they can’t afford to lose muscle as a source of energy. If the body loses a lot of muscle, the joint strengthening is compromised leading to injury.

There are various such benefits of carbohydrates which we miss by avoiding them in our daily intake. Carbohydrates have a bad name in weight loss industry, as they say excess of it will make you put on fat, well anything of that sort happens.

So my suggestion is do not avoid carbs. It has such an important role to play in our healthy and fitter lifestyle.

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Phytochemicals- Why is it important to go Colourful?

colors

Life without colours is so boring. Black and white movies evolved into colour films just to make them more appealing. Similarly, a cupboard full of same coloured clothes does not appear that interesting.  We are constantly looking for variety and more colours. The same when applied to eating, not only breaks the monotony but also benefits your body in several ways.

I remember, as a kid, my mother always emphasized on including a variety of fruits and veggies into my meals. She’d come up with all her innovative ways to make sure my meals are as colourful. Gradually, I got to know the reason why she used those tricks. She just wanted to ensure I get the maximum benefits from these colours.

Nature has provided us with numerous colourful fruits, vegetables, grains and herbs. Ever wondered where do they derive their colours from? Well, they contain compounds called Phytochemicals (also known as phytonutrients) which are responsible for the beautiful colours that these fruits and veggies flaunt. The more colourful a fruit or vegetable is, the higher its phytochemical content, especially if they are coloured all the way through (like berries) not just on the skin (like apples).

Phytochemicals basically form plant’s immune system as they protect the plants from UV rays, diseases and fungus. These wonderful compounds are so generous that they extend their benefits to humans as well. I would say a great deal of benefits.

They are known for their antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity and the ability to enhance our body’s natural detoxification system.

Let me take you through some of the best Phytochemicals and their benefits-

  • Carotenoids– Any fruit or veggie you see around which is red/orange/yellow or green in colour, contains carotenoids. They are potent antioxidants and immune boosters. Research has shown that they reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.
  • Flavonoids– This one’s famous! Out of all the phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables, it’s the flavonoids that we eat in the largest quantity. Guess which colours it contributes to… It’s red, blue and purple pigments. Studies have shown that their antioxidant activity is lot more powerful than vitamins C and E.

One of the flavonoids called “Isoflavones” present in soy, are known to reduce the cholesterol levels and thereby reduce the risk of heart diseases.

In women, isoflavones help reduce the menopausal symptoms and are beneficial for women’s overall health.

  • Sulphur Compounds– These are found in naturally occurring whitish foods like garlic, onion, cauliflower, cabbage, mushrooms, grains etc.

These compounds also have been shown to have cancer fighting properties and are beneficial to cardiovascular health.

 

The incredible benefits of phytochemicals is one reason the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Health and Human Services focuses on having at least five servings of fruits and vegetables and several servings of grains every day.

So the next time you are out for shopping, make sure you load up your grocery cart with an array of fruits and vegetables to give yourself a phytochemical boost.

Since different coloured fruits and vegetables have different kinds of phytochemicals, it’s important that you choose a variety of colours in your diet so that you make the most of each phytochemical.

Get those colours and you get better health!

 

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Role of Glycemic index in day to day life

 

Role of Glycemic index in day to day life

Have you ever thought of why some foods can be eaten in good quantities without worrying about the sugar rise or weight increase while in some others portion control is important? Glycemic index is the concept that helps us to choose food wisely. Are you wondering what is glycemic index and how does it help?

Glycemic index or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates that break down during digestion releasing glucose rapidly  into the blood stream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI.

A lower glycemic index suggests slower rates of digestion and absorption of the foods’. Carbohydrates may also indicate greater extraction from the liver and periphery of the products of carbohydrate digestion. A lower glycemic response is often thought to equate to a lower insulin demand, better long-term blood glucose control and a reduction in blood lipids.

Glycemic index of foods

Glycemic index values can be interpreted intuitively as percentages on an absolute scale and are commonly interpreted as follows:

Classification GI range Examples
Low GI 55 or less most fruit(apple, orange, peach, citrus fruits) and vegetables (except potatoes, watermelon), whole grainy breads, pasta, legumes/pulses, milk, curd products extremely low in carbohydrates (fish, eggs, meat, nuts, oils), brown rice, corn tortilla, wheat tortilla
Medium GI 56 – 69 whole wheat products, basmati rice, sweet potato, table sugar, most white rices ,Muesli,  banana, Honey
High GI 70 and above Corn flakes, baked potato, watermelon, croissant, white bread, extruded cereals (e.g., Rice crispies), straight glucose (100), peanuts

A low GI food will release glucose more slowly and steadily. A high GI food causes a more rapid rise in blood glucose levels and is suitable for energy recovery after endurance exercise or for a person with diabetes experiencing hypoglycemia.

Benefits of the Glycemic Index

Eating a lot of high GI foods can be harmful to your health as it pushes your body to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switching to eating mainly low GI carbohydrates that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and will feel fuller for longer between meals.

  • Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
  • Low GI diets increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin
  • Low GI carbohydrates improve diabetes control
  • Low GI carbohydrates reduce the risk of heart disease
  • Low GI carbohydrates reduce blood cholesterol levels
  • Low GI carbohydrates reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
  • Low GI carbohydrates prolong physical endurance
  • High GI carbohydrates help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

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