Thursday, March 8, 2012

Top Super Foods for Super Women

Every woman must take care of her health and well being. Twentieth century is not limited to household chores. She needs to take charge of her career and Home front too. Stress is the common factor and needs to be managed well. So, every woman can rely on following top food to cope with the increasing demand of the time:

Blue Berries: Full of antioxidants and vital nutrients to fight against aging. Blue berries are called as ‘Anti -Aging’ Foods. These contain Anthocynin which fights against cancer, heart diseases, diabetes etc. According to recent studies, blue berries are ranked highest in antioxidant activity. One cup of berries gives only 8 Kcal. One must include half to one cup of berries every day to meet the requirements.



A One Minute Recipe: Banana-Berry Smoothie



Oats: Yes, your daily porridge for breakfast is a super food. High in soluble and insoluble fiber helps in controlling cholesterol, giving satiety and reducing weight. Daily fiber requirement is 25 gm, it would be 4 to 5 servings of oats of whole grain cereals. So, without any hesitator add up oats for your preparations. It is fine, if it is instant oats meal or steel cut oats or rolled oats. It is healthy choice ultimate.



A Healthy Breakfast Option: Oats Dalia



Broccoli: Cruciferous vegetable which prevents breast cancer by fighting against estrogen. It is rich in vitamin C and vitamin A. Good source of folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium makes perfect blend for a super woman. Cauliflower, cabbage comes under cruciferous group and imparts health benefits.



Recipe to Rejuvenate: Brocolli Mushroom Stew With Alfalfa Sprouts



Walnuts: Good source of omega 3 fatty acids. Regular consumption of handful walnuts helps in controlling cholesterol, boost brain power, induce sleep, fight against cancer. New study suggests that walnut fight against breast cancer.



Healthy Dessert: Date & Walnut Roll



Red Beans and Lentils: Protein source for vegetarians. Low fat and high protein lentils and red beans help in controlling weight, giving satiety and aid in fat loss. They are rich in folate, control sugar and reduce cancer risk. Beans are best if consumed after soaking and sprouting.



Sip On Soup: Lentil Soup



So, grab your food for the day and get started on healthy note! It is time for you to take care and get energized.



Divya Sanglikar

DD Expert

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

How to Lose Weight quickly

How to Lose Weight, How to Reduce Weight | DesiDieter

Losing weight is a challenge. It requires the right approach and plenty of patience. One cannot achieve weight loss in a day. To lose weight you need to give your body ample time. Gradual weight loss is better than rapid weight loss. There are plenty of tricks in the trade to lose weight quickly.



Many experts suggest going on fad diets and some suggest crash dieting. But, wise experts are of the opinion that to lose weight, you need to diet and exercise. This is the only way to create calorie deficit and burn fat.

Experts also believe that sticking to a diet and fitness plan is not easy. As formed habits are difficult to change, thus boredom sets in on a weight loss plan. To avoid monotony changing diets and exercise routine is also recommended.

If you have been asking yourself “how to lose weight quickly”; please rephrase it to “how to lose weight surely”.

These are few insights in to losing weight the right way:

Journal your weight loss journey - Firstly, start a food diary. Note down your 24 hours diet intake for a period of 3-4 days. Scan the intake and see what you can cut down i.e. anything you feel is simply adding to calories. It could be an extra toast or a cookie or even that extra cup of tea in noon. Research indicates journaling really make a difference in long-term weight management according to Gail Curtis, assistant professor at Wake Forest University Health Sciences in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Moreover, you can also pen down your emotions while eating a particular food and notice if you are a victim of emotional eating. Stress, anxiety, boredom can trigger cravings and some people hog on additional calories as they are unable to control these emotions.

Cut down on sweet beverages - Soft drinks, juices, sherbets will not fill you up and are unnecessary calories. Sweet tea, soda, and flavored and sweetened milks, waters, and coffees will certainly have to be avoided to lose weight quickly. Drink plain water, low-fat milk, and sugar-free drinks instead. Lemon juice, buttermilk, coconut water are also a good choice on weight loss plan.

Physical activity is necessary - According to Jillian Michaels, America’s favorite fitness expert an hour is ideal to get the most out of the workout and see significant results. 60-minute workout sessions should always include a 5-minute warm-up, followed by 50 minutes of your primary cardio or strength-training exercises, followed by at least 5 minutes of cooling down and stretching. For those who don’t have the time; must try for at least 150 hours of moderate physical activity each week (and that breaks down to just 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week). What′s important to understand is that this is intended for people who want to maintain the most basic level of fitness but not for people who want to lose weight.

But if you want to drop those pounds, you′re going to have to be prepared for a bit more work.

Eat food to fuel weight loss - Eating 3 meals a day is redundant. Now, experts say to eat 6 mini meals day to boost the metabolism and lose weight. Frequent eating in small doses revs up the metabolism and controls hunger and is a healthier way of eating than three big meals. DesiDieter experts warn it matters what and how much you eat over the course of the day rather than how often you eat. “Don′t eat seven times a day if what you′re eating is a salty snack or a pizza. If you′re going to do that, reach for an apple instead.” according to DesiDieter Nutritionist.

Eat more vegetables - Use your plate to guide your food selection and portion sizes. One half of the plate should be raw/steamed/cooked vegetables. The other side can be split between protein and whole grain carbohydrates. If you decide to get a second serving it can be all vegetables. People who eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day are more successful with weight loss. As raw produce are rich in fiber and help you feel full longer.



Portion control is necessary - Weight loss experts suggest to lose weight faster eat everything, don’t starve but eat smaller portions or share a plate at restaurants. It helps cut down on calories.

These are just some suggestions to help you lose weight. It is suggested to join a hand-held program with a dietitian to ensure healthy weight loss and fast but sure fat loss.

To learn about a weight loss diet plan apt for you; consult the nutritionists at DesiDieter.com.



Tina Khanna
DesiDieter Expert

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Losing Weight While Nursing

Losing Weight While Nursing

Motherhood is a wonderful phase. The demands of a new baby are tremendous and in all that taking care of, the new mom can get ‘neglected’. Of all things to get back as usual, fitting in to old favorite clothes is the top-most thing on her mind.

It can be quite frustrating to be not able to find time for oneself and getting back in shape can seem like a humungous task. Well, with a little mental note few efforts can help one long way.

Calorie needs of a nursing mother are high. She needs to take 300-500 additional calories to ensure constant milk supply. Dieting can cause depletion of milk supply and your baby will be at loss of the most important nourishment it requires.

Nursing is a calorie intensive activity. Breastfeeding in itself requires calories and so you can burn 400-700 kcal in a day while nursing the baby. So, cheer up. The more you feed the baby the more you are burning those baby fat calories piled up during pregnancy.

Do Not Diet. Dieting is not suggested for at least first 6 months post delivery while you are breastfeeding your baby. But, you need to eat healthy. The diet for nursing mothers should include low fat, high fiber, high calcium foods. Get your calories from proteins and milk products and not junk food and fat.

Exercise. To get back in shape it is best that you start to move around more. Start with walking, plain easy walking. Few minutes a day to longer and more frequent. Walk with the baby, walk while giving the baby a nap, just move more to fidget those muscles and shed those calories.

To get a more customized plan it is important that you consult a diet expert. You will be given a plan appropriate for your needs

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Celebrities With Diabetes

Diabetes Care - Celebrities With Diabetes

Have you been recently diagnosed with Diabetes? Do you feel like it’s the end of the world? Most people go into a state of denial and think that ignoring the problem will make it “go away”. The truth is,pray as much as you want, but it won’t go away. What you can do however, is accept the situation, learn and understand the condition, so that with the help of your doctor, dietitian and diabetes educator you can be in better control of yourself and diabetes. Keep in mind that you are not alone in this battle, with India on the verge of becoming “the Diabetes capital of the World” there are more than 40 million diabetics in India alone. Diabetes is not restricted to the common man; even movie stars, sports stars, singers and other celebrities suffer from the disease and yet are still able to lead a glamorous lifestyle. Here’s a list of celebrities who are also diabetics:

WasimAkram: The former Pakistani bowler also known as ‘the King of Swing” was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 30 and was at the peak of his career. Akram apparently could not believe that he could be a diabetic as he thought that only people over the age of 50 and leading a sedentary lifestyle could get it. Eventually, he learnt to follow a strict diet and exercise regimen that was tailor made for him along with daily insulin doses. To his credit he has about 250 wickets which he took after being diagnosed as a diabetic!

Kamal Hassan: Diabetes has not dampened the spirits of this versatile actor and father of actress Shruti Hassan. He tries to balance a hectic schedule and his Type 1 diabetes and even takes out time to encourage other diabetics to take charge of their lives.

GauravKapur: The Channel V VJ, host of Big Switch 2 and actor was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the tender age of 22. Gaurav now practices yoga and jogs to keep fit, follows a strict diet and avoids alcohol to keep his sugars under control.

Elvis Presley: The King of ‘Rock and Roll’never publically admitted the fact that he was a diabetic and went on leading a high profile life.

Halle Berry: The Oscar winning Hollywood actress was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 23 when she collapsed on the sets of a TV show. The actress then went on to win numerous awards and even an Oscar in 2001. In 2007, she gave birth to a baby girl. “Diabetes turned out to be a gift," she says. "It gave me strength and toughness because I had to face reality, no matter how uncomfortable or painful it was."

Nick Jonas: Teen heartthrob and singer of the boy band ‘The Jonas Brothers’ was diagnosed with diabetes at age 16. Diet, exercise and an insulin pump that delivers insulin throughout the day is what lets Nick lead as normal a life as possible.

Randy Jackson: The American Idol judge, singer and Grammy Award winning producer was obese, had a family history of diabetes and is an African-American(the 3 major risk factors for diabetes) when he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Randy has since then, managed to shed around 45kgs (100lbs)with regular exercise and diet.

Salma Hayek: The actress cum producer was diagnosed with gestational diabetes when she was 25 weeks pregnant with her first child. Though this type of diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy, these people have a high risk of developing diabetes later on in life.
So it’s not just you, even the rich and the famous can suffer from Diabetes. What you need to do is to take a leaf from their book and try your best to control diabetes so that you can lead as normal a life as possible.At the end of the day-don’t let Diabetes control your life, try to control it!

Diabetes Care Package
are a unique effort by health experts to help serve diabetics battle against the disease and get back in shape.


SwetaUchil-Purohit
Dietitian,
http://www.desidieter.com

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Doing the Math on Employer Health Insurance by ROBB MANDELBAUM

Doing the Math on Employer Health Insurance

By ROBB MANDELBAUM

Source - http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/doing-the-math-on-employer-health-insurance/.

Our post last month on the McKinsey & Company study that suggested — but absolutely did not predict — that up to 30 percent of employers would shed the health insurance plans they now provide workers in 2014, when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act largely takes effect, drew some readers into an interesting discussion. After one reader wondered what prevents those companies from dropping health insurance now, another, adam of Washington, wrote a thoughtful response that is worth reprinting at length. The premium calculator he describes was developed by the Kaiser Family Foundation and allows users to enter demographic data and generate an estimate for how much insurance will cost when purchased on the exchanges created by the health care overhaul. Here’s what adam wrote:


The employee’s desire for health insurance is what’s stopping them from dropping coverage now. Employees don’t want to be left to the individual market with its high premiums, pre-existing conditions limits, after tax premium payments, etc. Employers don’t want to lose good employees because their compensation packages aren’t competitive. But PPACA completely changes that calculation since it gets rid of the disadvantages in the individual market. In fact, the individual market will be the better option for many people. Say that in 2014 your employer offered you a raise that was equal to the employer’s cost to provide you with family plan minus the $2,000 penalty*, in exchange for giving up your employer provided health insurance. Since it’s 2014, there would now be an exchange for you to buy health insurance. Would you
more at http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/doing-the-math-on-employer-health-insurance/

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Happy Doctors' Day

Employee Health: Happy Doctors Day: "The Desidieter team would like to take the opportunity to wish all the doctors a very “Happy Doctor’s Day”! India celebrates National Doc..."

Happy Doctors' Day

The Desidieter team would like to take the opportunity to wish all the doctors a very “Happy Doctor’s Day”!

India celebrates National Doctor’s Day on the 1st of July every year to commemorate the birthday of the famous Indian physician, educationist and freedom fighter Dr BC Roy. Dr Roy worked for the upliftment of thousands of patients and was instrumental in starting various institutions and hospitals across India. Later he joined politics and became the Chief Minister of West Bengal. For his dedication and service to the Indian public he was even awarded the Bharat Ratna. Later in 1976, the B.C Roy National Award was instituted in his memory. The Award is presented every year on the 1st Of July by the President of India in various categories like: Medical man-cum-Statesman, Statesmanship of the Highest Order in India, Eminent Medical Person, and Eminent person in Philosophy and Eminent person in Arts.



Though this has been around for so many years, it’s surprising to note that not many Indians are aware of this day. So, this Doctor’s day surprise your Doctor by wishing him/her and thank them for all that they have done for you and your family!



SwetaUchil-Purohit

Dietitian,

Desidieter

Friday, June 24, 2011

New Fitness trends

Employee Health: Body Building Videos and Tips: Heart Test and Coro...: "Body Building Videos and Tips: Heart Test and Coronary Risk: New Fitness Trends -... : 'Heart Test and Coronary Risk: New Fitness Trends - M..."
Bored with the same fitness routines? Are you a fitness freak who gets bored doing the same exercises day in and day out? Or are you someone who finds working out in the gym not exciting enough? Well, here are some new fun fitness trends that might catch your fancy:
Piloxing: A unique mix of Pilates and boxing that promises to burn the fat as well as tone up the muscles. Using heavy gloves, it blends the flexibility, coordination and the graceful moves of Pilates with the speed and power of boxing. No wonder this new trend has the who’s who of Hollywood sweating it out to promising results.

Wii Fitness: A fitness video game created by Hiroshi Matsunaga, it takes working out at home to a new level. In this the player stands on a special balance board (which uses Bluetooth technology and pressure sensors that measures the persons center of balance) and can choose to do yoga, aerobics or strength training. The difference between Wii Fitness and regular workout DVD’s is that it provides an on-screen personal trainer who is able to direct and evaluate the user.

Cardio Tennis: Love tennis but can’t find someone to play with every day? Try Cardio Tennis. This non-stop group fitness class is based on tennis moves while also combining other endurance building exercises, so the whole group gets a workout while improving their strokes. It promises a total body workout which is more than what you get with just tennis. Like circuit training or boot camp, it includes activities like running, cycling, and squats while trying to hit tons of tennis balls and unlike traditional tennis the emphasis is on movement rather than technique.

Zumba: Hate to exercise but love to dance? Then Zumba is tailor made for you. The craze was accidentally started by Alberto Perez, an aerobics instructor in Columbia. He apparently forgot to get his traditional aerobics music one day and had to play the salsa and meringue tapes that he had. This resulted in a class that not only had an electrifying workout but also learnt to burn the fat while dancing. Zumba now also incorporates disco, samba, mambo, belly dancing and even some Bollywood moves.

Water Aerobics: Also called ‘Waterobics’, ‘AquaFit’ or ‘Aqua Aerobics’, this involves doing aerobic exercises in shallow water. The benefit of exercising in water is that it makes you feel lighter and hence running, jumping or moving in water does not have the same impact on the body and joints as when the same is done on land. Hence, it has lesser risks and can be done by people who have back problems, arthritis or knee problems. It also strengthens muscles as exercising in water is supposed to provide about 12 times more resistance than air.

Dancing: You can burn calories with almost any kind of dance. Search your neighborhood for some dance classes - the more exotic the name, the better. If the traditional Bharatanatyam or Kathak is not your cup of tea, you could try things like bollywood dancing, disco Yoga, masala bhangra or even African rhythms!
Whatever you choose - keep in mind the important thing is to keep your body moving!

*Before starting any exercise routine, talk to your doctor and find out if you are fit to exercise.

SwetaUchil-Purohit
Dietitian, Desidieter

Body Building Videos and Tips: Heart Test and Coronary Risk: New Fitness Trends -...

Body Building Videos and Tips: Heart Test and Coronary Risk: New Fitness Trends -...: "Heart Test and Coronary Risk: New Fitness Trends - Move with the Time : 'New Fitness Trends - Move with the Time http://www.desidieter.com..."

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

What is Jennifer Lopez's fitness routine?

Desi Diet | Diet Plans India | Weight Loss| Indian Diet Plan | Popular Recipes | Diabetes Diet | Lose Weight

Jennifer Lopez steps up dancing fitness regime

Jennifer Lopez dances to stay in shape.

The singer-and-actress has reportedly stepped up her workouts since taking on a role as a judge on US TV show 'American Idol' but friends insist she never finds going to the gym a chore.

One pal explained: 'Jennifer has amped up her workout routine by running three miles a day, five days a week.
'But her true love is a dance workout. She has one of her choreographer friends meet her at a studio three times a week, where they put on loud Latin and pop music and dance and sweat for a full hour.

'They just laugh and work out until they are drenched with sweat. They even have dance offs ' taking turns to busy out some impromptu routines.

' think if everyone had that much fun working out, no one would ever dread the gym.'

According to pals, the 41-year-old superstar's hard work has paid off.

The insider added: 'She lost nearly 10lbs before 'Idol' began filming and she's kept it off.

'She's over 40 and looks hotter than ever.'


SOURCE: Music-News.com

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Baba Ramdev Survives Nine Days Without Food

Healthy and Popular Recipes: Baba Ramdev Survives Nine Days Without Food: "Body Mass Index - Your Free Health check: Baba Ramdev Survives Nine Days Without Food : 'Baba Ramdev Survives Nine Days Without Food Baba ..."

With all the ‘politics-ism’ and ‘swami-ism’ happening on Indian television, the only thing that caught my attention was the frail looking man dressed in vibrant orange, going headstrong without a morsel.

He did survive (only one trip to medics) the nine days of ‘anna-shann’- absolute fasting.

The nutritionist in me has been restless since than trying to finding answers as to, “what happens to the body and mind when we go without food and water?” I have been wondering whether yoga gurus and saints know the art of going without food for long. Buddhist monks are known to follow fasts as a mandate sfor spiritual awakening. Do they know how to shut down the body’s engine to stop fuel wastage?



My research on fasting got to me collect some very interesting facts on the subject: spiritual, political, physiological. I like to share these interesting reads that I found (while surfing the google guru):



Spiritual aspect of fasting, as seen by a Buddhist:

The Buddha's spiritual awakening is directly related to fasting, but from the reverse. That is to say, only after the Buddha stopped fasting did he realize his mahabodhi, or great awakening. The founding story of the Buddhist faith relates how the Buddha was cultivating the Way in the Himalayas, having left his affluent life as a Prince of India. He sought teachers and investigated a variety of practices in his search for liberation from the suffering of old age, death and rebirth. In the course of his practices he realized that desire was the root of mortality. He determined, incorrectly, that if he stopped eating he could end desire and gain liberation from suffering. As the story goes, he ate only a grain of rice and sesame seed per day. Over time he got so thin that he could touch his spine by pressing on his stomach. He no longer had the strength to meditate. He realized that he would die before he understood his mind; further, that desire does not end by force. At that point a young herds maid offered him a meal of milk porridge which he accepted. He regained his strength, renewed his meditation, and realized Buddhahood. So by quitting fasting, and eating in moderation, he realized the central tenet of Buddhist practice, moderation.



Fasting has a political twist: Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev seem to have triggered a dormant trend initiated by Gandhi during his era.



Absolute fasting is not a new concept in causing a political stir. Mahatma Gandhi employed fasting as a tool in "Satyagraha". In attempt to avoid elements of self and egoism Gandhi developed very clear rules of fasting. According to Bhikhu Parekh, in his book in the Past Masters series, Gandhi’s reasons for fasting was essentially fourfold." It was his way of expressing his own deep sense of sorrow at the way those he loved had disappointed him. It was his way, as their Leader, for atoning for their misdeeds.It was his last attempt to stir deep spiritual feelings in others and to appeal to their moral sense.It was his way of bringing the quarreling parties together."



Physiology of Fasting: Diet wizards claim fasting as the magic wand for detoxification. Infact, many diets (partial fasting) are based on eating less and restraining from certain foods to aid in weight loss.



Several studies indicate that fasting gradually slows down the urge to eat. Maybe, that’s why Baba Ramdev managed 9 days without eating. The hormones responsible for hunger (Leptin) and metabolism (Thyroxine) reduced to a significant level in humans and rodent in a study by Univ of Amsterdam, 2008. To explain in layman language- the urge to eat is reduced as well as calorie expenditure slows down making you feel not-so-hungry.



So, what happens when you quit food? Why couldn’t Baba Ramdev prolong his fast (besides political pressure)?



Wikipedia offers some insight to this query of mine: Glucose is the ‘fuel ‘for brain. When denied glucose for more than 4–8 hours, the body turns to the liver for glycogen, a storage form of glucose, to be used for fuel. A process called glycogenolysis converts glycogen into a usable form of fuel. At this point, the body also uses small amounts of protein to supplement this fuel. This fuel will last for up to 12 hours before the body needs to turn to glycogen stored in muscles, lasting for a few more days. If glucose is still denied at this point, muscle wasting is prevented by temporarily switching to fat as the fuel source, meaning fat is converted into ketone through catabolism. Ketones, while not sugars, can be used by the brain as a fuel source as long as glucose is denied.



The body continues to use fat for as long as there is fat to consume. The body will generally indicate to the faster when fat levels are running extremely low (less than 7% and 10% of body weight for males and females, respectively) with an increased urge for food. Fasts are usually broken long before this point. If the fast is not broken, starvation begins to occur, as the body begins to use protein for fuel. Health complications associated with fast-induced starvation include electrolyte imbalances, thinning hair, lanugo, cardiac arrhythmia and renal failure. Death can occur if fasting is pursued to the point of complete starvation.



So, for now my hunger for knowledge is satisfied and I can fast (oops) rest until next sensation hits the media.



Tina Khanna

Friday, June 10, 2011

Five heart disease misconceptions

Heart Test and Coronary Risk: Five heart disease misconceptions: "Employee Health: Five heart disease misconceptions : 'Desi Diet | Diet Plans India | Weight Loss| Indian Diet Plan | Popular Recipes | Diabe..."

Five heart disease misconceptions

Employee Health: Five heart disease misconceptions: "Desi Diet | Diet Plans India | Weight Loss| Indian Diet Plan | Popular Recipes | Diabetes Diet | Lose Weight Myth 1: Only older adults ne..."

Five heart disease misconceptions

Employee Health: Five heart disease misconceptions: "Desi Diet | Diet Plans India | Weight Loss| Indian Diet Plan | Popular Recipes | Diabetes Diet | Lose Weight Myth 1: Only older adults ne..."