Why does the metabolic rate drop as you age?

 Why does the metabolic rate drop as you age?

Your basal metabolic rate - the number of calories your body burns each day just to stay alive - tends to drop as you age.
According to conventional wisdom, this is because you lose a small amount of muscle each year.
However, many people don't realize that muscle mass is not the only thing that affects your basal metabolic rate.

The age-related decline in metabolic rate - even when muscle mass is taken into account - is because of two reasons.

•Firstly is exercise, the more exercise you do, the higher your metabolic rate. The fact that people tend to exercise less as they age is partly responsible for the drop in metabolic rate.

• Second, metabolic rate is also linked to total calorie intake. This means that the more you eat, the higher your metabolic rate. A reduced metabolic rate in older physically active men could be due to the fact they eat less than their younger counterparts.
The bottom line is that a drop in your metabolic rate is not an inevitable consequence of aging, and has a lot more to do with the way you live your life.

You can minimize the age-related drop in metabolic rate by maintaining a high energy flux - balancing a nutrient-dense diet with regular exercise.

Not only will this help you stay lean, it's a great way to provide your body with more of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

our lifestyle

Environmental Factors: 
Bigger food packages and larger portions
Bigger size= cheaper....Supersize”
All-you-can-eat buffets

Less Physical Activity:
Escalators/elevators, moving sidewalks,intercoms, tele-commuting Cable movies,computer games, cellular phones.

Reusing cooking oil

Reusing cooking oil

Reusing cooking oil has been done for ages

When oil is overused, the color darkens, it develops a stale odor and taste which attach to the product. If foods darken too quickly (before they are cooked), it's a sign the oil needs to be changed. With each use, the oil's smoke point drops (the smoke point of an oil is the temperature at which the oil begins to decompose and visible fumes (smoke) are given off) these oil produces some very unhealthy compounds at normal cooking temperatures and becomes rancid. Rancid oils also contain free radicals that are potentially carcinogenic.

consume different kinds of oils

 Consume different kinds of oils

In order to derive maximum benefits from oil, it is beneficial to consume different kinds of oils, especially so that you get a variety of fatty acids.

For eg:-You could have two or more different kinds of oils in your kitchen that you could use for different purposes. For example, you could use olive oil for salads, groundnut oil for frying and soyabean oil for other cooking purposes. This will let you take advantage of the health benefits offered by each oil.

Or for a month you can use groundnut oil/ mustard/rice bran and the next month use soya bean/ sunflower.

Nutritional Benefits of Onions

Nutritional Benefits of Onions

Never mind the tears they bring on—onions are a great companion in your fight against disease. A prized member of the lily family, they lavish you with health benefits while adding oodles of taste to your food.

A quick glimpse at their incredible health benefits:

Onions contain a high amount of polyphenols, a type of 
phytonutrient, which includes disease-protecting flavonoids 
and tannins. In fact, onions are one of the most polyphenol-
packed foods you can eat.

  
Onions due to its high sulphur content prevents body fevers 
that can be caused due to sun stroke.

   
Decrease high cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Reduce the risk of developing colon and other cancers.

Reduce inflammation.

Quercetin, an antioxidant found in green onions, offers 
anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine benefits and  is known to 
play a significant role in preventing cancer. Green onions
are rich in vitamin C which not only boosts immunity, but 
offers protection from cardiovascular disease, eye disease, 
and skin wrinkling.

Onions are rich in chromium, an essential mineral used by 
the body to regulate glucose and for the metabolism and 
storage of macronutrients. Thus onion help to lower blood 
sugar.

Other nutrients found in onions include fiber, manganese, 
vitamin B6, potassium and copper.

It is mainly used as a traditional medicine for common cold.

It stimulates the respiratory tract and helps in expelling 
sputum (phlegm).

Do you enjoy sliced, chopped onions with your food? If yes, 
rejoice! Raw onion encourages the production of good 
cholesterol (HDL), thus keeping your heart healthy.

World Water Day-22nd march

World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

Facts and figures

An increasing demand

85% of the world population lives in the driest half of the planet.

783 million people do not have access to clean water and almost 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation. 

6 to 8 million people die annually from the consequences of disasters and water-related diseases.

Over half of the world population lives in urban areas, and the number of urban dwellers grows each day. Urban areas, although better served than rural areas, are struggling to keep up with population growth (WHO/UNICEF, 2010).

With expected increases in population, by 2030, food demand is predicted to increase by 50% (70% by 2050) (Bruinsma, 2009), while energy demand from hydropower and other renewable energy resources will rise by 60% (WWAP, 2009). These issues are interconnected – increasing agricultural output, for example, will substantially increase both water and energy consumption, leading to increased competition for water between water-using sectors.

Water for irrigation and food production constitutes one of the greatest pressures on freshwater resources. Agriculture accounts for ~70% of global freshwater withdrawals (up to 90% in some fast-growing economies).
Economic growth and individual wealth are shifting diets from predominantly starch-based to meat and dairy, which require more water. Producing 1 kg of rice, for example, requires ~3,500 L of water, 1 kg of beef ~15,000 L, and a cup of coffee ~140 L (Hoekstra and Chapagain, 2008). This dietary shift is the greatest to impact on water consumption over the past 30 years, and is likely to continue well into the middle of the twenty-first century (FAO, 2006).

“SAVE WATER – YOU ARE THE SOLUTION TO WORLD WATER CRISIS”

Source:-http://www.unwater.org/water-cooperation-2013/water-cooperation/facts-and-figures/en

My article in this months HOMEMAKER MAGAZINE on nutrition during exams.

My article in this months HOMEMAKER MAGAZINE on nutrition during exams.

Working Women special

 Working women special

Always stock, any one green chutney ( mint or coriander), onion chutney, tamarind chutney & tomato chutney in the fridge. This will be handy as a side dish for tiffins and doubles up as a sandwich spread also. Do not add coconut if you stock like this. For fresh sandwiches, use green chutney with cucumber or tomato slices. For toasted sandwich, use this as a filling with a cheese slice.

Any soft dosai, spread with any one of these these chutneys & folded with a sprinkling of water, makes a lunch box tiffin.

Coconut water – the fluid of life

Coconut water – the fluid of life

Tender coconut water is the natural isotonic beverage with almost the same level of electrolyte balance as we have in our blood. Here is how it is excellent for the summer:

• Oral rehydration medium – high in magnesium, potassium, saline and natural sugar. Popular with athletes.
• Keeps the body cool.
• Application on the body prevents prickly heat and summer boils and subsides the rashes.

Rightly called the ‘fluid of life’ coconut water is a wonder food.It can be used (in emergencies) as a substitute for blood plasma.

The reason for this is that coconut water (the water found in coconuts – not to be confused with coconut milk, which comes from the flesh of the coconut) is sterile and has an ideal pH level. Coconut water is liquid endosperm – it surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition.

Keeps the body cool.

Healthy Lifestyle Awareness

Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Day

22nd feb 2014

 

We  hear a lot about living a healthy lifestyle, we hear about lifestyle related diseases like obesity, diabetes… but what is healthy lifestyle all about?

It is simple, in general, a healthy person doesn't smoke, is at a healthy weight, eats healthy and exercises, very simple indeed , isn’t it? But difficult to maintain RIGHT!!!!

A healthy lifestyle has often been stressed upon for a better health. However, health as a priority is not been taken seriously by many and health regimens are often regarded as a tedious job to keep up with.

The trick to healthy living is making small changes...taking more steps, adding fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water...these are just a few ways you can start living healthy without drastic changes. 

5 simple steps to live a healthy lifestyle

•Do not smoke

•Keep the body weight right. Eating a healthy diet which is another part of the healthy lifestyle. Not only it will help with weight management, it can also improve your health and quality of life as you get older.

•Engage in moderate to brisk exercise activities for atleast half-an-hour or more every day We know it's good for us but avoid it like the plague either because we're used to being sedentary or afraid that exercise has to be vigorous to be worth our time.

•Exclude the bad fats from food and have food rich in vegetables and fruits, protein rich meat like chicken and fish, fiber, nuts and legumes.

•Keeping the alcohol intake moderate. which is one a day for women and two a day for men.

Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to mean drastic changes. In fact, drastic changes almost always lead to failure. Making small changes in how you live each day can lead to big rewards, so figure out what you can to be healthy today.