Tag

sleeping

Browsing
In Articles to munch on

EASY DIET PLAN

No Comments

 

Celebrity nutritionist and founder of www.nourishgenie.com, Pooja Makhija weighs in on the easiest way to diet.

Let’s face it. No one likes to diet. If you’re used to getting your four square meals a day, the word ‘diet’ conjures up scenarios of no meals at all, of empty plates or you emerging from the fridge empty-handed, wistful about the old days when you could, quite simply, eat. How about banishing that scenario, and creating a new one where no foods are the enemy, and where being healthier is a lot easier than you think?

The trick is not to eat sparse but eat smart and no, there is absolutely no need to go crazy. Think of your body as a willful child. Or better yet, a hormonal teenager. The more you restrict your intake, the more it will fight back . So here are some weight loss tips that will not only help you reach your goal weight but also help you stay there.

  • Love All, Eat All

The easiest way to diet is to include all foods – or mostly all – but to ensure that they are eaten in moderation and prepared healthfully. On my diets I prescribe pasta, noodles, rice, roti, bread, mangoes – almost everything except a few foods like red meat, for example. In this way, you don’t feel deprived and you resist the urge to play truant. Starvation – or even fad diets – is the worst thing you can do to yourself. Food is the only source of fuel for your body and the best diets consist of a daily consumption of 65% carbs, 25% protein and 10% fats. You can get a general diet online – by calculating your Basal Metabolic Rate online and subtracting 100 calories from it. So if your BMR is 1500 calories, you need to choose a 1400 calorie diet – or even a customized one from www.nourishgenie.com – which obviates the need to meet a nutritionist in person.

  • Eat Every Two Hours

Apart from breathing, eating and sleeping, your body burns calories digesting food. Breaking up your meal plan into smaller meals and eating every two hours ensures that your body is constantly in the ‘gym’, burning more calories through the day than it normally does.

  • Eat Smart

Choose weight loss foods that your body burns more calories to digest than the calories they contain – called negative calorie foods, these include apple, grapefruit, lettuce, for example – as well as include more healthy weight loss foods like egg whites, salmon, leafy greens, beans, legumes, broccoli, sprouts, boiled potatoes, cottage cheese and avocados.

  • Exercise

You don’t have to go mad. Just a daily brisk walk will do but if you find that that’s not quite your cuppa tea and the thought of walking daily bores you to death, you can do aerobics, Zumba, running or whatever gets you moving.

  • Hydrate and Sleep

Drink lots of water and get your Zzzzs in. Both lack of sleep and water have been scientifically proven to derail weight loss efforts so don’t forget to get plenty of rest and fluids to use these weight loss tips well make your weight loss wishes come true.

Continue Reading
By
In Healthy Recipes

NOURISH GENIE:STRIVE FOR EGG-CELLENCE

No Comments

Wholesome in every macro and micro nutrient, eggs are nothing short of a miracle food. Low in calories (77 cal), gloriously rich in proteins (6 gm) and not very high in fat content (5 gm), eggs are good at satisfying the requirement of our body cells. Packed with a lot of goodness, the protein content in eggs is of unmatched quality. Eggs contain all nine essential amino acids that are vital for the normal functioning of the body, but cannot be made by the body and thus, are to be taken in through the food we eat. Also, egg protein is considered as reference ­ protein that can be fully absorbed by the body, without any valuable protein getting lost in translation.

EGG WHITE VS EGG YOLK

More than half of the protein obtained in an egg is found in the egg white along with B vitamins, selenium, vitamin D, and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. The egg yolk is a source of cholesterol, saturated fats and fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K. The yolk contains all the 5 gm of fat present in an egg, of which 1.5 gm is saturated fat.

THE IDEAL NUMBER

Each medium-sized egg contains approximately 200 mg of cholesterol. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Indians by National Institute of Nutrition, the daily dietary cholesterol intake should be less than 300 mgdl. Thus, a yolk a day covers up a good 23rd of that quota. There has been a lot of speculation over whether the dietary cholesterol content directly influences blood cholesterol levels or not and there are many studies siding both sides of the story. To keep it simple, I would suggest that those who are watching their weight andor have also been asked by the doctor to watch their lipid profiles regularly must learn to go easy on the yellow if they want to get -and stay -fit.

A GOOD TIME TO EAT EGGS

Any time is a great time for the healthy anda! Eat it for breakfast to jumpstart your day and leave your home energised. Or eat it post your workout to help the body in muscle building and repair. Eat it at meal times to balance your proteins with the carbohydrates; eat it at peak hunger times like evenings or late nights to satiate your craving for food and avoid bingeing on unhealthy food.

EGG-LICIOUS RECIPES

Mock Egg White Pizza Ingredients I Egg whites: 2 eggs, Phulkas: 2, Capsicum and tomato (chopped): ½ cup, Onions (chopped): 14 cup, Green chilli (finely chopped): 1, Salt to taste, Oil: 1 tsp Method I Whisk egg whites properly along with green chilli, vegetables and salt. Heat oil in a pan and add the egg whites mixture to it.

Cook till the mixture becomes semi-solid. Place this stuffing between two phulkas and cook on both sides using very little oil. Cook till the phulkas become slightly brown. Cut with the help of pizza cutter into tr angular pieces. Serve hot. Baked Stuffed Eggs Ingredients I Hard boiled eggs: 6, Skimmed milk: 1½ cups, Flour: 2 tbsp, Mushrooms (chopped): ½ cup, Onion (chopped): 1, Capsicum (diced): 1, Salt and pepper to taste, Mixed herbs for seasoning Method I Slice eggs into halves and discard yolks. Mix the flour with the milk and boil it.
Add to it mushrooms, capsicums, onions, salt and pepper. Cook till the mixture thickens. Stuff the egg whites with this white sauce mixture.

Take a baking dish and grease it with a few drops of oil. Arrange the eggs in the dish, sprinkle them with mixed herbs and little black pepper. Bake in the oven for 7-8 min. Serve hot.
Vegetable Soup With Egg Whites Ingredients I Carrot: 1, Mushrooms: 4-5, French beans: 6-7, Baby corn: 2, Water or vegetable stock: 2 cups, Egg whites: 2, Salt and pepper to taste Method I Bring the water or stock to a boil, add the vegetables and cook for 3-4 min. Add salt and pepper to taste. Beat egg whites and drizzle over the soup.

Continue Reading
By
In Articles to munch on

NOURISH GENIE:TAKE IT WITH A PINCH OF SALT

No Comments

Can’t do without it, and definitely can’t do with too much of it. Salt is a chemical compound called sodium chloride ­ 40 per cent sodium and 60 per cent chloride. Studies recommend that the upper limit of salt for adults is anywhere between 3.75 5 gm (sodium intake between 1.5 2.3 gm per day) which actually measures to just a tsp of salt per day. This is the ideal amount of salt for all healthy adults without high blood pressure, diabetes or cardio-vascular diseases.
WHY DOES THE BODY NEED SALT?
Cutting back on added salt is a small way to avoid over consumption. Do remember that you don’t need to add salt to all the food items you are consuming ­ 75 per cent of the salt you eat is already present in everyday food items, like bread, breakfast cereals, ketchup and a lot of canned foods. Fortunately, nutrition labels on most ready made foods indicate the salt content in them. (1 gm sodium = 2.5 gm salt; so if you know how much sodium is present in a food item, you can roughly know the amount of salt it contains). Here’s how you can decode the labels: High salt content: If the salt content is higher than 1.5 gm per 100 gm of the food product, the sodium content mentioned will be 0.6 gm per 100 gm. Low salt content: If the salt content is 0.3 gm for less per 100 gm of the product; equivalent sodium content would be 0.1 gm per 100 gm.
Medium salt content: Foods between high and low figures. e Also note that dis-solvable vitamin supplements and painkillers contain up to one gm of salt per tablet. It would be advisable that you switch to non-effervescent counterparts, especially, if you have been asked to watch your salt intake.

WHY TOO MUCH SALT IS BAD FOR YOU
If you binge on foods that are too salty, you feel bloated and puffy hours later. This is be cause eating too much salt causes your body to retain more water, which increases the blood volume. This furthur leads to excess pressure on the blood vessels, thus demanding a lot of hard work from the heart in order to ensure smooth blood flow through the body. This is the main cause for high blood pressure and various heart dis eases. Other metabolic disorders associated with excess sodium intake include osteoporosis, kidney stone, asthma and gastric cancers.
SALTY FOODS ONE MUST AVOID
Cheese Pickles Papads Salted nuts Wafers, chips and other savoury farsan Soy sauce Tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other ready-made sauces Breads Ready-to-eat soups, noodles, pasta
BALANCE THE SALT INTAKE
Focus on potassium
Increase in the level of potassium helps lower sodium levels, thus balancing blood pressure positively. Potassium rich foods include fruits like plum, peach, banana, muskmelon, avocados, orange, spinach, prunes, raisins and apricots to name a few.
Increase your water intake
This is the best way to flush out the excess sodium and maintain correct pH balance in the body. Aerated waters, sodas, energy drinks are unfavourable and can easily sabotage your efforts to maintain normal blood pressure.
Rinse canned foods
Vegetables and meat that are packed in brine (salt solution) always increase the salt content in the body.Rinse them to wash away extra salt.
Replace salt with herbs
Instead of reaching out for the salt shaker to add that extra flavour, season your food with citrus juices, herbs and spices.

Continue Reading
By