CHOLESTEROL- WAYS TO STAY ON THE LOW SIDE

It’s not bad enough that your cheeks are chubby and your waist is a tad wide. Now the doctor says that even your blood is fat! When cholesterol levels are high the excess fat related substance in your blood stream builds up/ clogs on artery walls, and restricts blood flow. This could lead to a heart attack, stroke, or angina pain. And you don’t need a medical degree to know that’s not good.

-Cholesterol is not all bad. Your body naturally produces it, and it performs some pretty vital jobs. It helps build new cells, produce hormones, and insulate nerves. Only when you’ve got too much do you have a problem.

-Dietary cholesterol is what’s contained in food (mostly of animal origin). For example, one egg has 275mgs of cholesterol but an apple has none.

-Serum cholesterol is what’s present in your blood stream and what is measured with a cholesterol test.

HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is a subdivision of serum cholesterol that is considered good for its artery – scouring ability. The higher your levels of HDL, the better it is for health.

LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is HDL’s artery-clogging evil twin. The lower your levels, the better it is for your health.

·         Watch your weight. The more overweight you are, the more cholesterol your body produces. So if your weight is up bring it down in a healthy way. Strive for a diet that’s composed of two-thirds fruits, vegetables, whole grains and cereals. Only one-third of your calories should come from meat and high fat dairy products.

·         Cut the fat. Saturated fats have the greatest impact on cholesterol levels. Therefore cut back on foods rich in saturated fats like meat, butter, cheese, hydrogenated oils and replace them with healthier options like lean meat, fish, poultry, low fat dairy products and polyunsaturated oils like rice bran, soy, corn and safflower.

·         Switch to olive oil. Olive oil and other foods like nuts, avocados, canola oil, and peanut oil are high in monounsaturated fats. They are known to reduce cholesterol and LDL cholesterol and at the same time leave the good cholesterol (HDL) intake. So you must strive for a low-fat diet along with a fair intake of monounsaturated fats.

·         Go easy on eggs. Limit yourself to 3 whole eggs a week and since the yolks contain cholesterol, you can use egg whites freely. You can substitute two egg whites for every whole egg and make scrambled eggs, omelets or a baked dish and in fact make use of three or even four egg whites. Some stores now sell lower-cholesterol eggs, which may contain from 15 – 50 percent less cholesterol than usual.

·         Be full of beans. Beans and legumes are not only nutritious but also contain pectin which is a water-soluble fiber. Pectin surrounds cholesterol and chaperones it out of the body before it can get lodged onto your arteries. Add about a cup of cooked beans such as lima beans, pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, soya beans and lentils which will have a cholesterol lowering effect.

·         Eat more fruit. Fruits also get the cholesterol- lowering punch from pectin. Therefore eat a lot of fruits such as half a grapefruit for breakfast, an apple for lunch and some orange sections for dinner.

·         Feel your oats. Oat bran appears to lower serum cholesterol in a fashion similar to pectin rich fruits.

·         Be a little corny. Corn bran is as effective as oat bran and beans in lowering cholesterol. It is recommended to have about a tablespoon of corn bran mixed maybe in soup or tomato juice.

·         Call on carrots for help. Carrots also by way of pectin help to lower cholesterol levels. Also cabbage, broccoli and onions contain the ingredient calcium pectate which produces the similar results.

·         Exercise. Exercise can decrease the buildup of cholesterol blockages inside the arteries. Also it is one of the best ways to raise your levels of protective HDL and lower the levels of undesirable LDL. Exercise also increases the body’s ability to clear fat from the blood which helps prevent its buildup in the arteries.

·         Get a health kick from skim milk. Drink lots of skim milk. A compound in the non fat portion of skim milk does the trick by inhibiting the cholesterol production in the liver.

·         Take garlic. Raw garlic can reduce harmful blood fats.

·         Try this special seed. Flax seeds can be a good auxiliary treatment when diet alone does not bring blood cholesterol levels down.

·         Cut back on coffee. Drinking more than 2 cups of strong coffee per day is linked to higher levels of blood pressure and cholesterol.

·         Don’t smoke. Here is one more reason to quit smoking. Smokers tend to suffer from low levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol.

·         Avoid stress and relax. Try to relax by listening to a relaxation tape along with a low cholesterol diet.

·         Potential weapons against cholesterol are also green tea, lemon grass, barley and rice bran.

IMPROVING HEALTH FOR PEOPLE WORKING SHIFTS

Office work or night shift work or extended hours of work can have significant adverse effects on health of the worker. It is very natural that our body clock is attuned to let us be awake during the day and to sleep at night. Working through the night can wreak havoc on your body, weakening your immune system and causing low energy levels. It’s difficult for the body’s internal clock to adapt to shift work, and working nights can often cause insomnia and indigestion. It becomes even trickier if you have to switch between day and night shifts. So, if you are one of the many people that work in shifts, you need to follow some healthy tips to combat the damage it can do to your body. Good daytime sleep and healthy diet is very essential, if shift work is a necessary part of your work routine.

Tips to have a better sleep:

·         Avoid stimulants, such as caffeine and nicotine, before bedtime. If you're working nights and need to sleep from morning until afternoon, you might try to avoid caffeine after midnight.

·         Create a restful environment. To get uninterrupted sleep, turn off or unplug your phone and pull the drapes on the windows. Schedule meetings and other activities outside of your sleep period, and train your family and friends to leave you alone while you sleep.

·         Take a short nap before your shift. Napping for up to 30 minutes just before work or on a break may increase alertness and enhance your performance, especially if your daytime sleep period was cut short. Keep it short, though. The longer you nap, the more likely you are to feel groggy afterward.

·         Stick to the routine. Go to sleep as soon as you can after work. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day helps promote good sleep. Be as consistent as possible, even on weekends and days off.

·         Avoid the use of sleep aids. They are just a temporary solution and in the long run they could cause more problems. They are not actually helping your body clock to adjust, so talk to your doctor before using these.

Make healthy lifestyle choices:

·         Eat a healthy diet and include physical activity in your daily routine.

·         To maintain a nourishing diet, it’s vital to adjust your meal routine around your schedule.

·         If exercise seems to energize you, plan to work out after you wake up rather than before you go to sleep.

·          Resist the temptation to use tea, coffee, junk food or nicotine to stay awake or alcohol to get to sleep.

·         Do not skip meals.

·         To avoid taking in empty calories from vending machines or fast food, plan ahead. It is easy to eat to pass the time, but you’ll gain weight this way. Bring a healthy meal with you to work.

·         If your job is majorly desk-based, your metabolism may slow down during those long periods of inactivity, and you may find few opportunities for exercise. Use whatever free time you do have during the day for active pursuits. Set aside part of your lunchtime for some form of exercise. Organizing work colleagues to join you once week/weekends at a nearby gym might help motivate you to maintain your own exercise. On other days of the week, try to do at least a 20-minute brisk walk. You could also set up some office teams for sports such as tennis or softball after work.

·         If you work at your desk for most of the day and have a predictable work routine, you may become bored and use food as a diversion. Take regular breaks from sitting at your desk to stretch your muscles and refocus your eyes from the computer screen or paperwork. These measures not only relieve boredom but also help prevent problems such as repetitive strain injury. Try ways to vary your duties or responsibilities. This will relieve boredom and distract you from cravings for unhealthy snacks.

·         Snacking often in between work is normally on junk or sweets which can quickly add calories. Try beverages such as herbal tea, fresh fruit juice, coconut water, buttermilk or mineral water as an alternative to junk food. If you must have a snack, make it a fruit, low-fat crackers, handful of nuts/dry fruits/roasted channa, khakhra, homemade poha/ kurmura chivda or plain popcorn. The natural sweetness of fruit will satisfy your craving for sweet foods, and also cut down on an excess of calorie and fat intake.

·         Don’t eat a huge meal right at the end of your shift. It will just lead to trouble digesting as well as disrupted sleep. Your body will have difficulty burning these extra calories and they can turn to fat.

·         Drink plenty of water throughout your shift. Dehydration can cause cramps and headaches and indigestion.

·         Take foods rich in complex carbohydrates which provide energy over a long period of time rather than quick sugar bursts that won't last too long.

·         Include protein rich foods to help repair you’re worn out muscles.

·         It is important to avoid fatty and greasy food at night, and control the intake of spicy food.

·         Eat a big meal at the start of your work schedule, and a moderate meal around midnight.

·         Before going to bed in the morning, you can eat a regular breakfast meal in a small quantity. For example, cereals with milk and fruits or two phulkas with dal and vegetables should do. Alternately, you can also eat a light sandwich, to avoid adding on calories which don’t get burnt while sleeping.

We have to awaken to the reality that night shifts and late working hours is no longer for certain professions but it’s now commonplace with call centers, media industry etc on the rise. So instead of getting affected negatively it is better to look for a solution- “a behavioral and lifestyle change”- so that we are able to work in shifts or extended hours without compromising on our health.

  

STAY HEALTHY THIS MONSOON

The monsoon is always welcome after the scorching summer heat. But monsoon is also the time our body’s immunity and digestive capability is at its weakest making us susceptible to many diseases which are commonly associated with this season. The diet we therefore follow during the monsoons should be healthy to keep our body resistant against diseases by improving our immunity.

Diet tips:

1. Take care that you eat a balanced and protein rich diet.
2. Fried snacks like pakoras seem really tempting in the monsoons but keep it in moderation.
3.  Choose grilled instead of cold sandwiches.
4. Opt for hot cooked meals instead of cold and raw foods.
5. Separate raw and cooked food both when preparing and storing.
6. Meat should not be stored in the fridge above other foods so that it does not drip. 
7.  Refrigerate leftover foods immediately.
8. Keep kitchen work area scrupulously clean.
9. Keep your hands clean when handling foods.
10. Foods should not sit in the room without the lid as it attracts bugs.
11. Discard foods that are discoloured, moldy or decayed. Take care to see that foods from cans or packets that are leaking or bulging should be thrown.
12.  Cover all seeds and grains with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties during the monsoon. At the same time make sure to wash them well before consuming.
13.  Avoid fresh fruits, which have been pre – cut or peeled and kept in the open.
14. Diseases in the season of rain are mostly water-borne; you need to be particularly careful with the water that you drink or the ice you use.
15.  Don’t drink beverages made only with treated boiled water.
16. Maintain the general hygiene while eating out and definitely avoid roadside vendors (pakoras, ice-candy, sugarcane juice, pani-puri) as very few people have the high immunity to handle the bacterial overload at such places.
17. Wash all green vegetables thoroughly as a lot of worms and insects are hidden in the leafy vegetables.
18. Use clean eggs with intact shells. Avoid raw eggs.

Food health:

1. Avoid heavy, salty food as it promotes water retention and bloating. It is better to have medium to low salt food.
2. Eat light foods like vegetables, fruits and cereals.
3. Avoid too much of meat or fish. Avoid raw seafood and shellfish.
4. Avoid fried foods as they decrease the digestive efficiency. One can enjoy grilled, tandoori foods which need minimum oil/butter.
5. Eat foods like makka (corn), chana (chickpea), besan (gram flour), jow (oats), rice and wheat.
6. Avoid heavy oils like mustard oil, peanut oil, sesame oil and use oils like rice bran, light corn oil, or light oils like olive oils.
7. Avoid raw salads or choose warm/steamed salads as there are many infectious organisms in this season.
8. Hot vegetable soups are healthy this season.
9. Avoid foods which are very sour like tamarind (imli), chutneys and pickles as they promote water retention.
10. Avoid consuming dairy foods like paneer, raita etc outside at a street vendor.
11. Have only pasteurized dairy products.
12. Consume a lot of bitter vegetables like karela (bitter gourd) and bitter herbs like neem (basil), methi (fenugreek) seeds, haldi (turmeric) as they have antinfective properties.
13. Amla and citrus fruits contain lots of Vitamin C and good for taking your immunity level up.
14. Drinking boiled and cooled water mixed with little honey helps boost the immunity.
15. Adding dry ginger or fresh ginger to tea or a ginger-ale can help avoid colds.
16. Fruits like pears, peaches, plums, papayas and bananas are available in plenty and are tasty too. Wash well before consuming. Nuts and seeds too can be had in small quantities.

Other tips:

1. Indulge in light exercises like walking, yoga or stretching. 
2. Having a body massage once a week can help you pump up that immunity and digestive ability. 

These guidelines are for a healthy monsoon! So remember - enjoy the rains and keep it safe at the same time.

WHY DO WE INDULGE IN MINDLESS EATING?

Hunger is sometimes a diet killer. No matter what kind of diet you are trying to follow- low-fat, low-carbohydrate; hunger can undo weeks or months of the dietary discipline you are following. Our body is designed to consume food which makes us feel hungry and we cannot starve it. There are ways to tone down those hunger pangs. But did you know that there are other reasons to eat besides just being hungry.

Why do we reach out for that packet of chips while we watch television or that big plate we load up at dinner time – whether we’re hungry or not.

We make a number of decisions a day when it comes to food- “Should I have pizza?” or “Should I have skim or whole milk?”

There are a lot of factors that influence what goes into our stomach and they have nothing to do with hunger. I’m sure all of us find this familiar.

Understanding some reasons why we indulge in mindless eating can probably help us a lot in managing our hunger.  

1. Sights, Sounds, and Smells of food- Overeating can be triggered just by the alluring smell of fish frying, or the sound of popcorn popping, or just walking past the bakery window with those freshly baked cinnamon buns or pastries on display.

2. Unconscious Eating- Unconsciously putting food in your mouth without paying attention to what you’re eating like potato chips or chocolates. When you eat more mindfully and without distractions, you really relish the food — and are more likely to feel satisfied sooner.

3. Boredom- If you work at your desk or at home for most of the day and have a predictable work routine, you may become bored and use food as a diversion. Take regular breaks from your work. Bring a variation into your routine. This will relieve boredom and distract you from cravings for snacks.

4. Dehydration- At times our feeling of thirst is mistaken for hunger pangs. So whenever you feel hungry at an odd time of the day try and have a glass of water first. The best way is to take frequent sips of water throughout the day. This helps keep us hydrated throughout the day. 

5. Foods all around us- When food is in front of us, we tend to eat more of it. When we have to go to take a candy from across the table or go to a nearby store to get it we are less likely to eat it.

6. Food that’s Fast, Convenient, and Inexpensive- Fast-food combo meal deals sound like a bargain especially for busy youngsters who can’t remove time at lunch breaks or get home foods at dinner time. But these foods are loaded with fat, sodium, and calories (which can be harmful if taken on a regular basis), unless you choose healthier options like salads and grilled chicken/paneer sandwiches.

7. Oversized Portions- Our idea of a normal portion has become distorted due to large portions of a serving of food served in restaurants. Mindful eating can help here. Eat slowly, put the fork down in between bites, taste the food and become more in touch with what you are eating and how it tastes, so you can enjoy it more and start to appreciate satisfaction with smaller portions.

8. Eating from large containers- Studies suggest that large or jumbo sized packages of foods can at an unconscious level cause us to eat more. When you eat from a large container, you are likely to consume 25% to 50% more than you would from a smaller package — especially when you’re eating snacks and sweets. Also try using a salad plate instead of a big dinner plate which can help slow your eating.

9. Too Much Variety- A buffet restaurant can offer too many choices, encouraging having a taste of everything, and before you know it, your plate is overflowing with food. Too much variety on your plate at one meal can often mean too much food overall.

So if we knew why we ate the way we do, we could eat a little less, eat a little healthier, and enjoy it a lot more.”