SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS- Managing Your Weight

The reason some people aren't as successful at managing their weight as they would like to be can be traced to how they begin their efforts. You need to set yourself up to succeed. Think about it- only a positive mind will deliver positive results.

What does that really mean? Weight management is a very tricky and challenging chapter in our lives which has many valleys and hills, and you always want to give yourself the best and a possibility of a hundred percent result. This means preparing yourself without top of the world or miraculous expectations initially as well as you can. You have to be prepared for any type of obstacles before you start off on the journey.

Attitude is the most important, but often not appreciated or counseled about. The common attitude associated with initiating weight loss is- I've got to go on a “DIET” often said with a forlorn tone that implies the joy has gone out of life. Dieting today means following a pre-designed pattern of food intake in order to attain certain specific short-term goals. The term “Dieting” today is often confused. It is a more basic and thorough concept of diet regulation whereby one tries to shape one's general habit of nutritional intake so as to derive long term health benefits.

This negative, restrictive attitude seems to anticipate the drudgery that is sure to follow.  This approach is destined to fail sooner or later because it isn't sustainable and practical. It's like you're constantly trudging uphill toward an elusive goal.

A better approach is to focus on the positive aspects of undertaking lifestyle changes that can lead to better weight management. Remember, many people find that when they were more physically active, they felt better. Any diet that does not call for sacrifice, exercise and patience is not worth your trouble or your money.  Understand this and use this as motivation to continue to be active.

It takes an effort; it involves sheer discipline especially when just starting. It may take more time to reach your goal, but it's well worth it — for your weight, your health, and how you feel. And if you start out with the right attitude, along with a solid program, you can succeed.

In terms of changing the way you eat, focus on the opportunities and what you can eat as opposed to what foods you're trying to cut down on. There are many wonderful foods, many methods of cooking a traditional recipe in a more health fashion and also a lot many recipes you can learn, and believe it or not we can learn to like new foods.

There are many other issues to consider before undertaking lifestyle changes to promote weight loss. Be sure you're ready and can give it your best effort. Starting out with the right attitude and feeling like you're on an enjoyable and sustainable journey will get you well on your way. Be health-wise and enjoy the journey to the new you.

DIET DURING FEVER IN CHILDREN

Fever is elevation in the body’s temperature above the normal which may be in response to an infection, infection or unknown causes. (Normal body temperature is 37 Degrees Celsius or 98.4 Degrees Fahrenheit).  Fever in itself is not an illness; it's the body's natural way of fighting infections or sickness. The agents that usually cause fever can be micro-organisms such as bacterial, viral, fungal or immune mediated.

Fever affects all the metabolic processes of the body as follows:

·         There is an increased caloric need of the body during fever.

·         Glycogen and fat stores are depleted to combat the increased caloric needs.

·         There is an increased breakdown of proteins in the body.

·         There is increased loss of body fluids due to increased excretion through perspiration and evaporation.

·         There is also increased excretion of the electrolytes, sodium and potassium.

Common symptoms during fever are:

·         Loss of appetite, Lack of interest, Weakness, Cold sweats, Malaise and there can even be vomiting, diarrhea, cough & cold depending on the infection.

It's most important to modify the diet in order to manage all these conditions. Good nutrition is essential to alleviate the symptoms and make the child feel as comfortable as possible.

• The ideal diet to provide to your child during a fever is a high calorie (carbohydrate), high protein, low fat and high fluid as much as tolerated.
• The first 2 or 3 days are difficult and ironical as although we need to provide more nutrition, we are not able to take in as much. Therefore, initially the diet can be more of a liquid diet consisting of soups, glucose water, juices, milk (to be avoided if there is diarrhea). Give small frequent feeds at regular intervals of about 2-3 hrs which can be gradually increased to 6-8 feedings. Fluids are better tolerated and easily assimilated by the body.
• Prepare foods which are soft in texture, bland, semi-solid in consistency as they can be easily digested and absorbed like gruels, cereal and milk, soft fruits like banana, papaya, orange, sweet-lime, melons etc. soft or mashed khichidi, moong dal with soft rice, mashed curd rice, softly boiled vegetables stew, scrambled egg, creamy mashed potatoes, custard, rawa/suji kheer, phirni and chicken mince.
• Protein intake of the diet should be increased, so it important to provide high nutritive value protein like milk, eggs, chicken broth or creamy soups and dhals like moong dal or toor dal. Avoid heavy pulses like chana, rajmha etc.
• Fried or fatty foods, spicy and highly fibrous foods are difficult to digest and should be avoided.
• As mentioned earlier it is also very important to increase the nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, calcium, iron, sodium and potassium in the diet. These can be provided through soups, fruit juices, dals, light curries, broths and milk or milkshakes.

Foods that should be included in the diet:

• Fruit juices, Glucose, honey water, Milk, Coconut water, Barley water, Custards, Fruit jellies, Thin dhals/ Dal vegetable soups, Scrambled creamy eggs, Gruel's/ kheer, Vegetable juices, Soups, Cereal preparations, Tender meat or mince meats, Baked fish, Buttermilk with a pinch of salt or sugar, Fruit yoghurt/ Curd, Boiled , pureed leafy veggies, Boiled veggies (carrots, beans, pumpkin, gourd vegetables like doodhi, sweet potato etc), Dried fruits/ nuts milkshakes, Orange and yellow fruits/ citrus fruits.

Foods that should be avoided:

• Excessive Butter, Ghee, Vegetable oil, Irritating fibrous foods, Fried foods, Rich pastries, Rich puddings, spicy preparations, Strongly flavored beverages 

Remember:

• Don't force your child to eat if they not like some food. You can feed them after a short interval.
• Make their surroundings comfortable in order to ensure they get plenty of rest.
• Call the doctor immediately if the fever consistently spikes above 102-103 Degrees F.

Remember if your child is following a healthy lifestyle; consuming a balanced diet as per the requirements of that age we can be assured that your child’s body will be better able to handle and manage fever or infections.

CAN INDULGING IN SUGAR CAUSE DIABETES?

Diabetes is one of those diseases we all know about and also that it’s something to do with sugar. Sugar is often associated with this fastest growing chronic disease. But can too much sugar in your diet actually cause diabetes?

Essentially, diabetes is related to elevated blood sugar levels, so the logical answer would be, “Eat more sugar, and get diabetes”.

Before we arrive at this conclusion we must understand how diabetes is caused.

To get the energy we need to survive, our body converts some of the food we eat into sugars or glucose. At the same time, our pancreas is creating a hormone called insulin, which acts like a ferry boat, binding to cells and allowing them to absorb that glucose. But people with diabetes don't produce enough insulin, or that insulin is not sufficient, so it's like they've lost the boat — the cell door cannot be accessed and the glucose stays in our blood. Therefore, whilst there is plenty of glucose in the blood (too much glucose) it isn't getting into the cells properly where it's needed to provide energy for the body.

When our diet is rich in sugars the insulin levels go through the roof, the pancreas have to work overtime to try and maintain the blood sugar at a balanced level. Weight gain is a common side effect for people with high levels of insulin. The more insulin released to control your blood sugar level, the more glucose that gets into your cells and the less glucose that's wasted. Glucose that your cells don't use accumulates as fat. If you kept that high-sugar (high calorie) diet up, you could develop insulin resistance and thus weight gain (obesity) and fat accumulation, which is a major problem.

Obesity is certainly the main factor that's contributing to the epidemic of diabetes. The plain truth is we're sitting on a thin ice of obesity that could break into diabetes. But we can change this by changing how we eat right now.

So there are many causes of diabetes but sugar alone cannot be pinpointed as one of them. But does that mean you can stay in a mithai shop and gorge yourself? No, because if you eat too much sugar you are actually also indulging in a diet rich in fats and thus excess calories. This then will end up in you putting on weight and obesity is a risk factor.

So you can protect yourself with a healthy diet and regular exercise and if diabetes runs in the family or you have any concerns be more conscious and see your doctor if you observe any symptoms.

WHAT AND WHEN SHOULD I EAT BEFORE A MORNING WALK?

When it comes to incorporating an exercise routine into our lifestyle, we normally decide to indulge in an early morning walk. It is easy and needs no investment in terms of money, trainers or equipments other than our own body. But as in most cases of exercises or workouts even a simple (but effective) morning walk has some rules when it comes to eating. So the most common question that comes to our mind is, “What should I eat before a morning exercise walk, and when should I eat it?

Our body needs fuel in order to have good stamina and get the most out of exercise, including walking. But too much food still waiting to be digested or an empty stomach can leave you feeling uncomfortable.

1)      Don't Start on an Empty Stomach- You should have at least a light snack before morning exercise as your body has been fasting all night. Even if you are a person who normally skips breakfast, give your body some fruit juice, sports drink, half a fruit to get at least a few calories to work with. Without any available calories, you are less likely to work out as intensely or for as long as you could.

2)      Wait Three to Four Hours After a Large Meal Before Working Out- If you love a big breakfast (like a bowl of upma, poha, aloo paratha or roti sabji), your body will take three to four hours to digest the fats and proteins. It is better to have only a light breakfast before a morning walk and save the bigger meal for afterwards. Otherwise, your body will divert blood that could be going to your muscles to your stomach so it can work on digestion. If you ask your muscles to kick in for a good workout, you divert the blood from your stomach and digestion slows down.

3)      Eat a Small Meal One to Three Hours Before Exercise- If your breakfast is a light, low-fat meal (like a bowl of cereal or toast with light tea) you can work out within one to two hours and get the benefit of the calories with less risk of stomach distress.

4)      Opt for a Carbohydrate rich Snack 30 to 90 Minutes Before Exercise- If you want to eat close to your workout time, focus on easily-digested carbohydrates for a quick fuel boost. Ideas for this snack include the classic banana, fruit juice, a low-fat toast/crackers, low fat English muffin, or low-fat yogurt.

5)      Always See What Works for You- People vary in how well they tolerate eating or not eating before exercise. Foods that stay longer in the stomach when not exercising may produce nausea or gas when combined with exercise. Always try out for yourself to find what works best for you.