THE BEST TIME TO EAT PROTEIN FOR MAXIMUM MUSCLE GROWTH

We all are aware that protein is an essential nutrient when it comes to exercise or weight loss. But what we are not aware of is that proper protein timing is an important part of our health and fitness regime.

It is not only important to consume enough protein but it is important to have it at the right times throughout the day or  you may make smaller performance gains than expected. Also you risk over training as you may not be giving your body the fuel to repair, rebuild and replenish muscles after exercise.

Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. Although fat and carbohydrates are also required for muscle function, it is the protein that builds muscle tissue. However, protein is not stored effectively in the human body, so if it is not used it is expelled as waste relatively quickly. This is why regular protein intake is required.

The key rules for protein timings are:

• Start the day with protein. Your body is in a catabolic/wear and tear state when you wake up and therefore you are at risk of breaking down muscle tissue for energy. So a quick protein boost helps you to change your metabolism to burn fat instead. Whey protein is best in the morning.
• Eat more protein as snacks in between your meals. Casein protein is a good choice throughout the day because it is a slow release protein which means protein will remain in your blood longer to keep replenishing muscle supplies.
• Protein after your workout. Most people are in agreement that this is the most important time to consume protein. Research has shown that protein should be consumed within 30 minutes of exercise for maximum benefit. The best way to take this protein is as a shake. Whey protein is an excellent choice.
• More protein before bed. As you will ideally be sleeping for at least 7-8 hours to give your body every chance to recover and rebuild, you need to stock up on protein before you sleep. A late night shake is always a good idea.

EATING WELL TO AGE WELL

It is rightly said, “You are what you eat?” When we choose a variety of foods in our diet we feel simply healthy in the mind and the body.

For elders, the benefits of healthy eating include increased mental alertness, resistance to illness and disease, higher energy levels, a stronger immune system, faster recuperation times, and better management of chronic health problems if any. Just like in the younger days, as we age, eating well becomes a key to a positive, emotionally balanced outlook to life.

Older adults can feel better immediately and stay healthy for the future by choosing healthy foods. A balanced diet along with physical activity contributes a lot to improving the quality of life for an older adult.

In order to understand the needs of an older adult it is important to understand the physical changes that are taking place in the body. Slower metabolism, lack of physical activity, weakened senses of taste and smell, side effects of medicines and illnesses affecting appetite and slowing digestive system (generate less saliva and stomach acid) are some of the physical changes that take place as you get older, making it more difficult for your body to process nutrients.

Tips to improve nutrition for the elderly

ü  Consume fewer calories and more nutrient dense foods, keeping weight in check.

ü  Eat a selection of brightly colored fruit, leafy veggies, certain fish and nuts packed with omega-3 fatty acids.

ü  Focus on whole fruits rather than juices for more fiber and vitamins and aim for around 1 ½ to 2 servings each day. Apart from apple and banana also let them indulge in color-rich fruits like berries, peaches or melons.

ü  Choose anti-oxidant rich dark leafy greens, such as fenugreek, spinach, and broccoli as well as oranges and yellows, such as carrots, squash, and yams. Try for 2 to 2 ½ cups of vegetables every day.

ü  Aging bone health depends on adequate calcium intake to prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures. Adding calcium rich foods like of milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese or also tofu, broccoli, almonds, and kale are a good idea.

ü  Always choose whole grains over processed white flour for more nutrients and a higher fiber count. Try to indulge in pasta, breads, and cereals that are made of whole grains.

ü  Vary your protein sources with more fish, chicken, beans, peas, nuts, eggs, milk, cheese, dals, pulses and seeds.

ü  Seniors are prone to dehydration because their bodies lose some of its ability to regulate fluid levels and their sense of thirst is dulled. Place reminders for yourself telling you to sip water every hour and with meals to avoid urinary tract infections and constipation.

ü  After 50, your stomach produces less gastric acid making it difficult to absorb vitamin B-12—needed to help keep blood and nerves vital. Get the recommended daily intake of B12 from milk and fortified foods.

ü  We get most of vitamin D—essential to absorbing calcium—through sun exposure and a few foods (fatty fish, egg yolk, and fortified milk). With age, our skin is less efficient at synthesizing vitamin D, so consult your doctor about supplementing with fortified foods or a multivitamin.

ü  Reduce salt in your diet to help prevent water retention and high blood pressure.

ü  Include good fats such as olive oil, avocados, salmon, walnuts, flaxseed, and other monounsaturated fats.

ü  Avoid constipation, lower the risk of chronic diseases, and feel fuller longer by increasing fiber intake. Raw fruits and vegetables, whole-grains, and beans are good sources.

ü  Avoid “bad” carbohydrates also known as simple or unhealthy carbohydrates such as white flour, refined sugar, and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients.

ü  Overindulging in sugary foods and snacks is very common. Instead of adding sugar, try increasing sweetness to meals by using naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, dates, honey or yams.

ü  Opt for healthy methods of cooking, like steaming, sautéing, grilling or baking as preserves nutrients. Avoid boiling and straining method as it drains nutrients.

ü  Avoid skipping meals as this causes the metabolism to slow down, which leads to feeling sluggish and poorer choices later in the day.

ü  Snack between meals by choosing high-fiber snacks to healthfully tide you over to your next meal. Choose almonds and raisins instead of chips, and fruit instead of sweets. Other smart snacks include yogurt, cottage cheese, apples and peanut butter, and veggies and hummus/ sprouts.

ü  For breakfast select high fiber breads and cereals, colorful fruit, and protein to fill you with energy for the day.

ü  For lunch keep your body fueled for the afternoon with a variety of whole-grain breads, lean protein, and fiber.

ü  Make dinner also a wholesome meal in order to avoid episodes of low energy/ blood sugar levels later in the night.

ü  Make chewing easier by drinking smoothies/ milkshakes made with fresh fruit, yogurt, and protein powder. Eat steamed veggies and soft food such as khichdi, couscous, rice, and yogurt/dal/ kadhi.

ü  Drink 8 -10 glasses of water each day. Take a drink of water after each bite of food; add sauces and gravies to foods to moisten it.

Remember; good and healthy foods are nutrition for the body, mind and soul. The right nutrition for seniors will help them live a longer and stronger life, sharpen the mind, feel better and lead a rich, marvelous and supercharged life.

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.