Eat a variety of foods everyday

Eat a variety of foods everyday

Eating a variety of foods is very important for a balanced diet. I keep on stressing this point very often with my clients too, that by eating only one or two kinds of foods, you will not get the proper balance in your diet that you should have. As each food has different nutrients in it like grains are rich in carbs, dals in proteins, fruits and veges in vitamins (as can also be seen in the image).

Also by eating only one kind of food, the aspect of boredom will arise. Say, for instance, you have a banana for a snack every day for a month. You will get bored and tired of eating banans. Instead, try a variety of fruit.

Eating many different foods helps maintain a healthy, well-balanced and interesting diet that provides adequate nutrition, also by getting a variety of foods you will make eating a lot more enjoyable. 

So go ahead try a new fruit like star fruit or introduce a new grain which you haven't tried yet say nachni(ragi), Jav(barley)...do share your experience too.

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

Keratin protein in your hair, nail and skin

 Keratin protein in your hair, nail and skin

 

The human body is chock-full of proteins. Proteins are present in the outer and inner membranes of every living cell. Your hair, your nails, and the outer layers of your skin are made of the protein keratin. Keratin is a scleroprotein, or a protein resistant to digestive enzymes. So if you bite your nails, you can’t digest them.

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

Uses of whey (the water left after making of panir)

Uses of whey (the water left after making of panir)

Do not throw away the water left after making of panir i.e whey, it is a cloudy, yellowish liquid which is packed with good quality and easily digestable proteins. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc and Selenium, and a very good source of Riboflavin, Calcium and Phosphorus.

Whey, called "healing water" by the ancient Greeks, is filled with nourishing probiotic (pro-life) activity, protein,  and is an excellent digestive aid, yet lacks lactose.

Here are a few easy ways to incorporate whey

-Use the liquid to make dough for Indian Paratha & Roti

-Can be added to pancake batter

-Can be used in dal, soups,rasam, sambar

 

-Use it to cook your pastas, potatoes, oatmeal, or rice,khichdi

-Add it to gravies for vegetables

-Freeze it into cubes and add to smoothies

-Use whey in place of water or milk in recipes

Go ahead use your creativity and enjoy the goodness of whey

Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin

Do u know your body uses protein to make hemoglobin the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen to every part of your body. …so just taking your iron supplements will not help if the diet is deficient in protein.

Exam fever!!!!take a chillpill

Exam fever!!!!take a chillpill

Tips for eating healthy during exams

This is the time when the brain is taxed to its maximum, so here are a few tips which will help you to cope up.

                                          

1.Start your day with a well nourshing breakfast, do not skip this important meal of the day. It helps you concentrate, recollect and reproduce information. Avoid starch-laden and sugar coated foods like sheera, white bread, instead have fibre rich food like dalia porridge,whole wheat bread sandwich(veg/egg), parathas, poha, upma.

2. Eat a few nuts like almonds n walnuts.

3.Hydrate yourself with 2 litres of water per day.

                                                        

4.Whole fruits, fresh vegetables, leafy vegetables should be consumed in good amounts.

5.Consume proteins in the form of dals, legumes, sprouted legumes, soya, dairy foods, sea foods, lean meats, egg up to 3-4 servings per day to obtain essential nutrients and also for generation of brain messengers (neurotransmitters).

6.Avoid empty calorie foods like cold drinks, junk foods, fried snacks, energy drinks and also stimultants like alcohol, tobacco. 

6.Regular physical exercises and also breathing exercises like pranayam increases blood circulation to the brain and reduces stress.

7.Have a positive attitude towards life!

 Wishing you all the best

ALL ABOUT METABOLISM

Want to build muscle and burn fat? Read below to learn how metabolism affects fitness level, and how to give it a boost.

"Metabolism" refers to your body's systems for using energy. This includes breathing, digestion, the building of muscle, and the storage of fat, circulation of blood -- anything that's part of your body's systems for converting energy into... an activity you need to live

Your metabolic rate is the rate at which you burn calories

People with more muscle and less fat generally have a faster metabolic rate.

As you age, you tend to lose muscle. This results in a metabolic rate that begins declining as early as your twenties -- about 2% per decade.

Genetics & lifestyle affect your metabolism. You cant do much about your genes and age, but you can make lifestyle changes to increase your metabolism.

Strength training can indeed help you lose weight by changing your metabolic rate.

Studies have shown that people who do extreme dieting or eat less than 1,200 calories per day are likely to wind up with a slower metabolic rate.

  Even going too long between meals can slow metabolic rate. Its recommended to eat a small healthy meal or snack every 2 to 3 hours. Also, never skip breakfast.

Studies have shown that the body requires more energy to digest high-protein foods, hence your metabolic rate increases.

Caffeine is a stimulant -- and so by definition, it increases your metabolic rate. This is why it is often an ingredient in weight loss diet supplements and acts as a thermogenic. Studies have shown that one cup of American coffee can increase metabolism by about 3% to 4% for a short period of time.

65% to 75% of the calories you burn in a day are burned by your metabolism in the process of maintaining your body's basic vital processes. Physical activity contributes up to 30% of your total daily calorie burn and is still one of the best ways to boost your metabolic rate.

Happy Pumping!