losing wweight mindfully

MindfullyLosing Weight

Losing Weight Mindfully www.sastasundar.com

Table of ConTenTs

IntroductIon.................................................................................................................. 03

Preface.............................................................................................................................. 04

chapter 1 : WHat IS a dIet & WHat It IS not.................................................................. 05

Reality about sugar free alternatives and fat free food................................... 09

Fact: The bitter truth about sweeteners........................................................... 09

All fruits are friends ........................................................................................... 09

Answer to all problems....................................................................................... 10

chapter 2 : Learn HoW to eat........................................................................................... 11

Situational over eating........................................................................................ 12

Some Dos and Don’ts while eating.................................................................... 13

Golden rules for golden health.......................................................................... 14

Enrich or emptify................................................................................................ 16

chapter 3 : Learn WHat to eat....................................................................................... 17

A : Proteins.......................................................................................................... 17

B : Carbohydrates................................................................................................ 19

C : Fats................................................................................................................. 23

D : Vitamins and Minerals................................................................................... 25

E : Supplements.................................................................................................. 32

F : Water.............................................................................................................. 33

chapter 4 : BaSIc ruLeS of dIet........................................................................................ 34

A:Quithavingteafirstthinginthemorning....................................................34

B : Feed yourself every 2 hours........................................................................... 34

Best way to Lose tummy fat...................................................................... 35

C. Less activity eat less, more activity eat more................................................ 35

D. After dinner wait for two hours before you sleep........................................ 36

chapter 5 : BaLanced dIet................................................................................................ 37

How to achieve a healthy balanced diet ?.......................................................... 38

chapter 6 : Be WISe, Be HeaLtHY ..................................................................................... 39 Cheat sheet......................................................................................................... 39


inTRoduCTion

03

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the food you love. Rather, it is about feeling great, gaining more energy, stabilizing your mood, and keeping yourself as

healthy as possible all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you. You can expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a tasty, healthy diet.

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think. There are 3 simple MANTRAS of a noble DIET:

Instead of being extremely worried with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, it is better to think of your diet in terms of colour, smell, and freshness. This way it should be easier to make healthy choices.Focusonfindingfoodyouloveandeasyrecipesthatincorporateafewfreshingredients.Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious.

Go eaSY

Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of differentcolourvegetables)toyourdietonceadayorswitchingfrombuttertooliveoilwhencooking.As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.

Be SLoW and avoId makInG draStIc cHanGeS overnIGHt

You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely give up on food items you enjoy to have. The long term goal is to feel good, gain more energy, along with a lean body. Don’t let your missteps derail you — every healthy food choice you make counts.

connect WItH YourSeLf


PRefaCe

04

We often think that DIET is all about starving and punishing ourselves, it is but about eating well, eating proper and eating regularly. We lose our minds by complicating simple

things like eating. Losing weight is nothing but a by-product of eating proper by applying common sense.

Thereisaslightdifferencebetweenvivificationandover-vivification.E.g.eatingabalanceddietwillkeepyoufit:Asimplelogic.Thelessweeat,thethinnerwewillbecomeisanovervivification.Inordertolose weight one has to be life-long committed towards eating proper anddietwillbeareflectiontothis.Itshouldbeplannedaccordingtoyourlifestyle,activities,fitnesslevels,likes,dislikesetc.anditvariesfrom person to person. One’s diet may not suit the other, in other words it has to be tailor made. It has to be a part of our daily life like sleeping and brushing.

As a matter of fact our body needs all sorts of nutrients like carbs, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals etc. and despoiling any of the nutrients will create an imbalance in our system. All the nutrients are equally important for our body and it’s a simple scenario of demand and supply. Losing weight should not be treated as bravery as one can lose weight by just falling sick. What is more important is treating oneself well by eating proper. Punishing ourselves by depriving our body of nutrients and having unhealthy diets like low carbs diet, liquids, only fruits and salads is not going to work. In fact, this way it will come back to you and in double the quantity you lost.

It’s well understood that all that we do, is with a strong desire of being happy. But at times we fail to understand that our happiness lies in wrong places. We want to have ice-cream because it makes us happybutweareunhappyifweareofferedbittergourd.Why?It’sbecause our mind set is like that. Tasteful things attract us in spite oftheirbadeffectsonoursystem.Whenweconnectwithourselvesby true means we will understand that happiness lies within. Dieting is nothing but a tool to realize our happiness from within and the results can be seen in the physical appearance.


1 WHaT is a dieT & WhAt it is not

05

What question bangs in your mind when you go to a dietician? Can I eat Paratha? Can I eat aloo bhaji or even pasta? Won’t you be surprised if you are allowed to do so? The word DIET

has become a nightmare for many of us. It’s an obvious philosophy among many of us that diet means starvation, health loss, energy loss, and more importantly eating rubbish tasteless food.

But that’s not what it is my friend. DIET is a representation of what you are going to have throughout your life. Is it possible that you have boiled veggies and lauki juice for the rest of your life? The answer is a big No. Then why go on such a diet? Diet should be in accordance with yourwork,youractivities,andyourprofile.Dietisn’tallaboutlosingweight or fat loss but also changing your lifestyle. It is important to mention that a diet plan which has a primary goal of losing weight is a total failure even before you start doing it. Let’s take a few DIET FADS which work against you:

Many times we all must have come across the term “compensation diet”. What is it all about, what does it mean and why it is

being advised to you? Say for example you had a party where you atestomachfullanddrank likeafish.Thenextmorningyougotoyour dietician, you are asked not to eat like you do normally for the entire day and also to add on a few more exercises. That is called a compensation diet where you compensate your day’s diet because you had eaten the other day.

Well,doesitsoundjustified?Weallattimesoverdo,sowhat?Justeat, fill and forget.Get back to your normal patternnext day. It’snot a crime for which one has to be punished by depriving oneself of the next day’s food. It is not even so that your body retains the calories you gained at the party in some secret place, and overdoing an exercise will burn that extra fat. So, there is no point in carrying thebaggageofcompensation.Justgetalongwith life inanormaland healthy manner.

dIet aS vIctImIZatIon :a



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A modern term which simply says that all what you eat is TOXIC, and that is why you ought to have a detox diet. Now, if we take

the meaning as explained by the dieticians, the process involves detoxifying the body after you have hogged everything you could by the intake of liquids like karela juice, papaya juice or gourd juice etc.Sowhataboutthesideeffectslikeweakness,severeheadacheand even blackouts? A dietician may recommend you a few dry fruits soaked overnight and milk for the entire day as DETOX diet but a matter of fact is after following this you yourself feel like a peeled almond. Your body’s and mind’s age and metabolism will deteriorate further. It is harmful for you both physically and mentally. And not only this, when you’ll get back to your normal plan the fat will creep back and you will look ugly.

So, don’t ever get into a diet plan which deprives you from anything which is normal and routine. The simple point is to be cautious that the fat you have lost should never accumulate again. This can only happen if you connect with yourself and understand that how your body works and show the commitment to eat proper.

detoX dIet :B

We can better understand this with a case study. A working professional who takes pride at her work was forced to take a

sabbatical from her job to look after her children. She took the plunge and planned to put the break to good use. She considered all the optionsandfinallydecidedthatshewill investthistime ingettinga better body as that was the only area where she was lacking. She did what most sensible people would do. The very next moment, she became a member of a GYM under the able guidance of a renowned dietician. Then the much awaited miracle happened to her. She lost 15 kgs in 6 months. Wow! this is what she always wanted. It’s a kind of success story. She after losing weight met her friends but she got a reaction which she never expected. Her friends asked her that why was she looking so dull? Her skin underwent a huge change, turned a few shades darker, pigmented and crushed. Her nails chipped while she tried to open the zip of her big vanity bag. Her hair looked dull, shine less and coarse even after a two weeks hair spa.

Being an intelligent woman, she had an analytical mind and when she was recommended to have certain protein shakes and vitamins by the dietician, she always denied. But she agreed to take some medicines

HerBaL meanS Safec



07

because according to her, those were “SAFE”. Another reason was that they were HERBAL.

As a popular saying goes “all that glitters is not gold”, similarly, everything which is herbal isn’t SAFE. NICOTINE is also herbal but cantheregularusersvouchontheirhealthbenefits?Beforepoppingany type of pills or swallowing syrup one has to know his/her body constitution. It is important that you consult an Ayurvedacharya or a Doctor. Ayurveda is a very complex science and it takes a lifetime to decipherit.Itisdifficulttofindagenuineayurvedicdoctor.Itisnotcorrect that everything which is made in laboratories is dangerous and everything printed as HERBAL is safe for you. Before trying anything you should know your body constitution.

A lot of advertisements nowadays attract our attention while we travelbyabusoralocaltrain,attrafficsignals,inthenewspapers

and where not- “No exercise, No pills, No Diet- Only weight loss! -Guaranteed. Or Lose 15 kgs in 6 months, and many more.. How do you feel about it?

Anyofferthatdiscouragesyoufromexerciseisnotworthit.Beingon diet may help you in losing your weight but without exercise we actually lose our muscle and bone density which results in AGEING. Our body understands only one principle and that’s “USE OR LOOSE” . You all must be aware that initially we were all having a tail but it became vestigial as we did not use it. The same way if we do not exercise, these live tissues will lose their density. So, it is of prime importance that we maintain equilibrium in DIET and EXERCISE. Exercise is a part of adopting a better lifestyle but it is not an alternative to healthy food. In fact when you decide of working out you have to be more committed towards eating right kind of nutrients. When you start exercising and eating right you will observe a drop in your body fat but your body weight remains unaltered. On the other hand when you crash on diet you will reduce on body weight because by this your lean body weight comes down and your body fat remains constant. Fat occupies a large space in our body but it weighs less. Muscles and bones are denser so occupy less space but gives body more weight.

So, it is evident and important that we try to reduce on body fat rather than body weight. More the body weight more is the fat burning capacity.We have DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) is a

eXercISe and dIetInG are contradIctorYd



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deScrIPtIon Women men

Essential fat 12 - 15 % 2 - 5 %

Athletes 16 - 20 % 6 - 13 %

Fitness 21 - 24 % 14 - 17 %

Acceptable 25 - 31 % 18 - 25 %

Obese 32 % + 25 % +

BodY fat taBLe

This doesn’t state your body weight. If less than 25% of your weight is coming from metabolically inactive fat tissue, then whatever your total body weight may be (metabolically active tissues: bone, muscle, organ, water etc i.e. everything other than fat + metabolically inactivetissuei.e.fat)thisisfine.

WeallmusthaveexperiencedJUMPINGFATSatsomepointoftimewhileweweretrying a dress or T-shirt in a changing room of a shopping mall and we change our

mind soon after we come out from that 5”-7” room. We actually feel bad that we so want to wear it but because we look not as desired in it, we cannot. Then we become so conscious that we start trying everything which appears on net, glossies and grapevine to lose weight.

DIETING is not rocket-science. It is a subject known to all. Doing random experiments on dietwillalwaysback-fire.Don’tyoufeelthatwehandleourmobilephonesmoredelicatelythan our bodies?

It’s a piece of advice to all the readers that never ever “just try” diets that your over enthusiastic friends, clients etc. swear by. It may have worked for them but it is not necessary that it will work for you as well. When it comes to diet it is not one treatment which suits everyone.Dietneedstobepersonalizedandcustomizedtoyourbodyneeds,fitnesslevels,activities etc. There are certain ground rules which we will discuss further in this article.

NOTE

great way to measure your body composition. It will not only tell you about the body fat but also the density of your bones. DEXA scans are available at almost all multi speciality hospitals at a very nominal charge.



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It may sound weird but it’s true that low fat food items like fat free ice-creams, sugar free sweets, fibreloadedbiscuitsetc.arenothingbutjunkfoodcoatedwithwronginformation,withagarnishing

of a sharp USP which is easily gullible to those who can have anything in the name of fat free.

Eatingfatfreechaklisorsugarfreesweetsarealrightonlyifyouknowthattheyhaveequaleffectsliketheotherfullfat,fullsugarstuffshave.Weoftenkeeponmunchingthesethingswithathoughtat the back of our mind that they are not harmful but it is a myth. The worst part of these things are they contain “TRANS FATS” which give that item longevity and texture, and at the same time make you fattier and clog your arteries. Also, you will become prone to heart diseases. The best answer to all this is to make your chaklis or chips at home. At least you will fry them in good oil and can enjoy your goodies hot. Since it is a long process, you will end up doing it either once in a fortnight or once in a month. The choice is yours.

reaLItY aBout SuGar free aLternatIveS and fat free food

Now the question here is whether sugar should be replaced by a sweetener or not? The answer is a big NO. We all treat sweetener as a boon to diabetics, or to those who follow diet Still the

answerisNO.Why?Anythingwhichhasaprefixof“DIET”hasthesesweetenerslikedietcolddrinks,diet sweets, diet ice-cream, diet yogurt etc. and the list is endless. Now let’s try to understand the mechanism.

Youmusthaveexperiencedhowasugar loadedbiscotti isofferedwithteaorcoffeeeven ifyouaskforasugarfreeone.Youmightalsobeofferedadietcoke(attimesfreerefill)withapizza.Thisis a lethal combination and this is exactly what the sweeteners do. They confuse the body almost immediately when it needs calorie dense food. Clearly you are not succeeding because you land up eating not just high glycemic index fats but also high trans fats.

Again here, it is to be understood that one time use of sweeteners may not cause any harm at all unless it is being repeated. Also, it is a proven fact that certain sweeteners are associated with thyroid malfunction, memory loss, obesity, acidity and even cancer. A spoonful of sugar will not harm you the way a dose of sweetener will do.

Is it too tough to understand that one should focus on reducing body weight by eating properly and doing exercise regularly? No powder, pill or sweetener will help the way eating properly on right time will do.

fact: tHe BItter trutH aBout SWeetenerS

Many nutritionists and dieticians think that having loads of fruits daily will surely be good in the process of losing weight. At times we see people replacing desserts post dinner with a cup of

apples thinking that’s the best they can do. Among fruits also there are some evils and some angels. For ex. banana, chikoos, grapes etc. are fattening whereas water melon, orange, papaya are low in fat.

ArecentdevelopmentinnutritionsciencesaysthatFRUCTOSE(thesugarwegetinfruits)gets

aLL fruItS are frIendS



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converted to TRIGLYCERIDES when eaten in a full stomach. These TRIGLYCERIDES are responsible for heart diseases, insulin insensivity, and bigger fat cells. Our body doesn’t believe in discrimination and will end up giving you triglycerides no matter which fruit you eat. So, eat fruit but don’t eat it as a dessert. Eat it as complete meal say in the morning or after exercise. The other example in this series is SOY. Sometime back, SOY had become a trend, when, anybody and everybody was losing on weight by having SOY but soon people started having medical complications. There were people who started having stretch marks, depression, high level of triglycerides and cancer as well. This was about the same time when SOY was linked with breast cancer too. Then everybody was quick to blame SOY.

But the factwas peoplewere not suffering because of SOY but because of crash on the otherimportant nutrients from body. It was recorded that an extremity of SOY intake took place with no intake of other nutrients. There are no strong evidences found that SOY causes cancer but yes it is clinically proven that cancer is likely to happen to those who are stressed out, with less or no exercise , and no proper nutrients supply to body.

So we can easily conclude that all food items are friend provided we maintain the balance and do not just jump on a particular thing by subsiding other important nutrients. Apply your common sense while choosing your meal is the best mantra. All food provide us nutrients one or the other, so pickingupaparticularfoodstuffandignoringanotherisincorrect.Weshouldnotbebiasedandmust EAT PROPER.

The best solution to all the problems is to never go on “DIET” but to upgrade the style of living i.e. to eat right, exercise and to always be committed towards your own self. It is not going to be easy but it istrue.Itisevenmoredifficultthanbeingloyaltowardsyourmarriagepartneroranyotherrelation.It might be boring at times but it is the key to your physical and mental well being.

People eat erratically and then punish themselves with a crashed diet which is an unhealthy attitude towards themselves. Changing the mind is more important than changing a diet plan, because it is yourmindwhichisgoingtoacceptthisfirstandgiveyoutheneededpush.Itismoreaboutwrongeating habits and wrong inhibitions. There is nothing wrong and right when it comes to eating. The only thing which matters is when you eat, how much you eat?

never undergo extreme dIetS.

Strict no to Starving. eating is a must.

there is nothing called devil and angles in food.

exercise should not be compromised with.

upgrade your lifestyle.

anSWer to aLL ProBLemS :

one LInerS


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In this chapter we will try to focus on eating etiquettes. Many of us must be knowing a lot about the heart, lungs, kidneys etc. but how many of us have the same amount of knowledge about

STOMACH. Very few. We pay all our attention to other involuntary organs of our body but we simply ignore the stomach. Why? Is it because there is no such serious term which says stomach attack, just like heart attack? In fact, even in case of the latter, it is we who attack our heart with our bad eating and drinking habits. Similarly we even abuse our stomach to a point when it starts malfunctioning.

We are not fair towards our stomach most of the time because stomach problems rarely get more than serious. We do not pay much attention to problems like acidity, indigestion, burps, nausea etc. and rely on digestive pills and laxatives for relief. Once we feel better, we get back to the same eating habits, making way for the problems to recur.

We only maintain ourselves externally. We go to parlours/spas and spend thousands and thousands of rupees why? Because we like to look good overlooking the fact that we have got some assets which are more important to be taken care of? Our internal organs give us love and nourishment 24X7, day and night and what do they demand in return? They only need a little care towards them.

Eating one’s heart out is as big a crime just like overloading a child with work. Over eating is like an employee who sits free for the entire day and as soon as he packs up for leaving, he is allotted with hell lot of work. Not to mention that this kind of bosses never gain respect neither love from the team mates. Such behaviours just lead to non productivity and loss of organizational health.

Extrapolate this to our eating habits. Everything which is natural is disciplined. The sun rises and sets almost at the same time every day. So does the moon. In the same way our natural internal process has a start up and end up time. Say for ex: Our stomach digests best between 7 am to 10 am but many of usgiveittea,coffee,cigarettesduringthatperiodinsteadofproperfood.Thenwestartworkingonmaking our stomach dull and weak. We barely eat our lunch, and generally give a gap of say 5-6 hours in between. After that when our stomach is already winding up, we put additional load of bhelpuri, sevpuri, dahivada,phuckha,sandwiches,tea,coffeeandwhatnot.Thisisnotall; theworstpart iswhenourstomach goes to rest after somehow managing the evening SNACK ATTACK, we have a heavy dinner of chicken/ mutton/ fried rice/ pasta/ pizza/ cold drink/ hard drinks and all sorts of spicy items as we cannot say no to mummy’s food. (Here also apart from all this our centre of attraction isn’t food but our favourite serial).So,ourstomachreceivessuchilltreatmentyearsafteryearsdayindayout.Thenifitcallsoutforhelp by bloating, burping, farting we feel its ill and not behaving well. Our burps smell of samosa, kadhi, dahi phuchka and what not? Someone correctly said “WHY TO FART AND WASTE” RATHER “BURP AND TASTE” You eat at such a time when there is almost no digestive juice left in the stomach and there is no further chance of its collection, and then you expect the food to get digested properly? How fair is it? Instead of adding on antacids and laxatives all most every day with meal why cannot we just learn to eat


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right at the right time? Either stop bombing or stop curing. The same rule is applicable with overeating and digestive pills.

Overeating is eating beyond the ability to digest at that point of time. It is very much similar to spending more than earning. If you cannot control your expenses and over spend it than your

income you are sure to face trouble. The same law is applicable here too. As per Ayurveda, over eating is the reason of all diseases.

All of us nowadays demand mental attention and are always entangled in work which demand more of mental involvement and less of physical, resulting in a diminishing digestive system. Eating and over eating has a very thin line. You may cross this “Laxman Rekha” with just one spoonful or a bite. It is an alarming point because once you cross this line you can go on and on and on even up to the capacity of 6 times more. We can understand this much better with these examples.

i) Last night you called your friendondinner at yourplace and youhadawholesomemealcomprisingofdal,chapati,paneerandsabzi.Your friendhasfinishedhisdinnerbutyoustillneed half a chapati more. You took a chapati and you forcefully gave the the other half to your friendsothatitdoesn’tgetwasted.Yourfrienddidnotneedit,stillhadittoavoidwastage;andtherehecrossedtheLOC(Lineofcontrol).Oftenweaskforthatextrahelpingknowingwellthat we are done and there we cross the LOC. Most people tend to overeat when with friends or family, because they give company to one another till the end of the meal.

ii)Anothergoodexampleisyougotoamarriagewhereyouexpectagoodspreadoffood.Butsinceyouareonadiet,youstartandfinishwithsmallservingsofsalad,startersandjustabitornaanortandooriroti.Whenyouaredoneandyouarewaitingforotherstofinish,arelativecomes up to you with a plate full of rasmalai and rabri, imarti etc. These mouth watering dishes that taste amazing are just a single nod away from you. And then comes the turning point when yourrelativeoffersyouaspoonfulofrabriandyoualmostjumponit.YouexperienceasensoryoverloadandyouknowthatyouhavecrossedtheLOC.Youfindyourselfmarchingtowardsthedessertcounterandfinallythegreedexplodesinyou.Youtakealmostallthedessertsandgobble them in a minute’s time.

These diet accidents occur so fast that you fail to understand or control. The pleasure of overeating remainsforawhilebuttheeffectgoesdeepinside.So,nexttimeyoufacesuchamomenttryandaccept that you get tempted by these mouth watering desserts but refrain yourself from having them. No half or small or quarter piece because it’s a coiled downloads.

However it’s not possible always to have control over ourselves. At times we should set ourselves free from all concerns, but not at the cost of our stomach’s happiness. A happy stomach is key to a happy individual. The most important thing here to learn is to be attentive while eating. In simpler words relish every bit of your food and eat mindfully.

If we look into the process of eating, it involves lot many movements like movement of hands, movement of jaws, movement of mouth, movement of internal muscles etc. When we were young,

SItuatIonaL overeatInG :


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• eat slowly with your hands.• drink water at the end of each meal.• use both jaws while chewing.• chew slowly and mindfully.• Takethenextbiteonceyoufinishthefirstbite.• Wonder about the nourishment you are going to get.• don’t be in a rush while eating.• SwitchoffyouramusementdeviceslikeiPad,TV,etc.• Wash your hands properly.• don’t bend while you eat rather take the food close to your mouth.• always serve yourself in proportions, this will refrain you in eating extra and wasting

food.• Afterfinishingyourmeal,stayforafewminutesonthesamestatureandthengetup.

Some doS and don’tS WHILe eatInG

our teachers and parents used to tell us to chew the food properly. There was a logic behind this. When we are chewing/grinding the food properly, we are actually helping our stomach to work less. It is just like if you plan to cook and your husband helps you in cutting the vegetables and arranging other ingredients. Your work gets reduced. Hence, the correct process is to chew the food till the time you get a sweet taste. It is the signal by our system to us for swallowing the same.

Another major concern is that we are engrossed in so many activities while having our food that we actually defeat the purpose. We have been blessed with 5 senses i.e. eyes, nose, tongue, ear and skin to see, smell, taste, listen and feel respectively. While eating we need to employ all our senses to get themaximumbenefit.Weshouldseethecolourofthefood,smellthearomaofhotchapatis,listento the sound of munching, and feel the taste of the food and the texture by our skin sense. The idea behind this is when we will experience the food slowly, we will get to understand our threshold and will never overeat.


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So far we all have learnt about how to eat but we still need to know what to eat? Our food comprises ofsomebasicnutrientslikeProteins,Fats,Carbs,VitaminsandMineralsetc.Thefirstthreefall

under the category of macro nutrients and the rest two fall under micro nutrients category as our body needs them in less quantity. Also 70% of our body is made up of water so, we need it all the time as much as we can.

GoLden ruLeS for GoLden HeaLtH :

In this point we would like to share that one should remain loyal to its childhood food platter. For example, if you are a Punjabi, you should always stick to your aloo–paratha and lassi. Yes it is a fact. Our body from the time we were in our mother’s womb is accustomed to certain types of nutrients which became sort of familiar to our system. Have You Ever Heard A Punjabi Having Indigestion After Having Dal Makhani And Chole Bhature? OR - A Gujrati Bloating After Having Fafda, Thepla, Dhokla etc.? The obvious answer is NO. So it is recommended that one should restrict himself/herself to eating one’s mother’s meal.

foLLoW Your tradItIonSruLe 1 :

It is important that we intake freshly made food. Best if taken within 3 hours of cooking. It clearly indicates that we should not refrigerate food for long hours. Nowadays we all work for long hours and it is almost impossible to get freshly made food during lunch. But what we can ensure is at least one freshly made meal in a day.

eat freSH food ruLe 2 :

Here the message is simple. Better is the quality of food (nutrients level)whenitispreparedinsmallportions.Also,itgetsfinishedandwe don’t have to refrigerate it for long hours. The more quantity you make, the more oil and spices you add which actually create imbalance and ultimately the food doesn’t remain as healthy as it should be. This is the reason why we cannot compare restaurant food with homemade food.

cook aS Per reQuIrementruLe 3 :

Cutting manners and requirements are equally important. Everything has a logic which needs to be understood. If a reason to do something convinces you, you easily start following it. This is the way how our

cuttInG etIQuetteSruLe 4 :


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mind works. We should try to eat fruits whole rather than cutting them in pieces. Say we can always eat apple, banana, pear, plum, strawberry etc. whole rather than cutting them because when we cut them, we lose vitamins from the surfaces. The larger the exposed area, more are the nutrients. Of course, large fruits are exceptions to this as you cannot have water melon or papaya as whole. So the next time you take an Apple or Guava, wash it, chew it and let the juice flow.Neverputthefruitsinajuicerbecausethiswillleadtolossofnutrients.

Incaseofvegetables,washthemfirstandthencutthem.Don’tcutthemintoverysmallpieces.Cuttingfirstandthenwashingwillwipeaway all most all nutrients from that vegetable. Also never cut the vegetables and store them, they will be nutrients less by the time you cook them.

Confused? Don’t be. Trendy means whatever is IN. We follow the fashion which is current/is in and we call it being trendy. So, EAT TRENDY. Eat whatever is in i.e. which is seasonal. Eat spinach, cabbage, corianderleaves,caulifloweretc.inwintersandeggplant,cucumber,pepper, toriya, gourd etc. during summers. Also it is important that we eat locally produced food as much as we can. Ayurveda recommends tweaking our food habits according to the seasons. Also we all must have noticed that the seasonal veggies/fruits taste much better than the ones stored in the cold storage. One more thing to keep in mind-THINK GLOBAL, EAT LOCAL. That means the next time you visit Ladakh try Thukpa and Momos because the weather is dry, windy and cold, or Sarson Saag with Makai Roti when in Chandigarh but if you experiment the same in Kolkata you will become fat.

eatInG trendYruLe 5 :

Previously we had mentioned that we should apply all our senses i.e. eyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin while having food. It is equally important that we pay all our attention to our food and be calm. A calm state of mind actually helps in absorbing all nutrients from the food. In other words we can say that a calm state of mind actually prevents the conversion of food into fat. It is understood that when we are calm, our body secretes the right amount of digestive juices. Contrary to thiswhen you are disturbed, agitated, angry, sad etc;you hardly secrete any digestive juice because when your mind is

HaPPY eatInGruLe 6 :


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disturbed the body perceives it as a threat to its existence resulting in the conversion of food into fat. It happens so, that when you are depressed, sad , angry, hurt, tensed our body produces cortisol which lowers the metabolism. Lower metabolism results in burning of fat and helps convert food to fat. This implies that the cells need energy. At present, they are deprived of the same and the fat cells become bigger day by day. We can reduce the cortiso production by leading a disciplined lifestyle. We have to inculcate good habits like waking up early in the morning, doing regular exercise, eating properly and on proper time, eating methodically and keeping our minds in peace.

The most important thing among all is that we have to collect nutrients and we cannot deny that there is a direct relation of nutrients with calories. So, we should not be bothered about how many calories are we in taking but we should remain conscious towards gaining more nutrient on those calories. Let’s understand this with a few examples.

example:

Ifyouareofferedwith“PEANUTS”and“LOWFATSUGARFREEBISCUIT”,whatwillyouchoose? The obvious answer will be “BISCUIT” and there you go wrong. The peanuts will increase your HDL, Vitamin B3, amino acids, folic acids, and high level of antioxidants which will enhance the glow and freshness of your skin. So all the calories you gained is enrichedbynutrients.Wellthefibreandproteinenrichedbiscuitwillgiveyounothing.

example:

We will choose to eat a LOW FAT PASTA instead of a Paneer Paratha, unknowingly that paneer paratha is way richer in nutrients than the low fat pasta as it has good amount of amino acids, essential fatty acids, minerals like calcium etc. and one paratha will be equivalent to 3 pieces of empty pasta.

Bottom line is when it comes to food, think of loading nutrients rather than calories.

enrIcH or emPtIfYNOTE

Losing Weight Mindfully www.sastasundar.com17

In our previous lessons we understood that what is DIET all about and how should we eat. Here comes

the next question that what should we eat? To answer this, we need to know certain basic things about the nutrients and how they function for us. Let’shavealookatthedifferenttypesofnutrientsandtheirbenefits:

The word has been derived from the word proteious which means primary. It has many roles to play in the system without which the normal functioning of the system will get hampered. Proteins also help during the wear and tear of the muscles by rebuilding them. It is known

as a BUILDER among other nutrients. Amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins are whatmakeupall thedifferentpartsofourbody.Differentaminoacids come together tomakespecificproteinswhichthenmakethebodysystem.Notonlythis,proteinsarealsoresponsibleforthe maintenance of the parts. There are two types of amino acids:

i)IAA(Indispensibleaminoacids)

ii)DAA(DispensableAminoacids)

As we can understand that IAA needs to be provided through DIET and can’t be manufactured whereas DAA are manufactured by the body so, need not be taken in food.

Proteins play an important role when it comes to DIET and getting a lean body. Protein helps in burning fat by increasing its mobility and circulation. In this process of circulation of fat and converting fat into energy we need certain important IAAs like METHIONINE and this can be acquired by eating adequate amount of good quality FISH, EGG, MILK PRODUCTS ETC.

Another function which protein performs is it helps our body to repair from the microscopic damages of workouts. When we exercise many of our muscles get damaged and it results in ageing. Protein is one thing which can turn exercise into a tool for anti ageing. The only thing which is to be taken care of is the immediate supply to body after a strenuous exercise. Without protein, workout is a waste, because without the amino acids reaching the sites, exercise is useless.

CONCLUSION: DIET WHICH DOES NOT CONTAIN PROTEIN WILL NOT CATALYSE FAT BURNING.

a : ProteInS

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Sleep, a good mood and performance are directly related. Anyone who starts his/her day after a restful night is better able to concentrate on work and feels more balanced. Conversely, constant

fatigue leads to a drop in performance which can lead to unhappiness over an extended period of time. The potential outcome is worry and sleeplessness which is certainly a vicious circle.

Tobalancebodyandsoul,abalancedsupplyofnecessarynutrientsisimportant.Newfindingsinthefieldoffoodsupplementsstresstheimportanceofaminoacids.

amIno acIdS and tHeIr SIGnIfIcance for SLeeP, mood and Performance

The amino acid GLUTAMINE is involved in many metabolic processes. It stabilises the immune system, strengthens the intestinal cells and helps against stress, depression and anxiety.

GLutamIne HaS a caLmInG effect and counteractS SYmPtomS of StreSS

Loads of pre-conceived notions are there which do nothing but confuse our minds. We already discussed that no extremity is good. We should always try and be balanced. When it comes to eating and eating proper there are no short cuts. Be it a high protein diet or a low protein diet, both fails in improving health and body composition. The thumb rule of diet is to gain in health and a sense of being well, and not just focus on reduction of body weight.

The safest is to consume an adequate protein diet along with the balanced proportions of fat and carbohydrates so that the protein is free to perform its functions. A 60 kg weighed body demands around 60 grams of protein in a day and most of us don’t get our quotafulfilled.

This protein requirement varies at different stages in life. Youngand adolescent children, pregnant and nursing women, ageing or stressed people actually need more amount of protein than this standard of 1 gram/ kg. The body wastes 40% protein in just few days if it experiences operation, long sickness, starvation etc. During these times the body not only needs proteins but also need calories. When theinflowofproteinsisadequate,youwillfeelstrong,cansleepwelland will look great.

LoW ProteInS vS HIGH ProteInSfact SHeet:


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Carbohydrates are known for providing us energy for our day to day functioning. Also it synthesizes and forms DNA/RNA, fatty acids like cholesterol, hormones, cleansing

the body, regularizes bowel movement etc. Carbohydrates also help in the proper functioning of brain and brain cells. We can get Carbohydrates from plant food like vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes etc. We generally know that there are of two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. But it has also beenclassifiedintoGI(glycemicindex)andGL(glycemicload).The GI ranks carbohydrates depending upon how quickly they

lead to an increase in our blood glucose and insulin levels. High GI or FAST CARBS, lead to a quick rise in the glucose levels whereas Low GI or SLOW CARBS lead to a slow steady rise in the same. So, practically speaking LOW GI is better because it has all the more chances of getting absorbed and not just converted into fat.

So, our next obvious question is should we cut down on carbs? Well the answer is NO if you are an Indian because since childhood we are used to eat carb rich food like grains, pulses, legumes, spices, etc.Carbohydrateprovidescertainessentialnutrientsandfibres.Fibresslowdownthereleaseofsugar in the blood level and reduce the GI of food. Hence, we can ascertain that carbs help in burning fat. All we need to focus upon is to choose “SLOW CARBS” and items like brown rice, barley, whole wheat,bajra,legumes,pulsesbecausetheycontainfibres.Foodstufflikesweets,pizza,processedjuice,jams,alcohol,biscuit,breadetc.arehighinGIandlackfibres.Drasticallycuttingcarbohydratesmayleadtoincreasedfeelingsofanger,tension,anddepression-asideeffectsomeresearchershavetermed the “Atkins attitude”. The body needs carbs in order to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that regulates mood, emotions, sleep and appetite.

GL is the accumulation of GI which we gain from our food. It is to be noticed, that eating SLOW CARB will result in the rise of GL. So, one should be content while eating and never cross his/her eating threshold. Whether you go on a low carbohydrate diet or a high carbohydrate diet, the overarching purpose is to burn fat and experience weight loss while getting the protein and other nutrition your body needs. It is a fact that the only way to burn fat is to expend more energy than you take in, and what exactly you choose to take in becomes very important when you’re watching your diet. High and low carbohydrate diets alike are touted as being a solution to lose weight, but which one is better?

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Low carb diets are that they are very low in calories, which is the basis behind weight loss with this program. Two very popular diets in the market today, the Atkins and the Zone diet, both

use low calorie and low carb foods. This can be a good thing, as long as you keep your calorie intake toaminimumof1300perdayforwomenand1700perdayformen.Youshouldalsotakeafibresupplement.

Another good thing about low carbohydrate diets is that they stick with small quantities of low glycemic carbs in combination with fat and protein. This prevents your body from losing lean body mass and muscle, but allows it to shed weight in fat. Recent studies show that low carbohydrate, high protein diets will lower your triglycerides and glucose levels. The main problem with low-carb diets is that they are known to be devoid of essential micronutrients, but this can be combated with careful diet planning and dietary supplements.

LoW carBoHYdrate dIet

Recent studies show that high carbohydrate diets contain a greater intake of these vitamins:

i)A

ii)C

iii)Foliate

iv)Carotene

v)Calcium

vi)Iron

vii)Magnesium

But a lower intake of:

i)zinc

ii)Sodium

iii)B12

The main threat with high-carb diets is not paying close attention to the kinds of carbohydrates you are consuming, which can easily result in weight gain. Carbohydrates are easily overeaten and lack essential, healthy fats, so seeing a good nutritionist for proper meals and menus prior to starting a diet is essential.

HIGH carBoHYdrate dIet


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InStead of trY

Added sugar, be it granulated sugar, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, or honey.

Naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter.

Dairy fat from ice cream, whole milk, and cheese.

Low-fat versions, such as skimmed milk and reduced-fat cheeses.

Baked sweets. Cookies, snack cakes, doughnuts, pastries etc.

Making homemade cookies or bars using grains such as oatmeal, and less sugar and unhealthy fats.

White carbohydrates. Bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, cookies, cake or pancakes.

Whole-grain pancake mix, whole-wheat pastas and breads, brown rice.

Processed meats like bacon, ham, pepperoni, hot dogs and many lunch meats.

Proteinfromfish,skinlesschicken,nuts,beans,soy,and whole grains.

Added salt. Flavouring food with garlic, herbs.

cHeckLISt of HeaLtHY eatInG

There’s no doubt that eating fruit is important for our overall health and well-being. Fruit is healthy for you, we all know that,

but, it’s good to know that eating it should follow some general guidelinestofullybenefitourhealth.fruit should be eaten alone or with other fruits on an empty stomach. This is because when fruit is eaten, the digestive process works very quickly and our bodyusesdifferentenzymestodigestthefruit.Thesimplesugarscontained in fruit need time to be completely absorbed by your body. When fruits are eaten alone, your stomach can more easily processallofthenutrients,fibreandthesimplesugarscontainedinthefruit.Thisistheoptimal‘properway’tobenefitfromthefruit you eat.

The best time to eat a bounty of fruit is either first thing inthe morning on an empty stomach, or as a mid-morning snack (preferred)-inbetweenbreakfastandlunch.It’sagoodidea,to

WHen to eat fruItS


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Whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product

of cheese production. The effects of whey protein onhuman health are of great interest and are currently being investigated as a way of reducing disease risks, as well as a possible supplementary treatment for several diseases.

The effects of whey protein supplementation on musclegrowth in response to resistance training are debatable. A study of elderly men showed supplementation with whey protein after exercise improved muscle protein synthesis.

just eat more fruit at one time, whether it’s fruit salad, an apple or a fruit smoothie. (3-4 servings of fruit is a proper daily requirement, that’s21/2 -2cupsoffruit). Ifyoufeelveryhungryafteryourfruitservings, pay attention to what you’ve had for breakfast and maybe your meal planning needs to be adjusted. You should be able to wait it out about 1-2 hours with success. That will ensure all the fruit is processed and gone into your body to do what it’s supposed to do.

Definitelyavoideatingfruitclosetobedtimeasthere’splentyofsugarin fruit to spike up your energy and keep you up when you need your sleep.

WHeY ProteInS


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Fat, fat, fat! Would all of our weight loss problems be solved if we just eliminated fat from our diets? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. We actually need fats -- can’t live without

them, in fact. Fats are an important part of a healthy diet. They provide essential fatty acids, keep our skin soft, deliver fatsoluble vitamins, and are a great source of energizing fuel. We can better say fats are the answer from body at bad times like depression, stress, starvation etc. It is the only nutrient which can help us in surviving even during the toughest phases of life.

Dietaryfatplaysasignificantroleinobesity.Fatiscaloriedense,at9caloriespergram,whilecarbs and protein have only 4 calories per gram, and alcohol has 7 calories per gram. It is easy to over eat fats because they lurk in so many food items we love: french fries, processed foods, cakes, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, thick steaks, and cheese.

Apart from giving us energy fat also transports vitamin A, D,E,K , protects vital organs like heart, liver, lungs, kidneys etc. acts as insulator and prevents body warmth, required for milk production andnormalgrowthoffoetusinapregnantlady,stimulatesproductionofbile(digestivejuice), helps in nerve transmission. So, in short fat is not only responsible for better health but for survival also.

There are two kinds of fats:

i)SaturatedFats

ii)UnsaturatedFats

c : fatS

Thesearefatswhicharesolidinform(longchainfattyacidsarefound)wheninroomtemperaturefor ex. butter, animal fat, milk and milk products, Coconut and palm oil, ghee (a clarifiedbutterobtained frommilkafterprocess) contains short fattyacid chainsandhence isgood forhealth.These are easy to digest.

Saturated fatS

These are fats which are liquid in form when in room temperature. All type of oil except coconut oil aregoodexamplesofthis.JustlikeIAA,evenfatshaveessentialfattyacidswhichourbodycannotsynthesise and we have to get them through a balanced diet. Unsaturated fats can further be divided into MUFA, PUFA and TRANS FATS.

mufa : It is a good fat. It is found in olives, avocados and almonds and is always considered a friend to the heart. You surely understand the craze we have now a days for olive oil. Few of the

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Yes you get it right. By increasing your fat intake and lowering carbohydrates, you will allow your body to burn fat and use it for energy, rather than store it. Fat is energy.

Your body does not want to give up this valuable fuel source. We may think that fat is a nuisance, but your body thinks otherwise. It loves fat. Providing 9 calories per gram, fat provides a dense source of energy for your body.

Great for your body, but bad for you when you want to get rid of it. By not severely limiting your fat intake, you signal to your body

that there is no famine or lack of available energy in the near future, and that it is OK to shed some of the energy reserves it currently holds.

Now that you know how important healthy fats are for fat loss, don’t be one of those people who take everything to the extreme. Everything should be in moderation. The point of this article is to show you that your fears of fat are unfounded. Fat is healthy. Fat is good. Don’t be afraid of eating too much fat – be afraid of eating too many calories.

eat fat to LoSe fat :

nutritionists suggest olive oil as a cooking derivative. You can also use peanuts oil and rice bran oil as both these oils have a great content of MUFA. Their fatty acid content is almost equal to olive oil.

Pufa :Itisagainagoodfat.IthastwotypesOmega3andOmega6.Omega3isfoundinfishoil,walnutsandflaxseedswhereasOmega3isfoundinSunfloweroilandSoyabeanoil.Bothhave heart protecting qualities. There should be an equilibrium in consumption of Omega 3 and 6 but with our today’s life style, we intake Omega 3 up-to an extent of ratio 20:1 which can lead to hardening of arteries and increase cardio vascular problems.

tranS-fat S : A bad fat. This is basically the fat which is being used to preserve food by converting un-saturated fat into saturated by the process called Hydrogenation. It increases the lipoprotein content and cholesterol in our body so, better to avoid this.


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Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients which your body requires in small quantities to work properly.

Most people should get all nutrients they need by having a balanced diet. Every day, your body produces skin, muscle, and bone. It churns out rich red blood that carries nutrients and oxygen to remote outposts and it sends nerve signals skipping along thousands of

miles of brain and body pathways. It also formulates chemical messengers that shuttle from one organ to another, issuing the instructions that help sustain your life.

But to do all this, your body requires some raw materials. These include at least 30 vitamins, minerals, and dietary components that your body needs but cannotmanufacture on its own in sufficientamounts.

Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients - because acting in concert, they perform hundreds of roles in the body. They help shore up bones, heal wounds, and bolster your immune system. They also convert food into energy, and repair cellular damage.

In this article, you’ll gain a better understanding of what these vitamins and minerals actually do in the body and why you want to make sure you’re getting enough of them.

d : vItamInS and mIneraLS

keY PoIntS

•vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients because they perform hundreds of roles in the body.

•Thereisafinelinebetweengettingenoughofthesenutrients (which is healthy) and getting too much (which can end up harming you).

•Eatingahealthydietremainsthebestwaytogetsufficientamounts of the vitamins and minerals you need.


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Vitamins and minerals are often called micronutrients because your body needs only tiny amounts of them. Yet failing to get even those small quantities virtually guarantee diseases. Here are a

fewexamplesofdiseasesthatcanresultfromvitamindeficiencies:

Scurvy : Old-time sailors learned that living for months without fresh fruits or vegetables – the main sources of vitamin C - cause the bleeding gums and listlessness of scurvy.

Blindness :Insomedevelopingcountries,peoplestillbecomeblindduetovitaminAdeficiency.

rickets :AdeficiencyinvitaminDcancauserickets,aconditionmarkedbysoft,weakbonesthat can lead to skeletal deformities such as bowed legs. Partly to combat rickets, the U.S. hasfortifiedmilkwithvitaminDsincethe1930s.Justasalackofkeymicronutrientscancausesubstantialharmtoyourbody,gettingsufficientquantitiescanprovideasubstantialbenefit.Someexamplesofthesebenefits:

Strong bones : A combination of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium, and phosphorus protects your bones against fractures.

Prevents birth defects : Taking folic acid supplements early in pregnancy helps prevent brain andspinalbirthdefectsinoffsprings.

Healthy teeth :Themineralfluoridenotonlyhelpsboneformationbutalsokeepsdentalcavitiesfrom starting or worsening.

mIcronutrIentS PLaY an ImPortant roLe In tHe BodY

dIfference BetWeen vItamInS and mIneraLS

INTERACTING-INGOODWAYSANDBAD

i)Althoughtheyareallconsideredmicronutrients,vitaminsandmineralsdifferinbasicways.Vitamins are organic and can be broken down by heat, air, or acid. Minerals are inorganic and hold on to their chemical structure.

ii)Sowhydoesthismatter?Itmeansthemineralsinsoilandwatereasilyfindtheirwayintoyourbodythroughtheplants,fish,animals,andfluidsyouconsume.Butit’stoughtoshuttlevitamins from food and other sources into your body because cooking, storage, and simple exposure to air can inactivate these more fragile compounds.

Many micronutrients interact. Vitamin D enables your body to pluck calcium from food sources passing through your digestive tract rather than harvesting it from your bones. Vitamin C helps

you absorb iron.

The interplay of micronutrients isn’t always cooperative, however. For example, vitamin C blocks your body’s ability to assimilate the essential mineral copper. And even a minor overload of the mineralmanganesecanworsenirondeficiency.


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Water-soluble vitamins are packed into the watery portions of the food you eat. They are absorbed directly into the bloodstream as food is broken down during digestion or as a supplement

dissolves.

Because much of your body consists of water, many of the water-soluble vitamins circulate easily in your body. Your kidneys continuously regulate levels of water-soluble vitamins, shunting excesses out of the body in your urine.

Although water-soluble vitamins have many tasks in the body, one of the most important is helping to free the energy found in the food you eat. Others help keep tissues healthy. Here are some examples ofhowdifferentvitaminshelpyoumaintainhealth:

reLeaSe enerGY : Several B vitamins are key components of certain coenzymes (molecules thataidenzymes)thathelpreleaseenergyfromfood.

Produce enerGY :Thiamin,riboflavin,niacin,pantothenicacid,andbiotinengageinenergyproduction.

BuILd ProteInS and ceLLS : Vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid metabolize amino acids (the buildingblocksofproteins)andhelpcellsmultiply.

make coLLaGen : One of the many roles played by vitamin C is to help make collagen, which knits together wounds, supports blood vessel walls, and forms a base for teeth and bones.

WATER-SOluBlEVITAmINS

WHat tHeY do :

A.VITAmIN-B:

i)Biotin(vitaminB7)

ii)Folicacid(folate,vitaminB9)

iii)Niacin(vitaminB3)

iv)Pantothenicacid(vitaminB5

v)Riboflavin(vitaminB2)

vi)Thiamin(vitaminB1)

vi)VitaminB6

vii)VitaminB12

B.VITAmIN-C


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Contrary to popular belief, some water-soluble vitamins can stay in the body for long periods of time. You probably have several years’ supply of vitamin B12 in your liver. Even folic acid and vitamin C stores can last more than a couple of days.

Generally, though,water-soluble vitamins should be replenished every few days. Just be awarethat there is a small risk that consuming large amounts of some of these micronutrients through supplements may be quite harmful and can damage nerves, causing numbness and muscle weakness.

Rather than slipping easily into the bloodstream like most water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins gain entry to the blood via lymph channels in the intestinal wall. Many fat-soluble vitamins travel through the body only under escort by proteins that act as carriers. Food containing fat-soluble vitamins is ingested.

The food is digested by stomach acid and then travels to the small intestine, where it is digested further. Bile is needed for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. This substance, which is produced intheliver,flowsintothesmallintestine,whereitbreaksdownfats.Nutrientsarethenabsorbedthrough the wall of the small intestine.

Upon absorption, the fat-soluble vitamins enter the lymph vessels before making their way into the bloodstream. In most cases, fat-soluble vitamins must be coupled with a protein in order to travel through the body. These vitamins are used throughout the body, but excesses are stored in the liver and fat tissues. As additional amounts of these vitamins are needed, your body taps into the reserves, releasing them into the bloodstream from the liver. Fatty food and oils are reservoirs for the four fat-soluble vitamins. Within your body, fat tissues and the liver act as the main holding pens for these vitamins and release them as needed.

To some extent, you can think of these vitamins as time-release micronutrients. It’s possible to consume them every now and again, perhaps in doses weeks or months apart rather than daily, and stillgetyourfill.Yourbodysquirrelsawaytheexcessanddolesitoutgraduallytomeetyourneeds.

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Together this vitamin quartet helps keep your eyes, skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system in good repair. Here are some of the other essential roles these vitamins play:

BuILd BoneS : Bone formation would be impossible without vitamins A, D, and K.

Protect vISIon : Vitamin A also helps keep cells healthy and protects your vision.

Interact favouraBLY: Without vitamin E, your body will have difficulty absorbing andstoring vitamin A.

Protect tHe BodY : Vitamin E also acts as an antioxidant (a compound that helps protect the bodyagainstdamagefromunstablemolecules).

FAT-SOluBlEVITAmINS

WHat tHeY do :

I.VITAmIN-A

II.VITAmIN-D

III.VITAmIN-E

IV.VITAmIN-K

Because fat-soluble vitamins are stored in your body for long periods, toxic levels can build up. This is most likely to happen if you take supplements. It’s very rare to get too much of a vitamin just from food.

The body needs, and stores, fairly larger amounts of the major minerals. These minerals are no more importanttoyourhealththanthetraceminerals;they’rejustpresentinyourbodyingreateramounts.

Major minerals travel through the body in various ways. Potassium, for example, is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, where it circulates freely and is excreted by the kidneys, much like a water-soluble vitamin. Calcium is more like a fat-soluble vitamin because it requires a carrier for absorption and transport.

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One of the key tasks of major minerals is to maintain the proper balance of water in the body. Sodium, chloride, and potassium take the lead in doing this. Three other major minerals - calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium are important for healthy bones. Sulphur helps stabilize protein structures, including some of those that make up hair, skin, and nails.

maJor mIneraLS

WHat tHeY do :

I. caLcIum

II. cHLorIde

III. maGneSIum

Iv. PHoSPHoruS

v. PotaSSIum

vI. SodIum

vII. SuLPHur

Havingtoomuchofonemajormineralcanresultinadeficiencyofanother.Thesesortsofimbalancesare usually caused by overloads from supplements, not food sources. Here are two examples:

Salt overload : Calcium binds with excess sodium in the body and is excreted when the body senses that sodium levels must be lowered. That means that if you ingest too much sodium through table salt or processed foods, you could end up losing needed calcium as your body rids itself of the surplus sodium.

excess phosphorus : Likewise, too much phosphorus can hamper your ability to absorb magnesium.

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Trace minerals carry out a diverse set of tasks. Here are a few examples:

>> Iron is best known for ferrying oxygen throughout the body.

>>Fluoridestrengthensbonesandwardsofftoothdecay.

>> Zinc helps blood clot, is essential for taste and smell, and bolsters the immune response.

>> Copper helps form several enzymes, one of which assists with iron metabolism and the creation of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood.

The other trace minerals perform equally vital jobs, such as helping to block damage to body cells and forming parts of key enzymes or enhancing their activity.

trace mIneraLS

WHat tHeY do :

I. cHromIum

II. coPPer

III. coPPer

Iv. IodIne

v. Iron

vI. manGaneSe

vII. moLYBdenum

vIII. SeLenIum

IX. ZInc

A thimble could easily contain the distillation of all the trace minerals normally found in your body. Yet their contributions are just as essential as those of major minerals such as calcium and

phosphorus and each accounts for more than a pound of your body weight.

Trace minerals interact with one another, sometimes in ways that can trigger imbalances. Too much ofonecancauseorcontributetoadeficiencyofanother.Herearesomeexamples:

>>Aminoroverloadofmanganesecanexacerbate irondeficiency.Havingtoo littlecanalsocause problems.

>> When the body has too little iodine, thyroid hormone production slows, causing sluggishness and weight gain as well as other health concerns. The problem worsens if the body also has too little selenium.

Thedifferencebetween“justenough”and“toomuch”ofthetracemineralsisoftentiny.Generally,food is a safe source of trace minerals, but if you take supplements, it’s important to make sure you’re not exceeding safe levels.

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Supplements means the additional support other than your food. In an ideal condition we should not take supplements, right?

But are you living in an ideal condition? We are surrounded by a hell lot of contamination being inthefoodorinrelations.Ifweseewewillfindthat the soil, the grains, the fruits, the meat, the fish everything eatable is contaminated eitherby pesticides or by wax coating, or comes with artificialbloodlikecolourwhichgivesusimmensehappiness when we eat fresh fish. There is anunnecessary lengthy octroi process where the crop loses half of its nutrients value. Then of course the way we store those in our so called warehouses or bib malls leave them almost tainted. Nevertheless then comes the way we store them, we cook them, our mentality or our

cook’s mentality while cooking and our mentality while eating makes supplements a must. However if, you grow your crops, milk your cows, sow seeds on your own, rise with the sun and sleep with the sun set, you need no supplements.

We have another niche class who are very conscious what these supplements do to us but they probablyforgetthelongtermeffectslikeheartattack,insulininsensitivity,braindamage,stressetc.andshorttermeffectslikestomachache,headache,lethargywhentheygoclubbingtwiceaweek,night outs or even do joints (marijuana).

In villages located at the eastern ranges of Himalaya or the villages upside in Sikkim where there are hardly any vehicles passing by producing sound or air pollution, where they can trace the source of the food they have, where everything is so blessed by nature truly need no supplements.

e : SuPPLementS


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Evernoticedhowlifelessahouseplant lookswhenyouforgettowater it?Justa littlewaterand it seems to perk back up. Water is just as essential for our body because it is in every cell, tissue, and organ of your body. This is why getting enough water every day is important for

your health.

Water is the most important nutrient for our body. 70% of our body comprises of water. Water is the primary transporter of nutrients in the body and without water all the nutrients like carbs, proteins etc. will be of no use for us. We can survive without food upto 5 weeks but we can’t survive for more than 5 days without water.

Healthypeoplemeettheirfluidneedsbydrinkingwhenthirstyanddrinkingfluidswithmeals.But,ifyou’re outside in hot weather for most of the day or doing vigorous physical activity, you’ll need to makeanefforttodrinkmorefluids.

f : Water

>> Maintains the health and integrity of every cell in the body

>>Keepsthebloodstreamliquidenoughtoflowthroughbloodvessels

>> Helps eliminate the by products of the body’s metabolism, excess electrolytes (for example, sodiumandpotassium),andurea,whichisawasteproductformedthroughtheprocessingofdietary protein

>> Regulates body temperature through sweating

>> Moistens mucous membranes such as those of the lungs and mouth

>> Lubricates and cushions joints

>> Reduces the risk of cystitis by keeping the bladder clear of bacteria

>> Aids digestion and prevents constipation

>> Moisturises the skin to maintain its texture and appearance

>> Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells

>> Serves as a shock absorber inside the eyes, spinal cord and in the amniotic sac surrounding the foetus in pregnancy.

tHe ImPortance of Water

Women – 2.1 Ltr men – 2.6 Ltr

aPProXImate adeQuate daILY IntakeS of fLuIdS In LItreS Per daY


The physical body that we see in the mirror is called the “ananmaya kosha” according to the yogic philosophy. It is also be described as Anna means Food and Kosha means the time. So we can

conclude annamaya kosha as food and the time we eat it.

Tobringoutanychangesinthemirrorimage,wehavetofirstfigureoutwhatweeatandwhenweeat it. In order to look like “Kareena Kapoor” we only have to follow these guidelines:

Is drinking tea in the morning on an empty stomach bad?

Yes, drinking tea on an empty stomach is bad for us. When you sleep, the blood sugar level falls and in the morning our liver stores are almost empty. So, this way our blood sugar is low and it is our responsibility to take it to an optimum level. Low blood sugar is also a reason why we feel low in the morning. The body sometimes takes to break muscles to keep our dropping sugar level which is not a good thing for those who DIET. Tea causes the suppression of the secretions of gastric juices and can reduce acid and bile in the stomach. It also affects the body’s absorption of proteins and other

nutrients. Drinking tea while you are hungry will stimulate your gastric mucosa, causing you to lose appetite.So,tokeepourbody’sfatburningtissue(muscle)aliveweneedtoeatgoodfirstthinginthe morning, something that would lead to a sturdy rise to the low sugar levels.

a : QuIt HavInG tea fIrSt tHInG In tHe mornInG

4 BAsiC RULes oFdieT

Iamabletodiet(starve)tillevening,thenIfeelreallyhungryandeatwhateverIcanfind,mostlyquickfixes likeburger, french fries, cholabhatura, samosas, chocolatesetc. Ibelieve, in spiteofeating all this, I am able to manage my calorie intake as I have not eaten much since morning

are you able to correlate? Undoubtedly,mostofuswouldbe.Asaresult,mostofussufferfromindigestion, constipation, skin diseases and overweight. This is precisely the reason I do not believe in calorie counting per se.

We should gradually feed ourselves with all the basics enabling our body to assimilate better and hence perform better. Logical?

B : feed YourSeLf everY 2 HourS


Similarly, loading our stomach with a lot of food at one time makes it dull and unresponsive. Whereas, feeding it gradually throughout the day increases its assimilative and digestive power. Gotcha? So, the next time when we take pride in declaring the number of hours we stayed hungry, we will only be assuring people around us that we have a weak digestive system and we are more susceptible to burps, farts, hiccups, fat tummy and all that.

The 2 main reasons that help fat burning by eating every 2 hours are.

1)ThereisaprocesscalledDietInducedThermogenesis.Itisthemethodbywhichenergyisexpended during digesting, absorbing and metabolizing the food we consume.

2)Eatingeverytwohourshelpsinmaintainingstablebloodsugarlevelthroughouttheday.Onceyou are able to maintain a stable blood sugar level, your metabolic rate will increase manifolds.

There are so many in between meal options around us that are good for our health, are easy on ourstomach,boostsourmetabolismandcanbekept inourbags,officedrawers,hostel rooms,refrigerators etc. Nuts (almonds, walnuts), peanuts, chana, lightly roastedmakahana (fox nut),Cottage cheese (paneer slices), butter milk, coconut milk, poha, upma, dosa, idli, fruits, olives,tomato, cucumber, sprouts, curd with fruits, soya milk etc.

BeSt WaY to LoSe tummY fat

Alwaysfinetuneyoureatingwithyouractivity.Themorehecticdayyouaregoingtospendthebetteryoushouldeat.Thereshouldbeafinetuningbetweenactivityandeating.

With the sunrise the body’s metabolic rate gets faster. We can simplify this as in the morning if we sit and read a book our body will burn more calories rather than with the sunset. It goes without saying that we should eat full in the morning and less with the setting sun. We grow fat because we stop caring about the stomach and load and unload it as per our convenience and not in accordance with the stomach’s need and capacity. If deprivation is punishment, then over eating is a crime. If we don’teatatthetimeourbodyneedsfood,itcreatesahugecalorieandnutrientdeficit,laterwhenthe metabolic processes are slower and the time is wrong the mind will demand food to make up thedeficit.

Here, high activity could be both physical and mental. For ex. going to the gym, shifting house, extensive mental work, organising marriages etc. It means any activity where you are actively involved and a lot of energy is being expected out of you . Similarly low activity means the time you are passive, for example chatting over phone, watching tv or playing indoor games etc. We need to increase our food intake when our body demands higher energy, and keep it low when involved in less activities. When you are just chilling, the cells become dull and they are in no mood/need to absorb nutrients and see no reasons to give energy and this time if you eat, it will get converted into fat.Justoppositeifyouwentthroughamental/physicalactivitythebodycellsareenergydeprivedthat means whatever you will eat will replenish those hungry cells.

c. LeSS actIvItY eat LeSS, more actIvItY eat more

4 BAsiC RULes oF dieT


We need to start developing the habit of eating early if at all we dream for a lean body. Eating less after sunset is good for health for a simple reason that after sunset our activities wind down and so does our metabolism.

Ok,letsseewhatwedobeforewegoofftosleep.Wechatupor watch TV or read magazine. So basically our activities are less than that in the morning. One of the most harmful habits which we all have developed is eating really late . After we reachhomefromourofficeswedon’tfeellikehavingdinnerrather what we want is a light snack like pakodi, samosaa, biscuits, namkeen etc . Remember digestion is a calorie burner

and a work to our body. At night cells are naturally not sensitive to energy or nutrients as they really don’t need them. So, if you overload your tummy all the food will get converted into fat.

Inthenightwhenwesleep,ourbody’sintelligenceshouldfeelfreetodowhatitwantsto;repair,wear and tear, rejuvenate etc. If at this time our stomach is overloaded, the mechanism of our body gets confused and is unable to function properly.

Our body recovery system goes for a toss and most of the food doesn’t get broken down, absorbed properly as a result instead of feeling light and fresh you will feel heavy, dull and low. If you eat dinner early, the food will be better digested and this will reduce the likelihood of gastro problems and acidity, which tend to impede weight loss. You will also sleep comfortably and uninterrupted, which does not happen when you eat right before bedtime. Your last meal should be the lightest – this will aid in digestion and prevent unnecessary calories from piling up.

d. after dInner WaIt for tWo HourS Before You SLeeP

What do you do after eating dinner? I bet it involves sitting – whether it be in front of the television or the computer. and then you go to bed a few hours later. think about what’s going on in your body after eating. food is getting digested, blood sugar levels are going up, fat levels are rising in your blood vessels. Want to do something for your health that only takes about 15 minutes? Head for the door instead of the couch! Studies have shown that taking a walk after meals, especially after dinner, can help lower blood sugar and triglyceride levels. In addition, it improves digestion, burns calories and helps lose weight.

4 BAsiC RULes oF dieT


5 A BALAnCeDdieT

A balanced diet is one that provides the body with all the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals required to maintain cells, tissues and organs as well as to function correctly. A diet thatislackinginnutrientscanleadtomanydifferenthealthproblemsrangingfromtiredness

and lack of energy to serious problems with the function of vital organs and lack of growth and development.

WHY IS a BaLanced dIet ImPortant?

A balanced diet needs to contain food from all the main food groups in the correct proportions to provide the body with

optimum nutrition. It should also be made up of the correct number of calories to maintain a healthy weight, and be low in processedfoods.Everypersonisdifferentandhencethecorrectdiet for health may vary from person to person. However, by following a diet that is varied, covers all foods groups and is low in undesirable nutrients such as sodium, saturated fats and sugar, you are well on your way to a healthy body. When thinking about planning your meals, remember your A, B, Cs - Awareness, Balance and Control. These are the building blocks of life-long, healthy eating habits that will help install good habits in you and your family.

WHat IS a BaLanced dIet?

Be aware of what you are eating and its nutritional value. What amount of calories, fat and carbohydrates are present in the food items you eat? Read labels and become food-conscious to make healthy eating decisions. It is also important to look at all the food and ingredients you are eating rather than focus on just one. If not, you may inadvertently limit your access to quality food and drinks.

a = aWareneSS

Balance your daily food selection to include whole-grain products, fruits, vegetables, dairy products and food items high in protein. You needmorethan40differentnutrientsforgoodhealth,andnosinglefood supplies them all.

Offeringbalancedchoicesineverymealprovidesnecessarynutrientsfor proper growth and health.

B = BaLance


To achieve a healthy, balanced diet, it is important to eat at least three meals a day and not to skip breakfast. Each meal should be composed of a variety of food items from each food group and

portion sizes should be moderated to control calorie intake. And most importantly never overdo it.

HoW to acHIeve a HeaLtHY BaLanced dIet ?

5 A BALAnCeD dieT

Control portion size and intake of food high in fat, salt or sugar. Eat them in moderation and choose other food to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.

c = controL

dIaGram of a BaLanced dIet

Vegetables & Fruits

F

ats

- Sug

ar e

tc.

Prot

ein

- Mea

t, Fis

h, B

eans etc.

Milk & Diary products

Rice, Bread, Potatoes etc.


6 Be Wise,be HealTHy

In this last chapter we would be compiling all the information we shared so far with the vision of stayinghealthandfit.InthepastchaptersweunderstoodthathowaDIETisimportantandwhatare the methods by which we can achieve a lean body.

We live in a super-fast age. The Internet has shrunk the world dramatically and people are connected 24×7.Multitaskingistheorderofthedayaswestruggletofulfillourresponsibilitiestoeveryoneinour lives. They may include employers, parents, spouses, children, clients and many others. In this melee, too often we forget to spare time for ourselves. The stress levels continue to build up until one day a major collapse may make us aware that in all this frenzied activity, we have forgotten to take care of one important thing – our health. As we spend days shuttling between hospital and home,subjectingourbodytoonetestafteranothertryingtofindoutwhathasgonewrong,weareforced to remember that Health is indeed Wealth.

Nowadays people don’t have time to exercise which is very essential for good health. Because of this lack of exercise, obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, hypertension, etc. are on the rise even among the young. This has alarming implications on the nation as a whole. If our young people are going to fall seriously sick sick, or even worse lose their lives in the most productive years of their life, the country’s future looks very bleak indeed.

Follow these 10 simple tips to have a good diet and lose weight at the same time.

i) make your mind : Be determined with your diet plan. Once you start with a plan, resolute to stick to it and abandon all the bad eating habits.

ii) Be realistic : Make your goals pragmatic. You cannot lose weight within days of dieting and exercising. Everything takes time and so does dieting.

iii) Strong resistance : Avoid eating things which you know are bad for your health or weight loss program. Be consistent and don’t lose control over yourself when at a friend’s place or at a restaurant.

iv) don’t skip a meal : Eat regularly and slowly. Skipping meals only starves you more and by skipping a breakfast you eat more at the end of the day which proves to be more detrimental.

v) eat fruits and veggies : Fruits and vegetables provide a healthy diet with fewer calories. You get all the vitamins and nutrition without posing any threat to your diet plan or health.

cHeat SHeet:


vi)Addfibertoyourdiet: Fibre is found in fruits, vegetables and whole grain. Fiber slows down your digestion and helps in moving fat. It makes you feel full without taking in many calories. Takinginmorefiberhelpsinoptimizingyoursugarlevel.

vii) eat less sugar : Be aware of all the sugar you’re taking in. A can of soft drink contains 10-12 spoonfuls of sugar. Many products labeled fat free aren’t calorie free as they add sugar for lost flavor.Takinginsugarmakesyourbodyfeelthatit’sgettingenergy,henceitstartstostorefatand all that is not burnt turns into fat too.

viii) too many calories : Be careful of how many calories you’re taking in. Avoid fried foods. Chickenandfishdocontainlesfatbutwhenfriedtheyprovidemorecaloriesthanmeatandpork.Donotusemayonnaises inyoursaladdressings; insteadusefatfreeyogurt,barbequesauce or ketchup.

ix) Good fats : Your body does need some good fats. These help in the absorption of nutrients and vitamins. They help in the building of body tissues and vital cells.

x) exercise : Only a healthy diet is not helpful in your weight loss program. Remember you have to burn your fats with exercise. Dieting only slows down your metabolism and when you stop dieting you regain weight. Exercise to maintain a good metabolism and a lean body.

6 Be Wise, be HealTHy

losing wweight mindfully

Health & Medicine

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