Chocolate milkshake and calcium

Chocolate milkshake and calcium

Are your kids fussy about drinking milk……..so you add chocolate based powders and syrup to make it yummy right! .…….chocolate based product hinder calcium absorption to some extent due to oxalic acid and also caffeine tends to promote calcium excretion in urine so try to add fruits, make a milkshake, you can also add rose syrup, kesar pista, vanilla flavours……try it......think over its upto you which taste you want them to get use to.

What gets tracked, gets cracked.

What gets tracked, gets cracked

Have you come across such people who eat “healthy” food all the time but still struggle to get in shape.
The truth is that, if you’re not tracking what you eat (even if you generally exclude fatty and sugary foods) you’re sabotaging your own success.
You see, trying to lose weight without tracking what you eat is a lot like trying to save money without a budget. It almost never works.

Studies have shown that people who track their food record (maintain a food diary) perform better. so gear up guys track what you eat

image source:-blog.getsimplifit.com

Mrs Shilpa Mittal
Nutritionist and Diet Consultant
Founder Shilpsnutrilife - Diet and lifestylemakeover

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.

Looking More Like an Apple or a Pear shape

Looking More Like an Apple or a Pear

Good health is determined not only by a healthy weight but also by a healthy waist size and body shape. Increasingly, doctors are using waist size and body shape, along with body weight, to predict your risk for chronic health conditions. The higher the waist to hip ratio, the higher the risk.

Apple Shaped

The apple shaped person carries most of the body fat in the abdominal region i.e have more fat surrounding their internal organs (visceral fat), also refered to as abdominal or central obesity.This kind of fat decreases insulin sensitivity, raises blood pressure, and decreases levels of 'good' (HDL) cholesterol there by putting the person at risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Pear Shaped

The pear-shaped person carries most of the body fat around the hips, thighs, and buttocks.
The risks for the overweight pear-shaped  are quite different to the apple shape. A pear-shaped  will typically be more susceptible to orthopedic problems, cellulite and varicose veins.

Being an “apple” or “pear” is partially influenced by the gene. However, a person’s lifestyle may affect the fat distribution too. For instances, excessive alcoholic beverages consumption may increase the fat carried in stomach area (bear belly). Similarly sedentary lifestyle a lot of sitting at one place can also lead to fat accumulation.

Anyways being overweight itself leads to a hell lot of issues so whatever shape you are lose weight and get into the healthy range.

Mrs Shilpa Mittal
Nutritionist and Diet Consultant
Founder Shilpsnutrilife - Diet and lifestylemakeover

Til and Calcium

 Til and Calcium

Eating sweets like til revri, gajjak, laddu, chikki (candy) and patti., along with other good source of calcium like milk and its products can help you in reducing your dosage of calcium supplements for the time being (keeping any medical problem in mind if any) as til is an important source of calcium.

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.

Obesity As a Disease

Obesity As a Disease

Recently the American Medical Association announced that it was changing the designation of obesity from a 'disorder' to a 'disease.' While the two labels sound similar, they actually mean very different things to health care providers, insurance companies, and to members of the obese community.

At first glance, it’s a minor story, hardly worth mentioning, but in reality the AMA’s move is a symptom of a disease that is seriously troubling our society.

Obesity in children has tripled in the past two decades. Experts have warned that kids today may be the first generation in history to live shorter lives than their parents. Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex health issue.

Obesity is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes which impact millions of people. Even if an obese person does not currently display any other health problems, we know that obesity significantly increases the risk for other serious health complications down the road, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems and some forms of cancer. Addressing obesity before these complications arise will prevent future patient suffering.

I know whether obesity is a disease or an epidemic the general population will remain unaffected. But this rapidly rising obesity rates have led to a decrease in health and wellness and an increase in costs for treating obesity-related illnesses. We have to take steps to improve the health of our nation.

 “There is no magic bullet — no medicine — for obesity. The way out of obesity is to eat right and healthy and to move your body.”

Childhood obesity consequences

Childhood obesity consequences

Obesity among children and adolescents is emerging as a serious health burden. It’s a time bomb waiting to explode once these children become adults, making obesity one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century.

Childhood obesity is associated with a number of health problems such as hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and impaired glucose tolerance that were once confined to adults are now being diagnosed to children.

Likelihood of obese adolescent girls to suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, a syndrome of variable combinations of menstrual irregularity, acne with obesity and insulin resistance.

Childhood obesity is associated with significant other morbidities including gallstone, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, early puberty or menarche, eating disorders, skin infections, orthopedic disorders, asthma and other respiratory disorders.

To ensure that kids grow up fit and slim, parents need to be committed to building their health. We can't collude with our children when it comes to choosing between getting through the daily pile of homework that brings them close to scoring 99 per cent in their finals instead of spending an hour playing badminton in the park outside with them.

Please do think and act now

Is their a difference in obesity beginning in childhood and adulthood

Is their a difference in obesity beginning in childhood and adulthood.

Nowadays with multiple foods easily available, children and also adults hardly like to eat home food. The dietary habits have shifted from eating fruits, vegetables, whole grain preparation, milk and products to caloric dense (either loaded with fat or sugar) highly processed foods and drinks which just have calories and very less nutrition in proportion to the same.

The fat cell theory is one of the mechanisms that explain obesity in children due to overfeeding in early years of life. The fat cells are distributed throughout the body. The depot expands either by increasing the size of fat cell or by increasing their number. According to the theory the percentage of body fat is determined by the number of fat cells which is either influenced by genetic inheritance or eating habits.

The size of fat cells gradually increases if the energy balance is positive. If the energy or caloric intake continues to be high, cell number begins to increase. Once fat cells increase their number seems to be fixed and they cannot be lost even if weight is lost. In general, cells proliferate most rapidly from birth to 2 years of age and during the late childhood and puberty.

During childhood, chronic overfeeding leads to increased number of these fat cells. Fat cells once formed cannot be decreased. In the long run if positive energy balance (you take in more calories than you expend) continues, fat cells would keep increasing in size further leading to obesity in adulthood as well. Thus, good eating habits during childhood are of great importance.

This is the difference in  from obesity beginning in adulthood and childhood.  In adulthood, obesity begins due to increase in the fat cell size and in childhood the number of fat cells also increase.

So please pay attention to what your kids eat, they may not understand now but  will definitely thank you in future for developing healthy eating habits.

To stay fit,cycle or walk more: Study

  To stay fit,cycle or walk more: Study

                     People who walked or cycled to work had a better chance of keeping chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and high BP at bay, says a recent study.
Researchers from the Public Health Foundation of India and London's Imperial College looked at the health parameters of 4,000 male workers - 1,366 rural and 2,536 urban - and the way they travelled to work, to reach this conclusion.

Rural workers who cycled or walked to work were healthier than those who had their own transport or took the bus to work in urban areas.

Cities with their car lanes and gadgets for reducing daily workload could adversely affect people's health. "Our study shows that mechanized world does harm your heart,'' said epidemiologist Sutapa Agrawal from the Public Health Foundation of India.

Consider Mumbai, where people dial services to receive every essential item—be it grocery, medicines or food— at home. Walking is at a minimum; climbing bridges at railway stations is at best the only exercise that Mumbaikars consciously undertake. Preventive cardiologist Dr Aashish Contracter said, "The built-up environment of any place is important. Mumbai's environment isn't supportive for health. Forget greenery and parks, Mumbai doesn't even have footpaths for people to walk.''

Cycling and walking to work are concepts that are linked to a person's socio-economic status in India. "If a person has the money, he will buy a car. It doesn't matter whether he is from an urban or rural area,'' said Agarwal. Her study found that 68.3% of people in rural areas bicycled and 11.9% walked to work, compared with 15.9% cycling and 12.5% walking in towns and cities.

The team took up the study to underline that walking and bicycling were associated with reduced cardiovascular risk in the Indian population. "Efforts to increase active travel in urban areas and halt declines in rural areas should be integral to strategies to maintain healthy weight and prevent non-communicable diseases in India,'' she said.

Dr Contracter gave the example of France where people can hire bicycles at kiosks at street corners. "People can ride for a kilometre to two and deposit the cycle at a kiosk close to their destination. Clearly, more advanced the city, there is a better understanding on the need to promote public or active transport (such as cycling or walking),'' he said.

While the government could construct footpaths, the doctor said that Mumbaikars could run small errands themselves to stay healthier. "Instead of dialing your chemist to deliver medicines, walk yourself to the shop. Perform three-minute physical activity at least 15 times a day to stay fitter. These activities could range from climbing the stairs or getting off the bus at one stop earlier,'' he advised.

Health check

* The Indian Migration study covered 4,000 men.

* Health parameters of 1,366 rural and 2,536 urban workers and the way they travelled to work, were studied.

* People in rural areas were found to be healthier as they cycled or walked to work more often than urban counterparts.

* Doctors advise a three-minute physical activity regime at least 15 times in a day.  Source- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/To-stay-fit-cycle-or-walk-to-work-Study/articleshow/20611128.cms

Gudi Padwa - Puran poli - Healthy??? Or Unhealthy???

Gudi Padwa - Puran poli - Healthy??? Or Unhealthy???

Gudi Padwa is around the corner, this festive season is incomplete without puran poli right. Puran poli is a classic Maharashtrian delicacy. It is a pan-griddled sweet bread stuffed with split yellow gram(channa dal) or red gram (toovar/arhar dal). 

It has various regional names like paruppu poli in Tamil, Holige or obbattu in Kannada, ubbati in Konkani. The taste also varies from region to region. It is sweet and is circular like a parantha. It is a festive dessert. The stuffing is called puran and the parantha-like bread is called as poli.


But..hold on if you think puran poli is bad think again every food has its merit and demerits, the key is to maintain moderation. 

Puran poli is supposed to be a high cal food, right... it is upto you to make it healthy, use whole wheat flour instead of maida, use ghee sparingly.

Lets look at its merit

Puran poli made with whole wheat flour is rich in complex carbs, fibre, gives B complex vitamins, certain minerals. Dals as we all know gives give good amount of protein, what you all will be surprised to know is that this combination of cereal ie wheat flour and protein from dals will provide you with good quality protein, which can be compared to egg which is considered as high biological value with almost 100% bioavailability i.e of excellent quality.This combination provides all the required amino acids which are building blocks of protein.

Futher it has lot of jaggery which contains iron, cacium, potassium, phosphorus, it is releases energy slowly, as it is digested slower than sugar. Further Jaggery also aids in digestion, as jaggery breaks and becomes alkaline in the digestive system.

Addition of Green cardamom powder , saffron, nutmeg powder, mace (javantri) powder which have essential volatile oils,boosts digestion and are antispasmodic, carminative, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial.

  

Go ahead and enjoy this festive delicacy…but keep it as festive delicacy and do not gorge on it, it is to be enjoyed only during festival season.

            ENJOY GUDI PADWA WITH PURAN POLI

Checklist to analyse your health status!!!

Checklist to analyse your Health status !!!

"Good health adds life to years", here is a checklist which will help you in analysizing how healthy you are!!!

1.Climb up to the 2^nd floor of your building and then check your rate of heart beat. 

If your beat is high and you are unable to catch your breath even after 2 minutes of deep breathing, your level of cardiovascular fitness is low.

2. Ask yourself when was the last time you ate a fruit.

  

3. Are potatoes the only vegetables in your house???

4. How much alcohol do you drink? Keep an eye on the amount and have a regular kidney check up.

5. If  you have a family history of diabetes, a annual blood sugar and insulin check is a must after the age of 26yrs.

6. If you lead a sedentary life regular blood pressure and lipid profile check up is needed.

7. If you are a frequent(>2 times a week) non-veg eater annual uric acid and lipid profile is a must.

8. Menopausal women, make sure you have an annual pap test (for cancer), mammography & bone density test for osteoporosis.

9. For young mother haemoglobin and calcium check ups will help control health problems after delivery.

10. Maintain a food dairy. Check things like how much sugar you consume in a day, how often you eat fried foods.

11. If you are unable to get enough sleep for more than a month, your body will be less able to regenerate itself and you will be more likely to suffer from breakdown

The best way to manage your health is to have a full annual check up done and also pay attention to signals your body sends.

World Health Day 7th april 2014 - The Mantra to a Healthy life

World Health Day 7th april 2014

The Mantra to a Healthy life

The Mantra to a Healthy life 

Eat healthy

Be active

Maintain a healthy weight

Manage stress.

AN EXCELLENT SALAD TO PREVENT SUNSTROKE AND REDUCE BP AND CHOLESTEROL

AN EXCELLENT SALAD TO PREVENT SUNSTROKE AND REDUCE BP AND CHOLESTEROL

An excellent salad to prevent sunstroke.

Mix finely chopped pieces of raw mango and onion together, add chopped green chillies, a dash of rock salt, a pinch of turmeric and red chilli powder, garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Onion due to its high sulphur content prevents body fevers that can be caused due to sun stroke.Raw Mango is excellent for preventing sun stroke.

Apart from this, raw mango gives vit C and potassium and onion helps in thinning of blood, so this salad also helps to reduce BP and cholesterol.

  ENJOY A SALAD WITH DUAL BENEFITS