The Fast and the Furious Feasters.

Since the time mankind has come to believe in religions, ritual fasting has become an imperative part of most cultures; be it for Hindus who fast during Navratra, Muslims who fast during Ramadan or Jews who fast during Yon Kipper. And since we never back down to start the mud slinging about how bad a particular religious way of fasting is, I decided to look at the whole matter rather objectively and solely from health point of view. Now let me tell you that I have never fasted in my life. Not because I am not spiritual but because I love food way too much; but after knowing what good fasting can do to your body, I am tempted to test my will once again.

Human body is well equipped to handle periods not eating, thanks to our history of our forefathers being hunters and gatherers. Search 'fasting and health' online and you will get more than 34 million results in less than 0.32 seconds, most of them talking about the doctor recommended benefits like how fasting helps in removing toxins, resting your vital organs and weight loss. Now I for once will never recommend fasting as a means to lose weight (I'll tell you why by the end of the post), but I for sure will vouch for the other health benefits that accompanies a fast.

• Burns Fat! Let me explain how our body works. when we eat food, our body utilizes carbohydrate to produce glucose in the body which gives energy. In the absence of food, the stored up glycogen is used to produce energy. When that gets over, our body starts to burn fat. However if you prolong the fast to few days, Ketosis kicks in, meaning the body is using fat as a primary source of fuel. In the short run, it leads to fatigue, soreness and bad breath. In the long run it causes additional stress on the liver and kidney and can cause damage. 
• Fasting may help your heart: Fasting for shorter duration may prevent heart diseases and insulin resistance which is a pre-cursor of diabetes.This again goes out to the fat burning effect of fasting. If you are burning fat cells, chances are your heart will remain block free for longer. 
• It can cut down the risk of cancer: Although still in nascent stages of research, it has been proven that fasting decreases the growth and division of malicious cells in humans. So fingers crossed.

Now the reason I mentioned that I would never fast for the 'weight loss' is because of the tittle of my post. Most of us get so excited by the thought of food after a fast that we forget the whole purpose of a fast. We become voracious eaters and dig on anything and everything. That kills the whole purpose of fasting and shoots down the fundamental theory of '5 small meals a day'. Your body is going to stack up all the calories in double the amount when you feast after a long fast. My advice to those who are fasting- Break your fast with more of fruits and liquids and less of fried and heavy meals. Take a break once you are thorough with the fruits. Take a walk, rest for a while and then sit for the main course. This way you are not only spacing out your meals, but also getting satiated early and avoiding the binge calorie intake. 

5 Ways To Be Beautiful -Instantly!

     Wow that sounded like a Fairness cream commercial! But now that I have your attention, let me clarify, the 5 ways I am going to mention will not bring results immediately, because hello, I am not advising a cosmetic surgery!  But nonetheless these are ways and mean, and simple things that one can include in daily life which can bring about miraculous results and can actually leave you feeling beautiful.
1.       Seasonal Fruits:
-This had to be on top of my list coz (a), I m a nutritionist and fruits play an important part in most of the recommendations and (b) they are the Pandora ’s Box of benefits.
Fruits are the warehouse of all the essential vitamins and minerals which may/ may not be present in other food group but in lesser concentration and hence become pivotal to a good health.  Also it is very important to consume fruits during their natural season because they are most dense in nutrients (sans pesticides and artificial ripening chemicals) during this time.
-Fruits are also very nutrient specific during weather change. This basically means that you will get Oranges and Guavas, which are rich in Vitamin C, only in the winter season because this Vitamin helps boost Immunity- which is most susceptible during winters; and you will get a watermelon only during summers because its High water content and minerals help you stay hydrated and fresh! (yes Nature has some Kickass Logic)
-Also the rich vitamin content (read vitamin C and E especially) make your skin glow and helps maintain its natural elasticity and suppleness.
-You can also watch your weight with fruits because the high fibre content of fruits make you feel satiated faster and helps you consume lesser calories. So thumbs up to a fit physique!
2.       Water:
- Minimum 3 litres and counting. That should be the mantra (unless you have edema or a kidney disorder, in which case you should restrict your intake). There are innumerable benefits of this wonderful liquid. Our body is 70% water (debatable to a higher percentage). It is  a natural detoxificating agent that helps flush out all the toxins from our body (which is also the reason why you are made to drink lot of water after an alcoholic binge as it dilutes the toxin and washes it out). It makes your skin hydrated and brings out a beautiful glow.
-Water is also a very important player in fat metabolism. So if you are really working hard in the gym, trying to get away with the lumps and not getting any results, time to check your water intake.
3.       Omega 3 Fatty Acid:
-This ‘sophisticated sounding oil’ is required by the heart to carry out its functions smoothly. This fatty acid basically helps to increase the Good Cholesterol in our body and take over the bad cholesterol thereby preventing cardiovascular diseases. Healthy heart is healthy you (now I sound like a cooking oil commercial!)
-This omega 3 Fatty acid also improves luster and texture of your hair while also has anti-ageing effect on the skin.
-The easiest way to consume omega 3 fatty acid is to introduce fish in your diet (if you are a non- vegetarian) or flax seeds which can be roasted and chewed-on during the day. Walnuts and soybean are other sources.
4.       Exercise:
-I cannot stress enough on how important exercise is to stay healthy and remain beautiful. Fitness reasons apart, Exercising in any form releases Endorphin- the hormone which make you feel exhilarated and happy and blocks any kind of pain. That's why people become addicted to strenuous forms of exercises and experience "runner's high."
- Working out also releases Dopamine- which is a pleasure hormone( the ‘dope’ in dopamine actually justifies the name;) ) Dopamine helps you relax and makes you feel happy and light, and everyone knows that a happy soul is a beautiful soul.
- Exercise also makes you sweat a lot which opens up the pores in your skin and helps it to breathe. It also increases your blood circulation which can fight skin problems like zits and acne.
5.       Smile:
-This is a cheesy one but so damn true. Even on your worse day, when you know you aren’t feeling your best, a simple smile can make you look gorgeous and wonderful. And this is just not a poetic extract, it is scientifically proven too.  When you smile, even a fake one, your face stretches and the muscular movement helps trigger endorphin (the happy hormone) which make you feel good and boost up your mood. So when you smile, not only are you making others happy, you are doing a huge favour to relieve yourself from stress!
 So Stay Happy, Stay healthy … Stay Beautiful!
 

Drinking is always good!

Now that the tittle got your attention, let me tell you, it's drinking water that we are talking about. Celebrities seem to be carrying a bottle of water everywhere they go. In fact it has become the second most popular drink (after soft drinks). There is an increasing buzz about the benefits of having oodles of water and how it is 'the' solution to all the health problems. While a recent study shows that benefits of water may have been over sold, the hype is still well deserved, and we tell you just how-

• Helps maintain the water fluids in the body:  75% of the Human Body is composed of water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature. Every important function in the body needs water. This explains why, your body can stay without food for days together but it cannot survive for more than 3 days without consuming water.

• Water helps loose fat: If you are on your mission to loose weight, you might want to keep your water intake high. The simple reason is that water plays a very important role in metabolism of fat in the body. So don't forget to sip on water while you sweat it out in the battle of the bulge.

• Your skin will thank you:Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss.Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration. water helps to dilute and flush out toxins out of your systems, thereby minimizing the chances of zits and acne.

• Helps Your Kidneys:Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine. Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate.

• Alcoholics take a note: While 'alcoholics' might be a strong word, the tip goes out to everyone who drinks, even in moderation. Alcohol tends to dehydrate the body, and it is this dehydration that also leads to a more concentrated blood alcohol level thereby causing hangover the next day. So if you want to enjoy your drinks and still be sane the next day, keep sipping water in between your drinks.[might cause you to visit the washroom often, but trust me, its worth it ;) ]

It might not be a magic bullet that cures you instantly, but it is surely your long term companion which will never fail your body if you give your due time and attention  :)

Don't Wait to Loose Weight! See results in a week!

You know you have done everything possible on this earth to make sure that the weighing scale actually favours you. you have tried all sorts of weird diets GM diet, maple syrup diet, detox diet, all liquids diet et.al; but nothing seems to work out for you. Or worst still, you loose pounds real fast only to realize that you have gained double the weight that you had, before you started your adventure with food! I believe, the best way to ensure you get that fab bod, is to start treating your body as friend and not making it your worst enemy, and yes you will still be able to see results in a week's time. Here are some tips to torture the the fat in your body:

1. Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate but only with water:

65-90%of your body is made up of water and there is a reason to that. A fruit smoothie, sports drink, beer, or any other drink can hydrate your body but they also contain 100 or more calories. Moreover these drinks do not satisfy you the way 100 cal of food does, so basically, they are waste. Also these drinks are also high in sodium and carbs which retain water, making you feel puffed out. Water on the other hand is zero in carbs, makes you feel full, hydrate you and detoxify your system. Also water is the most important item in fat mobilization and fat metabolism, i.e without water, fat will not get degraded no matter how much you run on the treadmill! And hey, if water is boring, add a slice of lemon sweet lime or orange.

2. Switch one meal/Snack with fruits:

This can even be your evening tea snacks or your morning breakfast or dinner. Fruits contain more fibre( read fat killers), more water and more vitamins as compared to breads, rice etc. Instead of having that sandwich in the evening have an apple, or instead of having croissant jam and toast in breakfast, have a fruit plate and juice, or instead of having bread, veggies and sizzler at night, have a big bowl full of fruit/ sprouts and salads. The dinner switch is my personal favorite as the lighter you go on your stomach during the later part of the day, the more chances of you losing weight faster and better the chances of you getting up in the morning with a healthy glow! 

3. Drink Coffee 30 minutes before workout:

This is an exception to rule one. Coffee is said to have metabolism inducing power and also help you metabolize fat faster. But this coffee doesn't mean a big cuppa of cappuccino. Preferable that you have black coffee with very little or no sugar. If you must add milk, add skim milk to the tune of 3-4 tablespoon. Coffee also helps you jump-start your body and gives you the additional kick while working out so that you workout better and don't get fatigued soon. Word of caution- Do not go overboard with coffee, it also has dehydrating effects on your body.

4. Make thy Sacrifice:

Make one food sacrifice. Simply by Cutting out one favorite sinful indulgence from your daily list of must haves can create wonders for you. Like stop eating chips  or finger fries or chocolate, whichever is your must haves. Also if you succeed at this the first week, continue with one more food item the next week. This way you'll eliminate all your evils out slowly but surely, and boy will that work wonders!

5. Cardio for just 30 minutes:

 Yes there is no escape to workout, if you want a fit body. Do cardio once in 2 days atleast. Your body will love you if you do this everyday though. Cardio can be in any form- be it running for 20 minutes, brisk walk, jogging, climbing up and down the stairs instead of using the stairs, getting off the bus one stop earlier so that you get the extra mile to walk back home, skipping,  or jumping...anything. But yes make that body work.

And yes here is a special tip- if you want to look slimmer in for the camera, stand in a slightly diagonal angle, chin up and hold your hands slightly away from your body- this should do the trick ;)

Happy slimming!

That Red Hot Thing!

Red is in! As a matter of fact it has always been in! Oh and I am not just talking about Red in your wardrobe. I am talking about the good old apple. Most of us forget, that usually in life, the simplest answers are the best ones. Answers to some of the biggest health problems can be as simple as grabbing an apple next time around you are hungry. Here’s telling you how an apple can do wonders to your health by merely replacing some of your routine food munching with the magic fruit.

1. Replace your morning tea with Apple:

Most of us need to have that morning cup of tea simply to get up from the bed and start afresh. Try replacing your morning shot of caffeine with an apple. In a study published in the journal of Foods and nutrition, it is mentioned that apple in known to be a better stimulant than caffeine and helps you stay awake and alert in a much better way than caffeine. Also caffeine tends to dehydrate your body while apple, due to its fibre content, helps to absorb more water.

2. Whiter Pearlies:

Biting and chewing and apple produces more saliva, which helps you prevent tooth decay by lowering levels of bacteria. Also Apple helps maintain PH balance of the teeth and prevents bad breath. So while an apple can't replace your toothbrush, it sure can whiten your teeth.

3. Bye Bye cholesterol, hello fibre:

Apples are rich in fibre. The soluble fibre in apples helps binds the fat in intestine thereby lowering the cholesterol levels in your body. Also the fibre in the apple help induce satiety i.e. one tends to feel full soon- over eating issue solved!

4. Curb Cancer:

The consumption of flavonol rich apples could help reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by upto 23 percent. compounds like triterpenoids, in apple peel have anti growth properties act against cancer cells in liver, colon and breasts.

5. Detoxify:

Detoxification-The much hyped and most googled word around (makes me feel I should have started the article with this; would have increased the hits...sigh!) We constantly keep on having foods and drinks that tend to over burden our liver. It becomes important that once in a while we go slow and detoxify our systems. While doctors recommend detoxification, they are mostly skeptical of the fad diet way that people adopt to cleanse the system. Having combination of apple and green tea is perhaps the best way to detoxify your liver as apple provides the sufficient fibre and micronutrients, green tea helps regulate metabolism.

6. Why red is Hot! :

Red apples contain an antioxidant called quercetin. Studies have found that quercetin can help boost and fortify your immune systems, especially when you are stressed out.

So go red- its your green signal!

Choice is Always yours!

Do I stay in this blood sucking job or move out? Do I go to this party or catch up on the much needed sleep? Do I meet my friend for drinks or do I go for my jog? These are just one of the million questions that puts you in that tug of war situation every day . But the most important thing is YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE, no matter what the situation is.

Same goes for your food too! you always have a choice to cutting down on some unwanted calories and instead eating something much healthier...the only problem here is do we realise how much of junk are we actually consuming? And what is the better alternative to that. So I did a little research (in my fridge ) and these are some of the foods I found worth the battle.

1. Red Meat V/S lean Meat or chicken

If you are a beef/ mutton/ pork lover, a word of caution-You run the risk of all the fancy diseases in the world like CVD, Diabetes, of and not to mention Obesity of course.The plain reason for this is its high cholesterol and saturated fatty acid content. Switch to lean cuts of meat, cold cuts and chicken. when you go shopping, look for labels like low fat pressed meat (in meat). This simple switch will help you a dratically in your quest to stay fit and glowing.

2.  Wine V/S light beer:

I know most of you answer of choice would be wine coz we all know and have read about wine being oh so healthy (I vouch for that). But the winner here is light beer, i.e if you are trying to drop a few kilos. Most light brews have fewer calories than wine- 103 calories, on an average, per bottle versus 125 calories for a medium glass of wine. Plus light beer contains roughly two and a half times more water than wine does, which will help you feel more hydrated and full and less inclined to go to the snack bar!

3.Pasta with white sauce V/S Pasta with red sauce:

Always go for pasta with red sauce rather than one with white sauce.White sauce pasta has mayonnaise(read FAT) and refined flour. So this time don't stop when you see red!


4. The Breakfast swap

Swap from whole milk to semi-skimmed, 1% fat or even skimmed milk.Swap a sugar-coated breakfast cereal for a wholegrain breakfast cereal such as porridge or shredded wholegrain wheat cereal, with no added sugar.Swap a sprinkle of sugar on your breakfast cereal for a topping of fresh or dried fruit, which counts towards one of your five a day.

5. Mint Chutney V/S Coconut chutney:

One teaspoon mint chutney- 3 kcal Approx, one teaspoon cocnut chutney- 24 kcal.( the figures are approx) the choice is yours now!

These were just some comparisons which will come handy to you next time you are stuck in food dilemma. Now the choice is yours.
Happy eating! 

Are you (Wo)man enough to Lift weights?

More often than  not, I come across women dreading the thought of lifting weights as a part of their fitness program and I fail to understand why.  Ladies, you are genetically built in a way, very different from your counter parts, so don't think that if you lift weights and do those push ups, you'll become a hulk. You will definitely not unless you are on steroid shots! Let me tell you why weight training is a good idea for you:

1. Lifting weights burn calories. So while you take effort in doing Cardio and running on the treadmill, make sure that you also concentrate on doing some amount of weight training as it helps loose fat and develop lean muscle mass. Also make sure you follow up with a healthy low fat high protein diet to stack up on lean body mass.
2. Since doing weights helps in developing lean body tissues, it makes you more active and energetic. Women who do weights regularly, complain less of lethargy and fatigue than women who do only cardio.
3. If you are looking to loose weight, doing weight training along with Cardio, helps you achieve your target weight in a more shapely way. It is observed that women who loose weight by plain dieting/ cardio end up having a sagging body and loose skin. Muscle building helps you to tone up your muscle and make you look sexier than before.
4.  If you lift weights while on a weight gain diet you will not look fat. In reality you will be performing fat burning in the gym while building muscle. Reduce the fat around a tight, toned muscle and other will notice.
5. It increases bone density and helps fight osteoporosis.
6. It also helps in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Like I said before, you will not gain excess muscle mass like men unless you are on steroids. Men and women have different sets of hormones, And not every man who works out looks like Batista either.You need to be on an overdose of testosterone to be able to look beefed up. So any muscle gain you get as a result of diet and training will only serve to accentuate the feminine shape you already have. You will look sexy and feel better about yourself!

So don't be scared to pump up some iron yourself- trust me, you'll feel the difference.

Reading A food Label

The following label building skills are intended to make it easier for you to use nutrition labels to make quick, informed food choices that contribute to a healthy diet.
The Nutrition Facts Label - An Overview:
The information in the main or top section can vary with each food product; it contains product-specific information (serving size, calories, and nutrient information). The bottom part contains a footnote with Daily Values (DVs) for 2,000 and 2,500-calorie diets. This footnote provides recommended dietary information for important nutrients, including fats, sodium and fiber. The footnote is found only on larger packages and does not change from product to product.

Tips to use food labels effectively:
· Pay attention to the serving size, especially how many servings there are in the food package. Then ask yourself, "How many servings am I consuming"? (e.g., 1/2 serving, 1 serving, or more) · Keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.
· The % Daily Values are based on the Daily Value recommendations for key nutrients according to the specified caloric diet (e.g.2000 cal diet)
· To limit nutrients that have no %DV, like trans fat and sugars, compare the labels of similar products and choose the food with the lowest amount.
· Hypertensive people and people with renal disorders should pay special attention to sodium content of the food. Also check out for preservatives like sodium benzoate. Avoid these.
· Look out for terms like- ‘high fiber’, ‘low fat’, ‘no preservative’, ‘sugar free’, ‘0 trans fat’, ‘cholesterol free’, ‘no MSG’; to ensure that you are picking out a healthy option.