Tag: Diabetes

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latest buzz Medical Nutrition

White Sugar Vs Brown Sugar Vs Jaggery Vs Honey

White Sugar Vs Brown Sugar Vs Jaggery Vs Honey th
White Sugar Vs Brown Sugar Vs Jaggery Vs Honey th
White Sugar Vs Brown Sugar Vs Jaggery Vs Honey

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.

white sugar

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.

brown sugar

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.

Jaggery

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

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

nutrition benefits of white sugar ,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.

If you have any questions related to diet consultation , please schedule an online appointment with Dt. Silky Mahajan.

For inquiries, please feel free to email us at info@foodsandnutrition.in or call us at 7829999400. 10:00 AM IST – 7:00 PM IST (Mon – Sat).

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latest buzz Sports Nutrition Weight Management

Diabetics & Mangoes: A Healthy Choice or Risky Treat?

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mango

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

  1. If you are pre-diabetic then you can enjoy mango provided you are maintaining the portion size e.g. 1/2 cup
  2. Keep a track of the total carbohydrates intake in a day. FYI, 1/2 cup of mango contains 35 gms carbohydrates
  3. 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
  4. Avoid eating mango with other high carb food or food with high glycemic index. Instead can be eaten as in between snack.
  5. 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.

If you have any questions regarding nutrition tips or weight management, please schedule an online appointment for a diet consultation with Dt. Silky Mahajan for expert guidance.

Please send us an email at info@foodsandnutrition.in or call on 7829999400 between 10:00 AM IST – 7:00 PM IST (Mon – Sat).

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latest buzz Sports Nutrition Weight Management

Keto Diet, Is It Good or Bad for your Health?

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keto diet

These days everyone wants to follow Ketogenic diet or Paleo diet just to get quick results in terms of weight loss. For those who are not aware of Keto diet, let me try to explain it in simple words: Keto diet, also known as low-carb diet or low-carb high-fat (LCHF) diet restricts the type and amount of carbohydrates you eat.

Such diets are high in Fat (60-75%), adequate in Protein (15-30%) and low in Carbohydrates (5-10%). Again, exact PFC (Protein, Fat & Carbs) ratio depends on an individual based on their body response and other activity factors. Of course, this diet doesn’t suit everyone.

I can’t deny saying that it not only helps in weight loss but also reduces the risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. At the same time, it is important to learn the flip side of this diet. 

Low-carb diets such as Keto diet may deplete your serotonin levels. Serotonin is an important chemical and neurotransmitter in the human body which helps to improve your mood, well being and promotes feelings of satisfaction after eating.

Low-carb intake reduces serotonin levels and can lead to irritability, restlessness, depression and anxiety. It is called ‘Atkins attitude’.

A lot of people (especially women) start following low-carb diets by surfing few websites without even knowing their blood parameters and consequences and don’t even realize when/how they hit severe side-effects as mentioned.

Please try to understand that such kind of low-carb high-fat diets should be followed (if you wish to) very carefully under certified nutrition expert’s advice only to avoid any health issues in the longer run.

Make sure that you undergo a health screen to rule out any rare conditions or contraindications to your health that may be unknown to you.

7 key benefits of Keto Diet:

  • Helps in weight loss
  • Helps obese women with PCOS
  • Helps fighting type 2 diabetes
  • Lowers Blood Pressure
  • Helps to control epileptic seizures (assuming no heart disease)
  • Stable energy levels
  • Improves Metabolic Syndrome

Side-effects of Keto Diet:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Sleep problems
  • Mood swings
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Irritation
  • Muscle cramps
  • Constipation
  • Sharp rise in LDL cholesterol

Conclusion

In the longer run, rather than ignoring any nutrient (like carbs in Keto diet) it is always good to follow a well-balanced diet that is low in unnecessary fats and sugar and high in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

If you have any questions regarding nutrition or weight management, please schedule an online appointment with Dt. Silky Mahajan.

Send us an email at info@foodsandnutrition.in or call on 7829999400 between 10:00 AM IST – 7:00 PM IST (Mon – Sat).

Categories
latest buzz Sports Nutrition

Top 5 Myths & Facts about Milk

Myths Facts about Milk th
Myths Facts about Milk th
Milk

Myth#1

Drinking Milk leads to weight gain. If you want to reduce weight then don’t drink milk.

Fact

It is always good to consider milk as part of your daily diet because; it provides valuable macronutrients (Protein, Fat & Carbohydrates) as well as micronutrients (Vitamin D, C, A, B Vitamins, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium & Zinc).

There are so many benefits from drinking milk other than just “strong bones”.

Milk helps you gain weight only when it contributes to a calorie intake greater than what you burn in a day.

As an adult, if you are looking for weight loss then low-fat/skimmed milk is recommended because, it is low in saturated fat and fortification process of milk ensures that lower-fat milk is nutritionally same as whole milk.

Myth#2

There is no harm drinking unlimited milk.

Fact

Too much quantity of anything is bad. Milk contains D-Galactose, which has been shown to induce oxidative stress damage and chronic inflammation that further leads to heart disease, bone loss, muscle loss & cancer.

Considering these facts, we should avoid high milk consumption to reduce risk of mortality in both men and women. It is recommended for adults not to drink more than 2-3 glass of milk per day and again it varies as per individual needs.

Myth#3

Flavoured milk is not healthy as plain milk

Fact

It totally depends on artificial sweeteners and colors added into flavored milk. If it’s loaded with too much artificial sweeteners and colors, better to avoid it. You can try and make smoothies instead which is a healthier option.

Myth#4

We should avoid milk during cough & cold.

Fact

Avoid taking plain milk in case of cough and cold as it may make phlegm thicker and more irritating to your throat. Turmeric mixed in warm milk is a popular and effective way to fight against cold and cough because,

Turmeric has a strong antioxidant, which helps in boosting immunity and treating many health problems. Drinking a glass of warm turmeric milk before sleep helps in faster recovery from cold and cough.

Myth#5

Don’t drink milk in night as it might disturb your sleep.

Fact

If you are lactose intolerant then you should avoid drinking milk in the night, as it will often keep you up due to digestive issues. Also, please avoid drinking cold milk in the night if you are suffering from cold and flu.

In other cases, its good to have glass of milk as it helps to induce sound sleep because of amino acid known as tryptophan and melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep.

If you have any questions regarding healthy nutrition or weight management, please schedule an online appointment with Dt. Silky Mahajan.

Send us an email at info@foodsandnutrition.in or call on 7829999400 between 10:00 AM IST – 7:00 PM IST (Mon – Sat).

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latest buzz

Whole Milk vs. Skim Milk – Which Is Right for You?

Whole Milk OR Skim Milk th
Whole Milk OR Skim Milk th

Most of the parents convince their kids saying that “drink your milk quickly so that you’ll grow big and strong!”. Reason is: milk provides valuable macronutrients (Protein, Fat & Carbohydrates) as well as micronutrients (Vitamin A, C, D, B Vitamins, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium & Zinc) that kids need during their development.

There are so many benefits from drinking milk other than just “strong bones”.  Let’s try to understand most common milk processing methods (pasteurisation and homogenisation) before getting into the detail of various milk variants:

A smiling woman holding a glass of milk
Process of Pasteurisation

Pasteurisation

The process of pasteurisation keeps the milk good for a longer period, but very high temperature harms its nutritive values. Most of the manufacturers use 3 methods for pasteurisation:

Low temperature pasteurisation: Milk is treated from 60 degree C to 150 degree C. Enzymes, and proteins remain intact up to this temperature & it is safe to consume this milk.

Medium temperature pasteurisation: Milk is treated up to 151 degree C – 170 degree C. At this temperature it kills enzymes and destroys proteins as well.

High temperature pasteurisation: Raw milk is treated up to 280 degree C. It kills many molecules and bacteria that can cause it to spoil more quickly. Unfortunately, killing harmful molecules, this process also kills the good probiotic bacteria and molecules, which help digestion and aid the immune system.

Homogenisation

Homogenised milk is whole milk in which the fat is combined with the skim milk by a mechanical process. The purpose of homogenisation is to the break-up of the fat molecules in milk to such an extent that no visible cream separation occurs in the milk even after storage. Without homogenisation, the fat molecules eventually rise to the top and create a layer of cream.

The primary goal of homogenisation is to make sure that you have consistent tasting milk. It makes your milk homogeneous with an even amount of milk fat in each sip. Homogenised milk is considered safe and has not witnessed any adverse effect on health as such.

Milk Homogenisation process

If you observe, 2 components are labeled on each milk packet:

Fat%

It is amount of fat available in the packet, which is nothing but solid portion of milk. It carries fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K. If 1 cup of whole milk weights 250 gm and contains 8 gram of fat then Fat% = 8/250 * 100= 3.2%

SNF%

Solid-Non-Fat (SNF) portion consists of protein (primarily casein), carbohydrates (primarily lactose), vitamins and minerals (which includes calcium and phosphorus).

Now, when we know about different processing methods and key components involved in milk, let’s try to understand which milk packet we should pick out of so many variants like full cream, single toned, double-toned, skim milk.

Looking at below six variants, it is very much clear that these variants are differentiated largely based on Fat% and processing conditions.

Before we decide which milk variant will suit kids & which one can be opted by adults, let’s compare key nutrients (per 100 ml) of different variants of milk:

Milk Types and Their Key Nutrients

If we look at this table, Fat is the main nutrient, which is removed from milk to make it single toned, double-toned & skim milk. When low-fat and fat-free variants of milk are prepared, the cream from whole milk is skimmed out.

Unfortunately, removing the fat also removes the fat-soluble vitamins (D, A, E and K). As a result, reduced-fat varieties contain lower amounts of many nutrients. However, fortification process of milk ensures that lower-fat milk is nutritionally same as whole milk.

Conclusion

As Fat% reduces, overall calorie content also gets reduces. It means that it is not recommended for children under age 5-6 to give low-fat/skimmed milk, as they need additional calories for brain development as well as overall growth.

However, it is a good choice for adults who wish to control their calorie intake for weight loss etc. As skim milk is low in saturated fat, it is recommended in diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

As milk contains lactose, therefore, lactose intolerant people should avoid milk and dairy products. Common symptoms, which usually occur within 30 minutes to 2 hours post milk or dairy products consumption are: bloating, nausea, abdominal pain, cramps.

Note: Nandini milk majorly supplied in Karnataka has been considered for different milk variants comparison.

If you have any questions regarding nutrition or weight management, please schedule an online appointment with Dt. Silky Mahajan for expert guidance.

Please send us an email at info@foodsandnutrition.in or call on 7829999400 between 10:00 AM IST – 7:00 PM IST (Mon – Sat).

Categories
latest buzz Medical Nutrition

10 Home Remedies to Control Diabetes

10 Home Remedies to Control Diabetes
10 Home Remedies to Control Diabetes

Diabetes is basically caused due to the lack of production of insulin or improper use of the produced insulin, which eventually leads to a deficiency in the blood glucose level.

Diabetes is of two types, one where the insulin production is insufficient therefore the glucose level cannot be balanced; two when the body cannot produce insulin at all and therefore patients must inject insulin to maintain close levels.

Apart from synthetic drugs, you can use various home remedies to cure or at least improve your diabetic condition.

Here are some great home remedies to effectively maintain your blood sugar level:-

Bitter Gourd

Have juice extracted from bitter gourd every morning on an empty stomach? Having this every day for a few months will help maintain blood sugar levels.

Guava 

Have guava every day after peeling the skin off. It contains Vitamin C and fiber which help maintain the standard blood glucose level. Excessive guava eating is not recommended.

Mango Leaves

Soak fresh mango leaves in water (say a one-litre bottle) overnight and consume first thing in the morning. You could even let them dry out, powder the leaves and have half a teaspoon every day.

Basil Leaves

Have 2 tablespoons of juice extracted from basil leaves empty stomach, in the morning. These are loaded with antioxidants that relieve stress and also contain oils that help lower blood sugar levels.

Jamun

Jamun’s leaves, seeds and berries are effective in improving blood sugar levels and they also prevent spikes in the level of insulin.

You could eat a handful of the berries or powder the leaves and seeds- which you should consume twice a day.

Amla

Combine 2 teaspoons of amla juice in water and have it as soon as you wake up. Make this a part of your everyday routine to maintain blood sugar levels.

Flaxseeds

Eat one tablespoon of flaxseed powder with a glass of warm water every morning, on an empty stomach.

Flax seed can bring down your sugar level by almost 28%.

But be careful not to have more than 2 tablespoons per day, as that could be bad for your health.

Neem 

Neem enhances insulin receptor sensitivity, improves circulation and lowers blood sugar levels thereby reducing your dependency on synthetic drugs.

Drink the juice of the need shoot every day on an empty stomach for best results.

Fruits

Fruits are rich in fiber and other minerals which help stabilize blood sugar levels of the body. Consume at least 5 fruits a day!

Choose fruits like bananas, blackberries, cranberries, grapefruit, blueberries, kiwi and other citrus fruits.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and consume before every large meal.

The nutritional components in apple cider will help control the rise in blood sugar levels after eating.

In case of any related query related to diet or weight loss book an appointment with Dt. Silky Mahajan please send us a mail at info@foodsandnutrition.in or call on 080 6741 7780 (Dial Extension: 778).