FOOD SAFETY MEASURES

Clean: Always wash your fruits and vegetables, hands, counters and cooking utensils.

Separate: Keep raw food separately. Germs can spread from one food to another.

Cook: Cook foods for the appropriate length of time and at the appropriate temperature to kill pathogens.

Chill: Put fresh food in the refrigerator right away. Store food at the proper temperature.

Important: Do use safe water and raw materials.

Eating a Balanced Diet

Celebrating World Health this month, let us provide some insight on food safety measures and how to ensure you are eating healthy!

A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, adequate essential amino acids from protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and adequate calories. The requirements for a healthy diet can be met from a variety of plant-based and animal-based foods. A properly balanced diet (in addition to exercise) is also thought to be important for lowering health risks, such as obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cancer.

At the core of the balanced diet are foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients and low in unnecessary fats and sugars. The following are essential parts of a balanced diet:

• Fruits: Besides being a great source of nutrition, fruits make quick and tasty snacks.
• Vegetables: They are primary sources of essential vitamins and minerals. Dark, leafy greens (Eg. spinach, kale etc.) generally contain the most nutrition and can be eaten at every meal.
• Grains: All types of grains are good sources of complex carbohydrates and some key vitamins and minerals. Grains are also naturally low in fat.
• Proteins: Meats and beans are primary sources of protein, which is essential for proper muscle and brain development.
• Dairy: Dairy products provide calcium, Vitamin D and other essential nutrients. Opt for reduced-fat of fat-free chesses, milk and yogurt.
• Oils: Opt for low-fat versions of products that contain oil, such as salad dressing and mayonnaise. Good oils, such as olive oil, can replace fattier vegetable oil in your diet.

HEALTHY EATING TIPS

1. Fill up on colourful fruits and vegetables.

2. Eat more healthy carbohydrates and whole grains.

3. Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats.

4. Put protein in perspective.

5. Add calcium for strong bones.

6. Limit sugar and salt.

7. Bulk up on fiber.

BEAT EXAM STRESS WITH THE RIGHT FOOD

   
The examination phase has become synonymous to stress not just for the children but also for the parents. While studying for the exams, good nutrition often slides down the priority list. Therefore, in order to overcome the mental marathon of exams in which endurance is critical, the right food and drink can energize your system, improve your alertness and sustain you through long exam hours. On the other hand, the wrong dietary choices can make you feel sluggish and jittery.

Some tips that you could follow in order to ensure that your child eats right are:

1. Don’t skip meals, particularly breakfast.

Keeping a steady supply of glucose (energy) throughout the day, will ensure you do not lose concentration during both your study and exam times. When you wake up, your body hasn't had any food for several hours. Breakfast gives us the energy we need to face the day, as well as some essential vitamins and minerals.

Some good breakfast options could include:

•        Wholegrain cereal with milk and glass of orange juice
•        Wholemeal bread toasted with chopped banana and glass of milk

2. Balanced Diet.

Ensure that you are meeting the daily vitamin and mineral requirements by eating a balanced diet, comprising of at least 50-60% of your calories coming from complex carbs (whole grains), 20-30 % from good lean proteins ( curd, eggs, fish, sprouts)and the rest from good fats (nuts, olive oil). Appropriate amounts of iron and B-complex vitamins are also important to maintain the physical and mental energy necessary to study well. Iron-containing foods include eggs, whole cereals (jowar and ragi), rajmah, sesame seeds (til seeds) and spinach. Try to include whole-grains, wheat germ, eggs, soy products and nuts in your meals.

3. Smart snacking.

Rather than having foods that give you a “sugar rush” like cakes, biscuits, chocolate and sweets that are high in refined sugars and leave you feeling flat and in a bit of a slump shortly afterwards, try to opt for healthy snacks such as fresh fruit, popcorn, fruit scones, dried fruit, yoghurt or nuts to keep you going throughout the day.

4. Keep hydrated – aim for 1.5 to 2L of fluid per day.

Dehydration can make you feel lethargic, irritable and tired. Worst of all, it affects your concentration! This makes it more difficult to study and perform to your best. It would be advisable to keep a glass of fluid (fruit juice, herbal teas and water) within easy reach while studying and take a bottle of water into the exam.

5. Take Plenty of Rest.

To help relieve stress, clear your mind and lift your mood, break up your study with short bursts of exercise. You could go for a jog, a swim, a cycle, or even just walk to your local shop.

VITAMIN E

Questions:

1. Is it better to take tablets or have a vitamin E rich diet

Vitamin E is known for a lot of health benefits mainly due to its anti-oxidant properties that prevent the cell from oxidative damage. It is one of the supplements that is used widely for skin and hair, however the good news is, it is also available in the natural form, so you do not need to depend on the supplemental form. However, In case of certain conditions such as Menopause, supplementations maybe required, but do so under the supervision of a medical practitioner. As Vitamin E supplements are fat soluble and higher levels can lead to toxicity. Thus, go natural, eat a balanced diet rich in Vitamin E and get all your hair and skin issues resolved.

      2.  How can we include more vitamin E in our diet to help us get better skin and hair

Fortunately Vitamin E foods are abundant through the diet and deficiencies are rare, though sometimes deficiencies are seen in cases where absorption of fat is an issue.

Focusing on diet rich in in the following foods such as Nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, sabza seeds, peanuts etc, food such as avocado, spinach, sweet potatoes, oils such as olive oil, palm oil etc. can aid in boosting beautiful and glowing skin and aiding in lustrous hair. It is also found in meats and fortified foods.

      3. Benefits of Vitamin E

Vitamin E has innumerable benefits from protecting the cell from damage, aid in lowering health problems from heart disease to cancer. But here are some other benefits:

·       Meeting Vitamin E daily requirements has been linked with hair growth and also adds shine to the hair making it look lustrous and strong.

·      You can effectively treat dry skin problem with the help of vitamin rich diet. Especially during the winters it’s essential, as it aids in soft and supple skin.

·   Vitamin E can also promote good immune system. Besides protecting the cell from oxidative damage, it also keeps you from falling sick very often.

·   Vitamin E can promote good eyesight and has been linked to decrease risk of age-related degeneration or cataracts.

·    Being a fat soluble vitamin, it also aids in the production of certain hormones called prostaglandins that aid in regularising blood pressure. 

SUGAR

   Questions:

1.    What are all alternatives to processed white sugar and their benefits?

White sugar is an ingredient that is added just for taste. This white crystal does not provide the body with any nutritional benefits, except energy as it’s a simple carbohydrate which is quickly absorbed in the body. The fact that more people are being aware about it, is a good thing but due to so much of information on the internet, people usually fall prey to synthetic alternative which are equally bad. For starters, you should definitely avoid artificial sweeteners like sugar free tablets or powders as these can create more damage to your body than you know. Also, sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol can wreak havoc on your digestion, gut health, kidney function to name a few. Thus, the recommended way is to stop using sugar all together or have a restricted quantity of about a tsp. sugar per day. In addition, foods such as biscuits, ice creams, milk shakes, cakes etc. are loaded with sugar, so I recommend to limit its consumptions. But during times, where you crave for a little sweetness, you can use the following healthier alternatives:

•  Honey: Organic raw honey is natural food that is made by bees. Always opt for the organic form that contains lots of beneficial nutrients like B vitamins and iron. Make sure to buy a good quality from authentic sources. Honey has been used as an age old remedy in times of sickness due to its immune system boosting properties and presence of antibacterial compounds that help fight infection in the body.
• Jaggery: This natural sweetener has been a great go to ingredients since centuries. The two commonly used jaggery types are palm and sugarcane. It has been used to boost immunity, haemoglobin levels and prevents constipation.
•  Date Syrup: Date syrup has been used to improve iron levels and is also packed with vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers. It has shown to improve digestion, fight against infections etc.
• Stevia: A leaf of a plant native to South America is ground into powder called Stevia. Its unique property is that it’s 100 times sweeter than sugar and it’s all natural. Though as a nutritionist I still would avoid it and go for honey or jaggery instead.
• Other natural flavour enhancers: Cinnamon, dates, prunes, dark chocolate or raisins also count as natural sweeteners or flavor enhancers that can be added or consumed for sweetness.

However it’s important to note that all these alternatives are nutrient dense and therefore have to be used in limited quantities.

     2. Is there any false claim regarding any, that you would wish to bust?

Yes, since the health awareness has boomed in these years, so has the demand to low calorie food products. Thus artificial sweeteners which were originally used as a replacement to sugar for diabetes but nowadays it has been more advertised for weight loss (zero calories). However, since it’s synthetic it is 2000 times sweeter than sugar. Frequent use may change the way we taste our food which means we may find less sweet foods like fruits or unsweet foods such as whole grains, vegetables less appealing and sweeter foods such as diet soda or coke more appealing. Abstaining or preventing yourself from having these artificial sweeteners can lead to withdrawal symptoms and can have short term and long term side effects. Thus next time you pick up a sugar free capsule, please ask yourself at what cost?

Personally, I would recommend a bit of white sugar in tea/ coffee than use of these artificial sweeteners.

      3. Best ways/pairing of sugar alternatives with foods?

Healthier alternatives to sugar such as honey, date syrup can be added to milk, milkshakes, yoghurt smoothies etc. Dates syrup can also be added to oatmeal, fruits, custards etc. Jaggery could be used in tea/ coffee. I would also like to share an interesting healthy recipe that I make for my kids i.e. Pancakes for which I use wheat flour, milk, egg and jaggery instead of maida and white sugar.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FACTS

The science behind the facts:

1. Avoid eating fruits post meal, eat them in between meals like mid day or evening.
Why: There are more than a few reasons behind this one

 A large main meal generally contains a mix of macronutrients such as carbs, fat and protien. While fat and protein digest slowly- carbs digest relatively quicker. Depending on what you ate and how much you ate the food slowly gets broken down and sent into the blood stream to all the waiting organs that require energy. Once this is taken care off the excess energy (or calories) are then converted to fat.
Eating a fruit with your meal increases the odds of this conversion happening as you are adding a carb to and already carb-ed up lunch/ dinner. In addition to this carb on carb complex- you generally arent your most active self post meal.Which means any excess sugars or carbs will quickly buildup in the blood stream with nowhere to go.
Other reasons to avoid eating fruit post meal is based in ayurvedic principle that states eating fruits with  larger meals delays the digestion time causing the fruit to break down in the stomach and ferment while it waits. This fermentation process then causes GI discomfort such as gas ,bloating etc- while simultaneously losing precious nutrients etc that would otherwise be digested better on.


2. Avoid eating mix of fruits at one time. If you chose to eat a fruit eat Any or max 2 different fruit at one time. Avoid Fruit platters and fruit chat.

 While most people consider fruits a super healthy food ( which they definitely are) they also forget that fruits are an easy way to load on up simple fast digesting carbs. All carbs are basically combinations of simplesugars strung together (carbo) +  with water (hydrate)
When these break down sugars and water are released into the body.
Now as you can imagine not all fruits have the same level of sweetness (i.e: Sugar!) eg: mango vs sweetlime or cherries vs a guava
Each fruit has its own GI (glyceamic index - which is basically the way the fruit influences how much your blood sugar goes up - how fast + and how much) which further adds to its GL (Glycemic Load- that is how the food overall contritbutes to the total amount of carbs )
Now to avoid getting into the complicated thick of things- the main reason behind mixing too many different fruits is to avoid raising your blood sugars in a complicated manner. Too many different fruits of varying GI's can confuse the stomach and also cause it to release a lot of gastric juice that again can destroy the delicate nutrients contained in them (as per ayurveda) and once again lead to fermentation tract.
Lastly you wouldn’t mix sugar with sugar would you? Then why a tonne of fruits? The body cannot diffrentiate between table sugar and natural sugar once they are broken down they are all the same chemically to the system- with the major differences coming from things like fibre vitamins etc.
However if your blood sugar goes up beyond a certain level--- and that sugar has no place to go--- it will once again be converted to fat. There are ofcourse exceptions for people who have depleted muscle glycogen stores (like athelets, runners, etc) but for most of us with desk jobs and 20 minutes of elevated heart rate on our evening walks- having fruit salads could be a easy way to gaining fat.

3. Eat local seasonal fruits and avoid imported fruits like purple big grapes and New Zealand apples 

Eating local is so good for you for a number of reasons:
-Foods indigenous to your area and locality are easily recognised by your digestive tract and are thus easier to break down and absorb without being treated as a foreign particle and raising red flags in your gastro intestinal system ( hello food allergies and intolerances!) you may have even noticed these signs and sympotms but thought nothing of it. Indicatiors include gas, bloating etc.
-Eating locally reduces the chances of having fruit that have been transported with chemicals or may have been stored for a long time before it finally gets on your plate. In this waiting periods a lot of vitamins can be lost as certain delicate biochemical compounds cannot withstand time, heat and oxidiation.
-Locally grown fruits are also less likely to have been subjected to genetic modification as simple farmers don’t have much access to these things.

GIVE YOUR SPOUSE THE GIFT OF HEALTH

There are so many emotions surrounding Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is a good time to celebrate the most important relationship of all – the one we have with our spouse and his/her health. Valentine’s Day is not just about gifts, chocolates and dating but loving care for your spouse’s health and nutrition. It is important to support your spouse in his quest for a healthier lifestyle, body image and overall health.

This Valentine’s Day, couples should make a commitment to improve their relationship with each other and their health in general.

Some dietary tips for couples:

• Encourage each other to lose weight the right way: Be supportive of one another in making healthy choices when it comes to diet, regular exercise and nutrition.
  
  
• Motivate each other to stay on an effective weight loss program: Middle age tends to contribute to problems like pot bellies, double chins and other unsightly issues.
  Motivate each other to eat right, stay on the right diet plan and look healthy.
  
  
• Make Healthy Food choices while Eating Out: When eating out choose salads, fruits and nuts and avoid extra dressing, garnishing and stuff that will add to your weight woes. Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight.

EAT LESS, WORKOUT MORE: BREAKING DOWN THE OLD SCHOOL WEIGHT LOSS METHOD.

To lose weight - one should eat less and workout more?          

Theoretically, it should work out that way, but the human body is far more complex than that.  Frenzied workouts while starving yourself will only work for few kilos. It’s a temporary solution to a permanent problem.

What happens next is the body stops losing weight. When you desperately slash calories, or exercise TOO much, it disrupts the hormone cycle in your body. Making your body feel its survival is under threat.

 Your body inherently reacts by overcompensating. It creates irresistible cravings that force you to overeat (many times even when you’re not even hungry!). This is the body’s survival response which in prehistoric times would have ensured continued existence. As a result, it beats up your metabolism to compensate for the drastic decrease in calories, because it’s worried about starvation.

 Both the cravings and the sluggish metabolism will happen together because cutting calories too much plummets your leptin levels. Leptin is the hormone that helps regulates your weight (by controlling hunger and your metabolism).

 In other words, if you’re PUNISHING your body to lose weight by starving yourself and overtraining, you’re picking a fight you can’t win.  Leptin both fortunately and unfortunately is one of the most powerful hormones in your body related to weight loss, there are no two ways about that.

MIRACLE BOOSTERS FOR KIDS: POWER UP HEIGHT, IMMUNITY & VISION

Parents will always be concerned about their children. During the growing years, parents get apprehensive about issues such as immunity, height and eyesight. You can use some of these accessible foods in your diet which will make them stronger and healthier.

SOME OF THE FOODS INCLUDE:

IMMUNITY BOOSTERS:

School going children tend to fall sick at times by catching some illness from school. Repetitive occurrences of falling ill cause the immune system to weaken.

Immune system boosting foods include: Mushrooms, almonds, wheat germs, yogurt, spinach, sweet potato, broccoli, etc. Some tips to make a healthier meal include adding wheat germ to flour to make chapattis; mixing sweet potato and spinach with potato to make cutlets.

HEIGHT BOOSTERS:

Your height depends on your genes and can be altered by external factors, diet and exercise to a specific extent. The height is determined by the Human growth hormone (HGH) which is secreted by the pituitary gland. Certain foods are able to enhance the human growth hormone secretion which can also help to increase height.

A balanced diet inclusive of fish, eggs, milk, legumes, almonds, dairy products, sea foods, avocado, etc. are essential during adolescent years. Similarly foods like spinach, broccoli, pumpkin, peas, etc. are rich in minerals like magnesium, phosphorous, chlorides, iron and manganese. For eg. Soya beans can be used to make cutlets or filling in kathi rolls can be really beneficial during the growing years as it is rich in protein.

EYE SIGHT BOOSTERS:

Exposure to the TVs, Computers and mobile phones, weaken the eye sight of children. Eye problems left untreated can worsen leading to serious problems. A balanced lifestyle with lots of exercise and good nutrition can protect children from eye strain and related eye issues.

Foods rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, β Carotene, Lutin help to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration. Spinach, broccoli, tomato, carrot, pumpkin, bell peppers, eggs and oranges can be consumed to improve the eye sight.

DIGESTION BOOSTERS:

In today's world, children are plagued with digestive problems. Although digestive problems such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and even inflammatory bowel diseases can stem from a horde of reasons, ultimately it comes down to bad or irregular eating habits.

Foods like curds, buttermilk, yogurt (contains probiotics i.e. “good bacteria” which are good for the bowels) can be really beneficial for the digestive system. Natural laxatives like papaya, banana, spinach, and pear can be added to your diet to provide relief from constipation. Also water is a simple remedy to relieve your digestion and constipation problems, so make your children drink enough water every day.

MANAGING PCOS THROUGH NUTRITION

Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, is a set of symptoms related to a hormonal imbalance that can affect women and girls of reproductive age. PCOS may cause menstrual cycle changes, skin changes such as increased facial and body hair and acne, cysts in the ovaries, and infertility. Lifestyle changes are the key to reversing PCOS. Losing weight by eating clean and getting regular exercise will not only reduce insulin and androgen levels, it will also restore normal ovulation and improve the odds of pregnancy.

Following are some methods by which PCOS can be controlled:

• Focus on low glycemic index (see table below): Low GI foods (refer list below) can improve and help balance insulin levels, women with PCOS are often resistant to the effects of insulin, and therefore have more insulin in their blood. This rise in insulin levels means the levels of testosterone are also increased. The increase in both insulin and testosterone upsets the natural hormone balance in the body, often causing symptoms to flare up. 

• Include good quality proteins: Focusing on good quality protein such lean meats, nuts and seeds will keep your blood sugar levels optimum and will make you crave lesser for sweets.

• Focus on Essential fatty acids Healthy fats- Unsaturated fats are essential in managing the symptoms of poly-cystic ovary syndrome as they help to re-balance hormones, manage weight and can help with fertility. You can include ‘Healthy’ fats in the form of virgin coconut oil, desi ghee, avocado, flax seeds, chia seeds, almonds, walnuts etc.

• Limit intake of refined carbohydrates: Refined carbohydrates such as white breads, muffins, pastries anything made with flour will spike the blood glucose instantly leading to weight gain and worsen symptoms of PCOS.

• Source it right: Nowadays, whether its milk or chicken, its generally injected and fruits and vegetables are loaded with pesticides, thus it’s important to source your food from the right sources, for e.g. milk from Indian humped cows- A2 milk, country chicken instead of broilers and look for seasonal and local fruits and vegetables instead of imported fruits and vegetables.

• Include some form of exercise daily: Exercising for 180 mins/week can help to reduce insulin resistance, especially when coupled with a limited intake of refined carbohydrates. For e.g. Yoga, swimming are some of the best form of exercises.

• Focus on Vitamin B12 food sources: Most people with PCOS are deficient in this vitamin. Vitamin B12 is very essential as it is involved in weight control. Sources: Sea food (clams, oysters, mussels), salmon, yogurt, milk, eggs, chicken etc.

• Focus on Chromium, Selenium and Zinc rich foods: These minerals are very important as chromium plays an important role in insulin signalling, selenium and zinc helps to control blood glucose levels and prevent diabetes.

• Chromium rich foods: Broccoli, whole grain breads and cereals, lean meat, cheese, mushrooms, asparagus, green beans, potatoes, prunes, bananas, nuts and spices (black pepper and thyme) etc.
• Selenium rich foods: Brazil nuts, fish, whole wheat bread, sunflower seeds, eggs, mushrooms, oats etc.
• Zinc rich foods: Pumpkin, watermelon and squash seeds, spinach, lean meat, chickpeas, mushrooms etc.

Glycemic Index (GI) of Common Foods

Sr. No.	Name of the food	Glycemic Index
1	White wheat bread	73-77%
2	Whole wheat bread	70-78%
3	Wheat roti	60-65%
4	Chappathi	48-58%
5	White boiled rice	69-77%
6	Brown boiled rice	64-72%
7	Barley	26-30%
8	Instant oat porridge	76-82%
9	Rice porridge /congee	69-87%
10	Millet porridge	62-72%
11	Sweet corn	47-57
12	Cornflakes	75-87%
13	Apple (raw)	34-38%
14	Orange	40-46%
15	Banana	47-54%
16	Pineapple	51-67%
17	Mango (raw)	46-56%
18	Watermelon (raw)	72-80%
19	Potato (boiled)	74-82%
20	French fries (potato)	58-68%
21	Carrots (boiled)	35-43%
22	Milk (full fat)	36-42%
23	Milk (skim)	33-41%
24	Ice cream	48-54%
25	Chick peas	19-37%
26	Soya beans	15-17%
27	Lentils	27-37%
28	Chocolate	37-43%
29	Popcorn	60-70%
30	Soft drinks/soda	56-62%
31	Honey	58-64%
32	Glucose	100%

Source: National Institute of Nutrition (NIN, Hyderabad)