Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Weight loss.... the ideal way
Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
loose those extra pounds....the healthy way :)
Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Healthy workout...
Looking at the athletes, one wonder as to what is the story behind their perfect and healthy body... the answer is simple; it's the routine healthy and balanced diet along with daily exercise regimen.
But what about us??? The question that mountain's up is whether or not, we have to focus on what we eat before starting the exercises. For people following the rules of healthy diet.... do not have to worry much about their pre- exercise meals as they can rely on their body stores and the energy levels.
It is always good to understand the real picture behind the perfect weight loss I.e. one has to eat fewer calories than you use up. But, not less than what the body needs to function at its best.
When we exercise, its not the calories from the recent food that one has eaten burns down... rather the body breaks down the stored fat and carbohydrate stores, so if your overall diet is adequate in energy and nutrients, one really doesn't require to focus on pre and post snacks for exercise.
While some people really have a hard time while exercising. The reason could be a sudden drop in their sugar levels resulting in tiredness, drowsiness, palpitations etc.
In such case one can rely on these simple tips before gearing up for the exercise.
-proper hydration of body is important. At least 16-20 ounces of water is important in between the exercises.
- high protein snacks like health bars, boiled egg whites, oats, cereals will be good pre exercise snacks.
- hummus and vegetable salad
- fruit/ vegetable juice
-yogurt smoothie with fruits
- multigrain bread sandwich
- cottage cheese sandwich
Grab on to this article and move out this summer to burn those extra calories in a healthy way!!!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Turn your backs to..... Sugar Drinks
As summers are almost at our door steps... one thing which is gaining momentum is the chilled soda drinks; here I am referring to all the fizzy drinks which irrespective of brand, color or taste.... provides us with enormous amount of energy..... Wait here and give a thought, is that it.
No.... the real picture of these summer favorite drinks is.... the massive amount of sugar that enters our body. The energy that we get through them is the instant effect of the simple carbohydrates.... in form of sugar.
Today as a vigilant buyer, when we focus on the nutrient content of the drinks... we come across various ingredients which are the alternative forms of simple carbohydrates-
-corn syrup
-dextrose
-fructose
-glucose
-cane sugar
-sucrose and many more.
As per a study conducted by Harvard School of Public Health, it is relevant that, "Rising consumption of sugary drinks has been a major contributor to the obesity epidemic".
Sugary drinks (soda, energy, sports drinks) are the top calorie source in teens’ diets (226 calories per day), beating out pizza (213 calories per day).
Not only this, the fact is that the human body does not require any extra added sugar in the diet. As per ADA, the sugar and sugary foods are kept on the top of food pyamid which indicates their minimal use. While going through the food labels we should always remember that- 4 gms of sugar is equivalent to 1 teaspoon providing you with approximately 45 calories.
Another study at the Harvard School of Public Health highlights that, "the average can of sugar-sweetened soda or fruit punch provides about 150 calories, almost all of them from sugar – usually high-fructose corn syrup. That’s the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of table sugar".
Even fruit juices are not the healthy option... rather including fruits in your diet will be a smart move. As it will not only watch your added sugar intake but will also provide you with the required amount of fiber.... Good for the health.
A fresh squeeze of lemon in a glass of water will give you enough refreshment along with vitamin C. So, this summer avoid those extra doses of sugar and switch to some healthy options.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Welcome Summer..... with Salads
As summer is about to knock your door... the season demands more of light and healthy food. When healthy word comes to our mind..... salads are the first choice world wide cause of the fibre content along with a blast of vitamins and minerals.
Now wats new when it comes to write about salads. In this age of "being healthy" salads are no more used as the meal accompaniments but now are being used as full meals.
With your own choices of dressing and toppings, we can have high calorie salad, protein rich salad and many more. Your arena of choices can be from a basic mayonnaise dressing to cheese avocado dressing.
We can add protein to the salads by using lean meats like chilled shrimps or grilled chicken. Salad is just not restricted to vegetables but a mix of seasonal fruits can be tossed down in a salad bowl with a wink of lemon juice.
Scroll down to get some idea of the mouth watering options for salads....
Grilled chicken salad
Ingredients
4 small chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
6 cups lettuce, sliced or torn
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup corn
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
4 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch slices and cooked (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro, torn
1/4 cup avocado dressing/ salad dressing
Directions
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill over medium-high heat until cooked, about 4-6 minutes per side basting the chicken in the BBQ sauce as you go.
Let the chicken cool a bit and slice.
Assemble salad and enjoy!
Exotic summer salad
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup baby corns, boiled
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 glove garlic, grated
2 green onions, sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juice
2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
chili powder to taste
Directions
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the corn, toss and let it sit cooking until charred, mix it up and let it char again, about 6-10 minutes.
Add the jalapeno, saute for a minute and remove from heat.
Mix everything and serve warm or at room temperature.
Toss in your own favorite ingredients and chill out this summer.... Cheers!!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Counting calories..... Try them...
Sometimes I wonder, as to what is the "hot" topic among ladies at their tea session.... "God how I wish, all healthy options out there become tasty"...
Well, I guess going through this article might give you some tasty yet healthy options...
I will be talking about easy healthy and tasty appetizers like soups, salads....
ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, broken off into small chunks
4 small-medium turnips, quartered (don't worry about peeling them)
4 cloves of garlic, smashed with the back of your knife
4 baby onion (or 1 small onion), sliced lenghtwise
2 small potatoes, diced
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cups - 1 cup water (or chicken or veggie stock)
Garnishes
herbs, croutons.
Method
Preheat the oven to 375F. Place all the vegetables on a baking sheet or in a pan in one single layer and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Add about 1/2 cup water or stock and puree in a blender or with an immersion blender. Check if the consistency and seasoning are to your liking and adjust accordingly.
Serve with croutons and garnishes of your choice.
Now the next recipe coming up is an amazing option for the summers....
Tropical GARDEN FRESH
Ingredients
One- half bowl of diced watermelon, peeled, seeded
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
1/ bowl diced pineapple,peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tbs sugar
Method
Place all the cut fruits in a large bowl, and add lemon juice and sugar; toss to combine. Let stand at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until all sugar is dissolved. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
So, all you health freaks or would - bw health freaks try these simple mouth watering recipes and add a pinch of your own innovation.....
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Make way for FRUITS....
When it comes to fruits and veggies, what maximum people say is:
I don't need vegetables, thank you....I have bought cows to eat them.
It's hilarious but contrary to this the fact remains that fruits are an important part of our diet. People turn their backs on fruits and switch to daily consumption of the multivitamin tabs.... now that's mere ignorance.
If we focus on the right amount of fruit intake; I mean at least 3-4 fruits/ daily; we actually do not have rely completely on the outsource of vitamins. Also one should try and include the different varieties of fruits for getting the complete basket of multivitamins.
But one thing that I have come across is that including fruits in the diet is not only tedious for children but also for adults like us.
So.....Friends, Romans and Countrymen... Plzz lend me your ears. Whether it is for you, your family members or for any unexpected guests..... when you have no option but fruits in your inventory..... Fruit Skewers is the best option on plate.
The best part is that one can use any variety of fruit and vegetables in this skewers. Just remember to start with the least crunchy fruit/veggie and progress up.... so be it bananas, strawberries, cherries, mangoes, pineapples and so on....
You can use these skewers alone or accompany them with some chicken or meat.
This is not it..... you can put all fruits in a selected transparent glass and top it with some yogurt.... your fruit summer delight is ready to take charge.
With your innovative ideas, you can play with fruits..... use their color,flavor and steal the show... :)
Friday, February 21, 2014
Getting sense out of nonsense...
Having a nutrition background, call it as my "responsibility" or my " interest".... whenever I go out for the so called pantry shopping, what I first put my eyes on.... is the beautiful packaging of the product.
Hold on.... I am not going into the aesthetic part but actually talking about the nutritional information printed on the packet. Today when you are flooded with infinite amount of information related to food and optimal health.... it becomes important to get the sensible information from all the nonsense out there.
Nutrition being such a vast topic to debate on.... we can just touch upon few things that come to our mind. For example.... talking about the fruit juices which are flooding the market nowadays. Now, the companies have to say a "lot" for the sake of marketing the product.... but as smart customers we have to analyze what is good for us.
" They".... I mean the manufacturers.... portray their product as being a "super hero"... giving you the required vitamins and minerals.... but people take this as a wake up call and analyze carefully.... have we ever wondered about the amount of sugar content that we gulp in along with that glass of juice.... I guess no because we are counting on those vitamins and minerals..... on the contrary if we grab a fruit in that place we actually are getting the right amount of nutrients and correct amount of natural fruit sugar. Thus doesn't mean that juices are completely" no"... but making them a regular item in your diet is not the right move.
This is just a part we talked about.... There is much more than just it... it is not easy to get the real information....cause it is like finding a needle in the bundle of hay....
We always go for the simple things.... that goes for our food also but we should remember that it not so.... there are no geese that lay golden eggs...
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Lemon: Not just the juice..... Look more....
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Tea Time....
Sunday, January 5, 2014
A cup full of health...
Have you ever wondered that just a cup of tea will make you take a leap for health. Yes, it's about green tea.... a sip full of antioxidants.
Many studies have been carried out stating that "antioxidant" are chemicals that are required to scavenge the free radicals in the body, thus preventing any damage.
Most common examples of them are beta-carotene, lycopene. These are found in colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, tomato, beetroot, bell peppers etc. Our body probably makes some amount of these antioxidants but majority of the time we derive them through diet and sometimes we need some dietary supplements.
Green tea is one way to replenish your source of antioxidants. It provides you with an expanded line of benefits like:
- weight loss
- lowers cholesterol
-controls blood sugar
-lowers blood pressure
- lowers risk of cancer
But the question arises that what should be the amount to be taken? I would suggest to bring it in your habit, by limiting it to 2-3 cups a day after meals ( helps in digestion and aids in fat oxidation). But caution should be taken that as it contains "tannins" the enemy of iron and folate.... watch for them and do not club your meals and green tea together..... a gap of 30 minutes will help.
So guys watch what we are drinking.... is it a can of calories or a sip of optimal health...
Friday, January 3, 2014
Walnuts: The wonder nut
I still remember my childhood days, when my mother used to give me a fist full of brown rust colored nuts.... Walnuts!! I so used to unlike the taste. But today, I am thankful to her.
It's like every food we eat benefits us in some way or the other. Walnuts, are classified as nuts and oilseeds in the world of nutrition.
As it has the name.. it creates a wall of immunity in our body and protects the pump machine...Heart... against the bad cholesterol (TRIGLYCERIDES). It is a store house for good quality protein, vitamin B6, minerals like calcium and potassium, polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega3 fatty acids.
The latter that I mentioned is the key component of this nut. To understand it simple, we require two kinds of fatty acids in our system: omega3 and omega6. The former is important to cut down your cholesterol levels in the body and protect our heart. An ounce (28g) of walnuts provides 2.6g of ALA (precursor of omega3) which gets converted into the active and absorptive form in the body.
Not only your heart but it is essential for your brain, skin and hair. Just a fist full of this nut will help you become more wise, look younger and of course give you a healthy and happy heart. So grab a fist full of optimal health....
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Safeguard your immunity....this fall
It's important to know the sources through which we get an ample amount of vitamin c that will suffice our requirements. Rather than jumping onto the supplemental sources, we should always try to get it through the natural sources. Foods like citrus fruits ( oranges, strawberries, kiwis, cherries), colored vegetables like bell peppers, tomato, olives etc.
One more thing to be noted not only does this vitamin is important for our immunity but also deals with healing power for the wounds. For it's better absorption and functioning it is important to include minerals like iron and calcium. So guys use this short but valuable information which will let you enjoy this season keeping in mind your health.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
A walk through 9 months.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
- Do you believe in exercising daily or at least three times a week, focusing on 30 min cardio.
- You start your day by not skipping your main meal, I.e. Breakfast.
- Do you abide by the law of.. eating small and frequently.
- Water is vital... Think about your intake of water... Approximately 3 liters.
If all your answers are positive and put you in a safe zone, then probably this article will act as a boost to your lifestyle habits. But all of you out there, who are not sure of the answers, it's time for you to pull up your socks.
The first thing to actually understand is that If you love yourself then management of time is no big deal for you. Just like a baby plant need care and optimal surrounding to become a mature tree; similarly your health needs a combination of healthy food, sufficient exercise and positive attitude.
Ok... Wait just don't go around pushing yourself to indulge in crash diets or heavy vigorous exercises. There is always a right way to move on. The idea of optimal health is to indulge in a healthy lifestyle, choosing nutritious food over foods that are fast enough to put on those extra flags on you, pushing yourself out of your cozy bed and indulging in exercises that interest you. But this is not all, every body talks about nutritious food and optimal exercise but the holistic health is something that one can achieve with a change in attitude. If you change your attitude towards your health, probably you will move an extra step towards attaining..... What we are talking about.... OPTIMAL HEALTH .
So, don't think let's get started, it's just a signal to gather yourself and boost up yourself. There is more to come. So, move your fingers on your keyboard and look for more.




