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Belly Fat and Coconut Oil

832505-coconut-oil

Millions of people across America (not to mention worldwide) struggle with stubborn abdominal fat, which can be difficult to shed even when a healthy lifestyle is adopted. Not only is abdominal fat also called visceral fat or ‘belly fat,’ unsightly, it can lead to an increased risk of a number of health conditions.

Some of the risks associated with carrying excess fat around your middle are a greater susceptibility to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Additionally, as this fat tends to coat vital organs, it can cause system-wide inflammation that can trigger an array of other chronic illnesses.

But according to the ground-breaking studies below, the effects of coconut oil on abdominal fat will surprise you!

Cold pressed coconut oil is probably the most ‘prescribed’medicine food that I have been using in my practice over the last one and a half year with clients and patients worldwide.

Be it thyroid, cancer, alzheimers, dementia, parkinsons, epilepsy, diabetes to even burning belly fat, this wonder super food is a miracle drug

Study 1
A 2009 study published in the Journal of Lipids consisted of testing the effects of either 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or 2 tablespoons of soybean on a group of 40 women over a span of 28 days.
Results showed that the group that ate the coconut oil had a decrease in abdominal fat, while the soybean oil group actually showed a slight increase in belly fat. Additionally, the group that ate the coconut oil showed increased HDL ‘good’ cholesterol levels, while the soybean oil group had decreased HDL cholesterol and increased LDL ‘ bad’ cholesterol.

Study 2
The Journal of Nutrition published a study where researchers investigated all studies relative to medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that are abundant in coconut fat and weight management. The studies showed that diets rich in fats such as those found in coconut oil prompted a boost in metabolism, increase in energy, decrease in food consumption, reduced body weight and lower body fat mass. The authors of the study highly recommends using oils that contain MCFAs, such as coconut oil, as a tool to drop extra abdominal fat, manage a healthy weight, and even as a way to treat obesity.

Study 3
Yet another study that assessed body weight and fat storage relative to three different types of diets including a low-fat diet, high-fat diet with long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and a high fat diet with MCFAs. In order to bring about weight gain, caloric intakes were adjusted for the diets.

At the end of the research period (which lasted 44 days), the low-fat diet group stored an average of 0.47 grams of fat per day, the LCFA group stored 0.48 grams of fat per day, and the MCFA group only stored a mere 0.19 grams per day (despite purposely increasing calories). Those in the MCFA group (coconut fat) had a 60 percent reduction in body fat stored compared to the other diets.

Another added bonus of consuming organic coconut oil (and coconut cream or milk) is that it tends to make us feel fuller for longer. Studies indicate that MCFAs help increase feelings of fullness and lead to a reduction in calorie intake when compared to the same amount of calories from other fats. When MCFAs are metabolized, ketone bodies are created in the liver – these have been shown to have a strong appetite reducing effect helping you to lose fat faster.

I have personally switched to using this oil for all of my cooking and juices and since its cold pressed, it doesn’t really have a strong coconut flavor and doesn’t alter the change in taste of the food that much.

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      SSHHH!!! Stop peeling the Fruit!

fruit peels

Fruits are an all-time favourite, decoded healthy food ever.

No matter what your routine includes- fruits are always part of fasting, illness, detox plan or regular healthy eating. Fruits are a great source of nutrition that our body uses to stay healthy. Nutrition aside, fruits are delicious and different fruits are contained within a peel.

Next time when you peel a fruit stop and think twice before you throw the peels into the bin. Did you know that peels of fruit have the most effective and active nutrients that your body needs? A huge amount of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals are packed into the protective covering of many fruits.

The peel of a fruit may not look appealing as most of them get bruised in transit. But if you are eating only fruit you are restricting yourself to many benefits

Let me explain how fruits and veggies peels are beneficial for health.

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Banana peel benefits: Wondering how you can use a banana peel?

Rub a banana peel over your teeth and it acts as a great teeth whitener. Even pimples on the face vanish after rubbing banana peel over it for few days. Banana peel has fibre which helps in better digestion. Banana peels are a rich source of potassium and contain much more soluble and insoluble fibre than the fruit inside.

mandarin-peel

The citrus fruit peels have large amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Potassium. They make up for almost 30% of the fruits nutritional value and more so in its antioxidant properties. A lot of the peels such as that of orange and lemon are often used as zest in many foods. The protective covering of these juicy fruits often is bitter or sour tasting. This acts as a repellent to pests and insects. Its Nature’s way to ensure that the fruits are not destroyed before ripening.

Orange peels are often used to add glow and radiance to the face. Lemon peels are recommended for skin lightening and fairness.

Apple peel 1

Apple peels are known for their anti-cholesterol properties as well as reduction of diabetes, as they have pectin. It also has quercetin which is anti-inflammatory and fights brain damage and enhances memory.

watermelon peeels

Watermelon Fruit Peels and the rind has citrulline which can be converted into arginine, an essential amino acid that is beneficial for the heart and immune system.. Eating a rind might sound unappetizing, but it can be pickled (like a cucumber), or simply sautéed and seasoned. Or throw it in a blender with the watermelon flesh, and add some lime

mango peels

Mangoes and their peel contain high amounts of antioxidants. Antioxidants work to reduce damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals can affect all parts of the body including skin, eyes and even heart.

An Australian study revealed that eating mangos with their skin could promote weight loss. Eating mango peel can promote digestion and reduce constipation.

Passion-Fruit[1]

The passion fruit peel helps in improving breathing processes, controls wheezing and improves lung function. The peels also have a good amount of fibre that assists in the digestive process of our bodies, preventing constipation and helping the gut flora.

potato peels

Potato skin is packed with nutrients like iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. Potassium plays a role in the electrical impulses transmitted by your nervous system and helps your muscles contract to facilitate movement.

Sweet potato skin is loaded with the significant amount of beta-carotene which converts to vitamin A during digestion. Vitamin A is essential for cell health and immune system

The dark green skin contains the majority of a cucumber’s antioxidants, insoluble fibre and potassium. The cucumber peel also holds most of its vitamin K. The next time you have a salad ask not to peel the cucumber.

Since the skin of a carrot is the same colour as what’s directly beneath it (like a tomato or a red pepper), the peel and its flesh have similar nutritional properties. However, the highest concentration of phytonutrients is found in a carrot’s skin or immediately underneath. Just rinse the carrot thoroughly rather than peeling it.

Pomegranate peel cannot be consumed just like that but when you boil it in water and gargle it …it helps to relieve a cough and sore throat

But major concern now is these fruit peels are soaked in harmful chemicals and pesticides.B ut organic fruits can be ingested to enhance the benefits of all the minerals, vitamins, flavonoids and antioxidants that are present in abundance in the peels of many fruits and veggies

As you start eating a fruit/veg available in the market… do think before you peel a fruit/veg and throw away what can be a rich source of vitamin intake for you and key to your glowing skin.

 

 

 

 

 

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10 Foods that can fill you up

rainbow-smoothies

If you were to describe ‘The Perfect Food’, it would probably be: healthy, delicious, bigger than a morsel and filling enough to fight hunger for hours. “Foods that promote satiety”—a feeling of lasting fullness. In this blog, I have listed down some foods which are healthy and yet filling.

  1. Baked potato

The potato has been unfairly demonized—it’s actually a potent hunger tamer. Though potatoes are often shunned because they’re considered high in carbohydrates, they shouldn’t be. Whether baked or boiled, they’re loaded with vitamins, fibre and other nutrients. Baked potato get you steady energy and lasting fullness after noshing on them.

Feel even fuller: Eat baked and boiled tubers skin-on to get more fibre for just 160 calories a pop.

2.  Bean soup

Soups have high water content, which means they fill your stomach with very few calories. Broth-based bean soups, in particular, contain a hefty dose of fibre and resistant starch—a good carb that slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream—to make that full feeling really stick. “Once in the stomach, fibre and water activate stretch receptors that signal that you aren’t hungry anymore.

Feel even fuller: Resist the cracker pack on the side in favour of a bigger soup helping. Beans are starchy, satisfying and caloric enough on their own. To give variations to your soup, you can throw lentils, black-eyed peas or kidney or navy beans into a vinegar-based salad too.

3.     Eggs

Eggs are one of the few foods that are a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that your body can’t make itself. Once digested, those amino acids trigger the release of hormones in your gut that suppress appetite.

Feel even fuller: Don’t discard the yolks—about half an egg’s protein lives in those yellow parts. Adding vegetables to a scramble boosts its volume and fibre content for few extra calories (an egg has 78Kcal, and a cup of spinach just 7Kcal).

4.     Yoghurt

Yoghurt is the single best food for shedding pounds: Over time, people who downed more of the protein-packed stuff lost pounds without trying. Yoghurt contains dairy proteins which increase satiety, reduces food intake and keeps blood sugar steady.
Feel even fuller: Top yoghurt with fibrous foods like raspberries (4 grams of fibre per half cup) or cucumber (9 grams per three-quarters of a cup).

5.     Apples

Apples are one of the few fruits that contain pectin, which naturally slows digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness. In fact, people who ate an apple as part of a meal felt more satiated and ate less than those who consumed a calorically equivalent amount of juice and applesauce. “Whole apples take a long time to eat for very few calories. Your body has more time to tell your brain that you’re no longer hungry. That means you can eat lots of this low-energy-density, high-satiety fruit and avoid feeling deprived while losing weight.

Feel even fuller: Add apple chunks to oatmeal or salad.

6.     Popcorn

This movie-night favourite is a low-energy-density food—for 90 calories, you could eat 3 cups of air-popped corn but whereas for the same number of calories you can just have a quarter cup of potato chips. This means, that a quarter cup of potato chips has 90 calories whereas 3 cups of plain air-popped popcorns have just 90 calories, so it is more filling. Popcorn takes up more room in your stomach, and seeing a big bowl of it in front of you tricks you into thinking that you’re eating more calories and that you’ll feel full when you’re finished.

Feel even fuller: Sprinkle some red pepper on popcorns or any meal. In a recent Purdue University study, people who added a half teaspoon of the spice to their meal felt less hungry.

7.     Figs

A great natural cure for a sweet tooth, fresh figs have a dense consistency and sweet flesh that’s high in fibre (each 37-calorie fig packs about a gram), which slows the release of sugar into the blood, preventing the erratic high caused by cookies or cake.

Feel even fuller: Split the fig in half and add protein such as a teaspoon of cheese or add walnuts.

8.     Oatmeal

Oatmeal’s filling force comes from its high fibre content and its uncanny ability to soak up liquid like a sponge. When cooked with water or skim milk, the oats thicken and take more time to pass through your digestive system, meaning you’ll go longer between hunger pangs.

Feel even fuller: Sprinkle almonds on top of your bowl. “The nuts pack protein and fibre and contain unsaturated fats that can help stabilize insulin levels,” regulating blood sugar.

9.     Smoothies

While most beverages don’t satisfy hunger very well, drinks blended full of air are an exception: They cause people to feel satiated and eat less at their next meal. Just be sure you’re not whipping your smoothie full of sugary, caloric ingredients like fruit juices or flavoured syrups, which will negate the health benefits.

Feel even fuller: Put ice and fat-free milk or yoghurt in a blender, add in fruit and give it a whirl. Try strawberries, which are extremely low in energy density—they’re 92 percent water!—and bananas, which are loaded with resistant starch.

        10.   Wheat berries

Wheat berries are whole-wheat kernels which contain one of the highest amounts of protein and fibre per serving of any grain (6 grams of protein and 6 grams of fibre).

Protein triggers the hormone ghrelin to tell our brain that we are satisfied and fibre activates appetite-suppressing gut hormones.

Feel even fuller: Toss wheat berries with apples, nuts and other diet-friendly foods to make a super tasty salad.

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Genomics for Better Health

genomics

The healthcare landscape in India is undergoing a paradigm shift, from symptomatic treatment to a consumer-leadership model, thanks to mobile apps, digitization of electronic health records, and wearable technologies. GOQii allows users to take charge of their health with proactive tools. As the genomics partner to this health ecosystem, Mapmygenome offers solutions that are personalized, predictive, preventive, and participatory. We help our customers understand their health risks early and make informed choices for mitigation. They go on to build healthy habits and to achieve their health goals.

Genomics 101

The first question that comes to the mind is – What is this technology and how does it work? Genomics is the analysis of your genome, your unique DNA sequence that governs your health, habits, metabolism, physiology and psyche. Advances in technology have made it possible to read the whole or parts of individual’s DNA sequence. Experts analyze your DNA for variants at specific locations that can affect health and wellbeing. This information can be used to predict your risk for a particular disease, to diagnose a condition, to optimize treatment, or to move to a healthy lifestyle!

Understand Risks with Personal Genomics

With a simple swab of saliva, a personal genomics test can give you a complete profile of your genetic predisposition to health and lifestyle. While the genetic component does not change, factors such as environment, habits, and lifestyle can be modified to mitigate any genetic risks. Many people opt for comprehensive genomics service such as Genomepatri, which predicts individual’s genetic risk for 100+ health conditions, physiological traits, lifestyle, beauty and response to drugs. There are also tests like the BRCA gene test that Angelina Jolie took to understand her genetic risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, which enabled her to make life-changing informed choices to prevent that risk from manifesting.

Weight Loss Genetics – A Case For Personal Genomics

Cutting down calories and physical activity are just two aspects of a successful weight loss program. There are other aspects – lean vs. fat mass, appetite and satiety levels, food interactions within your system, and genetic makeup have an impact on weight loss. Our genes have a significant role in functions such as fat tissue metabolism, excess fat storage, transport, brain signalling, and energy conversion. Individuals with certain variants of a specific gene have to work harder to burn calories than their luckier friends. Some people have a tendency to regain weight more easily. Nutritionists often recommend test such as Genomepatri Fit in order to recommend the most suitable diet and exercise plan for weight loss.  They work in tandem with genetic counsellors.

Genetic Counselling to Know Yourself

It is not easy for a layman to predict hereditary risk for a particular condition or to interpret findings from a genetic report. Genetic counsellors help you understand your health history and family history, and guide you in making informed choices towards better health. They explain your genetic report, correlate this information with your health history, and formulate a preventive action plan that works for you.

Overcoming Fear

It is said that answers can be found by one who seeks, but there are many who are scared to find out what their genes say. While this is a personal choice, one should remember that screening and predictive testing can actually enable prevention and early treatment at much lower costs – financial and emotional. A session with a genetic counsellor can be a good starting point.

 

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