Tag: Human nutrition

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latest buzz Medical Nutrition

Pros and Cons of Coffee

Pros and Cons of Coffee
Pros and Cons of Coffee
Pros and Cons of Coffee image

What is your usual morning routine? Wake up, have some coffee, open your eyes and let the day begin.

Coffee is addictive and how! There are people whose day can’t end unless they’ve consumed their daily 5 cups of coffee.

It’s very important to understand when to take coffee & in how much quantity so that, you can benefit rather than health issues.

You could be the judge of that after reading these pros and cons of the effect of coffee on our health!

PROS

  • Coffee is made from seeds, and like all other seeds it has protective compounds.  Coffee can prevent strokes as well as lower our risk of Parkinson’s and dementia.
  • Coffee boosts our concentration and memory
  • Coffee lowers the risk of oral cancer. Decaf has a much weaker effect for the same while tea has no effect at all.
  • Studies show that high consumption of caffeine reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • The caffeine in coffee controls many brain functions e.g. mood, energy levels, vigilance and even reaction time.
  • Caffeine can boost one’s metabolic rate drastically, which basically means an increase in the burning of fat – weight loss!
  • A single cup of coffee contains vitamin B5, vitamin B2, potassium, manganese and magnesium – all essential and important nutrients.
  • Coffee contains stimulants which can drastically lower the risk of developing depression.

CONS

  • Coffee can disrupt sleep patterns which leads to restless sleep and finally insomnia.
  • Coffee can lead to spinal bone loss in those people who aren’t getting enough calcium on a daily basis.
  • The acidity in coffee can irritate your stomach lining which could eventually lead to ulcers, gastritis and even Crohn’s disease!
  • The overconsumption of coffee can lead to headaches, and sometimes even migraines.
  • Caffeine can cause a sharp increase in blood pressure levels – those with blood pressure problems must limit themselves.
  • Regular coffee drinkers are at a risk of dehydration – they must take measures to ensure they’re always hydrated.

You’ve got the rundown on its effects, now it’s your turn to choose your side.

In case of any query related to nutrition or weight management 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).

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Kids Nutrition latest buzz

Creative Ways to Get Your Kids Excited About Healthy Eating

Creative Ways to Get Your Kids Excited About Healthy Eating
Creative Ways to Get Your Kids Excited About Healthy Eating

We all know the rules – avoid junk food, eat healthily, say no to fizzy drinks and finish your veggies. But do kids listen? Who says eating right needs to be followed by the book?

Parents stress and worry about their children’s ‘bad’ eating habits day and night, just to find their child pigging out on that packet of chips they thought they managed to hide.

Instead of setting rules for what he/she can or cannot eat why not provide them with options they’ll gobble up happily.

SAY YES TO JUNK FOOD

No parent can eat healthy all the time, so how can you expect your kids to do the same? If they want chocolate, melt some rich chocolate in milk and serve it to them as hot chocolate.

When your child demands chocolate chip cookies, try making them at home with healthier alternatives like atta instead of maida and olive oil instead of butter.

And sometimes just give your kids a break, when they ask for a packet of chips or some silly overpriced chocolate, let them have it! 

SAUCE IT UP

Stop trying to force-feed icky green dry vegetables to your child! I’m sure you also couldn’t have eaten something that bland, happily as a kid. It’s unfair to ask your child to eat boiled broccoli and boring raw salads just to maintain that healthy “balanced’ diet“.

Instead, you could make all these vegetables yummy by adding different sauces and dressings to them. Load up any salad with some mayo dressing or Thousand Island or whatever you think your child might enjoy.

If they’re happy eating such yummy salads you probably won’t worry about the calories in the sauces! Serve beans, broccoli, cucumber and anything else you want them to eat in a creamy white sauce.

That way they’ll lick the bowl clean before you can even say green vegetables!

SERVE DESSERT AND FOOD TOGETHER

Won’t they just eat the dessert and skip dinner? If you give them just one serving of dessert along with dinner, they’ll still be hungry after that small amount of dessert.

So even if they attack the dessert first, odds are they’ll still be hungry and will end up having their dinner too. The trick here is to give a small portion of dessert so they can’t fill up on just dessert.

You could serve items like fresh fruit, apple crumble, oatmeal cookies, frozen yogurt etc to keep the desserts on the healthier side. 

SERVE DINNER FOR BREAKFAST

Whatever your child’s favorite dinner dish is, try serving that for breakfast. If your child loves pizza, serve mini pizzas for breakfast.

Just fill pita pockets with chicken, cheese and tomatoes and serve it up as a mini pizza. If your child loves eggs then make an omelette with vegetables and some cut pieces of meat. You could even add some cheese to it! This might make them finish breakfast in no time. 

PROVIDE ALTERNATIVES

If your child wants chips, offer tortilla chips with salsa. If they ask for French fries, make those at home using less oil and salt. When he/she asks for pizza, try making it at home instead of ordering it from outside.

Just by providing similar alternatives to food they crave you can improve their eating habits. Also when you’re cooking at home, you can toss in a lot of vegetables without them finding out! 

TRY NEW RECIPES

Not only kids, but every person gets tired of eating the same thing over and over again.

Try to find various recipes for one food item so that your child can keep eating the same vegetables without saying “The food is boring”.

You’ll find more than 5 ways to make healthy pasta and a zillion ways to make paneer ki sabzi.

This little trick might even spruce up your taste buds, not to mention cooking won’t seem like such a tedious task once you get tasty food as the reward! 

DON’T TRY TOO HARD

The more you push, the more they’ll push back. Using threats, bribes, punishments and anger isn’t going to make them eat vegetables.

Just sit back and let them eat their food without nagging in between. Eventually, you’ll notice the food that used to lie on the corner of the plate is now happily settled in their stomach.

This way they’ll learn to eat healthy on their own, especially in the long run. You won’t have to call them during their college and working years to ask “Did you eat your fruits and vegetables today?”. Phew, now won’t that be a relief?

In case of any query related to kids nutrition 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).

Categories
latest buzz Medical Nutrition

Starving Vs Eating Healthy

STARVING VS EATING HEALTHY feature
STARVING VS EATING HEALTHY feature
Starving Vs Eating Healthy

You study one night before the exam but you manage an all night, thus you manage to pass. You study for a week for your exams but you manage a score little over 1800.

You sit down for a few hours and you manage to finish the work your boss asked for a week ago. You push yourself and get the desired results.

These results keep you happy, get the work done and turn out to be fast as well as effective! But, can you say the same in relation to starving to lose weight?

Yes it’s fast, but is it effective? Yes you might look thin, but internally are you happy when you’re hungry? Yes it’s got the job done but will it be a long term success?

The answer is NO. Starving yourself to lose weight isn’t the solution. WHY, you ask? Well here’s a piece of my mind.

Starving Vs Metabolism

Well the first ones an example of how slow your metabolic rate will be when you starve!

Since glucose and insulin play a major role in your metabolism levels, insufficient consumption of food will lead to a fall in their levels, eventually causing a decline in your metabolic rate.

Then comes the second kind, that fast paced metabolism – that’s because regular meals keep your digestive system running which in turn paces up your metabolic rates.

No Water Vs No Water Weight

When you decide to starve yourself, you say no to almost any item going into your mouth. You cant live on a peanut for lunch and one fruit for dinner!

Instead you need to trim the excess weight by getting rid of the water weight by cutting your carbs! For every gram of carb that you consume, your body retains 4 grams of water.

No carbs, no retention, no water weight? That’s right! Say no to carbs, yes to healthy food and bye bye to water weight.

Malnutrition Vs Nutrition

After a few months of starvation, there is a major cut in your staple food which leads to insufficient nutrients, vitamin and minerals.

Without all the essentials for a “balanced diet” your body cannot function properly which could lead to serious illnesses and problems.

On the other hand, if you eat right your body improves its immunity and keeps even the smallest cough away.

To Sleep or Not to Sleep

Those who starve themselves tend to get hungry during the odd hours of the night.

This either keeps them up late at night or keeps waking them up every few hours. OR, even worse – you binge eat at like 3 am.. carbs, fat and dessert!

Whereas those who eat a well balanced healthy meal end up getting a good night’s rest since their body isn’t short of food aka energy deprived!

Lethargic Lump Vs Energizer Bunny

After you skip some meals, your body is really low on energy so it uses stored fat as a replacement i.e. muscles. You’ll notice your muscles slowly start to fade away to compensate for the lack of energy in your body.

Eventually you won’t have the energy to do anything, not even eat. Actually no energy and no muscle might just make you fat and lazy.

If you decide to get off your lazy lump and cook breakfast, you will actually help kick start your body into fat burning mode! Also you’ll have the energy to exercise – which definitely provides better results than starving.

In case of any query related to nutrition or healthy fat 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).

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latest buzz Weight Management

How to Fit Exercise Into a Busy Schedule?

How to Fit Exercise Into a Busy Schedule?
How to Fit Exercise Into a Busy Schedule?
How to Fit Exercise Into a Busy Schedule?

Working out and staying fit might be on your do-to list every day. But honestly ask yourself how often you actually check it off your list.

Yes, you want to work out but there are other things that come first – meetings, taxes, work, office, family etc.

This busy lifestyle really turns your whole system upside down, from sleeping to eating to exercising. But staying super healthy is just as important as your super busy lifestyle.

The most important step is to prioritize and commit. The way you prioritize work and ensure its completion within the time frame you give yourself, the same way you must commit to your work out.

If you don’t have the time to hit the gym then use pre planned short work outs. Now days so many work out apps are also available.

Not to forget the medieval (yet most efficient) means like walking, cycling, skipping etc.

It’s always better to choose something over nothing! You really don’t need one whole hour of a vigorous work out; even half an hour is good enough.

Circuit training is another great alternative to work out with a time crunch – it raises the heart rate and strengthens the muscles – win win situation!

USE VARIOUS METHODS TO EXERCISE

Consistency is essential. You can’t work out for 2 days and expect to see results on the third day! No matter how busy your day might be, it’s essential to exercise for at least half an hour everyday to achieve results.

It is scientifically proven that our body takes 21 days to develop a certain habit; so after you push yourself for 3 weeks it will eventually seem normal.

Your daily physical activity must be creative. Take the stairs to work or up to your house. Avoid lifts and use the stairs instead buy a treadmill or a cycle and keep it in the corner of your office or room to use whenever possible.

Go for a walk on the golf course the day the weather is to die for. Use different methods of exercise to ensure that 30 minute daily dose!

FIND FITNESS IN EVERY ACTIVITY

Prefer stairs in stead of lifts in your office. Try to walk after dinner, it’ll help with the digestion and exercise. Try to squeeze in a walk during breaks and lunch. If possible you can even schedule a “walking meeting”.

Walk around terminals while waiting for your public transport. If you drive yourself then try to park far away so that you can walk just a little.

Avoid fast food and drive in’s, try to find a healthier food option. Try reading or watching TV while you walk on a treadmill or use a stationary cycle.

Even our pets are becoming fatter, take your dog out for a walk to help both of you. It’s little bits of exercise like this which will help you stay healthy and fit!

If you do end up missing your workout for whatever reason, then make sure you make up for it sometime during the weekend.

Try to work out as much as you can during your breaks, even when you watch TV you could do some exercises during the commercial breaks. It’s all about forming that mindset.

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).

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).