World Osteoporosis Day

Preventing Osteoporosis Through Diet

The age at which osteoporosis can occur in a person depends upon how good diet and healthy lifestyle the person had during his childhood and youth. It also depends on the rate at which calcium loss takes place from the bone.
Nevertheless it’s too late to improve your bone health. Women are very much prone to the risk of osteoporosis later in life and hence should be able to add all the nutrients needed for healthy bones.

The 4 Major Nutrients you need to know for bone health :
1. Calcium
2. Magnesium
3. Phosphorous
4. Vitamin D
Let’s explore each of these a little bit more:

Calcium: Bones are the main storage site of calcium in the body and hence can be considered as one of the major building blocks of strong healthy bones.

Sources: Tofu, Milk, yogurt, cheese, soya, sardine, tuna and salmon with bones.
There are some foods that contain enzymes that have high affinity towards calcium and hence hinder its absorption
• Phytic acid present in plant tissues, raw beans, seeds and grains
• Oxalic acid present in spinach
Diet Dr Clinic Cooking Tip: When making your meal calcium rich, do not mix more than 2 calcium rich sources together.

Phosphorous: Calcium and phosphorus work together to build up bones by combining together to form a crystal that gives bones their strength.
• Sources: Milk and milk products, whole grains, beans, nuts

Magnesium: A diet rich in calcium on its own is of little to no use as magnesium plays a key role in the absorption and utilisation of calcium as well as vitamin D in the body. It also teams up with the thyroid gland to control many essential aspects of hormones related to bone health.
• Sources : Nuts, Seeds, fruits like avocado ,figs, seafood and certain veggies like broccoli, cauliflower etc.

Vitamin D: is necessary for calcium absorption. This fat soluble vitamin is available through food and from body through your skin by the help of sunlight.
• Sources: Vitamin d rich foods are mackerel, tuna, egg yolk, beef liver, cheese. It’s difficult to get all the vitamin D we need from the diet but the easiest source is from the sun.
Apart from these caution must be exercised for those cases at risk of osteoporosis with life time exposure to other risk factors like smoking and chronic alcohol abuse.
Remember building better bones starts on your plate.

World Arthritis Day

“Arthritis” The most common problem nowadays faced by a lot of people. It is basically a type of inflammation wherein the joints become stiff.  Overindulgence in unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle practices can lead to arthritis. With changes in advancement in people’s dietary habits almost half of the population is suffering from Arthritis. 

You can keep inflammation away by adding anti-inflammatory diet whenever possible. You can start by consuming a list of foods provided below. 

Vegetables and Fruits:
Vegetables and fruits are good source of Vitamin C and beta-carotene and poly nutrients like flavanols and flavones. When it comes to fruits and vegetables you have to increase the quantity of the serving you eat and increasing the variety you consume. A variety will ensure more vital nutrients for the body. Always go in for fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables whenever possible.  

Garlic herbs and spices:
“Phytonutrients” are naturally occurring nutrients which can be found in naturally in these ingredients. Make garlic, oregano, rosemary, thyme and pepper as a part of your daily diet. Replace your daily salt consumption with these options and enhance the flavors of your dishes with these option.

Omega 3s:
This essential nutrient can be found in fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna. Nuts like walnuts and oil seeds like chia seeds, flax seeds etc. are amazing sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. Including these in your diet can help your body get enough Omega 3s. 

Fiber:
Foods rich in fibre are also the most anti-inflammatory foods components. For example: Pulses like dry beans, peas and whole grains are called fermentable fiber, which reduces inflammatory reactions.                        

An additional note from our side will be eating one or two anti-inflammatory food while maintaining an unhealthy diet is not the answer. Example having a bowl of sautéed vegetables along with a packet French fries will not really help. Instead focus on your lifestyle modification which include following a healthy lifestyle pattern and habits.

World Obesity Day

                                        
    

Change in lifestyle a key to obesity

Have you noticed that your clothes do not fit you well now? Or you do not have the same energy levels as before? This means it’s high time to start controlling your diet and start with your exercises.

Today’s blog is all about obesity.

Obesity is one of the most dangerous disease today. Obese people are more likely to get affected by other lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, bone problems, liver issues etc. and in today’s societies, people are rapidly putting on extra weight mainly due to unhealthy eating and lifestyle routines.

The following are some of the main reasons for obesity. But only lifestyle change is the key to reduce obesity.                     

1. Lack of sleep: Are you among those who attend late night parties, on regular basis? Or go for late night movies or excessive use of mobiles or TV at night? Getting a disturbed or not enough sleep can fade away the weight loss goal. So the solution for this is simple. Just have a healthy bed time routine. Stay away from all the gadgets just before going to bed. In case you need to stay up late for any reason always go in for a healthy snack option like a glass of milk, makhanas, bowl of salad or some unsalted nuts.    

2. Eating habits: 

• Skipping meals: Breakfast being the first meal of the day helps kick starts the body and also boosts metabolism. Our body also needs constant fuel to run effectively. So therefore small fillers and mid-day snacks are also important for the body. It can be either a fruit or nuts or any other light meal which are required for good functioning of the body.
• Packaged or processed food: packaged or processed foods have longer shelf life which tells us that they are loaded with additives and preservatives to increase their shelf life. Eg. Ice creams, fruit juices, ready to fry snacks, biscuits, cakes, pizzas etc. These foods are high in saturated fats, loaded with simple carbs and sodium. Moreover they are also low in vital micro nutrients and fiber and have very less nutritional value so it’s better to stay away from these as much as possible.

Secondly these bite size foods are filling for the body and can deviate us from our normal routine of homemade food.                

3. Physical activity: Usually obesity is seen among those who lead a sedentary lifestyle. If you feel the need of a vehicle to travel a short distance or you spent much of your time on couch, then it’s high time to change your habits. Be active whenever possible. Choose walking instead of vehicles, prefer stairs instead of elevator, let your evenings be walking time or play time. Try to have after meal walks for at least 10 minutes.

4. Stress:  High level of stress can interfere with your weight loss goal. When we eat food it releases a hormone called endorphin (feel good hormone).It makes you crave for more and more food than per day’s requirement. Due to which stress leads to excess calorie intake. To reduce the level of stress you can try breathing exercises, Yoga, or simply sip on relaxing teas such as chamomile tea or lavender tea or you can even go ahead with milk with cinnamon powder. 

Due to lifestyle modification involving lack of physical activity and wrong eating habits today, the number of obese people are increasing. Bringing a change in the eating habits, a healthy balanced diet, activity pattern, good sleeping pattern, enough amount of water and good diet can be helpful.  These simple lifestyle changes can help eradicate obesity from our lives.