READ BEFORE YOU EAT !!!!!!

How often do we find ourselves reading labels of the very attractive #healthy#diet foods before buying them....?

6-7 out of 10 people feel happy they do.... but how many of those who do... really understand it...?

Well... the figures might not really please you!

In the next five minutes of this read.... you will find yourself  “smart enough to decode” these fascinating claims of nutrition facts mentioned on your favourite food items

Serving Size

First step in label reading is checking the serving size. The amount for which the label claims the product to be ‘fat free/low fat/zero trans fat’..etc. might not match the amount you actually eat

Serving size for favourite chips (as can be seen in this label) to be fat free is 15 chips...!! How many of us actually satisfy eating 15 slices of yummy fried potatoes...?

Calories (and calories from fat/sugars)

Calories help us count the amount of energy we get from serving size of any food. Mostly we eat more calories than required while lacking other nutrient requirements.

This food label of packaged meat has serving size of 56g... ideally a medium size chunk of meat. Total calories provided are 60 out of which 20 calories are from fat that is almost 1/3^rd of these calories would come from fat.

Remember...as many servings you consume is the total amount calories you actually eat.

Note the calories for one serving and the number of servings in every container. Be careful about the portion size that you eat and “do the math” to decide on the number of portions you can eat...!

Percent daily values (%DV)

[Recommendations as per the FDA guidelines]

Mostly.., the nutrient label shows ‘percent daily value’ (%DV) supplied by a serving, that is how much of the recommended daily requirement can be supplied by one portion of that product.

 DVs are based on a 2000 calorie diet. (as metioned in the above label)

Considering the average height of Indians (5’2” -5’6” feet) and increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity...... your calorie requirement would be lower than 2000 kcal/day and so will be the %DV.

Interpret the Percent Daily Value...

Nutrients with %DV of 5 or less are considered “low”... those with  %DV of 10-19 are considered “good sources” while the %DV of 20 or more are considered “high or rich sources”.

The nutrients:watch your priority

Limit these

Includes fats, saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sugar and sodium as these increase the risk of certain chronic diseases of liver, affect your heart health, lead to a few types of cancers and make you gain those extra kilos of weight..!

Recommendation is to consume them in amounts as low as possible.

Get enough of these

Eating sufficient of these improves overall health and helps reduce risk of certain diseases. For example, taking enough calcium reduces the risk of osteoporosis and eating sufficient amount of dietary fiber promotes healthy bowel function.

                     

                              Lastly...., Always remember to review the ingredient list. Ingredients are sequenced in the orer of maximum to minimum content. Pay particular attention to the top five items listed. Ingredients containing sugars often end in –ose. Term hydrogenated signals that processed, trans or saturated fats may have been used. Sodium containing additives may be present in multiple forms. In an effort to lower the amount of heavily processed food consumed, look for ingredient containing more nutrient-dense food items and fewer additives.

BY POOJA LAKHANI HEALTH COACH AT LNF

FIVE FATS YOU SHOULD LOVE

The term Fat doesn’t always mean that you’ll just gain weight by the intake of it or as few may think even just by mentioning the term. You don’t have to avoid it all from your diet; infact, if chosen wisely and in moderation, fats from lowering cholesterol and helping shed excess weight to giving you shiny and healthy hair & nails; promotes good health.

You just need to know the right kinds and can easily live it up the right way!!!

·      Nuts & Nut Butter, add nuts to vegetables or indulge into a bread slice with peanut butter, or just have a handful of walnuts/almonds as an evening snack, which would keep cholesterol at bay, thereby reducing the risk of heart diseases.Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and can be eaten in various forms.

·      Seeds & Seed Oils(Sunflower,Sesame,Pumpkin,Flaxseeds), Being rich in Polyunsaturated fatty acids, they help in managing cholesterol and preventing heart problems.

·      Vegetable Oils(Olive,Peanut,Canola), Being rich in Monounsaturated fatty acids, these are cholesterol friendly and helps prevent heart diseases.

·      Coconut Oil Since it contains Medium chain fatty acids, it not only helps in preventing various heart problems, also is helpful in reducing abdominal obesity in women.

·      Seafood(Salmon,Herring,Sardines,Trout,Cod liver oil,Prawns), Being rich in Omega-3 fatty acids,they help lower blood pressure & decrease the risk of coronary heart diseases.

In addition, one can also keep the following points in mind to help reduce the total amount of fat in the diet:

Ø Choose a diet rich in whole grains, raw vegetables & fruits.

Ø Limit your consumption of highly processed foods, bakery products and fried products, sources of Trans fat, which help increase the bad cholesterol (LDL).

By Aditi Shrishrimal: Health coach at LNF

Sugar Addiction is real find ways to quit

Sugar Sugar on my mind.

I come across so many people who always ask me doc can I eat some sweet post my meal everyday? Or I have a sweet tooth and I cant live without some sweet everyday.

That sounds familiar?

Sugar is addictive and numerous studies have shown it to be very very addictive.

Lot of people argue: but but shouldn't we eat sugar for energy, what do you mean give up sugar, how will we live?

In addition to weight gain, excess sugar can also cause inflammation, have adverse effects on your heart, increase your risk for diabetes and possibly cause kidney damage.

Giving up sugar now or never that's how it works . 

Learn the difference between natural and artificial sugar. 

If you consume large quantities of sugar give it up now. It works like now or never.  I have myself tried to do slow quitting but cravings always comes back.

Go easy in a party don't let one night of fun ruin your sugar quitting, as party will end but cravings will not.

While buying, read food labels carefully (we will be doing a section on that.)

Alcohol also contains sugar. So called empty calories.

Artificial sweeteners as low- calorie replacements have a variety of side effects.


   Contributions also by Aditi Shrishrimal Health Coach at LNF.

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7 Dieting Mistakes You Should Avoid....!!

Ever wondered why you don’t seem to meet up your weekly weight loss goals.... after having followed a not so tasty diet plan and almost draining yourself in those cardio/strength sessions... every Monday morning you still fall short of few hundred grams of the expected weight loss...!!

Here’s how you could identify common glitches... correct them and find yourself more inspired and encouraged towards losing the remaining extra kilos...!!

Keep Eating a “Singular Activity”

Eating in peace with all the focus on your plate helps you sense the feeling of fullness.... or what we call satiety. Watching television, talking over phone and working on laptop while eating..., can lead to improper chewing and eating more than required. Mindful consumption of meals favours sensitization of ‘satiety clues’ and you know exactly where to stop eating.

Don’t Purchase your diet... Prepare it...!!

Often in morning rush hours..., we choose processed/ready to eat foods like corn flakes, oats, whole grain bread, and sometimes even tea and crackers as breakfast options. Although these constitute a handy option and the nutrient content seems to be similar to home cooked foods but eventually they have a higher glycemic index and lower fibre and protein content. Try limiting these to 2-3 times per week and opting for simple home-made recipies that suffice your nutrient requirement.

Distribute your food evenly

The key to weight loss without loss of health lies in creating a balance of nutrients or types of food. The more balanced a meal, the better and steady is release of nutrients into the blood stream. One must include at least one combination of cereal and legume, cereal and pulse or cereal and milk for your main meals while keeping the raw fruit/vegetable portions for in between snacking.

Avoid eating and drinking at the same time

Glugging water and other beverages while eating or immediately after meals reduces the efficacy of digestion and absorption process due to dilution of the digestive juices released in stomach. Digestion becomes prolonged and the absorption is also not that great. Take plenty of fluids all the day round but remember to exempt from them during meals.

Drinking calories v/s eating them

Substituting your meals with a glass of milk or taking fruit juices in place of fruits don’t add much of a benefit to your health. Doing so, you might end up adding almost equal or even extra calories to your diet while going deficient in terms of other nutrients. A glass of 200ml 3% milk gives you almost equal calories as a well balanced meal and no where matches the satiety level of a meal. A glass of orange juice surely gives you higher amount of vitamins and minerals than a whole orange... but it also has sugars (fructose) from 3-4 oranges and absolutely no fibre...!!

Go individual

A universal diet or a diet that works for all is yet to be discovered. The fact that every individual is different and so is its response to any particular practice holds a lot of evidence. Identify your body’s responses and analyse them to understand what suits you the best. Diet and exercise regimes should be tailor-made..., not copied and followed simply because it did benefit your friend or relative.

Set realistic, “health-happy”  goals

After having made one or all of the aforementioned corrections..., most importantly remember that there is a certain amount of weight that one should aim at losing over a period of time. Achieving jaw-dropping weight loss in a short span of time (10-12 weeks) might create a story line for you but the health risks it poses are too many..., plus the ‘yo-yo effect’ that makes you gain weight as quickly and more than you actually lost.

-Do it the right way.., as being slim has become a little outdated. Staying healthy is the new cool...!!

Contributed by Pooja Lakhani Health coach at LNF