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Have a heart

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It’s the month of love… the season to make fervent declarations of love, or at the very least, take care of matters of the heart. I thought February is the perfect month to have a heart to heart with you about what really matters ­ keeping the most vital organ of your body in shape. You don’t have to be pushing 90 for this to apply to you. Heart health is of vital importance to people of all ages. Here’s a list of food you must eat to be heart-healthy.

Cinnamon: This innocuous herb has anti-clotting properties and prevents platelets from thickening the blood. Cinnamon is also extremely versatile and can be as much a part of your desserts and coffees as it can be a part of savoury dishes.

Fish: Fatty fish -like salmon -burst with Omega-3 fatty acids, which work beautifully to maintain good cholesterol levels, and also do a great job of protecting your blood vessels from damage, which could result in heart attacks later.

Krill Oil: A relatively newer kid on the block, krill oil contains vital Omega-3 fatty acids, and by virtue of that, works to protect your heart. Extracted from the krill (a kind of underwater crustacean), it is available in capsule form and has also been associated with building immunity, among other benefits.

Vegetable juice: Vegetable -and not fruit -juices are brilliant for the heart and are loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants. Just blend three different raw veggies in a blender (not a juicer), and fill half your glass with half of the veggie pulp and top off with water. Season to taste, and drink immediately.

Turmeric: This small pinch of yellow -a staple in Indian cooking -should be a heart staple, and it helps to reduce cholesterol oxidation, the formation of clots, and also helps to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Vegetables: Heart attacks happen because of the build-up of plaque, which leads to the formation of clots. Vegetables have large amounts of insoluble fibre, an excellent anti-plaguing food. Learn to heart veggies for a good heart.

Fruits: Fruits that contain potassium (plums, peaches and muskmelon) help maintain healthy blood pressure, and make sure your heart doesn’t suffer functional stress.

Oats: Oatmeal is perfect breakfast to have, especially, if you are trying to prevent heart disease or diabetes. The beta glucans (fibre present in oats) is proven to have beneficial effect on the cholesterol levels.

Nuts: Flaxseeds, pecans and hazelnuts are great sources of heart-healthy fats as well. Sprinkle them in salads, add them to your dishes or just pop a few during your day.

Green Tea: Green tea lowers LDL and triglycerides, and has a host of other health benefits.

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In Articles to munch on

Sweets for your sweet

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I can honestly say that children have far more hectic social lives than adults do. From birthday parties and festivals to school events, they are out of the door as soon as they come in. The little ones now have big lives and with their `big little’ lives, come big problems. From cakes, pastries, ice-creams to popsicles served at various events and birthday parties that they attend, kids now have far more access to sweets.

Sugar is bad for children’s teeth, metabolism, concentration, weight maintenance, energy and fitness levels… the list goes on. So how does a parent tackle the festival season? By being inventive. Here’s how you can regulate sweets for your sweet.

TEACH, DON’T TELL

Instead of stating sweets are bad, tell them exactly why. I find kids today are far more in quisitive than ever before, and it may be good to inform them of the very real consequences of eat ing excess sugar. You can simply tell them or use the inter net to explain it through short videos. You can check the con tent before traumatising them too much ­ you’d be surprised at how much they imbibe.

PREPARE, DON’T EXPECT

Instead of crossing your fingers and hoping your host puts something healthy on the table, you could make-and-take. Instead of taking a bottle of wine or a candle set as a gift for the next adult-and kids soirée, you could consider taking a dessert brimming with healthy ingredients.

SAVOUR, DON’T SWEETEN

You don’t always have to take something sweet. Hot snacks like baked samosas, home fries, poha, upma or even healthy toasted sandwiches could satiate even the fussiest appetites. Figure out how you can pull kids to wards the healthy food by using fun shapes and food colours at the next party you host.

PACK, DON’T ATTACK

You could also halve your child’s intake of unhealthy foods by packing half a dessert in the lunch box. A nice little treat in the school dabba gives them bragging rights and will never fail to delight. Another trick to ensure that your kid gets adequate nutrition is to feed your child before they land up at their event so that the delicacies on display have limited appeal. A glass of milk could fill up their little stomachs before their 4 pm party at the neighbour’s. This trick works beautifully for adults too, who want to maintain their weight. Just saying.

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In Articles to munch on

Picky eaters

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Picky eating is usually a phase, and rarely indicates any co-existing condition. But it would be a good idea to check with your paediatrician to see if it isn’t something more serious or chronic like acid reflux or something more insidious. If all’s well, a skipped meal here or there is not the end of the world.

So long as your child is energetic and engaged and is deemed healthy enough by her doctor, this phase in her life can be overcome with no harm done.

However, if her nutrition is being compromised and her growth parameters are being affected, it is best to address the issue as soon as possible.

Kelli Dorfman in her seminal book, What’s Eating Your Child? , introduces a technique that she has tried on hundreds of her own patients. I thought I could reproduce the same for you in these pages. It’s a simple method which encourages experimentation and helps to widen your child’s palate at a more gentle pace. Called the E.A.T method, she urges you to:

ELIMINATE

First, start of by eliminating a list of foods that your child is rejecting or even foods that have no nutritive value like sugary or processed foods. This could be anything from roti to rice to potatoes to peas to packaged snacks. While it sounds counterintuitive, maybe the reason some of these foods are given the thumbs down by your child is because it doesn’t genuinely suit her. By eliminating foods that she fusses over, you set the stage to:

ADD

Once all rejected foods have been eliminated, you will now have to inform your child that you will be adding one new food every two weeks. This could be the same potatoes or peas, but one food at a time.

This is done to investigate the cause of the pickiness or any sort of physiological reaction to the food. While you can anticipate tears or, better yet, tantrums… you can mitigate any adverse reaction by telling them that all they have to do is:

TRY

All they have to do is try. Just one bite. One bite of the new food for the next two weeks. They don’t have to like it, but they do have just try one bite of the same food daily just for a fortnight.

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In Articles to munch on

Pinch of salt

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Sometimes, it’s nice to take life -read food -with a pinch of salt. Or even a few more. Somewhere down the line, salt has gotten a bad rap. It has been battered and bruised in advertisements and dragged through the proverbial mud on the doctor’s table. The condemnation this condiment has been receiving over the years has been confounding.

Yes, an excess of salt is bad but there’s actually no need for more than the daily requirement of 3 grams a day or a little less than a teaspoon. (And since this is the upper limit, a little less can be consumed).But there’s also absolutely no reason to go without it. We need a little salt or sodium every day. Sodium is crucial to maintaining the fluid balance in our bodies, to help send nerve impulses as well as assist with contraction and relaxation of muscles.

What are the different kinds of salt out in the market? And what sets them apart? A few facts.

SEA SALT OR CELTIC SEA SALT

This is an unrefined, unprocessed salt with a unique flavour profile. Sea salt, as its name suggests, is made from evaporating sea water.

ROCK SALT OR HIMALAYAN PINK SALT

`Kala namak’, that nimbupani staple, is found in the Himalayan regions. Again, this is unrefined and adds an interesting dimension of flavour to whatever you prepare.

GARLIC OR CELERY SALT

These flavoured salts are the magic that happens when table, rock or sea salt are combined with dried garlic or celery. They will make a beautiful contribution to your next dish.

REFINED IODIZED SALT

You probably already have this, but just in case you don’t, this is your usual table salt that is mixed with io dine, which has a crucial role in preventing intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The above differ mildly on mineral content and taste but it’s incorrect to assume that one is healthier than the other. And it’s best not to consume salt to get your daily quota of minerals when fruit and vegetables are far better sources for this vital micronutrient.

The only thing to ensure is that you aren’t doing on your daily salt intake. Do remember that there are hidden salt mines buried deep within your favourite packaged and processed foods. Salty foods include additives that contain sodium. Like cold cuts, bacon, microwave or ready to-eat meals, cheeses, soups… the list goes on. Do check the nutritional label when buying these foods, especially if your doc would like you to clamp down on the sodium.

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In Lose Weight

Slips don’t lie

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You know you shouldn’t. And yet, three days into your new diet, you are wiping the crumbs of a very crumbly cupcake off your face. Oops! You had no choice, you reason with yourself, because it was your best friend’s birthday, and, well, one couldn’t hurt, right?
Right. Small slips rarely have any great calorific impact ­ so long as you are able to quickly burn it off. But left unattended, many `slips’ can pile on as calories before you even realise it. It takes 3,500 un-burned calories to gain a pound of weight, and the more slips you have without doing anything about it, the more the calories go unburned, and in turn, the more weight you gain.

But this is not about setting sail on a guilt trip. The larger point of this article is to understand what derails your intentions to eat healthy. And you’d be surprised at how innocuous it may be.

CAN’T SAY `NO’ TO AUNTIE

Social pressure is one of the key reasons our diets fail time and time again. Without realising it, that loving bua or neighbour or host, who is pushing you to eat her laddoos -because she equates food with love -is setting back your efforts to lose weight. And while she may definitely have your best intentions at heart, it’s important to gently let people know that it is not compatible with your health plan at the moment. If they genuinely love you, they will respectfully withdraw. Be strong. The more you say No, the more people will understand.

ARE YOU DIETING?

So many people don’t want to look like they are dieting on social occasions. They would actually eat stuff they never usually eat. While it could come from being self-conscious about dieting, the fact is that it’s more   important to think about what you want. Don’t worry so much about what people think: even if you do incur comments initially, these will slowly slide to a stop as people find other things to talk about.

THE HOLIDAY FROM HEALTH

A lot of people, who go on vacation, seem to take a holiday from healthy eating too. There’s no point working hard to shed the kilos before you leave only to find yourself back to square one on your return. Most cuisines have healthy, low-fat options. Enjoy your holiday but don’t make food a part of the vacation experience. Sightsee, shop, walk around and spend quality time with your loved ones: there are other ways to enjoy your time off.

PACK SAYS `LOW-FAT’

One of sneakiest detailers to any healthy diet can sometimes be something you least ex pect: foods marked `low-fat’. Low fat doesn’t always mean low calorie. It’s also important to be vigilant about the other ingredients that go into low-fat products. Sometimes manufacturers add sugar to add to the taste -which adds to the calorie count -or sometimes eating double of something which has 50% less fat, pretty much amounts to same level of fat being consumed. It’s definitely something worth thinking about.
Enjoy your new lifestyle but whatever you do, be aware of what causes you to get off the healthy eating wagon. Because slips, after a point, don’t lie.

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In Articles to munch on

Raising the bar

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It seems harmless enough and does its best to tell you how healthy it is. But if I were you, I’d be suspicious of the average snack bar. I am referring to the granola bars, protein bars, health bars or fruit bars. Even The New York Times said in a recent article that they can be as calorific as dessert.

 

What started off as an innocuous effort to add more fibre and nuts to i your daily diet has now become a multibillion dollar industry, where the last thing you’re getting is health. To understand how healthy your snack bar is, read the nutritional label: you’d be surprised. To me, an ideal snack bar should be brimming with the goodness of nuts, seeds and nuts, seeds and healthy ingredients that are not so fat and calorie-dense. Have you thought of making your own?

Add more seeds:  Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds experiment with the abundance of this fundamental snack bar ingredient. Apart from containing good fats, seeds are fantastic sources of fibre, protein, minerals like zinc and vitamins like Vitamin E. They add a fabulous texture and taste that you will feel in every bite.

Reduce the nuts: Ensure that the seeds to nuts ratio leans more heavily in favour of seeds. Nuts like almonds, cashew, walnuts and macadamia, while healthy, are calorie-dense and need to be used sparingly. A tiny handful per bar should suffice, and abstain from high-fat nuts like cashews.

Puffs: For added texture and bene fits, you could also try quinoa puffs, rice puffs, wheat puffs and other similar foods.

Dates to bind: Commerciallly made snack bars use caramelised sugar or syrups for binding, but it’s better not to use sugar because it will completely negate the good work. How about exploiting the sticky and gooey texture of dates or figs? It’s flavourful and natural.

Season: Go creative with seasoning like sea salt or even sprinkles of paprika if you really like it tangy. At the end of the day, it’s your bar.

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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

General Motor Diet – To do or not to do?

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Dear Pooja,
I followed the GM diet twice, and lost almost 8 kilos. I’d followed the diet then because I had a wedding to attend. Now, I want to lose 10 kilos permanently. Is it safe to practice it on a regular basis? Or are the results just temporary?

What if I asked you ‘Will you be able to do the particular diet permanently?’ Nothing lasts till you don’t work towards it. That holds good for any regime you intend following whether it was a hair care, skin care, exercise or diet related weight loss. Till you apply a certain cream to can prevent the pigmentation that bothers you, till you lift the weights to have the tone and strength you want, similarly till to follow a particular diet you will have the results it gives you. If you can’t do it forever – how will the results last forever? Thus my strong advice is never start something that is difficult to sustain. If the cream cost lakhs the results can be great on you skin but you cant keep applying it forever? Follow a food plan that can be become a lifestyle then its results are here to stay. Eating just fruits or just meat or vegetables in the whole day is not something anyone can sustain so then obviously once you start eating everything the weight will come running back on. No wedding or occasion is worth putting your body through the torment of muscle loss (and lack of eating wholesome only leads to losing your healthy burning muscle mass) and the worse being it comes back on as fat (the unhealthy storing component that further lowers your metabolism) Weight loss is not about deletion, we all tend to make food the enemy by starving or depriving ourselves to the point where we are punishing our bodies to lose weight. Weight loss is not about upheaval, its about adjustment. Weight loss is not about dieting, it’s about making permanent changes to your eating habits. So that you don’t have to do this rut for another occasion around the corner. Please do visit a nutritionist who can help you chalk this regime for you well and forever. Good luck!

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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

I am tired of FAD diets – help me!

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Dear Pooja,
I am a 26-year-old woman and have been dieting  (I eat only two meals -lunch and dinner) for the last couple of years now. However, the amount of weight loss is rather slow. I have tried different diets (the GM diet helped me to lose 4 kgs last year but now i am the same) but none of them have worked so far. What should I do?

 

Sadly my dear, you are losing out only your healthy burning muscle mass not the unhealthy storing fat. When the body is not fed frequently and adequately, it drops its metabolic rate and moves into a compromised burning state where it is unable to breakdown fat as a source of fuel and therefore survives by breakdown the next available source- muscle. This too leads to weight loss but after a while plateaus as the body cant let go of too much of its muscle mass. Any diet that starves you can only lead to loss of muscle never fat thus all your previous weight loss attempts have failed. To start up (and for the last time ever) eat to lose. Divide your meals into four main meals plus three to four fillers depending on the number of hours you are awake. Eat little but eat every two hours – that is the best way to keep your metabolic rate up and thus use fat as the reverse fuel- helping you lose weight gradually but permanently because as the fat mass decreases it increases inherent metabolic rate making it easier to maintain the lost kilos. Happy eating!

 

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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

What foods will help me while I trek?

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Dear Pooja,

I am 29-year-old unmarried woman and planning to go for a trek to Manali after two months. Since trekking requires one to have good stamina, I would like to know the right diet that will help me increase my stamina levels. Currently, I feel tired when I run or brisk walk even for a short while. Please let me know which foods I should eat. Thank you.

Lets thank the Manali trip that triggered you to wake up and address the signs your body is giving you. In this roll-a-coaster life where we are so tuned to listening to every beep of our mobile distinguishing the sounds easily between an email, sms or or a what’s app – but the signs our body gives us so easily goes unnoticed. Weakness, breathlessness, poor stamina amongst others are all signals of under-nutrition, vitamins, minerals and/or amino acid deficiencies. Firstly I’d suggest you check your hemoglobin and serum B12 levels and have these deficiencies corrected as low levels of these are directly related to the signs you have mentioned above. Gaining long lasting stamina may take a little more love care and attention in your day-to-day diet and exercise regime over a long-term basis but you should see some definitive improvement within two months as well.

A visit to a nutritionist can teach you what your daily requirement for proteins and carbohydrates is and how to divide this effectively into several small meals to fuel your systems adequately. Keep the focus on good quality and quantity of proteins daily along with a good tilt toward fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoiding excess sugar and fat always goes a long way in terms of a fit and healthy mind and body. As I always suggest eating small meals every two hours not only improves metabolism and aids weight loss, it also makes sure that the body gets a steady supply to energy without any peaks or troughs in the blood sugar levels – this is one main essential for sustain Duracell stamina levels. Sorry I was unable to give you exact foods and quantities cause that requires me to know many details about you to help you in complete totality. All the best, hope you enjoy your trekking trip with great vigour and strength.

 

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In Bombay Times - Ask the expert

Eggs are bad for me?

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Dear Pooja,
I have been an egg lover for years but now that I have reached almost 35, people say i must not have so many eggs in one day. I am not fat, just a little overweight but I end up eating too many eggs in a day. (around three at least) People have asked me to stop eating yolks but that is the tastiest part of the egg, so i cannot! I walk three to four times a week for around 45 minutes… and that is the only exercise i ever do. Should I stop eating eggs? Are they really bad for my age?
Please advise.

Eggs and bad? Never! How can something that has so much nutrition and so little calories ever be bad for you? At only 16 calories, the egg white provides a massive 4 grams of protein and is a 100% reference protein, which means that it all has all the nine amino acids needed for full utilisation by the body. Thus I can easily say that consuming about three to four egg whites can be a safe number for most adult to have on a daily basis. Yes, depending on you lipid profile and other healthy parameters, the number of yolks you can have weekly will have to be decided. The yolk may be tasty (for some) but there is some caution needed while having this daily – therefore discuss this with your doctor or nutritionist to get the exact count.

But egg whites are the safest, healthiest and most easily accessible form of complete protein that one should try and include daily. It helps one get better muscle tone, weight loss, stronger and longer hair and nails, lesser sugar cravings, better stamina, more attention and retention powers while studying, lesser aches and pains and this list is endless. Therefore let nobody fool you into stopping the egg whites Shikha, enjoy them daily – guilt free!

 

 

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