HEALTHY DIET DURING RAMADAN

During Ramadan, the diet is radically altered. Meals get condensed in mornings (pre-dawn meal) and evenings, with no intake in-between for an extended period of time. The changes in diet aren't well tolerated by all if fasting is not followed properly.

Eating a variety of foods using principles of moderation and balance is not only important on other days but also during the Ramadan when you fast from dawn to sunset. During any fast the metabolic rate of a fasting person slows down and other regulatory mechanisms start functioning. Body and dietary fat is efficiently utilized. Consuming total food intake that is less than the total food intake during normal days is sufficient to maintain a person's health. A balanced diet improves blood cholesterol profile, reduces gastric acidity, prevents constipation and other digestive problems, and contributes to an active and healthy life style too. Remember, there is no need to consume excess food at any given meal.

The diet should not differ very much from our normal diet and should be as simple as possible.

Considering the long hours of fasting, one must consume slow
digesting foods i.e. fiber rich foods rather than fast-digesting foods. Slow digesting foods provide energy which lasts up to 8 hours, while fast-digesting foods provide only short term energy lasting for about only 3 to 4 hours.
-Slow-digesting foods are whole-grains and seeds such as barley, wheat, oats, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal flour, and unpolished rice. These are called complex carbohydrates. Also vegetables (like green beans, peas, and spinach), fruit with skin, dried fruit (such as dates, raisins, dried apricots, figs, prunes, and almonds) are all examples of fiber rich foods.
-Fast-burning foods are foods such as sugar and white flour. They are called refined carbohydrates.
To be healthy during this month, one must consume food from the major food groups: bread and cereal, milk and dairy product, meat, pulses and bean, vegetable and fruit.

Daily food group intake guideline:
1. Bread/Cereal/Rice, Pasta, Biscuits- Cereal Group: 6-11 servings/day;
2. Meat/Beans/ Pulses/Nut- Protein Group: 2-3 servings/day.
3. Milk and Milk Product- Dairy Group: 2-3 servings/day.
4. Vegetable Group: 3-5 servings/day;
5. Fruit Group: 2-4 servings/day.
6. Added sugar (table sugar): sparingly.
7. Added fat/oil- 6-8 teaspoons.

The pre-dawn meal:
The body's immediate need at the time of the pre-dawn meal is to get an easily available energy source in the form of glucose for every living cell, particularly the brain and nerve cells. Dates and juices are good sources of sugars. Dates and juice bring low blood glucose levels to normal levels. Juice and soup help maintain water and mineral balance in the body. An unbalanced diet and too many servings of sherbets and sweets with added sugar have been found to be unhealthy.

Dinner:
Consume foods from all the following food groups.

Meat/Bean/Pulse Group:
Include foods such as chicken, beef, lamb, goat, fish, green pea, chickpea (chana, humus), green gram, black gram, lentil, lima bean and other beans. Meat and beans are a good source of protein, minerals, and certain vitamins. Beans are a good source of dietary fiber, as well.
Bread/Cereal Group:
Include whole wheat bread, cooked rice or roti. This group is a good source of complex carbohydrates, which are a good source of energy and provide some protein, minerals, and dietary fiber.
Milk Group:
Milk or butter-milk, yogurt or cottage cheese. Milk and dairy products are good sources of protein and calcium.
Vegetable Group:
Include mixed vegetable salad (lettuce, carrot, parsley, cucumber, broccoli, coriander leaves, cauliflower or cabbage or beetroot as desired). Cooked vegetables such as guar beans, french beans, okra (bhindi), eggplant (baigan), bottle gourd (lauki), cabbage, spinach, methi. Vegetables are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, carotene, lycopenes, and other photochemicals, which are antioxidants.
Fruits Group:
Include citrus and/or other fruits. Eat fruits as the last item of the dinner or as dessert, to facilitate digestion and prevent many gastrointestinal problems. Citrus fruits provide vitamin C. Fruits are a good source of dietary fiber and many other minerals and vitamins.
Fruits and mixed nuts may be eaten as a snack after dinner or before sleep.
Some Tips:

o    Drink as much water, fruit juices, coconut water, lime water as possible between breaking fast and bedtime so that your body may adjust fluid levels in time and also avoid dehydration.

o    Consume sufficient vegetables at meals. Eat fruits at the end of the meal.

o    Avoid intake of high sugar (table sugar) foods through sweets or other forms.

o    Avoid spicy foods.

o    Avoid over-eating in any meal.

o    Avoid excessive caffeine drinks such as coke, coffee or tea. Caffeine is a diuretic.

o    Smoking is a health risk factor. Avoid smoking cigarettes. Smoking negatively affects utilization of various vitamins, metabolites and enzyme systems in the body.  

o    Complex carbohydrates should be included at pre-dawn meals so that the food lasts longer making you less hungry.

o    Dates/raisins are excellent source of sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium.

o    Almonds are rich in protein and fiber with less fat.

o    Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates.

o    It is recommended that everyone engage in some kind of light exercise, such as stretching or walking.
In summary, intake of a balanced diet is important to maintain good health, sustain an active lifestyle and attain the full benefits of Ramadan.

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.

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.