Beat the Festive Calorie Load..!!

"By Nancy Jajodia"

"Oh my God! I've put on so much after this Diwali"......

Festivals are incomplete without sweets and those tempting fried snacks. But this time, don't let those heavy workouts and all the efforts you have put in to stay fit, go in vain. 

During festival, we switch off our mental calorie count alert and binge on snacks and sweets. It becomes difficult to avoid calorie dense food. All we need to do is, eat these things in moderation and control our cravings. Follow these easy steps...

• Keep a regime for physical activity. Even if you are busy, don't forget to burn off those calories by going for a brisk walk or by performing yoga, aerobics, etc..
• See that you keep yourself hydrated. Drinking water will make you feel partially full. Drink a glass of water before having meals.
• Limit the portion size! Serve in small plates and small bowls.
• Include a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet in order to avoid gorging on calorie loaded foods . This will increase the fibre content and will give a feeling of fullness.
• Eat your salad serving before indulgence. 
• Instead of cold drinks and packed fruit juices, choose fresh fruit juices, fruit punches, lemonades, lemon juice, iced tea, cold coffee.
• Prefer baked, steamed or roasted over fried. 
• Chocolates surely makes a tempting platter during festival, but this temptation makes us lose the count, but limit the number. So, why not choose dark chocolate?? Go for dark chocolates as they contain antioxidants which are good for overall health. 
• This festive season, eat less and talk more. Engage yourself and you won't crave for unhealthy snacks.

.........make sure you don't say this while weighing yourself this Diwali. Stay healthy throughout the festive season by just being a little cautious and smart about what you choose and eat. 

                               "WISHING YOU ALL A HEALTHY DIWALI"

Why Drink Water???

"By Nancy Jajodia"

“Give me some water I am dying of thirst” well you just might. Water sounds simple but it is one of the most essential and cheapest elements of health. That is why it is said ‘You are blessed when you quench someone’s thirst’. Do you know what wonders water does in our body? Well there’s a long list. It makes 60% of our body weight and practically every system in our body is dependent on water. Water acts as a detoxifier, as a lubricant, aids in digestion, is a carrier of nutrients, hydrates our skin and hair and regulates body temperature. Doesn't all of this itself explain that water is a key element behind good looks too?

Our body has a specific drought management system which works to restore the amount of water lost through daily biological processes, so as to prevent dehydration. Human brain contains approximately 95% water. So even mild dehydration can drain your energy. A mere 2 % drop in body’s water level can trigger dehydration, short term memory trouble, headaches, irritation and decreased concentration (Having trouble reading this, drink up).

Our water needs keep varying and depend on many factors like health condition, activity factor, prevailing clinical conditions, type of season, type of work etc.  This is why you must have noticed that the thirst levels are higher during summers. Similarly, working in an air conditioned environment lowers our water intake. Yet, the minimum requirement of our body is 10-12 glasses of water daily or 12-15 glasses of fluids which might even include other beverages like juices, buttermilk etc. 

But if you think that carbonated beverage is a thirst quencher, then let us tell you that it will act exactly opposite as it is loaded with sugar. So, it is a 100% truth that ‘Pani ki pyaas sirf pani bhuja sakta hai’.

Just as a vehicle cannot run without fuel, our body cannot run without water. Remember to fuel up your body daily without waiting for a signal of thirst.

Lifestyle Modification – Taking small steps everyday towards a healthier life                                                      'By Vriti Srivastav'

Starting with little changes in lifestyle everyday can surely help you shed healthy amount of calories. And to add more to it, its going to help you keep your heart healthy. Lifestyle modification is the need of the hour as the current quality of life has plummeted to a great extent due to increased sedentariness. What exactly do you need to do for that? 

Follow some simple tips ---

•  Apply the 'idea' mantra – ‘Walk when you talk’
• Zzzzzzzzz after a meal is surely an uninvited guest. Say ‘sleep sleep go away’ and get up and walk for a minimum of five minutes after meals. If you are at office, you can prefer climbing few stairs or walking over to a colleague rather than using the intercom.
• Get six-eight hours of sound sleep to feel fresh the next day.
• Need to buy groceries, or pick up your kid or just meet a friend few blocks away?? Lets not stress the wheels, plug in some music and walk it up.
• Make use of staying at a height. For eg., if you stay on the sixth floor, climb three floors and let the lift welcome a lighter you on the third floor.
• Fascinated by fast food everyday? Run your imagination and wonder what is it going to do to you in the long run - those medical bills, popping pills, needle drills and loads more. You don’t want to go through all of this and let your economy droop due to your health. Choose healthy, healthy food is always cheaper.
• Technically, nothing can be considered empty as air fills in everywhere. So remember that’s what is going to happen in your tummy if you plan to starve it for long. You don’t want the uneasiness that follows, right? Solution – Have small frequent meals at regular intervals of three hours atleast.
• When we are aware of a crisis approaching, we start saving. This is exactly how our body responds if it does not get food for long. Starving increases craving for carbs and our body will start storing the next load of macronutrients as fat, expanding your waistline further.
• ‘Early breakfast and early dinner, makes a man healthy and thinner’. Start your day with a healthy breakfast as you are actually breaking your entire nights fast. Dinners too need to be early (before 10 pm), healthy and light. Our body’s digestive system gets to work at night and we don’t want to load it with a heavy meal. Give a space of one and half hour between eating and bed time.
• Swap your food for healthier options. Munch on a nice colorful salad with hung curd instead of adding calorie rich dressings. Prefer baked, steamed or roasted over fried and home-made over ready to eat. All you have to do is let your creativity out.
• Sugar and salt makes everything nice, but anything in excess is surely not wise.

Myths and fads, you will find them everywhere. Pull yourself out of the wandering state, ask the experts and keep yourself updated.

Whats this blog all about?? Read on......

Many would agree if we say 'Food is our first love'. It is indeed an amazing creation of god which can swing our mood from that puffy face to an innocent child like smile. Ask someone who is home sick, what do they miss the most? and the universal answer would be 'Maa ke haath ka khana', even if it is the simplest meal, its yet so scrumptious and satisfying. Food is the easiest key to the heart, but the same key can open varied doors for us. There can be doors leading to a bright healthy life or doors to ill health. Food can either make us or break us. Our body is like a bank account, smarter the investments, greater the returns. 

Then, why not learn and expand our knowledge in mastering the art of investing smartly and in the most healthiest way? So, here we are, a trio of nutritionists, Vriti, Apurva & Nancy to share interesting insights from the food world.

Watch out for all the goody foody posts and together lets create a 'healthy perception'....

And What Is Our Ultimate Goal???