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5 ways to boost your hemoglobin

5-Ways-To-Increase-Hemoglobin-Count

One day, my client came to me for the regular follow up. She looked pale to me which ideally was never the case. I tried to find from her why was she looking pale. I probed her to find out if she felt tired after doing any work. And, she said she feels lethargic throughout the day and can’t walk for more than 10 minutes. She felt breathless. I immediately asked her to get her Haemoglobin checked and when she got me the reports. I was surprised to see that her hemoglobin was just at 9. She was definitely anaemic.

The ideal range for women as you all would be aware should be above 12-16mg/dl for children 11-13mg/dl and for males 14-18mg/dl. I believe in “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Nourish your body with a good dose of iron through nutrition rather than popping in supplements.  I told her about hemoglobin boosting foods which I would like to share with you all.

  1. Garden cress seeds: Few years back, this seeds were not commonly known. As, the awareness on health is spreading, this seeds have created its own space in the fitness industry. It is known as Halim (Hindi) or Aliv (Marathi). It is one of the richest vegetarian sources of iron with good bioavailability. 100gms of garden cress seeds provides 1.5mg of iron. It is often given during pregnancy and also it acts as Galactagogue which stimulates milk production in lactating mothers. Daily recommendation is 2 tsp. You need to soak the seeds for a while so that it emanates less heat. If you are trying for the first time, start with ½ tsp to see if your boy easily accepts it because of its heat. You can have garden cress in different forms such as it can be added in kheer, ladoos and be sprinkled on salads.

 

  1. Haeme Iron– It includes liver/oysters/red meat. Liver (pork/beef/chicken/turkey) gives roughly around 23mg of iron in 100 gms. Oysters/mollusks give around 28mg of iron in 100 gms. However, as we know these foods are very high on cholesterol and saturated fats. The frequency of these meats should be minimal. Once in a week 2 medium pieces can be consumed. Also, try to go for either grilled/baked/steamed to make it healthier.

 

  1. Pumpkin seeds- Like, garden cress seeds these seed are gaining popularity these days. 100 gms of pumpkin seeds serves around 8 mg of iron. Pumpkin seeds are not only rich in iron but also in calcium, magnesium, and manganese and iron. Include at least 2-3 tsps in your daily routine. You can have it as a mouth freshener or else sprinkle it over salads.
  2. Spinach– 100 gms of cooked spinach gives around 3.75mg of iron. It is packed with calcium and fiber too. So, next time don’t forget to add this lovely looking greens in your salads/soups and veggies.

 

  1. Dark chocolate– To your surprise, dark chocolate with 75-80% cocoa contains around 17mg of iron. It is also packed with antioxidant. Next time, you can enjoy dark chocolate without any guilt. While savouring, portion needs to be monitored. You can have 2-3 pieces of the chocolate.

The daily recommendation allowance (RDA) for iron:

 

Age Male Female Pregnancy Lactation
Birth to 6 months 0.27 mg* 0.27 mg*
7–12 months 11 mg 11 mg
1–3 years 7 mg 7 mg
4–8 years 10 mg 10 mg
9–13 years 8 mg 8 mg
14–18 years 11 mg 15 mg 27 mg 10 mg
19–50 years 8 mg 18 mg 27 mg 9 mg
51+ years 8 mg 8 mg

* Adequate Intake (AI)

In animal foods, iron is often attached to proteins called heme proteins, and referred to as heme iron. In plant foods, iron is not attached to heme proteins and is classified as non-heme iron. Heme iron is typically absorbed at a rate of 7-35%. Non-heme iron is typically absorbed at a rate of 2-20%.

Also, Vitamin C rich foods like kiwi/amala/lemon/guava/strawberries/sweet lime/oranges enhances the absorption of iron. Henceforth, whenever you consume any iron rich food, don’t forget to have a glass of lemon water along with it which would double up the absorption of the iron.

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Autonomy + Motivation + Accountability = Wellness

AutonomyPlusMotivation

Everyone knows the basics of healthy living. Eat a balanced diet. Exercise. Get a good night’s sleep. Not long ago, if you needed more guidance than that, you had to find an expert (books, physicians, etc.). They were the only ones with the tools and knowledge to help you. This was okay for people who had the time and resources to seek out that expertise but for most people it was a huge barrier. And when we’re looking to make changes in our behavior, barriers strip us of motivation.

Flash forward to the current day and we have a convergence of technologies that addresses some significant obstacles. These include:

  • Wearable Fitness Technology – Wristbands, watches, pendants, eyeglasses, and even clothing that can sense steps taken, quality of sleep, heart rate, and more.
  • Smartphone Apps – For detailed tracking of exercise, food and nutrients consumed, blood sugar level, etc.
  • Online Services – That were formerly only available to professionals such as genome testing, full lab panels and microbiome (gut bacteria) testing.
  • Internet of Things – Infrastructure that allows these technologies to talk with one another. Step on your scale and it updates the food diary on your smartphone tracker app with your weight.

The age of autonomy is here. No longer must we depend on experts to know where we stand health-wise. But is that enough? Apparently not. As noted in a previous post on this site, Rethink Wearable Tech…Fad or Future, despite the growing popularity of devices like Wearable Fitness Trackers, many people stop using them only a short time after they get them.

You see, technology hasn’t figured out when you need space and when you need a little nudge. It’s not very good at helping you explore why you’re stuck or why you sometimes regress. It does a bad job at changing and adapting with you. And, it doesn’t know how to link your goals for good health to your vision, your values. Technology is just clueless about motivation and accountability.

Enter the Health Coach. Health Coaches are the latest member of your wellness team. Unlike physicians whose role is to diagnose and prescribe, Health Coaches help you make the changes you want to make by stoking the fire you have within. And unlike Nutrition Counselors or Personal Trainers who hand over wellness plans and monitor compliance, Health Coaches partner with you to uncover the strategies that honor your values and lifestyle. They work with you to keep you accountable.

Health Coaches are experts in human behavioral change. They recognize that family, physicians, and employers may influence positive changes in health, but the real inspiration to move towards wellness has to come from you. Health coaches use a process that surfaces what is most important to you and links those values to the healthy behaviors and goals that matter most. This is where motivation comes from.

As you progress, your coach helps you create a plan to reach those goals. The emphasis on you is critical. The plan can’t be some cookie cutter nutrition or exercise program that the coach pulls from some file. It must be a customized plan that strikes a balance between flexibility, because “stuff happens,” and specificity so you can link your plan to your progress. Without a tailored plan, it’s difficult to hold yourself accountable.

Health Coaching is a new field. Research on its impact is just emerging but initial results are encouraging. These include:

And all of these studies took place prior to and without the benefit of the technologies mentioned earlier. When we combine the ability for technology to collect data in a transparent way with the skills and knowledge of a professionally trained Health Coach, some magic starts to happen. Health Coaches know you as a person and can figure out when you need space and when you need a little nudge. Health Coaches excel at helping people explore why they’re stuck or why they sometimes regress. Health Coaches understand that wellness goals must change and adapt as you change and adapt. And Health coaches know how to link your goals for good health to your vision, your values.

Technology provides you autonomy. Health Coaches honor that autonomy, inspire motivation, and maximize accountability. And this combination results in a happy, healthy, and productive life.

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Self Defense Part -2: How to get rid of holds

self-defence

In my previous blog, I explained how to defend yourself from any external attack you may encounter and which are the most effective parts of the body you can hit to protect yourself.

Today, in this blog I will explain how to get rid if you are caught by someone or if someone holds you.

First and foremost draw attention to your situation by yelling and screaming.

If someone holds you from behind, then just drop all your weight. It will force them to drop you and be that much harder to carry your full weight.

Usually when someone catches you from behind they are going to have at least one of their hands in front of you. With one hand grab their index and the attacker’s middle finger and with your other hand grab the ring. Pull very hard in opposite directions. This is very painful to your attacker and should give you a chance to get away.

If someone holds your wrist and you are not able to escape, first thing you do is to rotate your hand from left to right, by doing this, the opposite person will lose his grip and you can escape.

If someone caught you from behind with both hands locked around your chest, but your hands are in the air, hit on the attacker’s neck with the edge of your elbow.

OR

Press his forearm against your collarbone instead of trying to pull it directly off, which may be difficult if you are fighting with someone who is stronger than you. Put one hand above his elbow and one hand below it so your hands are on both sides of the elbow and one strong movement step and swing your entire body around like the arm is the hinge to your body’s screen door. This will help you get rid of the attacker and his head, ribs, and legs wide open to your counter attack.

OR

If you are caught from behind put your hands on their head and drag your fingernails down until you find their ears. Catch the attacker’s ears and pull it down in a fast motion. If you do it slowly it will give an opportunity to the attacker to understand what is happening. But, if you do it fast enough with enough strength, you should be able to damage their ear.

Incase your hands are locked, jump slightly and do deep squats you will be able to escape or use your back head to hit on his nose.

If the attacker is trying to choke you by wrapping his arms around your neck, bring your foot forward and kick so hardly between the attacker’s ankle and mid-leg.

If you are hit, make sure that you are hitting back enough to defend yourself and to deliver a blow without being overly aggressive.

Try to disarm your attacker so that you have the opportunity to escape.

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5 WAYS TO BOOST METABOLISM

Fibre-Rich-Diet

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

  1. 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,

  1. 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

  1. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

2/3rd 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

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