ARYAN A VISIONARY

1) The principle of food eating is to eat well, to eat regularly at fixed intervals and to eat in smaller and measured proportions. We can consult a good physician or dietician or nutritionist to understand our body requirements and suggest an appropriate diet plan.
2. Generally, our morning breakfasts in the morning could be a little heavier , the afternoon lunch a little lighter and night meals the lightest. It is advisable to have two hours gap between dinner and bedtime, as generally activity is minimum after dinner.
3) Before venturing on a diet plan, in practice, it is better to jot down a list of our favourite foods and beverages and share it with our family. More often than not, it happens so that our list of favourite foods already comprises of healthy foods, and the doctors too will be approving the same for our diet plan. So a perfect match is established between what the doctor ordered and patient desired. So let us merrily enjoy eating such foods for which we already have a taste or liking.
4) Some tastes however may have to be cultivated with or without doctors’ recommendations. For example, with advancing age, it is better to take less of sugar and salt in our food items. To start with, it may be difficult to adapt, but over period of time, once we get used to it, we will as well start enjoying them. We see today many people joyfully taking tea or coffee without adding sugar in them even when they have no sugar related problem, just as a matter of abundant caution or preventive vigilance.
5) While eating, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and enjoy relaxedly. It is important to reduce the foods to small particles in the mouth to prevent indigestion in the stomach.
6) The most balanced meal for one who exercises regularly is based on four pillars of nutrition- High carbohydrate, moderate protein, high fibre and low-fat one. Carbos such as rice, rotis, and peas are sources of quick energy. They infuse glucose into our muscles. Proteins such as pulses, dals,soyabeans and mushrooms nourish and build up muscle tissue. Low fat vegetables and fruits provide vitamin, minerals and fibre that make our bodies efficient. And skimmed milk variations, such as curd, strengthen our bones and help digestion. These four pillars of nutrients are needed to stay healthy and fit. (Source: ‘Fitness First’ Columnist- Bharat Savur)
6) As far as possible, we should cook and eat a meal that is low in glycemic load and glycemic index. Let me also explain what low and high glycemic index foods are. When we consume low glycemic Index foods like Chana, Rajma, they are broken down more slowly into simple sugars, keeping food glucose levels more stable. The absorption of these foods is therefore more gradual and does not contribute to blood sugar highs and lows. On the other hand, when we eat lot of sugars, chocolates, sweets, potatoes, white bread, white rice, sabudana, maida, rawa or processed foods, they get easily digested and absorbed. More of insulin has to be secreted by the pancreas to bring this sugar back to normal level. More the insulin, more fat is laid down in the body and the liver. A list of High, Moderate and Low Glycemic index foods is given in Table B.

Table B: Foods with Low, Moderate and High Glycemic index foods.
Source: Dr.Sujatha Udhesi’s ‘Food for thought’ column in DNA Daily.
Low Glycemic Index Foods
(Highly Recommended)
Moderate Glycemic Index Foods
(Moderately Recommended)
High Glycemic Index Foods
(Avoidable)
Whole Pulses like Chana,Rajma,
Whole Wheat Bread
White Bread
Green Leafy vegetables like
Spinach (Palak), Methi
Whole Wheat Atta Items
Maida Biscuits
Apples
Bajra, Jowar Atta
Maida Nan,Roti
Pears
Besan Atta
White Rice
Unripe Guava
Dals
Sabudana
Peanuts

Chocolates
Walnut

Cakes
Cashewnuts

Sugar
Almonds

Jaggery
Gavar

Rice Crispies
Karela

Corn Flakes

Mashed Potato

Noodles,

Pasta made of Maida

Rawa

Candy Bars

7) Try using brown rice or boiled rice, instead of white rice.
8) Bhakris of Jowar, bajra, nachni or Rajgeera are always a good option.
9) Try using various types of pulses and dals. Have at least four pulses a week.
Do not overcook them and do not add soda.
10) Try using green leafy vegetables like Palak, Methi for dishes. Similarly,
cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal can also be explored.
11) Take a good helping of raw vegetables like Cucumber, Carrots, Tomatoes,
Onions whenever and wherever possible (one can take it always in a pack to
office or on mobile duty and consume them instead of creamy biscuits,
namkeens or chaats.).
12) Variety of Chutneys like that of Coriander, Garlic as side dishes also serves
as healthy options.
13) If we have craving for eating sweets, it is better to choose fruits. Fruits have
natural sugar in them. All other sweets are made of refined sugar.
It is better to avoid them altogether or consume them in moderation.
14) We should eat whole fruits with their skin. Substituting fruit juices to whole
fruits are not a good option. Peeling of skin from fruits and vegetables will
deprive us of vital minerals and nutrients. Whole fruits and vegetables are
packed with fibre and nutrients essential for optimum health, especially
antioxidants (Vitamin A and C) and phytonutrients (plant chemicals), which
have protective effect on the body, reducing the risk of some cancers, heart
disease, premature ageing etc. They also help our immune systems to fight
infections.
15) Avoid food with transfats, ghee or oil. Animal and dairy products have trans
fats.
16) Avoid cream biscuits, namkeens served in meetings and at get togethers
Instead one can have whole wheat biscuits, cream Cracker biscuits or ragi
(Millet) Biscuits with no Maida in them.
17) Curds prepared of low fat or skimmed milk should be used.
18) Cow Milk is good. All other dairy products like ghee, butter should be
reduced to the barest minimum.
19) Make the habit of drinking pure water at regular intervals. Many experts
recommend drinking water on an empty stomach every morning. Later,
during the day it is recommended that one should drink at least 8 to 12
glasses of water. Even at workplace, one can store water in a crystal clear
container (not in plastic bottles) close to our desktop and liberally consume
them at regular intervals. It is always advisable to sip water gently or softly
from a glass or mug. This also gives a fullness to our stomach and staves off
hunger. One should avoid dropping water forcibly into our mouths from the
plastic bottles. One should also avoid drinking water while eating food and
during the interval of 30 minutes before having food and 60 minutes after
having food.
20) Avoid consuming hot beverages like tea, coffee at regular intervals.
Alternatives like lemon tea, black tea, green tea can be explored. These
days, jaljeera sachets are available in easy-to-use packs like Ghutka sachets.
One can easily mix them with water and drink it in office instead of regular
bouts of cutting chais or or one-by-two coffees
21) Avoid soft drinks, soda, carbonated or aerated drinks. Instead drink pure
water, butter milk. (Chaas), coconut water, limewater without salt and
sugar.
22) Habits like smoking, consuming alcohol, chewing paans are always bad and
if one is addicted to them, it should be got ridden off completely. In case it is
difficult to withdraw, consume them in extreme moderation.
23) On Sundays or late night sittings at home, it is always advisable to keep a
ready-to-eat pack of snack in our refrigerator like sprouts of whole moong,
green and black channas. We can consume them mixing with salt, minced
onions, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots etc. Sprinkle them with
coriander powder or chaat powder to add that extra fizz. Use them with curds
made of skimmed milk, if it serves us right.
24) When we attend parties, generally we go on an eating binge partly not to
antagonise the host and partly because we fall into the temptation for food
items which are neatly and elegantly displayed, and which are freely and
handily available. During such parties, it is better to start with items like
light soups, raw green salads, fruits or items rich in fibre like green leafy
vegetables, bhindi, cucumber, carrots etc. A few extra calorie conscious
peop

Lose Weight and Gain Health

Let me begin on a personal note. A year back, I underwent my annual Executive Health Check up. The Doctor advised me that I am overweight and that my sugar and cholesterol levels were higher than the normal or desired levels. He also sounded the warning bell that if the weight that is being gained goes unchecked, I may gradually become an obese. Obesity, he said, is a sure gateway for many body disorders like diabetes, heart disease risks, blood pressure etc. I was advised to target weight reduction at least by 10 kgs.

Since then, during the last one year, I set myself on a goal for reduction of weight through natural means without any medication, wonder pills, crash diets or burnout sessions in an expensive gym or fitness centre. I have succeeded in achieving the goal of reducing my weight from 70 kgs to 58 kgs. Naturally, many of my colleagues and the doctors who monitored my progress during the last year, have been enquiring with me about the efforts put in by me to achieve this goal. This article is, therefore. an attempt to share my personal experience. Readers, of course, are advised to take proper personal medical counselling for their individual requirements before replicating any of the experiences shared here.

Why do we gain or lose weight?

We consume food for energy requirements of our body and burn them through the normal metabolic process in the body. This process is measured in terms of calories. On an average, our body requires 1100-2000 calories of food every day, which in turn a healthy body will burn in the normal metabolic process to maintain equilibrium or constant weight. The problem happens when either of these two processes is overdone or underperformed. The funda of weight gain or reduction is straight and simple and can be explained by a simple equation as below:

Weight gain = More calories Consumed + Less Calories burned

Weight loss = Less Calories consumed + More Calories burned.

When we burn energy worth 7000 calories more than what we consume, the body weight is said to get reduced by about 1 kg. Certainly, we cannot burn these many accumulated calories overnight or in a short span to dramatically reduce our weight. This is not desirable too and may lead to medical complications. It has to be achieved through physical efforts, life style changes and a strong positive attitude and commitment.

Weight Reduction can therefore be targeted through following steps.

1) Consumption of Balanced Nutrient Food.

2) Physical Exercises.

3) A positive attitude and commitment.

Let me now explain each one of them in detail.

Balanced Nutrient Diet

The principle of Naturopathy proclaims that ‘Food is thy medicine and Medicine is thy food’. We should eat and eat well. We should not starve or deny ourselves the pleasures of eating. It is not important how much alone we eat. What is also important is ‘what we eat’ and ‘when we eat’. It is said that when we eat ‘right food’ in ‘right proportion’ and at ‘right intervals’, there is no cause for any diseases or disorders and hence food itself acts as a preventive or protective medicine to the body.

As said earlier, basically our body requires around 1100 to 2000 calories of food. We should simply ensure that our food consists of adequate components of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals. A chart consisting of our normal popular foods and the calories provided them is given in Table A.

Table A: LIST OF POPULAR FOODS ITEM AND CALORIES PROVIDED

Source: ‘From Fat to Fit’ by Dr.D.R.Gala, Dr.Dhiren Gala and Dr.Sanjay Gala

Carbohydrates

Chapati (Wheat) (20 gms)

40 Calories

Poori (Wheat) 16 gms

68 Calories

Paratha (Wheat) 55 gms

304 Calories

Bread (2 slices) 45 gms

120 Calories

Wheat Biscuits 20 gms

64 Calories

Kichri (Rice) 140 gms

238 Calories

Idly (1 Piece-Medium)-68 gms

68 Calories

Sada Dosa (100 gms)

216 Calories

Masala Dosa (100 grams)

210 Calories

Samosa (30 gms)

103 Calories

Potato Chips (20 gms)

108 Calories

Kachori (45 gms)

190 Calories

Potato Bhajia (60 gms)

240 Calories

Onion Bhajia( 60 gms)

197 Calories

Pattis (60 gms)

201 Calories

Potato Wada (45 gms)

118 Calories

Cutlets (60 gms)

126 Calories

Sweets

Boondi Ladu (35 gms)

150 Calories

Carrot Halwa (85 gms)

333 Calories

Sugar (1 tea spoon) 6 gms

25 Calories

Jaggery (1 spoon) 15 gms

56 Calories

Honey (1 Spoon) 21 gms

66 Calories

Cereals- 100 Gms

Wheat

348 Calories

Rice

348 Calories

Barley

335 Calories

Jowar

335 Calories

Rice Flakes (Phova)

350 Calories

Bajra (Millet)

360 Calories

Maize (Corn) (Makkai)

342 Calories

Maize (Bhutta)

23 Calories

Pulses (100 Gms)

Black Gram (Urad)

348 Calories

Bengal Gram (Chana)

316 Calories

Green Gram (Moong)

334 Calories

Lentil (Masur)

346 Calories

Peas

315 Calories

Soyabean

432 Calories

Vegetables (100 Gms)

Carrot

47 Calories

Potatoes

99 Calories

Onion

51 Calories

Tomatoes

20 Calories

Cucumber

14 Calories

Bitter Gourd

25 Calories

Cabbage

30 Calories

Cauliflower

39 Calories

Fruits (100 Gms)

Orange

56 Calories

Apple

49 Calories

Pine Apple

50 Calories

Fig (Anjeer)

75 Calories

Water Melon

17 Calories

Mangoes

50 Calories

Bananas

153 Calories

Guava

66 Calories

Grapes

45 Calories

Pomegranates

65 Calories

Is your heart in the right place?

India loses about 30 lakh people per year to heart disease. According to WHO, cardiovascular diseases will be the largest cause of death and disability in India by 2020. If this does not serve as a wake-up call, then what will?

If we take the threat of heart disease seriously, we need to act and act fast. It's important to trace the problem to its source and tackle it from there. As a developing nation we cannot bear the huge economic burden of deadly lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart problem.
The government is already struggling to tackle the healthcare issues. At present, it spends just 1 per cent of its gross domestic product on public health leading to a public health infrastructure which is sorely deficient. Apart from developing world health problems and communicable diseases, India now has to grapple with the dual burden of chronic diseases that accompany unhealthy lifestyles-diabetes and heart disease — which are eating into the finances of the individuals and the country.

One can take heart from the fact that heart disease can be prevented as it is related to the lifestyle of the patient. Some of the risk factors for heart disease that can be modified are diabetes, high blood cholesterol, consumption of tobacco, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity and stress. The focus should be on attacking these risk factors.

A smoker's risk of having a heart attack is twice more than that of a non-smoker. Smoking speeds up the development of plaque in the arteries. It also reduces the level of the good cholesterol (known as HDL), and increases the stickiness of blood cells causing blood clots inside the arteries. Stubbing out that cigarette can be the first step to protecting oneself from heart disease.

Diet and exercise are known to play a key role in controlling the menace. Exercise helps protect against heart disease. It's important to know that every extra step one takes during the day builds up the "health balance" and helps prevent disease. Incorporating 30 minutes of exercise in daily life can lead to immense benefits.

It is also important to maintain a healthy weight, according to one's height. Studies have shown that healthy eating and exercise lead to improved health parameters, even in the absence of weight loss.

Eating right is as important as exercising. One should stay away from diet fads and stick to 'sensible diets' that result in long lasting benefits. Several servings of vegetables and fruits, oil lowest in saturated content and several small meals in a day are ways to eat right. The intake of simple sugars needs to be kept to a minimum, while consuming more of complex carbohydrates. What is also required is a regular check-up of parameters. Most of the risk factors for heart disease are silent and therefore one needs to keep a regular watch over weight, glucose levels, blood pressure etc to pre-empt the disease.
One can combat the disease at the grass root level by simply being more aware and cautious about the risk factors and symptoms. But existing cases of heart disease and those in the danger zone need governmental help as well. The population of the country must get an opportunity to attain the highest-possible level of health. Access to quality, affordable healthcare is absolutely essential especially for the poor and marginalized population.

Many lifestyle diseases have their origin in childhood. Unhealthy eating habits among children lead to lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease later in life. This calls for the need to educate children about the ill effects of unhealthy snacking. The Centre recently asked state governments to ban sale of junk food and carbonated drinks on schools premises. The Union health and family welfare ministry wants guidelines to be framed to serve good quality food like dal, roti, sprouts etc in schools and colleges.

More needs to be done to curb childhood obesity and related problems like heart disease. People in the metros are not only hard pressed for time but also for open spaces to exercise. A study of 4000 Indian children in 15 cities indicated that 23 per cent of 5 to 14 year olds in urban schools were overweight, while nearly 11 per cent were obese. Overweight children are at a greater risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

Open spaces in the city are few and far between. The existing ones are getting more crowded than ever, leading to children spending more time in front of their TV and computer screens. Civic administration of cities needs to give heed to the development and maintenance of open spaces for the citizens.
A holistic view of the disease would lead to holistic measures being taken. Programmes to combat NCDs are under-funded in India at present. As the world discusses this growing malaise at a world forum, India needs to chalk out its own plan to combat it.

Heart-disease triggers:

Smoking
Smoking is the one of the most important preventable causes of premature death. A smoker's risk of having a heart attack is twice more than that of a non-smoker. Smoking speeds up the development of plaque in the arteries, reduces the level of the good HDL cholesterol, and increases the stickiness of blood cells causing blood clots inside the arteries.
Hypertension
High blood pressure or hypertension is often referred to as the "silent killer." The reason for this is that people often suffer severe problems related to hypertension, without being aware that their pressure is high. . It is a common misconception that your systolic BP should be your age plus 100. This is a myth.
A high blood pressure has been defined as either the higher number, called systolic pressure being over 140 or the lower number, called diastolic pressure being over 90. However, your ideal Blood Pressure should be below 120/80.
High Cholesterol
If LDL or bad cholesterol is too high in your blood, some of it sticks to the walls of blood vessels and is absorbed. The end result is large fatty deposits in the blood vessels which cause the vessels to become narrow , stiff, narrow and less responsive to triggers to expand and constrict, reducing the blood flow to the heart and other organs. This leads to heart diseases and potentially a heart attack. Therefore it is important to make lifestyle changes, exercise regularly, eat healthy and minimalize the sources of bad fats.
Diabetes
Indians have one of the highest genetic risks for diabetes. It is a very serious disease in itself and leads to complications in the eyes, kidneys, and blood vessels, besides being one of the major risk factors for heart disease. In clinical practice we are observing more patients (and at younger ages) with Syndrome X, also called the 'Metabolic Syndrome', in which high blood sugar, high blood pressure, a large waistline, and abnormal lipid values are all clustered together.
Diabetes is diagnosed on the basis of your fasting glucose levels. A level of more than 126 mg/dl indicates diabetes. However, this should be confirmed by another test done on a different day.
Normal fasting blood sugar should be 70 -100 mg/dl
Obesity
As India is becoming more 'prosperous' so are the waistlines of its citizens. Obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, as well as other complications such as arthritis. A sensible diet, combined with an exercise programme is the best way to lose weight. Crash diets do not work in the long term, and may actually be harmful for the body.
Stress
The role of stress in the development of heart disease is not clearly defined as it cannot be 'measured' by any test, but it is advisable that you keep your stress levels as low as possible.

The triggers of heart disease can be controlled by leading a healthy life. This should include a healthy diet which lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and also keep obesity in check. Regular physical activity of some kind is also beneficial in keeping heart disease at bay. One should try to maintain the ideal Body Mass Index or healthy weight for a sustained period of time. Alcohol should be consumed in moderation and tobacco consumption should be stopped immediately.
The key is to stay away from risk factors of heart disease. The more risk factors a person has, the greater the possibility of developing heart disease.

Humble guava packs healthiest punch

The humble guava is the healthiest Humble guava packs healthiest punchfruit for the human body, while the pineapple is at the bottom of this index. The first-of-its-kind research to evaluate the amount of natural antioxidant levels of 14 fresh fruits commonly consumed in India has come up with surprising revelations. Guava came in at the top, followed by the Indian plum. Mango, pomegranate, custard apple and apple are among the other fruits that offer the highest amount of antioxidants.

The study - conducted by Hyderabad's National Institute of Nutrition - found that pineapple, banana, papaya, water melon and grapes had the least amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants play a crucial role in preventing cellular damage - the common reason for aging, cancer and several degenerative diseases.

In a study published in the journal "Food Research International", lead author Dr D Sreeramulu from NIN's endocrinology and metabolism division found that the antioxidant activity ranged from as high as 496 mg/100 grams in guava to as low as 22 mg/100g in pineapple.

Sreeramulu told TOI, "The findings came as an eye-opener. We usually believe expensive fruits are the richest source of nutrition. But our extensive research shows that fruits that are rich in antioxidants help scavenge free radicals that destroy tissues." Modern lifestyles, he adds, lead to an excess of free radicals.

Fruits of Life
Fruit Anti-oxidants
Guava
496 mg
Plum
330 mg
Custard Apple
202 mg
Mango
170 mg
Pomegranate
135 mg
Apple
123 mg
Grapes
85 mg
Chiku (Sapodilla)
55 mg
Papaya
50 mg

Source : Times of India Mumbai edition dated 12.10.2012

Medical and Scientific Basis of Pranayama