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.”

NUTRITION FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV

The importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in order to keep illness at bay is of utmost importance for HIV persons. With lower immune system functionality, even the slightest microbe can cause major harm. One of the most important ways to keep healthy and treat the disease is through diet. A healthy diet is as important for HIV patients as any of the medications or treatments they are taking.

For persons living with HIV their diet needs to be a high quality diet, which is a diet high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, with lean, low-fat protein sources. These foods are nutrient-dense, and will contribute much more to your health and well-being than empty calories from sugar and fat.

Tips for a building a high quality diet:

• Whether eating a full meal or snacking, include all 3 macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and a little fat.
• Eat 5–6 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, or approximately 3 cups. Eat a variety of colors for a full range of nutrients.
• Aim to have 50% of your carbohydrates. A healthful diet is high in complex carbohydrates (whole grains, whole grain products, and legumes) and low in simple carbohydrates (sugar, candy, soft drinks, cakes, cookies, ice cream). Within the category of complex carbohydrates, legumes and whole grains such as whole wheat flour, oats, barley, and brown rice, are better sources of carbohydrate than white bread and pasta, rice, and potato.
• Choose lean protein sources such as skinless chicken breast, fish and low-fat dairy products and eggs are good sources of protein. You can also get protein from legumes (dried beans and peas), nuts, and seeds.
• Limit added sugar, sweets, and soft drinks; they are low in nutrient density and cause spikes in glucose levels.
• Have a serving or more of nuts, seeds, or legumes/sprouts per day.
• Include zinc rich sources of foods like chicken, cucumber, eggs and all-bran cereal.
• Animal products, seafood and Brazil nuts among others should be included in the diet as they have selenium which is beneficial in HIV.
• It is believed that B vitamins have the potential to slow the growth of the disease. They can be found in milk, whole grains, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, lentils, bell peppers, liver, broccoli and beets.
• Vitamin D is essential nutrient for calcium absorption. It is also important for the health of HIV patients. Fortified milk, cereal, egg, oily fish and shrimps. A great source of Vitamin D is also available from sun exposure, just be sure to take proper sun protection measures before venturing out.
• For an HIV patient, free radical production may be elevated, hence the need for higher levels of antioxidants. Some good food sources of this essential nutrient include herbal tea, small red beans, blueberries, prunes, pinto beans, cranberries and strawberries.
• Fat is the body’s major source of energy storage. The recommended intake of total fat is less than 30% (25% preferred) of daily total calorie intake, but the kind of fat may be as important as the amount. Saturated fat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. People with HIV may experience medication-related high cholesterol and triglycerides, requiring caution with regard to cardiac problems. Omega-3 fatty acids (a type of polyunsaturated fat), found in heart-healthy fish, almonds, walnuts, linseed and other foods, are protective against CVD.
• Saturated fats should be limited to 7% of the total calories- fatty meat, poultry with skin, butter, whole-milk dairy foods, and coconut and palm oils.
• Monounsaturated fats should be 10% or greater of total calorie intake. Food sources of MUFA nuts, seeds, canola and olive oils, avocado, and fish.
• Polyunsaturated fats should be 10% or less of total calorie intake. Food sources are fish, walnuts, flax seed & oil, and corn, soybean, sunflower, and safflower oil.

Nutrition Supplements- If you are losing weight and do not have adequate food resources, talk to your doctor about adding a nutrition supplement. Whenever possible, we believe the best way to increase weight is to eat a high quality diet that is nutrient-dense.

Food safety- With HIV, it is extremely imperative that you pay attention to all food safety rules. If you think any food is spoiled, don't eat it. Make sure you either wash all fruits and vegetables or, if you are eating out, order ones you can peel. Use different cutting boards for meat and vegetables and wash them with soap and water if you can. Make sure you always wash your hands after using the restroom.

OUR HEALTH IS IN OUR HANDS

How many times have we heard, “For a healthy lifestyle all you need to do is eat right and exercise”. It’s become a mantra for the health conscious generation. But for most of us running the treadmill, sweating away and eating boring health foods does not seem like much fun. Working for your health has to become more of a long term journey towards a healthy body and mind and less of a task if you are going to make this a lifelong dedication.

Many people take their bodies for granted. They indulge in fast foods, lack any kind of physical activity and expect their body not to react to this neglect. But remember- someday there are going to be consequences. Maybe not today, if you are in your twenties or early thirties but sooner or later your total disregard for your health is going to catch up with you. Just give it a thought. Would you drive your car with water as fuel or would you ride it with the oil level showing minimum, no- never. Then why do we neglect and insult our body all too often and ignore our valuable vehicle – our body.

Our physical and mental health is our first priority. Our body is the vehicle that takes us through the journey of life. When something is wrong with your body or you are in pain or just feeling low know this that everything in your life is going to be affected. Your health needs to be the first on your list of priorities. Caring for your body is important to living a healthy, high quality lifestyle. When you are in the state of optimal health, almost everything in your life is better. But like everything else in life it requires a little bit of your effort.  So, for those of you who have neglected your body now is the time you rediscover it.

Don’t wait until you get a wake-up call in the form of an illness to start paying attention to your body. Say this to yourself- “My physical wellbeing is important to my being and I am going to make my health my priority”.  

GETTING A FUSSY CHILD TO EAT HEALTHY

For the first few months of her life, a baby's hunger is easily satisfied with foods that are given to her. She is not at all selective about her diet. When she is close to a year old, she starts to become fussy about food. She develops definite likes and dislikes. And feeding becomes a challenge. 

Your baby develops dietary preferences, as she becomes aware that she can decide what she would like to eat thereby also asserting her independence. The baby's appetite and liking for particular foods change from day to day. Feeding problems can also stem from teething, sibling rivalry, illness or other worries which needs to be looked into. 

Battles over food create stress and anxiety not only for your fussy eater, but also for the rest of the family sitting down to a meal, too. With a little patience and creativity, you can feed your fussy child the foods she needs to stay healthy and strong. Getting your child to eat isn’t really as hard as it looks. Try some of these tips below, and you'll be well on your way to changing your children's eating habits for the better."  

1)     Trust your baby's instincts: Left to decide on their own children over time can surprisingly choose foods that are a part of a well-balanced diet. Their appetites vary from meal to meal and day to day. Anxious parents worry that poor eating can lead to nutritional deficiency and development problems. Children seem to have an inner mechanism that somehow works to ensure that they have a balanced diet. Children rarely develop vitamin deficiency or malnutrition because they are poor eaters. Therefore it is sometimes wise to trust your child’s instincts, let him decide for himself and give him some leeway when it comes to eating.
 

2)    Force feeding is never an answer: When your child has a feeding problem, meal times become a battlefield as anxious and frustrated parents try to persuade their child to eat. A feeding problem is often the result of parents pressurizing their children to eat. In most cases this fails. Forcing your child to eat will only worsen the situation because it reinforces the child's dislike for food.

3)    Mealtimes should be pleasant affair: Avoid making the child's diet a bone of contention at every meal. This will make the child dread meals even more. Make every effort to make your child look forward to mealtimes. Give her the wholesome food she likes best for 2 to 3 months and omit all the foods that she dislikes. This will help to make her less averse and tense about food.
 

4)    Problem with junk food: If you have a child whose diet of choice would consist of only junk food, the problem is more complicated. Give her what she likes for a few weeks. Once you have gained her trust, slowly introduce more healthy food that she had no severe objections to. Do not try to make her eat something she hates. Do not make an issue about the new addition to the diet even if she leaves it untouched. Try again after a couple of days or try something else in between.
 

5)    The main course is a dessert: If your child has an unreasonable sweet tooth and wants to eat four helpings of dessert compared to a single helping of the main course, give in to her. Sometimes if you show that you do not care one way or the other, children come around to a reasonable diet on their own. However, cut down on the number of times that you serve dessert at home. Introduce fruit after a meal instead. Do not bargain with your child promising her that if she finishes the vegetables, she can have another helping of dessert. You will make her feel that eating vegetables is a punishment, which will only serve to reinforce her dislike for them. Never make them eat at dinner what they have refused for lunch.
 

6)    Having a very small appetite: If your child is a small eater, give her smaller servings of food. Give her less than you expect her to eat so that she voluntarily comes to the conclusion that the food is not enough. Let her ask for more. Don't press food on her eagerly as soon as she finishes.  Also, remember that when the child sees what appears to be a huge mountain of food on her plate, she will be discouraged right from the beginning knowing that there is no way that she can eat so much.
 

7)    Spoon-feeding your child: A child of two should be able to feed herself. However, some parents whose children are fussy eaters feel that their children eat more when they feed them. While this may be true, parents sometimes go to an extreme by feeding their child until she is 2 or 3 years old. In these cases, the child gets into the habit of being fed and has no desire to feed herself. In addition, the child perceives feeding as an expression of love and concern on the part of the parents. Consequently, when the parents stop feeding the child, deciding that she is old enough to feed herself, the child is hurt and becomes resentful. Parents usually give in at this point and resume feeding the child. Thus, the child learns to manipulate the parents. 

8)    Let the child eat on his own: The way to wean a child off the habit of being spoon-fed is to give her a favourite food and then leave the child to eat on her own for a few minutes. You may still have to feed her half the meal initially, but she will soon begin feeding herself. Do not get into the habit of feeding her the last half of the meal. If she asks you to feed her after she has eaten a few spoonfuls herself, casually tell her that you think she has had enough. Her hunger will soon naturally lead her to finish the meal herself once she realizes that she cannot expect any help from your end.
 

9)    Avoid convincing tactics: You will always hear how parents use ingenuous ploys to convince their child to eat. Some parents have to tell a new story or put a cartoon on T.V for every mouthful; some have to take their children outdoors to distract them; some parents bribe their children with gifts for every plate that is wiped clean of food. This is not advisable. Eating should not be linked to any bribe because you are indicating to the child that it is an unpleasant act for which they should be compensated. The child should eat because it wants to and for no other reason. Let meal times be a pure activity.
 

10)  Exercising control: While the child should be allowed a certain amount of freedom in her diet, it does not mean that the parents should indulge all her whims. Give in to your child's preferences only to the extent that it does not inconvenience the rest of the family. Parents need to control the intake of sugar, chocolates, colas, desserts, junk and other less nutritious foods.

 

Some of my tried and tested tips which will definitely help you-

a) Remain calm and collected when trying to feed a fussy child her meal- From your child's perspective, every minute she's spending at the table is a minute she's not playing, so it's important that you patiently explain to her that she will be hungry later on, and there won't be anything for her to eat then.

b) Set a good example- Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods in front of her. If she sees you eating vegetables, fruits and whole grains, she may eventually want to sample what you have. Seat your fussy child at the table along with other family members during mealtime. Although she may refuse to try certain foods, seeing others eat might make her more willing to eat her own meal.

c) Encourage the exotic -Children often have more sophisticated tastes that we might think. Mild curries with rice are often relished more than regular dal rice. Besides, just sticking to a few favourites will only encourage extreme fussiness or get them bored of the dishes they once liked. Use seasoning as much as possible to enhance the flavor of the dishes you cook. Try out different spices and herbs; your child may not like bland flavors but will easily eat the same thing when it's seasoned.

d) Get hands on help from your child- Children like to assemble their own food, so you could lay ingredients out in bowls and let your child have food where they have to use their hands. Let your child try a roti roll using roti, chicken, cucumber, lettuce and sauce/ chutney or let them arrange their own smiley faced pizza or sandwich.

e) Make meal times fun- It's fun to serve up your child's stir fry vegetables or noodles in a bowl and let them eat it with child friendly chopsticks that are joined at the top or forks and spoons. The novelty of their new decorated utensils will mean they barely notice the fruit and vegetables on their plate. 

Another way could be creating fun themes to make meal times easier for kids. Allow your children to act like their favorite cartoon character or animal and encourage them to eat as that character would.

f) Get them to eat when they are hungry- After school/ sports is a great time to get your child to eat something healthy as they generally come home starving. The trouble is most children and even parents make a mistake of letting them grab a biscuit tin, packet of chips or a chocolate bar after school and you miss this window of opportunity. Have something ready prepared on the table. A simple roll or fried rice can be prepared ahead and is even easy to carry in Tiffin. Alternatively try encouraging some exotic fruits like mango, pineapple (as per seasonal availability) or make an exotic fruit salad with yoghurt.

g) Set rules about when your child can eat- Don't allow snacks in between meal and snack times. If your child refuses to eat at lunch, don't give in and let him snack shortly after lunch or it's likely that he won't eat by dinner time.

h) There is nothing wrong in offering healthy rewards- Do your children say they don't like something or refuse to try certain foods. Reward schemes like a sticker chart on the kitchen refrigerator can work well with older children. Make the chart yourself perhaps using pictures of their favourite things to decorate it and give your child a smiley or star sticker for every new food eaten. When he has collected a few stickers, reward him with a prize which could be an evening at the park or a few hours at the library.

i) Friendly peer pressure always works- If your child is wary of trying something new, inviting another child / friend over for a snack, tends to work. Invariably you will find that your child will eat what is offered provided their friend is eating it too!

j) Let the meal be a family affair- There's no reason to cook a child's meal separately from the rest of the family, even if you are having something really spicy. Let your meal be spicy enough so that your child can eat as well as it does not change the palate for the rest of the family members. You can alternatively also remove your child's portion before adding too many spices or curry so that their meal has a milder taste.

k) Sneak in the healthy foods- Some disguising health food in dishes doesn't help children appreciate healthier food in the long run, but it is sometimes the only way for some kids. You can sneak vegetables into popular dishes such as rolls/ paratha, khichdi, noodles or hide vegetables under grated cheese in pizzas or sandwiches or idlis or hiding fruits in a pancake or milkshake.

l) Offer your fussy child snacks throughout the day if she doesn't seem interested in eating three large meals- She can easily obtain the recommended daily allowances of all food groups if you feed her healthy and nutritious offerings as snacks as well as during meals.

     A picky child can be extremely challenging for any parent. Remember kids who are fussy are often that way due to phases and personality traits and must not create any guilt in you. As parents you must take the appropriate steps to ensure your child is eating well, while remaining calm and patient with the situation. With time and care, a child will grow and develop healthy eating habits that will stick with her for life.

Does Honey and lemon help in fat loss?

It is not exactly correct to say that “Lime Juice with Honey” on its own makes you lose weight. It is also a misconception, to say that it helps in burning, melting or mobilizing fat. Then why do most diet plans start with a drink of honey and lemon.

Honey is an excellent natural remedy or adjunct to a weight loss regime and lowering of blood cholesterol levels. It helps in purifying the blood and acts as a natural antioxidant as a result helping the body perform its metabolic functions at an optimal level. Honey is also a better option of a sweetening agent/ sugar. As compared to sugar it provides many vitamins and minerals and is an energy booster which keeps us active throughout the day by enhancing our work performance. Also by substituting table sugar with honey is a healthier option which in turn helps us take in lesser amount of empty calories and thereby supporting weight loss.

Lime juice is a very rich source of vitamin C, potassium and vitamin B1 which helps in boosting the immunity and is an excellent antioxidant.

Having honey and lemon-juice early morning on an empty stomach is highly beneficial as a detoxifier for the body. For this, mix one teaspoon of honey with the juice of two teaspoons of lime or lemon juice in a glass of room temperature or lukewarm water. The honey and lemon concoction can also be taken after a heavy and fat rich meal, as this tonic is an effective digestive too. The honey lemon drink can be really refreshing and cooling for the summers.

But, in every successful weight loss programme remember that principles such as making the right choices, forming healthy eating habits and diets, and keeping to a regular exercise regime throughout are extremely important for a healthy weight loss.
So, jump start your day with a healthy drink of lime juice with warm water and honey in it and see how you move through your day totally energized.