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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Eggs are bad for me?

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Dear Pooja,
I have been an egg lover for years but now that I have reached almost 35, people say i must not have so many eggs in one day. I am not fat, just a little overweight but I end up eating too many eggs in a day. (around three at least) People have asked me to stop eating yolks but that is the tastiest part of the egg, so i cannot! I walk three to four times a week for around 45 minutes… and that is the only exercise i ever do. Should I stop eating eggs? Are they really bad for my age?
Please advise.

Eggs and bad? Never! How can something that has so much nutrition and so little calories ever be bad for you? At only 16 calories, the egg white provides a massive 4 grams of protein and is a 100% reference protein, which means that it all has all the nine amino acids needed for full utilisation by the body. Thus I can easily say that consuming about three to four egg whites can be a safe number for most adult to have on a daily basis. Yes, depending on you lipid profile and other healthy parameters, the number of yolks you can have weekly will have to be decided. The yolk may be tasty (for some) but there is some caution needed while having this daily – therefore discuss this with your doctor or nutritionist to get the exact count.

But egg whites are the safest, healthiest and most easily accessible form of complete protein that one should try and include daily. It helps one get better muscle tone, weight loss, stronger and longer hair and nails, lesser sugar cravings, better stamina, more attention and retention powers while studying, lesser aches and pains and this list is endless. Therefore let nobody fool you into stopping the egg whites Shikha, enjoy them daily – guilt free!

 

 

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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Do I need a detox???

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Dear Pooja,

I am 37, 58 kg, and my height is 5.1. Last year I had taken a herbal slimming pill for one month (LIDA) and lost around 10Kg. had felt energetic and less hungry and great during that time but, my bowel movement which had always been regular till then, went haywire – once in two days etc. I stopped after a month and in two months came back to my previous weight of 56-58kg. Just wanted to know what should one eat that acts as laxatives and keeps the system clear? What can help to detox? Which foods can help? I am a non-vegetarian and rarely have vegetables and fruits.

 

If there were such an easy way to lose weight (and maintain it) would more than half of the world’s population be overweight? There are no short cuts to weight loss darling I hope you have realized that now (perhaps the hard way). Each of these short cuts – pills, creams, starvation fads, machines – all come with their bag full of side effects – constipation, hair loss, headaches, joint aches, blood pressure fluctuation, brittle nails, dull skin and the list is endless.

You ask me about detox, why should one need it? If you eat food in moderation (healthy and unhealthy), drink ample water, exercise three-fours a week – your body knows how to purge and clean itself – that is the magically power of this human body. By torturing (yes, its sometimes even more harsh than torture) with pills and medication or starvation in the name of weight loss – that is when your body needs a detox – not from food but from these unhealthy practices. God has gifted each of us one magically body – that relentlessly works 24*7 like clockwork – learn to respect this temple. Nourish it with food not pills and you will never need doctors, nutritionists, dermatologists and the like again.

And lastly you asked me about constipation and how to relieve it – well you also did give the answer yourself – you eat no fruits and vegetables! If do not provide the fibre and roughage then how can you expect to have clear bowel movements? Include at least four to five vegetables and fruits (whichever you like from the vast bounty that is available) servings a day along with adequate hydration and you should be able to help yourself without artificial laxatives.

 

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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

My diet is extremely healthy – but I still gained weight – help?

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Dear Pooja,
I am in college and I have been working out in the gym from the past 5 months. I first started out by doing cardio and rigorous weight training in the gym during my break, then when college started, I started running for 45-50 min in the park. I would sometimes do 50 min cardio in the gym (25 min cross trainer and 25 min running on the treadmill instead for running out in the park). My diet is extremely healthy, I make it a point to eat healthy home cooked meal. I sometimes each red rice or jowar roti or normal roti during meals. I each 3 fruits during the day and plenty of water. As I belong to a Punjabi family, we eat non-vegetarian dishes cooked in minimum oil 5 times in a week. But my mom compensates that with giving us lots of vegetables to each. I eat an egg every day.  I don’t indulge in deserts and i avoid fried foods. Despite my efforts, I’ve gained 6 kgs in the past 4 months. Could you help me with the same.

 

 

To start with I must say I am happy to hear that as a teenager (assuming that since you said college) you are trying to lose with food and not without it – as most would just think of food as calories and thus the main culprit to weight gain.  Food is your sole nurturer and growth provider – never ever shun away from it.

Now to comment on your diet- at the first glance absolutely nothing looks wrong in your eating pattern that would cause this weight to go up – you are doing a good balance of input (food) and output (cardio). It seems to be a good balance of carbs (brown rice, jowar roti), proteins (non veg + egg), vitamins and minerals (3 fruits+ vegetables).

However, Sanjana please note that your input (however healthy) has to within the specific need of your body. When I say ‘need’ I mean that every body has its BMR (basal metabolic rate), which is the minimum calories it needs for its own basic functioning. Weight gain is a consequence when the input is more than the output. To perfectly know your body’s need you could ask for professional advise or even calculate your BMR using online tools that only need your height, weight, age and gender to calculate the same for you. In my book – Eat.Delete I have taught you how to do this and then also pick up a diet as your BMR that will give you the total amount of food you need to eat in a day.

Sadly I have no simply answer to give you for your weight gain – but remember our body is a magnificent machine that works relentlessly day and night – its needs thus are special and require a little fine tuning when we are talking about losing or gaining weight. Learn this delicate balance once and your body will respond to it marvelously and continuously. Whatever you do never give up your faith in food – that then is my mission accomplished!

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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Which is the best healthy and economic way to lose weight?

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Dear Pooja,
I am 21. Becoming overweight is my problem. I have put on about 15 kilos of weight in the last  three years. I tried many ways – walking, swimming, dieting – but gained weight. I did not get benefits from any of that. Maybe because I expect quick results that I get disappointed. How  much time is needed to lose weight? Which is the best healthy and economic way to lose weight? 

 

Just like any vocation or course that you would be currently studying Jwala, the knowledge and the experience will stay with you for the rest of your life not just until you are in university studying it. Similarly food, exercise and body weight all part of a continuous circle. Maintaining body weight is not a one-time effort that you try, succeed or fail and then drop the actions that took you there. You are what you eat – your weight is nothing but a balance of how much you eat and how much you burn (exercise). Learning this art of balance is a one-time deep, rooted-effort that each and every one of us must make and then maintaining your body weight will be easy as the that friend or colleague that you always envy has got it lucky. Walking, swimming and eating – all are calorie burning processes – then why would they not let you lose weight? But while burning the calories through exercise if you are eating just as much or maybe a little more then you cannot see the scale go down. Calculate your need (BMR – through several online tools) and then break up your day’s meals to fit in that number. Now increase the burn by doing an intensity and duration controlled cardio daily – do this consistently for a few weeks (there is no short cut to losing weight) there is no way but to lose that fat that is bothering you. Once you succeed in this effort please do not let go of this awareness and this basic balance of input and output and you shall never have to fight the battle of bulge again.

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Jaundice – any foods that will help?

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Dear Pooja,
My sister was diagnosed with jaundice earlier this month. She is recuperating at home now. Currently, she is on a liquid and soft food diet. She feels weak all the time. We eat non-vegetarian food at home. I was wondering if you could help us with what she can start eating and what she should avoid. Are there any particular snacks we should give her?

Jaundice has a direct effect on the digestive system thus taking care of what you eat can help you recover faster. Low fat and high fluid diet is the key emphasis. To maintain the fluid and electrolyte balance hydrate yourself with ample amounts of water, chaas, coconut water, soups, juices, smoothies and milkshakes. Eat small frequent meals so as not to load the system at one time. Good quality and quantity of protein is important to recuperate faster. White lean meats like chicken and fish can be lightly steamed or grilled and consumed about two to three times a week. Egg whites are excellent in both their quality and quantity of protein so please add them generously to your daily diet. Foods to avoid include all fried and heavy calorie laden foods including cakes and candies, extra masala and spice, extra fibre – thus peel the fruits and avoid vegetables like with more seeds like cucumber, brinjal, tomatoes, stay away from carbonated drinks and excess caffeine as they irritate the gut. Home cooked food in good hygiene, less oil, lots of fluids and even more love is the quickest and easiest route to hasty recovery. Get well soon!

 

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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Open heart surgery – diet tips?

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Dear Pooja,
My father, 72, had an open heart surgery a few weeks ago and is better now.  He did not have a heart attack, and he does not have diabetes nor high BP. What are the kinds of foods he can have now to gain back his strength? He is slim and had been otherwise fit always and is a vegetarian.

Your father can most easily be the best example to what I say over and over again ‘You are what you eat’ being a wise eater thus the absence of any excess weight baggage and like you said fit always’ and therefore is metabolic disease free even now. The reason for an open-heart surgery could very well be age related plague deposition as the most noticeable characteristic of vascular ageing is the change in the mechanical and structural properties of the vascular wall. Now to help him regain his strength first focus should be on better quality proteins – being vegetarian please ensure you are giving him one-two servings of dal/pulses/sprouts daily – low fat milk and its products and if possible introduce some quinoa and soyabean weekly. Vitamins are another point to emphasis thus ensuring no micro nutrient deficiency leading to delayed healing. Two-three servings of vegetables plus an additional raw veggie juice daily (minimum three colours of vegs) along with two-three servings of fruit daily should do the trick. Ample hydration, adequate sleep and slow walks for about 15-20 minutes a day should help in better recoup and recovery. Check with your doctor or nutritionist for basic multi vitamins and some B12 as well as omega 3-6-9 supplements since he is vegetarian. Always keep the faith in the magic and the powers of healthy frequent eating and may he have a long healthy life ahead.

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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

My son is crash dieting – help!

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Dear Pooja,
My son is 14 yrs, height 5’3″ but weight is 84 kg. He started a crash diet . I want a healthy diet which can help him reduce weight but with no loss of essential elements .
His daily routine is wake up at 6:30 am and go to school at 7:30am . In school two break at 9:30am and 12:00pm respectively. After that he comes back at 3:15 and goes to the gym at 4:30 pm for a hour. Then comes home to eat some snacks. At night he eat dinner at 8:30 pm. We are pure vegetarian. Please help me

In today’s children awareness about the weight and their body size is setting in earlier then before and especially once they in their teens they are conscious of the way they look particularly in comparison to peers. Teaching them the correct relationship to food at this point (and many a times even much earlier) is most essential else they fall in to the trap of equating food to calories and thus fearing it always. Giving up food or starving then seems to be there only route to losing the excess weight they are carrying. Teaching them the importance of food through its food group system and the significance and function of each is the prime crux. Carbohydrates (which most fear – leave alone just kids) are the prime source of fuel – daily activities of running, studying, playing even just sitting requires energy that comes from carbs and this vital food group is usually the first to be omitted. Lack of adequate carbs leads to growth retardation, poor immunity, low stamina, crankiness and mood swings among a hundred other side effects. Importance of proteins for growth, height increment, wear-n-tear and repair is most crucial. I cant even stress enough on the daily inclusion of fruits and vegetables as this is what will shape their skin, nail, hair, bowel movements and so many essential internal body functions all of which depend on the vital vitamins and minerals nutrients they provide. A balance of these essentials is fundamental to live a life of quality, growth and prevention of disease. Sadly I am unable to provide a diet particularly for your son through this column but I’d strongly recommended visiting a professional that will advise and guide him in the right direction now itself. All the best!

 

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Help me with my acidity!

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

What should I eat every two hours?

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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.

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High levels of testosterone – help me!

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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!

 

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