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Genie in a diet

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As weight loss resolutions ring in the New Year, I’d like to talk to you about what to expect from your weight loss plan.Treat your weight loss plan like a genie. Expect things from it. Asking for just weight loss is like asking a genie for a kite or a pencil or a sharpener.Anyone can give you that. But if you are going to take control of your weight, if you make changes in the way you eat, shouldn’t you expect better returns on your diet? Here’s what should be on your wishlist…

PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS

If you choose a diet that focuses only on losing weight, it will ignore other issues like metabolism and overall health. Your diet needs to guarantee permanent weight loss, i.e., where the weight does not come back if you eat `normally’.

INCREASED METABOLISM

A good diet should kickstart your metabolism and actually increase it.Eating every two hours is the secret to stable weight loss.When my clients burst through the door telling me, `I lost 3 kilos!’, I am never impressed. The first question I ask them is, `Did you eat every two hours?’ Because without that, I know (from my experience with all my clients) that the 3 kilos are going to come back.

FAT LOSS

If you don’t lose fat, you lose muscle. And the more muscle you lose, the higher is your body fat percentage. That in turn leads to storage of more fat. Any meal plan low on calories starves you and ensures that your body uses muscles for its daily functioning, which is detrimental to any long-term weight loss goal.

OVERALL HEALTH, ENERGY, WELL-BEING

How are you feeling? This is something no weighing scale or blood test will be able to tell you. Do you get up in the morning feeling lively? Do you feel that you have a better attention span? Do you feel less irritable? Your energy levels should remain more or less the same throughout the day: there should be no major highs or lows. Your blood sugar levels should be consistent and stable. Your overall health and well-being is the ultimate test of the success of any weight loss programme.

Whatever you do, don’t give up. And this year, when it comes to weight loss, I want you to take the same pride a marathoner takes crossing the finish line. If you are here to beat, win, compete, compare, you are measuring yourself against people, bodies and deadlines that aren’t yours. Don’t look over your shoulder. Forget about who’s catching up and who’s running ahead.

Your job is to finish. Be a finisher. That will be your victory.

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Free to be

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This Independence Day as we ponder over freedom, let’s contemplate our relationship with food. When it comes to nutrition, are we truly free? Or do we feel bound by a plethora of conflicting information? Can we ever be free to eat whatever we want?
If weight loss and maintenance are our goals, then some foods are born more equal than others. But if it’s the numerous and contradictory instructions that are bogging you down, you can, to some extent, be free of rigid diet rules if you follow this simple colour-coded food philosophy.

ORANGE

Orange foods include papaya, carrot, apricots and more. Carrot prevents cancer, helps us see better and slows down aging. Papaya boosts the immune system and safeguards us against disease. Apricots are bursting with iron, potassium and fibre. And let’s not forget pumpkin: every part of this delicious vegetable is brimming with goodness, right down to the seeds. Orange you glad you read this!

BROWN

Brown can turn your frown upside down.

Revel in the benefits of brown foods which include nuts, potatoes, ginger and quinoa. Potatoes are loaded with vitamin B6 ­ vital to the building of new cells. Ginger’s medicinal role has been well documented. Walnuts and almonds help with the prevention and management of diabetes. And Quinoa like the humble egg white is one of the purest sources of protein ­ a 100% reference protein which means it has all the nine essential amino acids needed by our body.

WHITE

Lean white meats, egg whites, onion and garlic represent the white corner. Chicken and turkey are fantastic sources of lean protein, but egg white is one of the BEST sources of protein there is. Onions are potent anti-inflammatories and garlic is a brilliant antioxidant, both of which form the base for many cuisines.

GREEN

Kale, asparagus, green beans, spinach, broccoli, edamame, basil, capsicum, green tea ­ go green to get lean. The leafy greens are wonderful sources of nutrients, anti-oxidants and boost your health quite like nothing else.

Of course, this is not to say that other foods not mentioned here -like dals, and other sabzis -are not healthy or that you should not eat them, neither should we eat the above without moderation. Oil, fat, quantity and sugar intake must be monitored while preparing these foods so that you can get the best of them. And add some colour to your life.

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7 deadly skin sins

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How you age is not just a matter of your genes. Your skin is pretty much a reflection of your lifestyle, which, in turn, is all about how you eat, drink and live. If you are moaning and groaning over why your skin is suddenly looking dull, lifeless, tired or just old, check if you haven’t committed one or more of the seven deadly skin sins.

  1. DEHYDRATION

Are you getting enough water? Dehydration could be the reason why you look older than you are, and wrinkled. Lack of this wonderfully replenishing lifesaver dries out your skin -your body’s largest organ -and dry skin is more susceptible to wrinkling than hydrated skin. You need about 8-12 glasses or about 2-3 litres of water a day. It will help you slow down, or even reverse, the aging process.

  1. FOODS HIGH IN SUGAR AND FAT

You see the effects of oxidation all around you ­ the rotting of fruit is the best example. When oxygen in the air comes in contact with the fruit, it slowly turns brown and eventually rots. Oxidation, while occurring naturally outside the body, is harmful if it occurs inside your body. Inside, the process of oxidation releases `free radicals’ that slowly damage organs, including the skin, aging it. Certain things we eat and drink, like fried or sugary foods,  are oxidants. Antioxidant foods (green teas, fresh fruits and vegetables) reverse the oxidation process.

  1. CAFFEINE

Caffeine, found in teas, coffees, cola drinks etc., cause oxidative stress and are also dehydrating. They leave you more  thirsty than when you started.

  1. ALCOHOL

Like caffeine, alcohol is the ultimate aging double whammy ­ it is high in sugar, which causes oxidative stress, and dehydration. Alcohol strips your skin of nourishment.

  1. SMOKING

Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant, and is also known as a free radical scavenger. Smoking depletes your body’s quota of Vitamin C, and adds even more free radicals, fast-tracking the aging process. Add leafy greens and citrus fruits in your diet. Quit smoking.

  1. NO VEGETABLE JUICE

Vegetable juices are fantastic antioxidants that brim with nourishing and healing properties. In a mixer, not a juicer, blend the juice of three raw vegetables. Add about half the pulp back to the glass, some water and season to taste. Drink up daily to look younger.

  1. SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Sleep is when your skin repairs itself.

If you are not clocking enough sleep hours, you may be aging ahead of your time. There’s a reason it’s call `beauty sleep’.

Now, the good news. All of the above are self-in ducked, lifestyle choices, old habits that can be broken. It doesn’t matter how old you are, the power to look young, fresh and healthy is more in your K hands than you think

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Genie in a diet

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As weight loss resolutions ring in the New Year, I’d like to talk to you about what to expect from your weight loss plan. Treat your weight loss plan like a genie. Expect things from it. Asking for just weight loss is like ask ing a genie for a kite or a pencil or a sharpener. Anyone can give you that. But if you are going to take control of your weight, if you make changes in the way you eat, shouldn’t you expect better returns on your diet? Here’s what should be on your wish list…

PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS

If you choose a diet that focuses only on losing weight, it will ignore other issues like metabolism and overall health. Your diet needs to guarantee permanent weight loss, i.e., where the weight does not come back if you eat `normally’.

INCREASED METABOLISM

A good diet should kick start your metabolism and actually increase it. Eating every two hours is the secret to stable weight loss. When my clients burst through the door telling me, `I lost 3 kilos!’, I am never impressed. The first question I ask them is, `Did you eat every two hours?’ Because without that, I know (from my experience with all my clients) that the 3 kilos are going to come back.

FAT LOSS

If you don’t lose fat, you lose muscle. And the more muscle you lose, the higher is your body fat percentage. That in turn leads to storage of more fat. Any meal plan low on calories starves you and ensures that your body uses muscles for its daily functioning, which is detrimental to any long-term weight loss goal.

OVERALL HEALTH, ENERGY, WELL-BEING

How are you feeling? This is something no weighing scale or blood test will be able to tell you. Do you get up in the morning feeling lively? Do you feel that you have a better attention span? Do you feel less irritable? Your energy levels should remain more or less the same throughout the day: there should be no major highs or lows. Your blood sugar levels should be consistent and stable. Your overall health and well-being is the ultimate test of the success of any weight loss programme.

Whatever you do, don’t give up. And this year, when it comes to weight loss, I want you to take the same pride a marathoner takes crossing the finish line. If you are here to beat, win, compete, compare, you are measuring yourself against people, bodies and deadlines that aren’t yours. Don’t look over your shoulder. Forget about who’s catching up and who’s running ahead.

Your job is to finish. Be a finisher. That will be your victory.

 

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Baby Love

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You’ve been married for a few years and you feel it’s time to get pregnant.

You’d like to increase your chances of fertility. What should you do?

FOR STARTERS, EAT RIGHT

The National Infertility Association in the US recently stated that almost 30 per cent, or nearly one-third, of infertility cases are due to `weight extremes’, i.e., where the woman is either excessively overweight or underweight. This matters because even a five per cent reduction in weight can improve chances of having a baby. That’s what the study revealed. And, at the other end of the spectrum, women with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of less than 18.5 could have problems with ovulation or menstrual cycles, and by extension, conception.

In other words, there is a definite correlation between nutrition and fertility.

Can you eat your way into pregnancy?
In short, `yes’ (all other indicators being normal), but the answer is also two-fold.

First, a sensible diet -and here, I stress on sensible -will reduce your weight if you are overweight. Protein, fats, carbs, vitamins and minerals must be represented in their recommended quantities for you to nourish you body and lose weight at the same time. Fad and crash diets will starve your body of crucial nutrients that are needed for conception. Please note that, like breathing or digestion, conception is also a bodily function that needs adequate nourishment.

Second, it’s not just eating right, it’s also about eating smart. There are foods that boost ovulation. Iron-rich diets -foods like beans, eggs, dals, whole grains, spinach -reduce the chances of ovulatory infertility. And while folic acid doesn’t boost fertility, it is vital for the prevention of neural tube defects.

Note: The neural tube is what ultimately develops into the baby’s spine and brain 3-4 weeks into the pregnancy ­ a time when most women may not even be aware that they are carrying a baby.

Additionally, a group of Harvard researchers has created the `fertility diet’, designed to boost fertility, bringing about a 66 per cent reduction in risk of ovulatory infertility for those who suffered from it, and an additional 27 per cent reduction in the possibility of infertility from other causes. Key elements of the diet include…z Less bad fats, like trans fats, and more good fats like mono saturated fats (olive oil and avocados) z More vegetable protein, like dals, and lesser animal protein (chicken, mutton, pork, etc.) z More fibre z Multivitamins z More vegetarian sources of iron as opposed to non-veg sources.

MEN, WATCH YOUR DIET

And it’s not just the women. Men need to keep a watch on their diets too. Aspiring fathers also need to maintain their weight and eat right because male obesity impacts testosterone and other hormone levels. In addition, low sperm count and low motility are conditions that are more common in overweight and obese men.

There’s nothing strange or different about eating for fertility. Watch what you eat, watch your weight and watch yourself as you create a new life and with it, induct yourself into one of the world’s biggest societies: parenthood.

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Kid gloves

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It won’t be an exaggeration to say that many of the eating patterns that we as adults have adopted are a throwback to when we were kids. Our first associations of sweets are with happy occasions. Cakes on birthdays, laddoos for good exam results…We do not have the tradition to celebrate with fruit or with a nice, gleaming, fresh, chunky salad. Sigh. Ah well, that’s life.

It’s crucial to nurture healthy relationships with food at an early age so that every meal is a happy one later in life. If food is used as a bribe from an early age, the child will grow into an adult who uses food for reasons other than its purest need ­ nutrition. And we all know what that leads to. While the following may sound lofty, you’d be surprised at how even the smallest at tempts to change behaviour can go a long way in altering our fundamentally bad relationships with food.

TRY NOT TO REWARD, PACIFY OR PUNISH WITH FOOD

This is probably the hardest to enforce. Which parent has not given into a child’s tantrums or tried to make him happy after a sad day at school by baking his favourite treat? The reason I put `try’ instead of `don’t’ is because 100% implementation is quite simply, not feasible. But, as a parent, do not give in to the urge to constantly use food as a bribe. Pacifying your little ones with his or her favourite treats leads to a greater dependence on emotional eating as an adult.

EXPLAIN, DON’T FORCE

This method works best when trying to ban sugary drinks or treats or an overload of fat. “Because I said so“  is unfortunately no longer enough to stop a child. Make your kids understand the impact of what excess sugar actually does to their teeth or how it slows down their academic performance or even their level of physical activity.

MODERATE, DON’T DEPRIVE

Forbidden sweets are always, pardon the pun, sweeter. Moderate the intake of unhealthy food but don’t ban it altogether. You could, for example, set up a system where your child gets one treat a day: you could let THEM choose where they’d like their sugar from: chocolate, flavoured milk or eating at a birthday party. You could also allow them to choose their own time and environment to eat it in, giving them a better sense of control over the process. If they know they can still dip into their favourite treats once in a while, exercising restraint at other times becomes easy… on both your child and you.

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That lovin feeding

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When love is in the air, it’s always good to have romance on your plate. Foods that promote that lovin’ feeling have been around since the time of the ancient Greeks, if not earlier. While some -like chocolate or whipped cream -have dubious nutritive value even if they make you feel good, there are other healthier options that boost the feel-good chemicals in your brain. These chemicals include dopamine and serotonin. Other foods boost your energy levels. So if you are going to shop for foods this Valentine’s, here are some healthy choices…

ARUGULA

This peppery passion food has been thought of an aphrodisiac for over 2,000 years. Brimming with antioxidants and minerals that help fight environmental contaminants (that interfere with the libido), you can use this versatile food as a main salad or as a crunchy side dish.

AVOCADO

This little green man has got the V-Day nod since the time of the Aztecs. While there is some debate over whether it’s a genuine aphrodisiac, there is absolutely no debate about its health benefits: high levels of vitamin E and energy booster.

CHERRIES

Cherries brim with `happy’ vitamins like A, C and E, not to mention minerals like potassium, iron, magnesium and more. It also has an antioxidant (melatonin), which helps with regulating heart function.

OLIVE OIL

It was the Greeks who believed that olive oil boosted male virility. It also helps with the production of hormones, with blood flow, and contributes to a healthy heart.

POMEGRANATE

This little red jewel works well for the flow of blood, apart from being a versatile and delicious food.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

High in magnesium, pumpkin seeds have been known to increase testosterone in the blood stream.

STRAWBERRIES

A more familiar addition to the love menu, strawberries are packed with vitamin C, great for blood flow to all parts of the body.

WATERMELON

This luscious fruit is associated with pumping up circulation and relaxing blood vessels. Additionally, lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, loves watermelon so much that it’s made quite a home for itself in it. Eat watermelon to be both healthy and happy.

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Good going on bad

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I remember going into a restaurant for a meal, and while explaining my love for fresh, healthy ingredients to the chef, we had a fun discussion about healthy menus. My order seemed to have set him off on the wonders of green leafy vegetables, and the versatility of eggs. The chef planned to introduce a menu packed with fresh produce, veggies, fruits and the usual `low-cal-bursting-with-goodness’ suspects. And, he added with a minor flourish, everything would be cooked in olive oil.

How much, I asked him, to which he replied, as much as the dish needs. This got me thinking. And writing.

Healthy foods, no matter how good they are for you, have to be subjected to portion controls as well. Just because they are fat-free, doesn’t mean that they won’t make you gain weight, and cause other related health complications. You can’t mindlessly eat anything, I’m afraid, and even healthy food has to be eaten in moderation. Over-indulgence can pretty much cancel out any major health benefit. Some food for thought.

OLIVE OIL IS STILL OIL

Even though it’s excellent from a health perspective, one teaspoon of any oil is about 45 calories. While the idea, of course, is not to focus on calories and instead, revel in the nutritive value of food, it takes 3,500 extra unburned calories to gain a pound of weight. And add that little bit more pressure on your heart.

NO TRANS-FAT DOESN’T MEAN NO-FAT

Health regulations have mandated that manufacturers state the use of trans-fats in their foods. Which has, of course, led to a slew of products, claiming that they have `no-trans-fat’. They may be right but you still need to watch out for other saturated fats on their labels.

LOW-FAT IS NOT LOW-CALORIE

Similarly, just because a product is marked `lowfat’ doesn’t mean it is low calorie. To pump up the taste factor, extra sugar can sometimes be added, negating any health benefit in the process.

YOU CAN’T GO NUTS OVER NUTS

Nuts are rich in nutrients, good fats, and a whole host of heart warming things but some -especially cashews and macadaemia -can be high in fat content, so their consumption must be regulated. Restrict consumption of nuts to no more than 50 gm per day if you are not trying to lose weight or if your doctor is okay with it. Else, nix the nuts entirely.

SMOOTHIES CAN BE ROUGH

Blended milk with fruit can sound healthy but in fact, isn’t. Blending fruit (in a mixer or juicer) strips the fruit of its fibre, leaving behind the active sugary compound, fructose. And fructose is a simple sugar that can spike your blood sugar level, enabling excess con sumption to be stored as fat. The same principle can be applied to fruit juices. Eliminate, if possible, all consumption of fruit juice from your diet, unless specified by your doctor or nutritionist.

Try vegetable juices, and make it a daily habit.

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Be label consious

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It’s the tiniest print that you mostly overlook. But reading your food labels carefully will do your body -and your family -a great service. While it’s not easy to avoid processed foods entirely, you can at least pick the ones that are relatively healthier than the rest .But how do you tell the difference?
There are definite heroes and villains in the supermarket landscape hiding in plain sight. Some hide under the cloak of long, scientific names. Spot them and drop them. There’s a school of thought that says that if you can’t pronounce them, you shouldn’t eat them. That’s probably not a bad idea.

But, given the plethora of ingredients, if you had a choice, what would you definitely eliminate? I’d recommend giving a permanent send-off to the following bad boys:

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS)

HFCS is cheaper to make than sugar, and is therefore used widely as an ingredient to sweeten your favourite snack or store-bought dessert. It’s bad for you. I don’t know what’s more worrying: HFCS’s obvious sugar content, or its linkages to inflammation, obesity, heart disease and diabetes, or the fact that it doesn’t allow your body to correctly process its signals of satiety ­ which means that eating HCFS products could lead to overconsumption. In other words, thanks to this ingredient, you are eating more calories than you actually consume.

MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG)

Just don’t. MSG has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease as well as migraines, tiredness, depression, heart arrhythmias and the destruction of your brain cells. And it’s not just found in processed foods. As MSG is actually an ingredient similar to salt in its flavour profile, it is used to season Asian foods. Ask for no MSG when ordering, and definitely give it a miss when buying.

ASPARTAME, SUCRALOSE, SORBITOL

All of these are artificial sweeteners and can be found in diet drinks, chewing gum and a host of low-calorie products. Artificial sweeteners are associated with brain cancer ­ how’s that for starters? Migraines, memory loss, nausea, dizziness, joint pain and fat storage are also attributed to them. It seems a bit ironic that artificial sweeteners in `diet’ drinks encourage you to store more fat. But you can be sure that they do.

ARTIFICIAL COLOURING

Many foods -especially children’s foods -have artificial colouring. It’s what makes the drink so red, the muffins so blue or the chips so inviting. Either way, these food dyes have a host of health risks. To be more specific, when you look at the label, look for Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Red 3, all of which are linked to cancer.

Like it or not, just because an ingredient’s link to a disease has been established, it doesn’t mean it’ll be off the shelves. Aspartame, for example, was banned by the American FDA a record eight times before it was finally accepted, despite overwhelming research that it had serious side effects. Food dye Red 3’s link to cancer is widely known, but it’s still available in products. Unhealthy is not always illegal. Whatever you do, keep reading ­ not just the labels but also keep doing your research on additives, oils, sodium and more.

Be label conscious, and wear the mantle of good health.

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Overworked and undernourished

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Your diary is over flowing. Your schedule is packed to the brim. You are rushing from office meetings to social engagements. You catch up on sleep during your commute, or when your boss isn’t looking. You are successfully maintaining your hectic schedule… but there’s something amiss. You don’t feel like you used to ­ you are tired all the time, keep falling sick, and get irritated quickly. It could be because you are overworked and undernourished. Food is pretty much fundamental to your well-being and provides the `Go’ to your Get-Go. You need to arm yourself with the following food fighters.

PROTEIN

Protein is the best way to build your internal soldiers, to fight disease, to repair wear and tear. You can’t do without protein. But when I talk about this vital macronutrient, I’m talking about quality protein. Choose lean protein like eggs (egg whites), fish, white meats like chicken and turkey, dals, and quinoa. You don’t want protein that’s rich in saturated fats, like red meat. Additionally, while protein is elemental, it’s also important not to OD on it. The recommended `dosage’ is one gram for every kilo of ideal body weight.

VITAMIN C

Vitamin C is a beautiful immunity booster. To understand how it works is to first understand the process of oxidation. Oxygen, while something we cannot live without, also creates reactions with other compounds causing destruction. Rotting fruit is the best example. Breathing in oxygen results in the development of molecules called free radicals. And if your free radicals aren’t being flushed out regularly, they could cause significant damage and may lead to diseases like cancer and more. Vitamin C is a free radical scavenger .Eat amla, kiwi and other vitamin C-rich foods to prevent diseases.

VITAMIN B12

Vitamin B12 has a direct impact on both your immunity as well as the speed of your recovery. A note for vegetarians and vegans: B12 is found only in animal-based foods, including dairy and eggs. So it’s better to take a doctor-approved B12 supplement to maintain adequate levels of this particular nutrient.

ZINC

Too little zinc affects white blood cells’ strength and with it, immunity. You can find zinc in poultry, nuts, whole grains, beans, dairy products, and even in certain breakfast cereals. Children are especially vulnerable to lower levels of zinc. Be conscious of that while preparing meals for them.

Whatever you do, don’t ever starve yourself ­ intentionally or by accident.

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