Tag

balanced diet

Browsing
In Articles to munch on

BENEFITS OF SUPER SEEDS

No Comments

 

HEMP SEEDS Advantages: A complete protein like egg, hemp seeds are an excellent source of easily-digestible proteins. They contain the essential fatty acids (Omega-6 and Omega-3) with GLA (Gamma-linoleic acid) that helps build anti-inflammatory hormones; they prevent conditions like arthritis, asthma and fibromyalagia.

Add them to your diet: They look like sesame seeds but have a nutty flavour like sunflower seeds. Add them to salads or breakfast cereals, soups, pesto sauce (instead of cashew nuts) and post-workout smoothies for faster muscle recovery.

CHIA SEEDS Advantages: Excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and minerals like calcium, manganese and phosphorus (all necessary for healthy bones and teeth), chia seeds are a healthy addition to your diet. They lower insulin resistance (main cause of PCOD among women) and help fight diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiac problems.

Add them to your diet: Chia seeds don’t have any particular taste. Add them to your breakfast your breakfast porridge or even plain milk. Sprinkle them (whole or ground) on salads or risottos, maketos, make them into a pudding with fruits, or make chia seed jam.

PUMPKIN SEEDS Advantages: Diversity in antioxidant content makes pumpkin seeds a good anti-ageing property. They contain Vitamin E in different forms, and thus benefit the skin. They ward off cancer, heart attacks, diabetes and have anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-microbial benefits. A handful of pumpkin seeds, three to four times a week, is a must.

Add them to your diet: Roasted pumpkin seeds make for a tasty snack when flavoured with paprika or just lime and pepper. Do note they are high in calories too (100 gm = 560 calories), so limit your consumption. You can make granola bars out of them or add them to baked products, like muffins.

FLAX SEEDS Advantages: Rich source of dietary fibre, Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, flaxseeds help adjust your good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol ratios and thus protect your heart, promote fertility, relieve constipation, improve immunity and avert production of cancerous cells.

Add them to your diet: Most nutri tionists suggest that ground flaxseeds are better than whole because the former are easier to digest. However, remember, these seeds when ground and exposed to air, oxidise easily, turn rancid and lose their nutrition profile. So, grind small quantities, store in an air-tight container and consume them soon. Add them as a topping to yogurt, oatmeal, desserts and shakes.

SUNFLOWER SEEDS Advantages: An excellent source of Vitamin E, sunflower seeds neutralise free radicals and prevent asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.High in magnesium, they treat blood pressure, headaches and migraines along with promoting healthy teeth and bones.

Add them to your diet: Because of their high fat content sunflower seeds be come rancid quickly. It is best to store them in the refrigerator. Add them to salads and scrambled eggs or sprinkle on hot or cold breakfast cereals.

SESAME SEEDS Advantages: Sesame seeds possess nutritive, preventive and curative proper ties. Their copper content helps provide relief from rheumatoid arthritis. Magnesium improves cardiovascular health and lung function while calcium prevents osteoporosis, migraine and PMS.

Add them to your diet: Tahini, made out of sesame seeds, is a favourite Arabic paste added to dips like hummus and moutabel. Sauté sesame seeds with vegetables or chicken, garlic, ginger and soy sauce or add them to breads, muffins or theplas and dhok theplas and dhoklas to increase their nutritional value.

Continue Reading
By
In Articles to munch on

HAVE A SKIN-TASTIC FUTURE

No Comments

Genetics and lifestyle habits play a significant role in skin health, but even if you have not been blessed with good genes, certain foods can help you fight problems like acne and wrinkles. Adequate hydration and an antioxidant-rich diet go a long way to ensure healthy skin. Among the other eliminatory organs in the body, skin plays a vital role because of its sweat pores. When the waste byproducts and toxins in our bodies are not excreted totally through the kidney ­ mostly due to lack of hydration, the skin bears the brunt of it. Adequate water and other hydrating liquids is one of the key secrets to healthy skin. Coconut water, buttermilk, fruit and vegetable juices, milkshakes, smoothies and soups all count as hydrating fluids. Tea, coffee, aerated beverages and alcohol do not. Well-hydrated skin is inherently protected from wrinkles, pigmentation, flaking, peeling and dryness.

FOODS FOR BETTER SKIN

To ensure your daily dose of epidermal enhancing vitamins, have a tall glass of freshly-prepared vegetable juice. Include carrots (rich in vitamin A), tomatoes (rich in lycopene and vitamin C), avocados (contains essential fatty acids (EFA) and vitamin E), parsley or spinach (chlorophyll, vitamin B12, folic acid) and or any other vegetable available to you in your refrigerator on any given day ­ they all come with great nutritional benefits. This glassful of nature’s bounty ensures your daily needs of vitamins and antioxidants from the plate, which is better than any pill or supplements. Did you know that Omega-3 fatty acid is the best anti-aging food known to man? To procure this in its most natural form, consume fatty fish like salmon, mackerel or tuna. Other foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acid are almonds, soya, olive oil and rice bran oil. Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil are excellent sources too. They are also rich in phytoestrogens, which have a synergistic effect along with Omega-3, to give you youthful skin.

Green tea is another skin-friendly food; it is rich in flavonoids, which help protect the skin against acne, pigmentation or wrinkles.

Probiotic curds is very important for healthy skin, as it improves your immune system and kills bacteria that cause acne and other skin problems like psorasis.

Collagen is an essential component of the skin, which increases and enhances its elasticity. As the collagen levels reduce (occurs due to exposure to the suns UV rays), skin loses its elasticity and shows signs of aging. Natural vitamins and minerals are collagen’s best friend. Egg whites are a strong source of zinc, an essential vitamin that keeps skin firm and youthful. Pomegranates are loaded with nutrients, including polyphenols, a very potent antioxidant that boosts collagen.

Your skin is a barometer of how well or how poorly you are feeding your body.

THINGS TO AVOID

Sugar: Excess sugar intake throws the insulin levels off balance, which can lead to inflammation both inside the body and on your face. Cut back on sugar-laden desserts, breakfast cereals, snack bars, sodas and other goodies. You’ll see a marked improvement in your long-term skin health.

Deep-fried foods: Fried foods have compounds called `advanced glycation end products’ very aptly termed AGES that are linked to oxidative damage, and result in inflammation that can make your skin look ruddy, dull and wrinkled.

Excess salt: Most fried foods create a double whammy of trouble, as they are also high in sodium, which causes water retention. It’s most noticeable in the under-eye areas, as the skin there is very thin, and it doesn’t take much to cause a swelling.

The last key ingredients to the perfect skin are exercise and adequate sleep. Get your heart rate up and break into a sweat for that healthy glow, and don’t forget to sleep on time.

 

Continue Reading
By
In Healthy Recipes

NOURISH GENIE:STRIVE FOR EGG-CELLENCE

No Comments

Wholesome in every macro and micro nutrient, eggs are nothing short of a miracle food. Low in calories (77 cal), gloriously rich in proteins (6 gm) and not very high in fat content (5 gm), eggs are good at satisfying the requirement of our body cells. Packed with a lot of goodness, the protein content in eggs is of unmatched quality. Eggs contain all nine essential amino acids that are vital for the normal functioning of the body, but cannot be made by the body and thus, are to be taken in through the food we eat. Also, egg protein is considered as reference ­ protein that can be fully absorbed by the body, without any valuable protein getting lost in translation.

EGG WHITE VS EGG YOLK

More than half of the protein obtained in an egg is found in the egg white along with B vitamins, selenium, vitamin D, and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. The egg yolk is a source of cholesterol, saturated fats and fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E and K. The yolk contains all the 5 gm of fat present in an egg, of which 1.5 gm is saturated fat.

THE IDEAL NUMBER

Each medium-sized egg contains approximately 200 mg of cholesterol. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Indians by National Institute of Nutrition, the daily dietary cholesterol intake should be less than 300 mgdl. Thus, a yolk a day covers up a good 23rd of that quota. There has been a lot of speculation over whether the dietary cholesterol content directly influences blood cholesterol levels or not and there are many studies siding both sides of the story. To keep it simple, I would suggest that those who are watching their weight andor have also been asked by the doctor to watch their lipid profiles regularly must learn to go easy on the yellow if they want to get -and stay -fit.

A GOOD TIME TO EAT EGGS

Any time is a great time for the healthy anda! Eat it for breakfast to jumpstart your day and leave your home energised. Or eat it post your workout to help the body in muscle building and repair. Eat it at meal times to balance your proteins with the carbohydrates; eat it at peak hunger times like evenings or late nights to satiate your craving for food and avoid bingeing on unhealthy food.

EGG-LICIOUS RECIPES

Mock Egg White Pizza Ingredients I Egg whites: 2 eggs, Phulkas: 2, Capsicum and tomato (chopped): ½ cup, Onions (chopped): 14 cup, Green chilli (finely chopped): 1, Salt to taste, Oil: 1 tsp Method I Whisk egg whites properly along with green chilli, vegetables and salt. Heat oil in a pan and add the egg whites mixture to it.

Cook till the mixture becomes semi-solid. Place this stuffing between two phulkas and cook on both sides using very little oil. Cook till the phulkas become slightly brown. Cut with the help of pizza cutter into tr angular pieces. Serve hot. Baked Stuffed Eggs Ingredients I Hard boiled eggs: 6, Skimmed milk: 1½ cups, Flour: 2 tbsp, Mushrooms (chopped): ½ cup, Onion (chopped): 1, Capsicum (diced): 1, Salt and pepper to taste, Mixed herbs for seasoning Method I Slice eggs into halves and discard yolks. Mix the flour with the milk and boil it.
Add to it mushrooms, capsicums, onions, salt and pepper. Cook till the mixture thickens. Stuff the egg whites with this white sauce mixture.

Take a baking dish and grease it with a few drops of oil. Arrange the eggs in the dish, sprinkle them with mixed herbs and little black pepper. Bake in the oven for 7-8 min. Serve hot.
Vegetable Soup With Egg Whites Ingredients I Carrot: 1, Mushrooms: 4-5, French beans: 6-7, Baby corn: 2, Water or vegetable stock: 2 cups, Egg whites: 2, Salt and pepper to taste Method I Bring the water or stock to a boil, add the vegetables and cook for 3-4 min. Add salt and pepper to taste. Beat egg whites and drizzle over the soup.

Continue Reading
By
In Articles to munch on

NOURISH GENIE:TAKE IT WITH A PINCH OF SALT

No Comments

Can’t do without it, and definitely can’t do with too much of it. Salt is a chemical compound called sodium chloride ­ 40 per cent sodium and 60 per cent chloride. Studies recommend that the upper limit of salt for adults is anywhere between 3.75 5 gm (sodium intake between 1.5 2.3 gm per day) which actually measures to just a tsp of salt per day. This is the ideal amount of salt for all healthy adults without high blood pressure, diabetes or cardio-vascular diseases.
WHY DOES THE BODY NEED SALT?
Cutting back on added salt is a small way to avoid over consumption. Do remember that you don’t need to add salt to all the food items you are consuming ­ 75 per cent of the salt you eat is already present in everyday food items, like bread, breakfast cereals, ketchup and a lot of canned foods. Fortunately, nutrition labels on most ready made foods indicate the salt content in them. (1 gm sodium = 2.5 gm salt; so if you know how much sodium is present in a food item, you can roughly know the amount of salt it contains). Here’s how you can decode the labels: High salt content: If the salt content is higher than 1.5 gm per 100 gm of the food product, the sodium content mentioned will be 0.6 gm per 100 gm. Low salt content: If the salt content is 0.3 gm for less per 100 gm of the product; equivalent sodium content would be 0.1 gm per 100 gm.
Medium salt content: Foods between high and low figures. e Also note that dis-solvable vitamin supplements and painkillers contain up to one gm of salt per tablet. It would be advisable that you switch to non-effervescent counterparts, especially, if you have been asked to watch your salt intake.

WHY TOO MUCH SALT IS BAD FOR YOU
If you binge on foods that are too salty, you feel bloated and puffy hours later. This is be cause eating too much salt causes your body to retain more water, which increases the blood volume. This furthur leads to excess pressure on the blood vessels, thus demanding a lot of hard work from the heart in order to ensure smooth blood flow through the body. This is the main cause for high blood pressure and various heart dis eases. Other metabolic disorders associated with excess sodium intake include osteoporosis, kidney stone, asthma and gastric cancers.
SALTY FOODS ONE MUST AVOID
Cheese Pickles Papads Salted nuts Wafers, chips and other savoury farsan Soy sauce Tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other ready-made sauces Breads Ready-to-eat soups, noodles, pasta
BALANCE THE SALT INTAKE
Focus on potassium
Increase in the level of potassium helps lower sodium levels, thus balancing blood pressure positively. Potassium rich foods include fruits like plum, peach, banana, muskmelon, avocados, orange, spinach, prunes, raisins and apricots to name a few.
Increase your water intake
This is the best way to flush out the excess sodium and maintain correct pH balance in the body. Aerated waters, sodas, energy drinks are unfavourable and can easily sabotage your efforts to maintain normal blood pressure.
Rinse canned foods
Vegetables and meat that are packed in brine (salt solution) always increase the salt content in the body.Rinse them to wash away extra salt.
Replace salt with herbs
Instead of reaching out for the salt shaker to add that extra flavour, season your food with citrus juices, herbs and spices.

Continue Reading
By
In layer3

BEST DIET FOR WEIGHT LOSS

No Comments

What’s the best diet for weight loss? Celebrity nutritionist and founder of www.nourishgenie.com,Pooja Makhija weighs in.

Sometimes the road to body beautiful seems miles away. No matter how hard you try to diet, exercise or sacrifice, you begin to wonder whether you will ever achieve your healthy goals. Fat weight loss sometimes seems as mythical as world peace. In a situation where questions seem to follow questions, I present to you a simple hack: three tricks for identifying whether a weight loss diet is indeed good for you and able to deliver the results you have always wanted. While any calorie-controlled diet should help you lose weight – you can find good diets online or even more customized plans on websites like www.nourishgenie.com – evaluate the diet at hand by asking yourself the following questions:

  1. Is The Diet Helping You In The Long Term?

If you’re going to make the effort anyway, why not choose a diet that helps you both lose weight and keep it off? Liquid diet weight loss is one such short-term, futile approach. Juices cleanses or some detox diets would be examples of a liquid diet weight loss attempt but any diet that is skewed in the favour of liquids and not solids already means that your efforts will literally go down the drain. Liquid diets are akin to starvation, and no starvation diet will do anything for your body in the long run except harm it. If you want to really employ one of the best weight loss tricks ever, how about simply eating healthy instead? Food is one of the best tools for weight loss. Eat to delete.

  1. How Does Your Diet Make You Feel?

Your body is the quickest indicator of your wellness. As weight loss diets are meant to correct an eating pattern but not to punish you for it, the best diets are those that make you feel energetic, happy and motivated. If your meal plan makes you feel tired, lethargic, run down, irritable or depressed, you haven’t chosen right.

  1. What Should You Expect From The Diet?

Make sure that the diet you choose results in permanent weight loss. Obviously when I mean ‘permanent’, I mean that you do not revert to your old weight once you have adopted a new lifestyle. Another good indicator is fat loss. If your diet suits your body, it’ll leave your muscles alone. A good diet for weight loss doesn’t allow the body to use up muscle instead of fat, which happens in cases where nutrition is inadequate.

Apart from a good diet plan for your weight loss, there are a few more weight loss tricks: Make sure you eat every two hours: This’ll not only keep your hands off junk food, but also provide a steady stream of energy through the day. Additionally, like walking or running, even digestion burns calories, and eating frequently helps keep your body in the gym. Eat fruits good for weight loss.Apples, oranges, grapefruit, even mangoes (all except bananas) are all examples of fruits good for weight loss. And don’t forget to drink water and sleep well because it is a holistic approach to health that works the best of all.

Continue Reading
By
In layer1

DIET PLAN FOR WEIGHT LOSS

No Comments

 

Celebrity nutritionist and founder of www.nourishgenie.com, nudges weight loss in the right direction.

Food is meant to be a good, beautiful, nourishing thing. It gives us strength to do things we love. So why is it that when it comes to losing weight, food becomes bad, like the enemy? Like it’s wrong somehow or that dieters don’t ‘deserve’ to eat? I see so many cases where instead of using nurturing foods, people punish the body with little, tasteless or no food at all in a bid to undo years of unhealthy eating in a matter of weeks or months.

But it cannot be done.

You cannot undo habits overnight that have lead you to gain weight over years. Starvation/fad diets or what I like to call weight loss by punishment, is usually not sustainable and restrictive diets are oftentimes the quickest to see their results negated as the body limps back to pre-diet weight. All that hullabaloo for nothing.

Or is it nothing? Starvation tricks the body into thinking that it is not getting any food. Your body begins to desperately hang on to the first meal you eat, and stores it as fat. Starvation – or low-calorie/fad diets – also make your body lose muscle, and the only thing that muscle loss is accompanied by is fat storage. In other words, even if you starve yourself, the only thing you eventually gain from the attempt is weight. So all that hullabaloo is not for nothing, it’s for something.

No matter how shiny the package or tempting the ad, there is no reason to subscribe to diet food or foods because all foods are essentially diet food, barring a few like red meat. The fat content of food greatly depends on how it is made. If eaten in moderation and cooked with little oil, potatoes are brilliantly healthy. French fries, not so much. As long as you control for sugar and oil, there are very few foods that are off the table.

Second, fat is good. In fact, it’s very good. In fact, it’s so good for you that it is one of the five nutrients – the other four being protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals – your body needs for its daily survival. Fats compose of about 10% of your total calorie intake. Daily. And while a low-fat diet plan is good for you, no-fat diet plans are bad. Fats are needed for the brain, for the body’s daily functioning, for the skin, among other vital functions. A good low-fat diet plan consists of healthy fats like nuts, seeds, healthy oils like olive oil. If you’re confused about where to get good fat-moderated diets, you could ask a nutritionist, or go online (where there are scores of free diets available) or even find one on customized online diet portals like www.nourishgenie.com.

The point, of course, of any good diet plan is that it should make you feel good, both physiologically and psychologically, and leave you energized and happy.

A good diet plan enables you to healthily indulge in all kinds of foods like rice, mangoes, pasta, noodles, popcorn and more, and won’t make you wistfully stare at your family as they eat ‘normal’ food, because you should always eat together. Eating meals together with friends and family not only gets you closer to them, it takes you closer to your better self too. And that’s really the whole point, isn’t it?

Continue Reading
By