Category

Bombay Times – Ask the expert

Category
In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Could you tell me the advantages of going gluten-free?

No Comments

Dear Pooja,
I am a 33-year-old single woman and lean on the heavier side. I’ve tried numerous diets but the effects taper off after a while. I have heard a lot about gluten and how a gluten-free diet is supposed to work wonders. Could you tell me the advantages of going gluten-free? Are gluten-free foods expensive and available easily in the city? Thank you.

 

Gluten-free does not only work wonders but it is the only way one can eat and prevent intestinal damage and other autoimmune diseases – but that is only for those with celiac disease or severe gluten intolerance! For those with these conditions eating gluten can be lethal and can cause severe damage to their intestines thus they are forced to follow a gluten-free diet – no other choice. Ask them how difficult it is to eat regular meals at home or at restaurants and how careful they have to be scrutinizing each product label for even minor traces of gluten in it, which can cause them deadly damage.

In the health and diet industry anything can become a rage or trend. Few prominent people follow it and say they do and lo behold half the world is trying it out. Living off gluten is not easy – imagine your daily diet without access to wheat, barley, rye, barley roti, parathas, biscuits, breads, pasta, noodles, couscous, semolina, spelt even ready to eat soups, processed cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressing, non-dairy creamers, canned baked beans, icecreams, flavoured coffees, breaded foods, cereals, malt vinegar, beer, vodka and the list can go on. Are you prepared to let go of all these foods just so that your body can let go of some weight? Even if you can for while – any results you get will only be for the time you will stay off them – once you start eating gluten all the effects will be difficult to maintain and all the weight lost will be reversed.

Losing weight is not about deletion, it’s about sustenance. Eat all foods but learn the key in terms of quantities and methods of preparations. Start what you can always maintain (lifestyle) so that the effects you get can also always be maintained and you never have to do another weight loss battle again.

 

 

 

Continue Reading
By
In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Help me with my acidity!

No Comments

Dear Pooja,
I am a middle aged woman. I regularly suffer from acidity. Digesting food easily is difficult for me. Even when I fast for the whole day, I suffer from acidity. This is why I have also been unable to gain any weight since a number of years. Although my appetite is normal, the acidity becomes a problem. What should I do?

Acidity is an ailment that we all have suffered from at one time or another. Do remember acidity is a sign our body is trying to give us. The most obvious signaling is because of large gaps between meals. Our gastric lining produces the acid as a means to aid digestion – as its enzymes only activate and function in an acidic medium. When the gaps are too long this acid starts corroding it’s own lining causing ulcers. One of the best ways to neutralize the acid produced is to give it the food, this way the lining of the stomach is always protected and belching, heart burn or acidity is kept well at bay. Fasting sadly is not helping this process unless you eat a fruit or some milk every few hours. One of the easiest ways to eliminate acidity is to eat a fruit within the first half to hour of rising – this helps break the long gap between dinner the night previous and breakfast. Avoid starting your day with caffeine – your must have cuppa of tea or hot coffee first thing in the morning only triggers the acid producing cells to work better and faster. Line the tummy with some food first – if not a fruit then a toast or khakra or a biscuit and let the tea follow 20 minutes later. Acidity may be a minor ailment but if left uncorrected can be the cause many bigger problems like frequent sore throat, nagging recurrent cough, migraines, dental cavities just to name the basic few.

 

 

 

 

 

Continue Reading
By
In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

What should I eat every two hours?

No Comments

Dear Pooja,
I have erratic work hours and don’t get to eat on time. I do carry small snack pouches with walnuts, almonds, anjeer and small boxes of kurmura. I munch on fresh fruits between meetings sometimes. These help me through the day. However, after seven in the evening, sometimes our conference meetings last for continuous hours (8pm to 11pm). I know it is not right to eat late but staying up for so long  (I reach home by midnight) makes me very hungry. What is the ideal food / drink that i can have before i sleep? I cant go to bed so hungry but I dont want to eat anything heavy or anything too sweet.

 

So happy to hear that you have learned the magic of eating small frequent snacks through the day and carry a handbag as heavy as mine – stuffed with more food than any other little things! LOL! Keep that up!

Of course you can’t sleep on an empty stomach – no one can. I know people have their own busy chaotic schedule and food doesn’t fit into the pattern many times. But you are doing a great job through the day and you could continue doing the same through the latter end as well. I’d suggest you should have your dinner early just before you enter these long marathon meetings. It could be simple frankie wraps or stuffed rotis or mixed rice with sprouts and veggies or a sandwich (all of these taste fine even when eaten cold). Through the meetings you could just gobble down a biscuit or some chana on your way in or out  of a quick loo break – that way you still eating two hourly. And then once your home you are not ravenous since you ate a filling meal at 8pm (and every two hours in between) so now you could have a warm soup or a bowl of dal or a cup of milk with little fruit immediately as you reach. By the time you unwind and get into bed a good 30-45 minutes have passed and you are then good to call it a day and snooze! Good luck! And never stop the small frequent snacking.

Continue Reading
By
In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

High levels of testosterone – help me!

No Comments

Dear Pooja,
I am a 22-year-old woman suffering from DHT (which is now above borderline.) I weigh 60 kgs and my height is 1.65.1 cms. I had lost weight almost a year ago and have been on medication for DHT for over a year, yet it has not come in control. I will soon be going abroad for studies and I’m scared of weight gain. I’m very fond of eating eggs. How many times can one consume eggs in a week? Are there other foods that I can eat with eggs, which won’t affect my DHT levels adversely? I suffer from constipation as well. Please suggest a diet I can follow when I’m outside the country.

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a derivative of the male hormone testosterone, is the enemy of the hair follicles on your head. DHT shrinks hair follicles, making it impossible for the healthy hair to survive. Attacking more men than women but sometimes certain factors tied up to the action of hormones, including, ovarian cysts, taking high androgen index birth control pills, pregnancy, menopause or then even heredity can make us more prone to being the victims of DHT attack. Reducing this hormone with medication in conjunction with a balanced nutritious daily eating can help you save your crowning glory in time. Fresh fruits and vegetables will give the essential vitamin A that only promotes a healthy scalp but also promotes hair growth. Thus include at least 2-3 servings of vegetables and fruits each daily, I’d emphasis strongly on glass of fresh raw veggie juice daily which is not difficult whether you live here or any part of the world. Fruits and vegetables also help you procure the B complex vitamins which are very essential for healthy hair growth. Omega 3 is another focal point so try to include some fatty fish in your diet two-three times a week – eggs on the hand can be part of your daily diet. Eat egg whites daily anywhere between two-four a day and a yolk about twice a week depending on your cholesterol levels. These help keep the proteins levels high that is another important trick to prevent unwanted hair loss. Ample water, three-four hours of exercise a week and minimum indulgence with high sugar, high fat foods shall help you maintain healthy weight and hormones levels to nip the problem soon. Good luck!

 

Continue Reading
By
In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Vegetable Juice – Any replacement?

No Comments

Dear Pooja,
I am a 18-year-old girl and my dietician has suggested me that I drink tomato and spinach juice every day. However, I don’t like the taste and find it difficult to drink. Is there an alternative to this?

 

Your dietitian has only your best interest at heart when she recommends a vegetable juice for you daily. If you inculcate the habit of chugging down one fresh glass of potent natural vitamins, minerals and anti oxidants today at 18 years of age you will never need to pill, dermats and ageing treatments at any age. Nutrition from the plate and not a pill. I’m sure the combination is not locked for you and you can take any vegetables (I’d suggest minimum three) of different colours (for a variety of anti-oxidants) to make you juice daily. The key to its magic is immediately preparation and consumption so that no vitamins are lost and oxidized in translation. Add flavours like celery, ginger, lemon, mint and coriander to enhance the taste. Also I would recommend that a minimum of 50 percent of the roughage be retained in the juice so that your fibre intake of the day also gets done. The vegetable juice daily helps in better bowel movements, clearer skin, stronger hair, longer nails, more energy, better stamina, lesser hairloss, improved immunity, reduced episodes of cold and cough……what more can you ask? So go slurp down a glass of veg juice now! All of you.

Continue Reading
By
In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Cheated! How do I get back on track?

No Comments

Dear Pooja,
With Diwali just over, I know I have sinned with my eating and exercise. How do I make up? How do I pick up all the efforts where I left off?

 

 

To err is human, right? Well, to fall off the wagon is expected of many but the intensity and gravity to ‘want’ to get back on is that demarcates achievers from the non-achievers. Clap, roll and drums to those who resisted the temptations the week had to tickle and tempt us with – really will power and motivation is an acquired skill, the more you practice the stronger and more successful you get with it. But the cause to get back on track is also noble and commendable (many lose the way just about here) and good part is that it is not difficult to do the same. The first efforts I’d focus on are to get the total oil/fat intake of the day in control. Be more vigilant in the kitchen if maids are cooking or better still you take the initiative – this is the backbone to controlled calorie intake per day.  Ensure an hour (or may 80mins/day) of cardiovascular activity at least 4-5 times a week – regulated output is the best way to burn the ‘cheats’ committed during the festivities. Regulate, control or avoid any more outside food eaten for the coming week or so – do remember however hard you try the oil quota is difficult to control when you dine out. The key to ‘pick the bus’ where you left off is the keen desire and wiliness to forget the errors and start back immediately – the longer you wait to ‘start back’ the more difficult it is – so for all those (and I’m sure the numbers are a vast majority) who slipped – pull up your socks – you erred but now lets make up, be more vigilant, more committed, more dedicated to cause of getting healthier and slimmer cause ‘where there is a will, there is always a way!’

 

Continue Reading
By
In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Diabetes and Diet

No Comments

Dear Pooja,
I am suffering from diabetes since the last six years. I have tried various diets but none seem to work for me. Ideally, which vegetables should I eat and avoid?

The best most effective way to balance blood sugar levels is to eat every two hours. At the cost of sounding repetitive (over and over again) eating two hourly is the most optimum way to provide fuel to the body. When eating small meals frequently there is never excess rise in the sugar levels that lead to the excess being stored as fat and neither are there lows or drips in the blood sugars levels that lead to binge eating large portions (especially of wrong meals) that soar the sugar to unnecessary levels. I have effectively improved the glycosylated hemoglobin (average sugar control in the body for an average of three months) of so many just by this simple formula of frequent small meals. While trying to control the sugar levels eating two hourly also helps you knock off weight, which in turn again helps in managing the diabetes better. Another ace in the management of diabetes and in general a healthy lifestyle is to clock about three to four hours of cardio a week. All vegetables are good for you Aliyas I wouldn’t worry about vegetables – even a potato upto a 100grams a day is allowed. So start small and simple- break up everything you eat into small eight to ten meals a day and get your diabetes and your health in your hands. Good luck!

Continue Reading
By