Obesity: A big health hazard among Indians?

Read this eye-opener by Prof. James Philips from Deccan Chronicle. In this article, the author feels that India has grown obese very fast in the past few years. He also warns that Indians have more fat cells than other average Europeans, due to their unique body structure. Read the complete article >>

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An apple a day keeps the Doctor away

Undeniably, an apple a day really keeps the Doctor away. This time-honoured adage is now strongly supported by nutrition experts all around the world.

Apple is fat free, cholesterol free and provides many vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients which our family needs. A medium-sized apple contains about 80 calories and a good source of potassium and fibre too.

Apple's soluble fibre pectin helps lower blood cholesterol by binding to fatty substances and promoting their excretion. Apple peel is also a source of insoluble fibre which is necessary for proper bowel function. Apple peels are loaded with quercetin, a very strong antioxidant. Quercetin is essential for a healthy heart and to prevent certain types of cancer.

Hence, take apples with skin.
Try apples as salads or desserts.

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How to reduce fat in your diet?

• Use polyunsaturated oils like sunflower oil, corn oil, soya oil, olive oil, safflower oil, canola oil or oat bran oil. Carefully read the labels while buying cooking oils
• Use margarines instead of butter for bread slices
• Switch to low fat dairy products instead of fresh and whole milk
• Remove skin and visible fat from meat while cooking
• Alter your method of cooking. Go for shallow fat cooking than deep fat frying
• Eat more vegetable based dishes. Replace meat with beancurd, dhals and legumes
• Use low fat cooking techniques like brush oil on pan instead of pouring. Use non-stick cookware
• Cut down deep fried snacks, cakes, ice creams and try whole fruits, whole meal biscuits and sandwiches

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Nutrition Tips for Children

A child needs a balanced and adequate diet to supply the nutrients and energy needed for growth.

A healthy body weight promotes good physical and mental well being. As parents, you can help your child achieve a healthy weight. Fat children can have health problems later in their life. To prevent you child getting fat, help them to form good eating habits while they are still young. Here are some hints:

• Have meals together and make healthy eating a family affair. Make meal time relaxing for your child.
• Meal hours should be regular and nibbling in between meals should be discouraged.
• Make healthier food your choice. Set a good example by practicing good eating habits. Children are good imitators.
• Avoid scolding or feeding forcibly your child as this makes the child dislike food.
• Avoid using food as a form of reward, threats or bribery.
• Encourage breakfast eating to avoid hunger and over-eating
• Teach your child to eat slowly, chew well and swallow. Enjoy each mouthful before swallowing
• Allow your children to feed themselves. Do not feed them while watching TV or reading books
• Make available fresh fruits as snack
• Provide water or unsweetened juices instead of soft drinks
• Prepare attractive, appealing and colourful meals whenever possible. Avoid monotony in food preparations.
• Last but not the least, explain the functions of different types of food to the children. For example, telling them that carrot is good for vision will make them understand why they should include carrot in their food.

Today's healthy children are tomorrow's healthy citizens and pillars of our nation. So, inculcate healthy eating habits from today onwards.

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Know about fruits

Here are some interesting facts about the fruits we consume in our everyday life:

• We all know that banana relieves constipation. Would you be surprised if you come to know that banana also controls diarrhea? A high banana intake during diarrhea increases butyric acid concentration in the colon and thereby inhibits the growth of B.Coli.
• Ripe mango is an excellent source of Vitamin A and C and of course calories too. Consuming ripe mangoes in season may provide an excellent store of Vitamin A in liver, which may be used for the following year.
• Common citrus fruits are orange, tangerine, sweet lime, grapes and sour lime. Juices of citrus fruits are refreshing drinks throughout the year. They are very rich in Vitamin C. They also increase the efficiency of iron digestion and absorption.
• Papaya fruits are excellent sources of Vitamin A. Papaya seeds possess antihelminthic properties. Unripe papaya is a rich source of papain, an enzyme capable of digesting protein. Hence, raw papaya is used during cooking to soften meat or dhal.
• Amla (Gooseberry) and Guava are fertile sources of Vitamin C. Ripe guava is helpful in treating constipation.
• Boiled apples and pomegranates are advised in diarrhea, but there is no scientific proof yet. Pomegranate has a good source of iron and fibre.

Take fruits everyday. As far as possible, eat whole fruits and consume fresh juices.

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Do you want to lose weight?

Here are a few tips to reduce weight:

• Balance eating with your activity. Your energy intake should be just enough for your daily activities. Any excess energy will be stored as fat. This is the reason why many people become overweight.



• Take high fibre food like whole cereals, fruits, vegetables and greens. They have satiety value and reduce your intake.



• Limit deep-frying to twice a week. Avoid high sugar food like cakes, ice creams, chocolates, juices, etc. Switch to low fat dairy products. Replace coconut milk with skim milk in your curries.



• Eat only at meal times. Avoid munching snacks in between meals. Do not skip meals. Fasting makes you to overeat in the next meal.



• Eat only at the dining table. Do not eat while reading, watching TV, to give company to your friends or when feeling bored.



• Eat slowly, chew your food well. Do not fill your plate with food. Serve little by little. This will help you avoid overeating.



• Last, but not the least, exercise at least thrice a week. When the distance of your destination is short, make it a practice to walk. Whenever possible, climb steps instead of using lift. You can also try brisk walking, jogging, cycling, badminton, etc.

The above coupled with proper nutrition and life style change, you can fight overweight.

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Health Pyramid

The picture shows the healthy diet pyramid. This health pyramid can be used as a guide to select your everyday food. You should eat more frequently the foods at the base. The foods at the tip/ apex of the health pyramid should be consumed the least.

The food at the base of the health pyramid includes rice, noodles, cereals, chappathi and all pasta. They contain complex carbohydrate that provides energy, vitamins, minerals and fibre.

The next group from the base of the pyramid is fruits and vegetables. They are high in vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Naturally, they have very low fat. Fibre plays a vital role in reducing the risk of diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases.

The third group from the base of the health pyramid includes meat, fish, poultry, pulses, nuts and milk. They are very rich sources of protein and should be taken moderately in our everyday diet.

The apex of the pyramid shows oil, butter, sugar and salt. They provide huge calories and use them sparingly.

Take less fat as too much (animal fat) can lead to heart diseases and other problems.

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Balanced Diet

Do you want to stay healthier for a long time? Here are the secrets to stay healthy.

• Take a balanced diet
• Exercise regularly and
• Take adequate rest

A balanced diet is a diet that has all the essential nutrients in right proportions. It means having different types of food in appropriate amounts. Even a healthy food can be harmful if you consume too much of it.

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