hypertension

Dear Pooja,
I am a 33-year-old woman. I have two children — while my first born was a normal delivery, i had a C-section for my second one. However, both were premature babies, born at just seven months. After my deliveries, I started gaining weight and from 60kgs, I reached 76kgs. I admit I do not have healthy eating habits — irratic timings and junk food are to blame. This has caused health problems like high cholesterol, spondylitis, spine problems and fatigue. I’ve finally reached a point where I want to follow a healthy diet and lose weight. What foods should I eat and what should I absolutely avoid? Please help.

Aaliya just so many of us women forget all about our body and its needs when motherhood dawns on us that we wake up just when too many alarms signs are screaming in our face- diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension and the list can be long. Maternal fat does not have to be eternal. We must realize that by ignoring our health and nutrition it will take a toll on the health of the whole family. Only a women that has a good diet can have good energy levels, good moods, less pms, better memory, more patience and understanding, better multi-tasking, more alertness and isn’t that what we women are all about? Family, children, work and the many relationships we marry are all before us, but don’t put them before your health. Post delivery focus on basic good nutrition and exercise. Anyways it’s never too late. Do get in touch with a good nutritionist so that she can plan a healthy weight loss diet keeping all your health parameters in mind. Sadly I wont be able to do the same through this space.

Dear Pooja,
On various foods, from packaged foreign mayonnaise to even chocolate syrup that you add to milk, I find this common ingredient as an additive – high fructose corn syrup. I have read that this ingredient can cause health problems such as diabetes and so on in the long run. Please tell me more about this suspect ingredient.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is the hidden adversary that has crept its way into so many of our packaged foods ranging from baked goods to dairy products, carbonated beverages and almost every sweetened product in the market today. HFSC is sweeter and cheaper than cane sugar and thus used so widely in so many commodities. But this is bad to the last drop. Corn industry promotes that corn sugar is the same as cane sugar when it is not. The biochemistry breakup of cornstarch is very different in the glucose-fructose combination of cane sugar – where it is very easy for the body to break up the HFCS and easily increase blood sugar levels leading to more lipogenesis (fat storage) in the liver. Thus increasing incidence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and more. It is also claimed that HFCS has high levels of mercury that can be toxic to us. All in all HFCS is not natural food product and if you read it on labels you can be sure that the product is not a whole real fresh food full of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidant and if you want to stay healthy then stay away from multiple products rich in high fructose corn syrup.

Post pregnancy weight loss – help me!

High fructose corn syrup – tell me more!