Food Labels are your guide to understanding the nutrient value along with other relevant information of the foods that you choose. Reading the food label can help you in:
Identifying the nutrients present in the food, drink or dietary supplements
Ascertaining the amount of sugar, trans fat and fiber content present in the item.
Comparing different items and deciding the best choice.
Taking note of ingredients that you should avoid.
5 Easy Steps To Help You Read Nutrition Information On Food Labels
Serving Size: You should compare the recommended serving size with the amount that you eat. Servings may be indicated in terms of pieces, grams or cups
Watch the calories: Take care of a number of servings of carbs, fats, and proteins in the food
Percent (%) Daily Value: This suggests if the intake of specific nutrients is high or low in terms of recommended amounts to be consumed.
Get enough of these: Sufficient quantities of vitamins, proteins and fiber and minerals are required in the daily diet.
Limit these: Limit sugar, fat, trans fat and sodium consumption, as the excess of these, is not recommended.
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Sugar is considered as integral part of our life when it comes to food. After waking up in the morning we grab a cup of coffee/tea with sugar cubes and this process of sugar consumption continues entire day.
We keep having sugar by adding it in tea, milk, coffee or by consuming it indirectly through various food products such as ice creams, chocolates, cola drinks, packaged fruit juices and energy drinks.
Types Of Sugar Most Of Us Are Consuming In Our Day-to-day Life
1. White Sugar
Also called as Table Sugar white sugar contains 99.9% sucrose (50% glucose + 50% fructose). It is manufactured by the processing and refining of natural sugars found in the sugar cane or sugar beet. Ash, Moisture, Minerals, and compounds that give sugar their color are completely removed.
Since one-teaspoon sugar contains 16 KCAL (no protein, no fat but only 4g carbohydrates), it is considered part of ‘Empty Calories’ food . It has limited nutrition values and hence no health benefits as such.
2. Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is produced either through less processing to retain its molasses content or by mixing completely refined white sugar with molasses.
It contains 93.5% – 96.5% Sucrose and 3.5% – 6.5% Molasses. Due to presence of molasses, it appears brown (3.5% – light brown & 6.5% – dark brown) in color.
Any minerals present in brown sugar come from the molasses added to the white sugar.
Brown sugar contains slightly fewer calories (12 KCAL per teaspoon) as compare to white sugar. 15% of the daily value of Iron (considering 100 gm reference amount), little amount of potassium, calcium, and magnesium but they are not present in great quantities.
In summary, there is no significant difference between white and brown sugar from nutrition perspective to give major health benefits.
3. Jaggery
Known as ‘Gur’ in Hindi, Jaggery production is a simple process. It comprises of crushing the sugarcane to extract the juice, heating it to produce thick crystals and then solidifying to give the blocks shape.
Jaggery is considered as better choice as compare of white/brown sugar. It contains small amount of B vitamin and minerals, including calcium, Iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium.
Apart from these vitamins and minerals, 10 gm Jaggery provides 36 KCAL (minimal protein, no fat and 8.5g carbohydrates).
Diabetic patient should avoid Jaggery considering high glycemic index value (84.1).
Though Jaggery helps in blood purification, metabolism, nervous system, relief from cough & cold (taken with Honey and Ginger) and is considered as good cleansing agent (lungs, stomach, intestines, esophagus and respiratory tracts) but it may lead to some harmful effects too if not consumed in moderation.
These harmful effects include weight gain, increased blood sugar levels, indigestion, and nose bleeding due to heat production inside the body.
4. Honey
Honey is sugar-rich syrup stored by honeybees from a wide range of flowers.
It contains 40% fructose, 30% glucose and 17% water. Apart from water, per 100g of Honey contains Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Iron, Vitamin B and Vitamin C. 1-teaspoon honey contains 20 calories (0 protein, 0 fat & 5 g carbs).
Honey is less processed as compare to sugar and it is only purified before distribution. Due to higher fructose content honey tastes sweeter than sugar and small quantity of honey gives same taste as 1 teaspoon sugar.
Honey provides many health benefits such as rich in antioxidants, ‘less bad’ than Sugar & Jaggery for Diabetes, lowers blood pressure, improves good cholesterol, lowers triglycerides and helps in suppressing cough and cold.
At the same time we should not forget that ultimately it’s high in calories and sugar therefore should be consumed in moderate amount only.
Let’s Compare The Nutritional Benefits Of White & Brown Sugar, Jaggery & Honey
Summary
Sugar (White/Brown) is considered part of ‘Empty Calories’ food with no/limited nutrition values . Hence there are no major health benefits as such.
Also, due to the high glycemic index (GI) and the minimal amount/absence of vitamins and minerals, it raises the blood sugar levels more quickly.
Usually, Jaggery is not chemically processed like refined sugar, therefore, it’s always a better choice. Diabetic patient should avoid Jaggery considering high glycemic index value (84.1) to avoid raise in blood sugar levels.
Honey is a healthier choice compared to other sweeteners, as it is less processed. It has a low glycemic index (GI) and contains essential vitamins and minerals.
Avoid ice creams, chocolates, cola drinks, and packaged fruit juices completely as all these items contain too much sugar. Keep in mind that it is always recommended to limit your sugar intake to avoid health issues.
Many of us can not start our day without a piping hot cup of tea or coffee, or when feeling tired we tend to grab an energy drink, after which we feel fresh and energetic.
Let’s try to understand what is the reason behind this kick. Actually this feeling is caused by caffeine – a natural stimulant that stimulates the brain and nervous system to stay alert and prevent tiredness.
Caffeine is found in tea leaves, coffee beans and cacao seeds. It’s very important to know how much quantity of caffeine is available in various products such as coffee, tea, cola drinks and chocolates so that, you can benefit rather than health issues.
Is Caffeine beneficial?
Since caffeine mainly affects the brain and its function, it may help to improve mood, decrease depression, increase brain function and to some extent may help to protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Boosts our concentration and memory
Caffeine may also help in boosting metabolism and promote fat loss.
Caffeine also helps in reducing water retention as it increases frequency of urination (Diuretic in nature)
Can help in reducing type 2 diabetes
Now let’s look into the different types of caffeine rich food in our day to day life:
Coffee
It’s a brewed drink made from roasted coffee beans, and berries of certain species of coffee. Coffee contains riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), magnesium, potassium and many antioxidants.
Types of coffee and their caffeine content
Decaf stands for decaffeinated. These coffees are made by removing around 97% of caffeine from the coffee beans while processing. This is a good option for people who wants to limit their caffeine intake.
Tea
About 88% of the total Indian population consume at least one cup of tea in a day. Let’s compare different types of tea to understand the caffeine quantity:
Chamomile, Peppermint and Dandelion tea come under category of Herbal Tea. These products are caffeine free because, these are either dried flowers, leaves, seeds or root of caffeine free plants.
One of the best options for the late night relaxation without disturbing sleep pattern after tea.
Cacao
Cacao and cocoa are both from the cacao plant. Cacao is made by cold pressing the unroasted cacao beans. Whereas cocoa powder is made by high temperature roasted cacao beans, which is highly processed.
Both cacao powder and cocoa are used in making chocolates and chocolate-based products.
Comparing Caffeine Levels in Different Chocolates
Caffeinated Drinks
Caffeinated drinks are the beverages that contain caffeine. Many caffeinated drinks such as soft drinks and energy drinks are available in market.
Recommended Caffeine Intake
1 to 3 mg caffeine per kg body weight is considered safe for adults. Such moderate dosages can be found in everyday amounts of coffee, tea, cold drinks, chocolates and some sports products (e.g., gels).
For example, 60-80 mg of caffeine is supplied by a small cup of espresso coffee or 400 ml of a cola drink.
Excess intake of caffeine (e.g. 9 mg per kg body weight) can result in side effects like jitteriness, nervousness, insomnia, headache, dizziness, and gastrointestinal distress, which can obviously have a detrimental effect on day to day activities.
Conclusion
It is advisable not to exceed caffeine more than 3 mg per kg body weight
Avoid taking tea or coffee or any caffeinated drinks before going to bed as caffeine takes 6hrs to get out of our system which will leave you sleep deprived. You can opt herbal teas such as chamomile, dandelion or peppermint tea instead.
Incase you suffer from digestion issue and prefer coffee go for decaf than regular.
Swap milk chocolates with dark chocolates as it contains less amount of carbohydrates and fat, considering to keep the amount of caffeine intake under control.
Its better to avoid caffeinated soft drinks and energy drinks as they are high in sugar and they will provide you with instant energy boost but will not sustain for longer.
Checkout the home remedies to cure Cough Cold thumbnail
Cold is a common infection which is mainly caused by Rhinovirus. It is called as “Common Cold” because people often catch cold rather than any other disease. It is highly contagious and can spread easily from one person to another.
Cold can occur at any time of the year, but it is most common in Winter or rainy season.
There is no particular treatment of cold but few Home Remedies To Cure Cough which are listed below can help to decrease the symptoms and are much safer than medication.
Symptoms of Cold Includes sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, cough, aches and pain in throat region, fever, headache etc.
Top 11 Home Remedies To Cure Cough & Cold
Gargling: Mix 1 tsp of salt into warm water or lemon warm water and Gargle for a sore throat. Frequent Gargling can reduce episode of Infection.
Lemon, Cinnamon and Honey: Mixture of this combination is effective remedy to cure cough and cold.
Ginger Milk: Boil 200 ml milk with 1 small clove of ginger and drink warm ginger milk before sleep. It helps in soothing throat Inflammation, running and dripping nose and to expel phlegm from respiratory tract.
Turmeric Tea: It can help easing digestive problems and cough or cold if caused by GERD.
Spiced Tea: Add Tulsi, Ginger, Clove (Laung), Cinnamon and Black pepper in tea and sipping it slowly can fight common cold and cough.
Marshmallow Root Tea: Helps ease Irritation resulting from cough because of its high mucilage content.
Mix Fennel seeds, Black Pepper, Amla and Mulethi in equal Quantity, grind it and take 1 tsp of this mixture in the morning and evening.
Mix Black Pepper, Cumin, Jaggery in warm water and sip it slowly in case of chest congestion.
Probiotics: Can help in boosting immune system by balancing bacteria in the gut.
Burnt clove: Chewing a burnt clove is an effective medicine for cough.
Raisin (Munakka): Raisin with pinch of black salt can give relief from dry cough.
Foods to Avoid During a Cough & Cold
Dairy Products: Avoid having dairy products as the intensity and severity of mucus increases on its intake.
Smoking and Drinking alcohol as it weakens the immune system.
Too much coffee/tea as caffeine leads to dehydration and can cause breathing Issues.
Fruit juices as they are high in sugar content which further reduces WBC capacity to tackle illness.
Fried snacks, Junk/Spicy Foods, and processed foods.
White flour and white sugar delays healing process and suppress immune system.
Mangoes, Banana and citrus foods can increase mucus production.
Other Instructions to Avoid Cough & Cold
Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of fluids prevents dehydration and warm fluids can clear mucus such as warm water, soup without spice etc.
Steam: Steaming with Eucalyptus oil/Peppermint/Tea Tree or a hot shower helps stuffy or irritated nose.
Personal Hygiene: Keep your hand, nails, the tissue or handkerchief clean which are used for sneezing. Use Hand Sanitiser. Disinfect the environment and commonly touched surface.
Taking proper rest with balanced meal and enough water.
home remedies to ease your new year party hangover symptoms
1. Stay hydrated
Drink a lot of water between your cocktails and if you still wake up all dizzy the next day, drink more water along with electrolytes till you flush out the impurities from your system.
Lemon water for relief: A fresh glass of lemon juice with sugar will help to change the pH of your body from acidic to alkaline thus helping to reduce hangover symptoms.
2. Load up potassium
Boost of potassium helps to reduce tiredness, nausea and weak limbs the symptoms of the hangover. Try to consume foods such as Banana, Coconut water, Kiwi, Sweet potato, Leafy greens, and Mushrooms.
3. Take a stroll
After a complete rest, get out of the house and take a stroll around a park or near your house to make yourself feel better when hungover.
4. Ginger Turmeric Tea
Brew a cup of ginger turmeric tea with honey as it helps to get rid of the upset stomach caused by hangover.
5. Eat light breakfast
Make sure not to skip your next day breakfast as it helps to replenish the calories spent but make sure it’s not greasy but a healthy easy to digest food like cereals or toast or Idli.
6. Sleep
Sleep is the best way to deal with the hangover as sleep deprivation can certainly make symptoms worse.
A lot of my clients approached me recently because of few posts shared on whether mangoes are good or bad for diabetic people. In simple words:
Eating low-glycemic index foods (GI value <=55) is considered as an important tool to control diabetes. If we look at the glycemic index of mango, it is 51 which gives us an indication that: it is safe to eat a mango. But, the question here is
Eating Mangoes Without Portion Control? A Big No!
Specifically for diabetic people, I really don’t recommend any fixed rule (for example eat 1/2 bowl or one slice per day) to eat mangoes because it depends on multiple factors including sugar levels.
Top 5 Key Considerations for Diabetics Eating Mangoes
If you are pre-diabetic then you can enjoy mango provided you are maintaining the portion size e.g. 1/2 cup
Keep a track of the total carbohydrates intake in a day. FYI, 1/2 cup of mango contains 35 gms carbohydrates
If sugar levels are too high then it’s always good to eat mangoes under expert advice. Even a single slice of mango can spike up the blood sugar levels in highly diabetic people
Avoid eating mango with other high carb food or food with high glycemic index. Instead can be eaten as in between snack.
It’s always good to consult Diabetologist or Diabetes educator to avoid any health risk.
Conclusion
As a diabetic person you can enjoy mango provided you maintain the portion size, cut down and keep a track of total carbohydrates intake in a day, exercise regularly and stay stress-free.
