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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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Apple Cider Vinegar and its 6 Health Benefits

apple-cider-vinegerWe all know what’s an apple and what is vinegar! But, have you given a thought to what if both apple and vinegr are blended, how would it taste?

An unusual combination called Apple cider vinegar (ACV), is unheard by most of us! It’s yet to gain importance in today’s world! Hence, I decided to write what it is and how it is beneficial!

ACV is a type of vinegar, made from apple. Unpasteurized organic ACV contains mother of vinegar. Mother of the vinegar is packed with benificial enzymes, pectins and minerals. It is said that the benefits of ACV comes from it’s mother. It is made by crushing apples and squeezing out the liquid.

Bacteria and Yeast are added to the liquid to start the alcoholic fermentation process, and the sugars  turn into alcohol. In a second fermentation process, the alcohol is converted into vinegar by acetic acid-forming bacteria (acetobacter). Acetic acid and malic acid give vinegar its sour taste.

Benefits:

  1. Improves digestion: If you’re planning on indulging in a meal that you expect might not get along very well with your stomach, ACV would definitely help. It has anti bacterial properties which helps in preventing UTI (urinary tract infection)

Dosage: one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with one teaspoon of honey in a glass of warm water 30 minutes before you dine.

  1. Improves insulin sensitivity in diabetes: Several studies have shown its positive effect on blood glucose levels; a 2007 study with type-2 diabetes patients was found to be success

Dosage: 2 tbsps of ACV in the morning have lowered glucose level by 4 to 6 percent

3.Brighten skin: Many who suffer from skin problems psoriasis and eczema to dry skin and blemishes, praise apple cider vinegar for reducing inflammation and generally minimizing problems.

Tip: Try dabbing it on affected areas with a cotton ball.

  1. Aids in weight loss: Apple cider vinegar’s acetic acid has been shown in studiesto suppress the accumulation of body fat and liver lipids. Its pectin content is also considered to slightly reduce your body’s ability to absorb fat.

When you have an apple cider vinegar drink before a meal it not only improves digestion, it also reduces your hunger levels which can only be beneficial for losing weight.

Dosage: 1 tablespoon in a large glass of water before each meal is the recommended dosage.

  1. Bad Breath: The natural acids in real apple cider vinegar, like acetic and malic acid, can reduce the bacteria in your mouth that cause bad breath.

Dosage: Add one tablespoon to a third of a cup of water and gargle for around 20 seconds to minimize bad breath

6.Detoxification: Apple cider vinegar is a popular ingredient in detoxification of body, specially liver.

Dosage: One tablespoon of ACV in a large glass of water before each meal is often recommended as an effective dosage for daily detoxification.

Also, you can add ACV to salad dressings, marination, soups and stew! By now, I am sure you have understood the motherly benefits of ACV.

 

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Red Wine is good for health

red-wine-good-for-health
Red Wine is opened on occasions or even otherwise. Contrary to my previous blog on the harmful effects of Alcohol, in today’s blog I actually have chalked out the benefits of Red Wine. Red wine is the only one that has beneficial qualities.

Here are some of the benefits……

1) Red Wine is good for Your Heart

Red wine contains resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant compound. Resveratrol also protects your heart and arteries against the effects of saturated fat in your diet, so drinking one or two glasses of red wine a day can help protect your heart and prevent cardiovascular disease.

2) Red Wine contains Antioxidants

In addition to resveratrol, red wine contains a number of other antioxidants, which can slow the signs of aging and prevent a number of degenerative illnesses like type 2 diabetes. Drinking one or two glasses of red wine each day can help protect you from many of the diseases of the elderly, such as osteoporosis.

3) Red Wine Prevents Cancer

Mounting evidence suggests that drinking red wine in moderation can help prevent cancer. The many antioxidants in red wine can help prevent the oxidative damage responsible for the process of aging and for many degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Gerstein, one of the many antioxidants in red wine, may help prevent lung cancer. Research has shown that resveratrol, the same red wine antioxidant that helps protect your heart, can also kill cancerous cells.

Scientists have found that resveratrol, when used in conjunction with radiation therapy, can penetrate cancerous cells and induce apoptosis. Apoptosis is a type of cell death that occurs when the cell dies, dissolves and is removed by the white cells of your immune system. Cancer researchers have been looking for a way to induce apoptosis in cancerous cells, because it’s the safest way to remove unwanted cells from the body.

Resveratrol also inhibits cancerous cells’ ability to remove irradiated particles, making radiation therapy more effective against cancer. Resveratrol also attacks cancerous cells and inhibits their ability to function.

Red wine has well known health benefits. However, drinking any alcoholic beverage in excess can lead to alcoholism and the serious health problems associated with it, so limit your red wine consumption to no more than 24 ounces per day and keep a track of calories it has. Although, red wine is beneficial and has calories, yes it is  not empty nutrients and so you can enjoy the following benefits of an occasional glass of wine.

So this is the very rare knowledge about wine and alcohol although wine is good for health but then too its consumption should be in controlled as mention above how much you can and you should consume in a single day as it has some good and bad side-effects both…..

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Obesity in Teens

teen-obesity
I consider myself lucky to have been born in a generation which has a practical approach towards everything in life. This is a kind of change that is helping them grow with the growing country.

I also feel lucky about one thing and that is, in my generation the influence of western foods has been  very less, it was  there but not as much as the current generation has. The current generation almost feels starved without the junk food.

Lot of thought went in before we indulged in junk food. I would seldom go out for a meal. Most often it would be home cooked meal for me. And, am I glad to say that these habits have kept me on the healthier side. Junk food in moderation during occasions and fresh home-made food always helps one maintain a healthier lifestyle.

But, for today’s kids it’s more of eating out –junk food than it is about eating fresh home cooked food. In my career as a nutritionist I have encountered several cases of childhood obesity and teenage obesity, juvenile diabetes and blood pressure among kids. It is a very unpleasant feeling when you come across children with these ailments. Today, it seems to be a normal thing with every other teenager having some or the other health issues such as bad eyesight, dental problems, hormonal imbalance, etc etc.

One of the main reasons for this unhealthy condition among the current generation is easy availability of unhealthy processed foods for kids now, than it was several years ago. One of the faults is also that parents do not keep a check on what the kids are eating. Most parents allow their child to indulge in any kind of junk food available in the market. The other aspect that leads to health issues among children today is that most are couch potatoes –they are glued to the TV, Video games, Tabs, Mobiles, and seldom go out and indulge in physical activities. This certainly was not a situation a decade back.

It’s these indulgences that lead a child to be obese and parents need to focus more on making their child healthy. Start with first giving your kids processed and junk food only on occasions and not as a reward for every other thing they do. Certain limitation needs to be adhered to. You need to explain to the kids why these foods are unhealthy.

Next important thing be, is exercise. As parents make sure that your kid is indulging himself at least for an hour in physical activities, exactly the way you did when you were a kid. I remember playing out, the moment I reached home from school and during holidays and vacations. It used to become difficult for our parents to actually keep us at home.

Thirdly, keep their indulgence in gadgets minimal. They would be better off playing a sport. Remember the kids who are into sports, dance or any kind of physical activity hardly gain weight when they grow up, even if they do gain weight, getting back in shape is very easy for them as their body is used to physical activities.

Today’s kids are smart and once you tell them what is right and what is not they understand. In fact, most ape one another and do what the other is doing. If parents do teach their kid good eating habits in all probability they might as well try and teach their friends too. Finally, it’s a trend that they all follow.

To avoid teenage or childhood obesity and help your child take to a healthy food habit follow the above mentioned three steps and believe me your child will be in good shape and health.

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

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