Health Blog

Archive for the ‘Healthy Diet’ Category

At present, the one thing that concerns most people, is their over weight. If you notice keenly, you will find that, at least 50% of the people whom we meet each and every day will be concerned about their weight. But most of us have a misconception that, we will be able to lose weight at a faster pace, if we attend weight loss programs. But it is important for us to understand that, reducing weight must be a slow and natural process. If you try to reduce your weight within two or three weeks, then you might have to suffer the side effects of the weight loss program, during the later stages of your life. Then how can we lose weight. Let’s see some of the activities to be followed in order to reduce weight naturally. Firstly, we need to maintain a strict diet. We need to take lots of nutritious foods like protein pudding, fruits and vegetables. The second and the most important thing that we need to keep in mind, is the amount of physical activity plays a major role in weight loss. So we need to maintain the balance between the intake of food and the amount of calories that we burn, by performing physical activities.

Prevention is better than cure is a well known saying. We can prevent our body from being vulnerable to various disorders by maintaining our body temperature. When are engaged in physical work, we burn some amount of calories and our body gets heated. In those situations we need to take some food items which will make our body cool. Some of the items that can be taken are tender coconut, fresh juices, butter milk, cucumber water melon and so on. Water is also a best choice to keep our body cool. We should also avoid some items such as junk foods, meat and unbalanced diet. This is how we should maintain a balance between the work pressure and health maintenance.

Do you have diabetes?… Don’t eat rice. Only wheat products are allowed. Fruits NO, sweet NO, NO for potato carrot this that all… This is the regular advice you hear often. Making us frustrated, then what can we eat? Leave all these hoaxes. Here is the diet which my doctor advised for my mother. The specialty is no need from giving up our favorites except for a few. All we need to do is

• Eat five times a day.
• Amount you intake should be reduced.
• In these onetime take a bowl of rice, the other time any wheat made(wheat, rice everything gives out same amount of calories no big difference between any cereal )
• You are allowed to take 100 grams of fruits every day.
• Eating of Raw vegetables is better than fruits( these are essential for maintaining minerals and vitamins of our body)
• All cereals are allowed. Everything gives you the same amount of calories.

Important things to Note is

                You should not get hungry at any time. That may lead to intake of too much of food which is really not advisable. Take your tablets regularly. Only thing that you should follow is avoid direct sugar.

To conclude, “Eat anything, but measure before eating”

If you follow all these rules then Diabetes will never be a big problem at all.

Many of us have the habit of taking meat in our daily diet. The consumption of meat has been practiced over many years. But recently, many researches and studies have shown us the dangers involved in the consumption of meat. In fact, meat contains all the essential amino acids required by an adult. But apart for the essential amino acids, it contains certain amount of saturated fat which could be harmful to our health if taken in large amounts.

Different varieties of meat have its own advantages and disadvantages. Now let us see which kind of meat should be preferred and which one to be avoided. Red meat contains high level of saturated fat and hence it must be taken in minimal amounts. Intake of high saturated fat will result in the raise in levels of unhealthy cholesterol in our blood. This increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Some of the red meats are beef, pork, rabbit, goat, lamb and buffalo.

When compared to red meat, white meat has low fat content and hence it is preferred against red meat. It consists of glycogen which is essential to maintain the glucose cycle in our body. White meat is recommended for people with cholesterol problems. For those who are trying to reduce weight and are not able to avoid taking meat, white meat will be the best choice. It provides us with the lean proteins, which helps us reduce weight. Some of the white meats are chicken, fish, turkey and lobsters.

After a long time I met my friend. I could not recognize him. It was he who recognized me because during our college days he was vey fat… but now he looks like a hero. I wanted to share his Secret with you. Most interesting thing in this is without any hard workouts in a week you can reduce your weight by 3-4kg in a week.

Day 1:

Today is the day of vegetables. You can eat boiled or raw vegetables, which constitutes the major portion of your diet, through out the day.

Day 2:

Fruits day…you can even take it in the form of juices, but without vegetables

Day 3:

Mix both vegetables and fruits today…….

Please be strict with the diet and do not take any oily or fat content during these days. The remaining things will be continued in my next post.

Sea foods increase the nutrition level of our diet. Our body needs some important fatty acids such as the Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic (DHA). These two components help to maintain the healthy functioning of Brain and retina.

The production of these fatty acids within our body is minimal and hence we need to look for some external sources for this nourishment. Sea food is one of the best sources for these fatty acids. The omega-3 oils derived from the sea foods decreases the risk of heart attack and high blood pressure. Sea foods are more recommended for pregnant women, since it plays a vital role in the infant’s brain and eye development.

The most important advantage of sea foods is that, it helps to reduce weight. Different oils are being derived from the sea foods which help us prevent various diseases such as asthma, cancer, bronchitis and heart diseases. Sea foods contain natural fatty acids and hence it is recommended against the diet pills. Taking sea foods twice a week will help us maintain a good level of all the fatty acids and we will be able to maintain a good health.

Reducing weight is the major concern for many people in today’s world. Over weight and obesity can lead to various other ailments such as cancer, heart disease, High cholesterol, diabetes, respiratory diseases, stress and lot more. It also reduces our life span. If you want to reduce weight, the first thing to be kept in mind is, you must be focused in reducing your weight, deep from your heart.

Weight loss programs are being conducted all over the world. But we can’t find a true weight loss program with no side effects. Here I suggest some easy techniques that worked out for me to reduce my weight. Every morning, as soon as you wake up, drink two glasses of water followed by a cup of green tea. Green tea consists of phyto-nutrients and it regulates blood glucose and blood lipids. Avoid caffeine and completely switch over to green tea.

Have some boiled vegetable salads treated with pepper along with your breakfast. Avoid food items that have more fat content. Have more of vegetable salads and fruit salads for your lunch. For your dinner, take a food item that is made of wheat (preferable). Between lunch and dinner you can have some cups of green tea. Along with this diet, every morning you must walk for at least half an hour.

It’s not possible to lose weight overnight. Follow this for four to five months continuously and you will lose weight, without the risk of any side effects. This technique takes time, but it is the most effective and healthy way to reduce weight.

It’s that time of the year when the festive mood is in the air and you get invited to parties and restaurants. People often lose out on their diet during this time of the year. So here are a few points to be kept in mind so you don’t gain those extra kilos.

Do not choose fried items:

Fried items are rich in calories. Instead you can choose steamed or boiled items that are as tasty as fried items but contain fewer calories.

Opt for the ala carte:

A buffet displays large choices and we tend to eat more than usual. So order your own dishes rather than going for a buffet.

Split the temptation:

If you can’t resist something sweet share it with a friend. Remember the saying shared joy is double joy.

Don’t be shy:

Go ahead and ask the waiter if the restaurant offers any low fat choices or if regular food stuffs can be cooked with less oil.

Clear the table:

Stop eating when you are full. Ask the waiter to clear the table so you aren’t tempted to nibble.

Don’t overdo:

Be it dressing up the salad or dessert with sauces or cream, don’t overdo it. Just dress them up lightly.

These ways will help you to enjoy the festive season without feeling guilty of having gained those extra kilos.

A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve our health. A healthy diet is needed to keep us protected from chronic health risks and diseases. Healthy diet doesn’t involve strict dieting or being thin. Rather we can enjoy the food we love keeping in account the nutritional requirements of a healthy body.

A healthy diet must be balanced and contain all needed nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins and minerals such as salt, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron etc and adequate amount of fibre.

Carbohydrates provide the basic energy requirement of the body. Grains including rice and wheat and potatoes are good sources of carbohydrates.

Protein is needed primarily for repair and growth of the human body. Protein rich dietary products include animal-based foods such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese and alternative sources such as beans, nut and soy products.

Fat is used in the body for forming cell membranes, oxidized for energy, and can be stored by the body for later use if food intake is inadequate. Fat may be saturated or unsaturated depending on the bonds within the molecules. Source of saturated fats include red meat, whole milk dairy products (like butter, ghee, cream etc), coconut oil, palm oil. Sources of Unsaturated fatty acids are sea foods, soybeans, fish oil, and sunflower oil. Consumption of saturated fats is reported to cause cardiovascular related ailments. Omega fatty acids in fish oil and sunflower oil can reduce risk of heart attacks. It is necessary to keep total fat intake within 20-35% of total calorie intake and to limit saturated fat intake to less than 10% of total calorie intake.

Adequate amount of salt and sugar is required for proper health. But the problem arises on its overconsumption.

Calcium is used by the body to form and maintain bones and teeth and is used in the nervous system. Inadequate supply can result in osteoporosis. Milk contains adequate amount of calcium.

Fibres present in spinach, green leafy vegetables and other vegetables and fruits (especially their skin) are required by our body for proper digestion process and proper movement of the bowels.

There are also different types of vitamins such as A, B1, B2, B12, C, D, E, K and minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron , copper etc which are required for good functioning of our body. These vitamins and minerals are adequately available in various vegetables and fruits and in fish and sea foods.

So, it is not necessary to follow strict dieting philosophies. Rather enjoy the food you love, keeping in mind that it includes all the required nutrients in an adequate way and see to it that you don’t over consume stuffs.

BON APPETITE

Eating a colorful diet reduces the risk of a large number of cancers and keeps you healthy and young. Adding color to the diet adds all the necessary nutrients thereby helping you get a balanced diet. Now let’s have a look at the various colors that can be added to the diet and the common sources of them.

Yellow/Orange

Health benefits: Improves vision, heart health and protects the immune system

Sources : Mango, Oranges, carrots, papaya, musambi, corn

White

Health Benefits: Maintains good cholesterol levels and improves immunity. Improves teeth and bone health

Sources: Potatoes, onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, milk and milk products

Red

Health Benefits: Sustains memory function and urinary tract health

Sources: Tomatoes, Apples, red chilies, strawberries

Blue/Purple

Health Benefits: Promotes memory function and maintains brain health

Sources: Grapes, brinjals, plums, blue or black berries

Green

Health Benefit: Promotes vision, strong bones and teeth, improves the digestive tract

Sources: Lettuce, Greens, broccoli, green beans