Nutritional Facts of Common Foods

Common food elements and diet facts that contribute to the nutritional requirements in the body are discussed below. Common food elements include the macronutrients and the micronutrients consisting carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, photochemical and water.



The foundation of the diet should be build by including cereals and millets in the diet. This provides complex carbohydrates which is the body’s preferred fuel source. Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4calories. Carbohydrates can be simple or complex, prefer complex carbohydrates for a simple reason that they are high in dietary fiber and low in fat. Complex carbohydrate sources include whole wheat and its products, unpolished rice and millets.

Fruits and vegetables
Include at least 8-9 servings of variety of fruits and vegetables daily to get essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the diet. Consumption of the recommended amounts in daily diet reduces the risk for heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, diverticulitis, certain cancers and improves bowel movements.

Dairy foods
Milk and milk products are rich in proteins, and also a good source of calcium and vitamin D which is essential to maintain healthy bones.Like carbohydrates proteins also provides 4 calories per gram. A normal diet should comprise 15% protein of daily energy intake. Include low fat options like skimmed yoghurt and milk over ice cream.

Pulses, meat, fish, poultry and eggs
This group also provides handful amounts of proteins. Eat 2 servings of oily fish, soy beans and flaxseeds in diet to meet the requirements of omega 3 fatty acids which is essential for heart health. Sprouts and pulses are the vegan source of proteins. Along with proteins a cup of sprouted pulse has 6 times more vitamin C, and other B-complex vitamin graph is also increased.

Fat and sugars
A gram of fat provides 9 calories. Fat is essential for absorption of fat soluble vitamins which are required for various functions in the body and it also provides essential fatty acids. Limited amounts are required for good health, but when consumed in excess then problem arises gradually (obesity, heart attack, diabetes, stroke and cancer). Type of fat that is being consumed is also of importance. Plant sources contains zero cholesterol, cholesterol is present in animal sources. 80% of cholesterol is synthesized in our body by liver.
Excessive consumption of saturated fats and foods high in cholesterol also contributes to high lipid cholesterol.
It is wise to consume sugar in minimum amounts. Sugar contributes to “empty calories” without giving any other nutrients to the body.

Water
Water is the most important, but many a times most forgotten element in the diet. Include adequate water daily for proper metabolism of the body.

Vitamin, minerals and Antioxidants
A balanced meal provides all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants required for a healthy living. The need for supplements is nil when you consume a healthy diet daily.

100 Best Weight-Loss Tips

In 100 Best Weight-Loss tips there are no strenuous exercises, no formal diet plans to follow and no horrible-tasting things to gulp. And it helps in losing weight in a quick and safe manner. It also suggests healthy eating habits for permanent weight-loss.

Avoid unhealthy, commercial (expensive) low-carbohydrate diet, wherein there is accumulation of fats in the body leading to heart attack and stroke, and even damages liver and kidney. And you gain weight on a rebound if you stop the diet.

Tips have to be followed regularly to lose weight easily and safely. Gradually your health will improve. You will feel better, be thinner, look younger and gain firmness and will lose weight forever.

Allergy Relief

What is allergy?

Allergy is a condition where any exposure to substances known as “allergens” causes a reaction in the body called an allergic reaction.

Causes of allergies

When the body of allergy sufferers meets some substances for the first time, a record of that substance is stored in the allergy cells. Whenever these “allergens” are encountered again, the allergy cells respond by releasing chemicals (like histamine) into the blood stream, resulting in an “allergy attack “.

Symptoms of allergy:

Symptoms vary greatly from sneezing and itching to the most dangerous allergic reaction: anaphylactic shock.

-Mild reaction: Exposure to allergens causes sneezing, wheezing, red itchy eyes, wheals on the skin, sometimes diarrhea.

-Anaphylaxis: If an allergy sufferer is exposed to even small quantities of the allergen, dramatic reactions occur, like hypotension, swelling tongue, rash over the skin, swelling and spasm of the throat causing difficulty breathing. Anaphylaxis is a life threatening condition.

Treatment of allergy:

-Mild allergies are best treated by avoiding the allergens, for example someone who is allergic to milk might never have the symptoms if they never drink milk.

-Drug treatment: For a mild allergic reaction, the mainstay of treatment is a type of drugs called antihistamines.

-They counteract the allergic reaction and produce allergy relief.
For anaphylaxis, the single most important medicine is “epinephrine” or “adrenaline”, it is life-saving, that is why an allergy-sufferer who is prone to anaphylaxis must carry an adrenaline shot with them at all times.

Prevention of allergy:

-Allergen identification and avoidance: examples of allergens include animal fur, pollen, house dust, foods like shellfish or eggs, aerosols like perfumes and insecticides, certain materials like rubber (latex) etc Allergens are identified by the doctor and subsequently avoided.

-Immunotherapy and hyposensitization: consists of exposing the allergy sufferer to gradually increasing doses of the allergen until the body gets used to it and there is no more allergic reaction.

Home remedies for allergies:

-Vit C for example from tomatoes (not from citrus fruits) is very helpful for allergy relief.

-Honey from local apiaries helps with pollen allergy and bee-sting allergy.

When to call the doctor?

Whenever the drugs are not effective in relieving the attack, or when allergic attacks persist in spite of avoiding known allergens.

Fibromyalgia Treatment – A Nutritional Approach

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome that affects middle-aged women predominantly. It is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain; there is tenderness at specified sites accompanied by disturbed sleep and tiredness. The relaxation rate is reduced, there is decrease in Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and Phosphocreatine, and the painful muscles exhibit disturbed microcirculation. The pain-sensitivity is abnormally high (indicated by pain analysis).

The cause for Fibromyalgia varies from patient to patient.

And though the exact cause remains unknown, physiological sleep disturbances is considered as one of the main symptoms.

Fibromyalgia is not regarded a disease, but is classified as a syndrome.

A disease is a condition where the main cause is identifiable clearly and it remains the same in all patients. Whereas a syndrome is a condition where there are a set of symptoms responsible for the condition and no single causative agent is detectable. Fibromyalgia symptoms vary from patient to patient.

The human body is a complex system and for the body to work efficiently all the functions must work properly. But the body can heal itself and compensate on certain mechanisms, through appropriate instructions, right tools and sufficient time.

Fibromyalgia Comorbidities

Fibromyalgia is also found related with a number of other conditions like migraine and tension headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome (CFIDS), micro-trauma and de-conditioning of muscles, major depressive disorder, mitral valve prolapse, ischemia and muscle spasm, myofascial pain syndrome, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), primary dysmenorrhea, Sjogrens syndrome, sympathetic hypersensitivity, sexual abuse and temporamandibular joint syndrome (TMJ).

Weight Management: Underweight

Most often, being underweight is a sign of an accompanying disorder. This disorder must first be dealt with in order to bring your weight back to normal. In addition, to this treatment, physical activity may need to be modified and psychological counseling may be required. After the treatment of the primary disorder is successful, nutritional support may be provided along with dietary changes.

Dietary management

The objectives of dietary modification are to restore the body to its normal weight, rebuild tissue and store nutrients, and maintain the desirable body weight.

Energy:

A nutritious high energy diet providing calories over and above the body's requirement will result in weight gain. An increase of about 500 -1000 Cal per day can result in a weight gain of approximately one kilogram per week.

Protein:

A liberal intake of high quality protein will help in building up of muscle tissue. A daily protein intake of two grams per kilogram of body weight will be required. For example, if your body weight is 60 kg, you require 75-120 g protein

Carbohydrates:

A high carbohydrate intake is also necessary to meet the energy requirements of a malnourished body. The bulk of the diet, however, should not be increased as it cuts down food intake. Avoid taking more fiber than is necessary for regular bowel movement.

Fats:

Fats aid in the weight gain process, but they should only be used in amounts that can be tolerated. Emulsified fats like butter, cream etc. are better tolerated by the body.

Minerals and vitamins:

These must be provided in sufficient amounts in order to counter for nutritional deficiencies.

Diet and feeding pattern:

The amount of food intake cannot be substantially increased all of a sudden. The amount of food at each meal and the frequency of meals should be increased gradually. The calorie density of the foods can be increased, without increasing bulk, by using more sugar, jam, butter, cream, oil, and nuts. To increase the protein content of the diet, milk powder, cheese, cottage cheese, and protein concentrates can be added to liquid milk, and other beverages and soups.

Fiber - The Wonder Non-nutrient

Dietary fibers are constituents of plants that are resistant to digestion in the human digestive tract. The types of fiber - soluble and insoluble, their functions and sources have been discussed earlier in this book. The table below gives fibre content of common foods.
A fiber rich diet helps in weight management in many ways. Fiber rich foods are generally 'calorie poor'. They also contribute bulk to our diet and hence give a sensation of fullness of stomach, early satiety and very few calories. They also delay gastric emptying and hunger sensation and increase inter-meal hunger interval besides decreasing insulin (appetite-stimulant) levels.
Hence, a high-fiber, low-fat diet is ideal for sustained weight loss. Along with a regular exercise schedule, a high-fiber, low-fat diet provides the key to weight reduction and positive health. Given below are some high-fiber recipes containing bran.

1. Wheat bran biscuits (sweet)
Number of serving: 8

Size of serving: 3 biscuits

Ingredients:
Wheat bran 100 g

Wheat flour refined (Maida) 100 g

Oil/ghee 50 g

Jaggery 100 g

Procedure:
-Beat fat till creamy.
-Add flour, wheat bran, crushed caramelized jaggery and make dough. Keep it for 4-5 hours.
-Roll out and cut into required shapes
-Bake at 3500 F for 25-30 minutes or until done.
-Nutritive value per serving: 120 Cat 4 g fiber.

2. Wheat bran biscuits (salty)
Number of serving: 8

Size of serving: 3 biscuits

Ingredients:
Wheat bran : 100 g

Wheat flour refined (Maida) : 100 g

Oil/ ghee : 50 g

Curd : 100 g

Thyme and salt to taste

Procedure:
-Beat fat till creamy.
-Add curd and mix well.
-Add flour, wheat bran, salt and thyme and knead to make dough. Keep it for 4-5 hours.
-Roll out and cut into required shapes
-Bake at 3500 F for 25-30 minutes or until done.
-Nutritive value per serving: 95 Cal, 4 g fiber.

3. Yogurt and Lentil Patties (Dahl vada)
Number of serving: 6

Size of serving: 2 vadas

Ingredients:
Black gram dal (washed) :25 g

Curd : 250 g Wheat bran : 100 g

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste Roasted cumin seeds

(jeera) : 1 tsp

Ginger : 1" piece

Procedure:
-Soak dal overnight.
-Grind dal, bran and ginger together to thick batter consistency.
-Make balls and fry them.
-Beat curd, add roasted jeera powder and salt and pepper to taste.
-Soak vadas in water, squeeze and soak them in curd. Nutritive value per serving: 125 Cal.

Artificial sweeteners
There are a number of low calorie artificial sweeteners that are available in the market as a sugar substitute. They are mainly of two types: nutritive, and non-nutritive.
Nutritive sweeteners include sorbitol and fructose. These sweeteners provide calories and should be used with discretion.
Non-nutritive sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin, cyclamates, acesulfame K etc. Aspartame is a low calorie sweetener, about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is virtually calorie-free and can be consumed in amounts up to 40 mg per kilogram of body weight. It is considered safe for consumption by all individuals except for persons suffering from phenylketonuria. Saccharin is a calorie-free sweetener which is 300-500 times sweeter than sugar. The acceptable daily intake for saccharin is 5.0 mg per kilogram of body weight. Cyclamate is also a calorie-free sweetener 30 times sweeter than sugar. It can be consumed in amounts up to 11 mg per kilogram of body weight. Acesulfame K is 130-200 times sweeter than sugar and is calorie-free. The acceptable daily intake for acesulfame K has been set at 15 mg per kilogram of body weight.

Fat Replacers
Fat replacers are substances that can be used to replace some or all of the fat in food products. They have the potential to help reduce total fat consumption and hence, indirectly reduce total calorie consumption. Because fat replacers can improve both the taste and texture of lower-fat foods, they can help alleviate the sense of deprivation that can impede compliance with a low-fat, low-calorie diet. Fat replacers are of three types:

These include cellulose, maltodextrins, gums, starches, fibres, polydextrose, etc. Carbohydrate based fat replacers have lower calories than fat.

Although they are heat stable for baking, they do not melt and so cannot be used for sautéing or frying.

Protein based fat replacers:
These are generally based on egg whites, whey, protein or soy. Their texture and appearance make them particularly suited for use in dairy products. Although they are suitable for baking, they cannot be used for frying.

Fat based fat replacers:
These are based on fat, usually vegetable oils. The fatty acids in the vegetable oils are chemically treated so that they provide few or no calories. Fat based fat replacers have the advantage of heat stability and can be used in frying.

Tips for Controlling Calorie Intake

Controlling your body’s calorie intake is the most crucial aspect of any weight reduction program. However, you do not have to resort to a bland and tasteless diet in order to do so. Studies show that you will be more likely to stick to your low-calorie diet if it is palatable to the taste buds. You can limit your calories without compromising on taste. Here are some cooking methods, and diet tips and recipes that will ensure that you are able to restricts your calorie intake without losing out on the essential flavor of food.

Weight Management: Obesity

An ideal body weight is most conducive to good health. This ideal body weight varies for each individual. It is up to every individual to take the initiative to ensure that his or her body weight does not vary more than 2 kilograms of the ideal body weight.
The objective of any weight management program is to bring a person’s body weight within the ideal body weight range, and to maintain it there. The program revolves around ensuring a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. This sort of a weight management program is equally applicable to the underweight, and the obese.

Obesity management

Successful weight loss can be brought about through a combined nutritional and behavioral approach. The diet of the person should be well balanced and suited to his or her needs. This should be combined with an exercise program for effective results.

Dietary management

The objectives of diet modification in a weight reduction program are:

-To bring about a gradual weight loss.

-To maintain desirable weight and good nutritional status.

-To correct faulty food habits.

In order to achieve these objectives, suitable diet modifications must be made.

Energy:The energy intake must be reduced suitably to meet individual weight loss targets. A decrease of 1000 Cal daily is required to lose about one kilogram weight per week.
On an average, a 1000-1200 Cal diet is used for weight reduction in women and 1500-1800 Cal diet is prescribed for weight reduction in men.
Generally speaking, if you are overweight then reduce 500 Cal per day in your actual daily intake. If you are obese then you should reduce 1000 Cal per day in your actual daily intake. Another approach for determining energy requirement is based on body weight and activity.

Proteins:It is advisable to eat slightly more protein than the normal amounts, as protein makes you feel full, and helps to maintain a good nutritional status. Approximately twenty per cent of the total energy must be obtained from proteins. If you are taking a 1500 Cal diet, 300 Cal must come from proteins. To obtain 300 Cal from proteins, you need to consume 75 g proteins.

Fats:Unlike protein, fat intake needs to be reduced for weight reduction. A total of twenty per cent or less calories should come from fat. In a 1500 Cal diet, 300 Cal from fat will be obtained by consuming 33 g fat. The type of fat that is consumed should also be kept in mind.

Carbohydrates:Carbohydrates should provide the remaining sixty per cent of energy. In a 1500 Cal diet, 900 Cal from carbohydrates will be obtained by consuming 225 g carbohydrates. The carbohydrates should mainly be in complex form like starches and dietary fiber. Simple forms like sugars should be limited. Minerals and vitamins: Weight reducing diets should provide adequate amounts of essential nutrients like minerals and vitamins, while being low in calories at the same time. Fruit and vegetables, therefore, should be amply included in meals as they are low in calories and a good source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers.

Alcohol:Alcohol must always be consumed in moderation. While a glass of red wine everyday is good for your heart, more than that could lead to serious complications.

Diet and feeding pattern:A proper diet should also leave you feeling full. If you feel hungry all the time it is an indication that your diet is not adequate. This will also cause you to eat additional food not prescribed in the diet. Adequate amounts of protein foods, fibrous fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals and pulses provide satiety and thus help to cut down food intake. You should also drink plenty of unsweetened fluids.

Foods to be avoided,

-High fat foods like butter, processed cheese, chocolates, cream, ice-creams, fatty meats, pastries, cream soups, salad dressings, mayonnaise and white sauce.

-Fried foods like French fries, potato chips, etc.

-High carbohydrate foods such as breads, cakes, cookies, dried fruits, potatoes, sweet potatoes, honey, syrups, jams, rich puddings and preserves.

-Carbonated and malted beverages, alcoholic drinks and sweetened fruit juices.

Physical Activity:

Regular physical activity plays a major role in effective weight loss and weight management. It can also help prevent several diseases and improve your overall health. It does not matter what type of physical activity you perform - sports, planned exercise, household chores, or work-related tasks, all are beneficial. Studies show that even the most inactive people can gain significant health benefits if they accumulate thirty minutes or more of physical activity per day.

How can physical activity help control your weight?

Physical activity helps your body to burn excess calories, that would otherwise have been stored as fat. Since body weight is regulated by the number of calories you eat and use each day, any physical activity in addition to what you normally do, will use up extra calories. The basic idea behind any such program is to balance your body’s calorie intake and output. When you eat fewer calories than you burn, your body uses the stored calories and you lose weight. Any type of physical activity, whether light, moderate or strenuous, will increase the number of calories your body burns. The key to successful weight control and improved overall health is to make some sort of physical activity a part of your daily routine.

What are the health benefits of physical activity?

In addition to helping control your weight, research shows that regular physical activity can reduce your risk for several diseases and conditions and improve your overall quality of life. Regular physical activity can help protect you from health problems such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, back pain, and osteoporosis. In addition, when you exercise, the brain releases chemicals that lighten your mood and give you positive outlook on life.

How much should you exercise?

Experts recommend that you should do twenty to thirty minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week, and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week. If you are unable to sustain this level of activity, you should try to engage in thirty minutes of moderate intensity at least five days in a week. However, if you are unable to sustain this level of activity, you can gain substantial health benefits by accumulating 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, at least five times a week. While choosing physical activities to include in your weight loss program, ensure that you pick a variety of activities that you will enjoy doing on a regular basis. Remember, if you are not having fun, you will be less likely to stick to your exercise routine.
If you have been inactive for a while, you should start with less strenuous activities such as walking or swimming at a comfortable pace. Begin at a slow pace so that you do not overstrain yourself. Once you are in better shape, you can gradually do more strenuous activity.

Moderate-intensity activity,

Moderate-intensity activities include gardening and housework. These activities can be done in short spurts; accumulating 30 minutes of activity over the course of the day can result in substantial health benefits

Aerobic activity,

Aerobic activity is an important component of any exercise program. Aerobic exercise is any extended activity that makes you breathe harder while using the large muscles at a regular and even pace. Aerobic activities are very good for your heart and help make to make it stronger and more efficient. They also burn more calories than other activities. Some examples of aerobic activities include brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, aerobic dancing, ice or roller skating, skiing, and using aerobic equipment such as a treadmill, or stationary bike. Any exercise program should include time for warming up and cooling down, each lasting 5 minutes.

Behavior modification,

Behavior modification is an important component of a weight management program. Behavior modification consists of three components: self-monitoring, stimulus control and self-¬reward.
Self-monitoring involves a daily record of place and time of food intake, as well as accompanying thoughts and feelings. It helps to identify the physical and emotional conditions under which the person craves food. Once these conditions have been identified, they must be modified and controlled. This is called Stimulus control. Successful stimulus control should be rewarded. Self-reward includes techniques of rewarding self for eating control.

Extreme approaches to weight loss

A desperate desire to lose weight may cause some obese people to resort to extreme approaches of weight loss, which may be undesirable. Some of these extreme approaches include:

-Fasting:Fasting is a drastic measure and is seldom prescribed as a treatment for obesity. However, individuals often invoke fasting for religious reasons or in a personal effort to lose weight. Prolonged fasting can lead to acidosis, hypertension, lowered BMR, neurological and hormonal side-effects.

-Fad diets:Weight loss foods available in the market are often based on scientific inaccuracies and may be nutritionally inadequate too. They may in fact, make weight loss more difficult each time as they may not be practical and may not bring about behavioral changes.

-Drugs:Drugs such as amphetamines are commonly used to suppress appetite and may cause many side effects such as confusion, stroke, hallucinations and psychotic behavior.

-Special clothing and body wraps:These help weight loss in specific spots of the body so as to reduce body size. The small weight loss that occurs is the result of temporary water loss due to application of heat and vibrations.

-Surgery:Surgical techniques such as jaw wiring, liposuction and intestinal bypass are used for severely obese persons and may result in some side effects.

These should only be resorted to if all else fails and your obesity severely limits your good health.

Obesity management: Strategies for success

Successful weight management requires perseverance and discipline. Do not expect fat that has accumulated over the years to disappear overnight. Some strategies that you should keep in mind to aid your weight management program are:

-Do not set very high goals. Target a reasonable weight loss of one kilogram per week.

-Adapt family meals to specific needs by adjusting the method of preparation and reducing consumption of fats.

-Avoid binging. If you overeat due to social pressure, adjust other meals of the day or of the next day.

-While eating outside home, select simply prepared items rather than combination dishes. Avoid fried foods, use fruit as desserts as opposed to ice-creams, puddings, etc.

-Spread food throughout the day to meet your body’s energy requirements.

-Follow a gradual approach to exercise in order to get the most benefits.

-Exercise regularly at a comfortable pace.

-Select varied exercises that you enjoy and those that fit your personality, your work schedule, and your fitness level.

-Encourage your family and friends to support you and join you in your activities. This will ensure that you stick to your program and will also prove beneficial for your family’s health.

-Any exercise program invariably hits a plateau. Do not be discouraged. Circumvent them by increasing your exercise or varying the activity.

Calories

Food is an integral part of the human civilization. Different regions and cultures are characterized by their cuisines. The food industry is a multi million dollar industry. Today’s generation has access to a variety of cuisines from all over the world, prepared at their friendly neighborhood restaurant.
It is important, not to forget, in the midst of this gastronomical orgy, the main reason why we consume food. Food tastes good, but that is not why we eat it. We eat food because our body extracts all the nutrients that it requires from this food. These nutrients are essential for survival, growth, reproduction and for maintaining good health.
The daily activities of the body require energy, which is also supplied by the food we eat. The energy value of food is measured in units called calories. Food also supplies our body with proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber. It must be kept in mind that the body requires these nutrients in a specific amount. Any deficiency or excess of these nutrients can lead to ill-health.

What is a calorie?

The human body requires energy for a variety of activities such as breathing, pumping blood, walking, sitting, thinking, etc. Every action that you perform requires a certain amount of energy.

What calories do?

The human body requires energy for a variety of activities such as breathing, pumping blood, walking, sitting, thinking, etc. Every action that you perform requires a certain amount of energy.

Even when the body is at rest, it still requires energy, albeit at a lower amount, to ensure that circulation and respiration is maintained. Energy is also expended to maintain the body at the optimum temperature for survival. Young children and infants also require energy to aid their body’s growth process.

HOW RAW JUICE THERAPY WORKS

A regular intake of fruit and vegetables is essential for maintaining good health and keeping fit. Fresh juices from fruit and vegetables are pure and vital liquids of great healing power. Raw juices have none of the dangerous side effects associated with many allopathic drugs and they can eliminate many health problems caused by the fast pace of modern life. Regular consumption of juice also strengthens the body and prevents degeneration of skin, flesh, glands and organs. Here we shall look at the various types of fruit and vegetable juices and find out how they benefit the human body.
Juices are readily available and easy to digest and are juice therapy is a historically proven method of maintaining good health.

Juices also contain a number of nutrients that make them excellent dietary supplements. Even the ancient Romans used honey, crushed fruit, fruit juices, aromatic plants and scented flowers in their drinks.
The composition of juices is very complex and science has still not fully grasped the full impact of these natural energy boosters. For example, a liter of grape juice contains almost eight hundred calories, which is equivalent to one and a half liters of milk, a dozen eggs, three pounds of potatoes, or one and half pounds of meat.

Healthy Weight Control

Healthy weight makes one look and feel better, whereas excess weight can be associated with lots of life-threatening diseases. Earlier excess weight gain was considered a disease of the wealthy. But nowadays even developing and poor countries are facing similar problems. Over the years our eating habits have changed drastically. Most of us prefer fast foods that are unhealthy and reasons for weight gain. Fortunately there are solutions to control our weight.
There are plenty of reasons for overweight or obese people to lose weight - to become healthier, look better, feel better or to be more energetic. Regardless of the reason, successful weight control and healthy weight management depends on reasonable goals and expectations. If you set wise goals for yourself, the chances are you will be more likely to meet them and succeed in keeping the weight off. As a matter of fact, shedding even 5 to 10% of your weight is the sort of goal that will certainly help you improve your health.
Most obese or overweight people ought to lose weight gradually. For safe and healthy weight loss, try not to shed more than two pounds a week. Oftentimes, people with serious health problems associated with obesity could have genuine reasons for losing weight fast. If this is the case, a physician's supervision is called for.
Successful weight control should take into account all these factors. That is the reason why you should ignore products and programs that promise fast and easy results. Likewise, avoid those that promise permanent results without necessitating permanent changes in your lifestyle.

Any ads that tell you that you can shed pounds without lowering your caloric intake or without increasing your physical activity are selling fantasies and false hopes. As a matter of fact, a lot of people would call them highly fraudulent. Further, the use of some products may also not be safe in the long run.

Food therapy

Foods can heal a diseased body and act as a medicine to nourish and restore the body to wholeness of health. Healthy eating can reduce the symptoms as well as reverse various chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer, TB, arthritis and asthma. While several diseases cannot be totally cured but at the most alleviated, a healthy diet and lifestyle can prevent them. In fact food therapy where a combination of foods and herbs is used, forms the basis of the healing system of various cultures. While no single perfect food exists, certain foods are known to allay certain diseases as well as reverse them.

For instance:

-Onion and garlic contain allyl sulfides, chemicals that inhibit the production of cancer causing chemicals and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

-Bitter vegetables like bitter gourd and fenugreek are proven to control diabetes.

-Iron-rich vegetables like spinach, beets, bananas and tomatoes prevent and cure anemia.

-Dried black raisins have high alkaline content, excellent for acidosis.Vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables like amla (Indian gooseberry), lime and sprouted mung beans prevent and cure colds

Eating food should be an enjoyable experience and maintaining fixed food time regularities is important. However, caution must be observed while selecting a particular diet as some diets target specific foods like carbohydrate-rich foods, high-fat foods and low protein foods, as being responsible for weak health. Following simple diet guidelines while addressing your health issues will go a long way in enhancing the quality of your life.

-Enjoy variety in fruits and vegetables.

-Include vegetarian protein sources like beans, nuts, low-fat milk and less animal protein.

-Incorporate beneficial unsaturated fat from olive oil in your diet.

-Use whole grains and not refined foodstuff.

Diet and Health Issues

Eating healthy food goes a long way in promoting good health. An unhealthy diet along with genetic, behavioral and social factors is associated with the majority of health problems. Several research studies prove that what we eat affects our health in the long run.

Healthy Daily Menu

Eating disorders that can range from binge eating to compulsive eating to anorexia, as well as eating the wrong types of foods are detrimental to the functioning of a healthy body. Thus it is essential that our daily menu consist of food that nourishes us with the daily essential requirements of vitamins and minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fiber and fat.A healthy balance of different food groups must form the basis of a well-planned daily menu. While there is a range of healthy daily menu plans available, nutritional variety in food is vital to a vitalized body. Especially since every individual’s nutritional requirements vary at various stages in life. Besides chronic ailments and debilitating diseases can drastically alter your daily vitamin and mineral needs. In addition, pregnancy, food allergies, cultural background, religious and personal preferences also restrict one’s food choices.You must be aware of your body’s vitamin and mineral requirements as well as the nutritional values of the food choices you make prior to selecting a daily food menu. To ensure that you are following a balanced diet, make sure that:
1.
Your food choices originate from the five main food groups viz. fruits, vegetables, cereals and pulses, dairy, poultry, fish and meat products.
2.
Since our body requires over 40 nutrients including vitamins, minerals, water, protein, carbohydrates and fats; it is important that we eat a variety of foods especially within vegetables and across the food groups. For example while vegetables like capsicum provide us with Vitamin C, spinach is rich in iron; both foods from the same food group but catering to different nutritional needs.
3.
Your diet ensures that your Body Mass Index (BMI) is within the recommended range.
4.
You follow low fat recipes, eating foods that are low in saturated and trans fat.
5.
Sugar, oil and alcoholic beverage consumption is restricted.
6.
Your food has low sodium content
The means used to grow, store and prepare food also plays an important in enhancing or depleting the nutritional value of the food. For instance overcooking and frying negate the sustaining power of food.

Different Types of Diet

A nutritious diet is key to maintaining good health. The food that we eat or drink on any given day refers to a diet. However the foods that we eat should supply the vitamins and calories our bodies need to be nourished with for optimum function. Unlike in the past where one only heard of a weight loss diet, today there are a variety of diet types. The diet types range from the Atkins diet, South Beach diet, Mediterranean diet, blood type diet, Zone diet, low calorie diet, detoxification diet, GI diet, Gluten-free diet, juice diet and a plethora of others.
People follow various types of diets for a variety of reasons like weight loss and weight gain, religious and personal preferences, to recuperate from illnesses, as well as to combat diseases like diabetes, cancer, hyperthyroidism and other chronic conditions. Most of the popular diets have been thoroughly researched and tested for their effectiveness. However prior to embarking upon a diet, it would be prudent for you to assess whether the nutrition objectives of these diets are in sync with your dieting requirements. Personal considerations like your age, activity levels, health condition, daily calories and vitamin recommendations needs must be kept in mind.Caution must be taken to ensure that your ideal diet contains all the essential nutrition needs your body needs. A food guide pyramid and nutrition facts label on packaged foodstuff will help in selecting the right diet for you.
Several popular diets can actually harm instead of heal you. Especially those diets, which totally exclude vital food groups and restrict variations in food. For instance some diets advocate that one greatly reduce the amount of carbohydrates, while others advice an overly excessive consumption of fruits.
They make unfound and false claims that the human body cannot digest protein and carbohydrates simultaneously. The fact is that different parts of our digestive tract caters to varied nutrients and absorb those nutrients. However, most of our food like beans (which contain 50% protein and 50% carbohydrate) is a combination of both proteins and carbohydrates.
Whatever diet you choose to adopt, make sure that it contains the average recommended vitamins and minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fiber and fat your body needs.

Healthy Food Groups

Since no single food group can nourish the body with all the vital ingredients it requires, it is important that we consume a variety of healthy foods to derive the nutrition our body needs. There are five main food groups, they are:
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Cereals and Pulses
• Dairy
• Poultry, Fish and Meat products
A healthy balance of these five food groups ensures essential vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. The food group serving size will depend upon various factors like age, activity level, body size and gender. It is also important that one eat a variety of foods from within and across the food groups. As some foods from within a food group provide more nutrients than others.

This will ensure that one gets the maximum recommended nutrition from the food group; besides the food variety will make for an interesting meal.
In conclusion, it must be noted that allopathic medicine treats the symptoms rather than the root cause of the disease, which is usually caused by wrong eating habits leading to an accumulation of toxins within the system. Whereas a nutritious diet can rectify underlying causes of diseases and restore one to wholeness of mind and body. Once we realise the connection between a wholesome diet and good health, our food will be our medicine and maintaining good health will be a matter of making the right food choices and leading a healthy lifestyle.

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Diet and Health

A balanced diet comprising of healthy and diverse foods is key to promoting good health. After all, we are what we eat - Research continues to prove that eating healthy food promotes good health and unhealthy food habits lead to a diseased body. Foods contain vital nutrients that aid our body’s metabolic function. However, a lack of consumption of these nutrients or feeding upon the wrong kinds of food leads to an accumulation of toxins within the body, resulting in chronic diseases in the long run. A nutritious diet while ensuring overall well being, helps to maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI), reduces the risk of several debilitating diseases like cancer, cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, osteoporosis and stroke. Thus a nutritious diet is important in the prevention and cure of various diseases.

Reduce your risk

To reduce your risk of getting a cold or flu, here are some useful tips:
Wash your hands regularly - the tiny droplets sneezed or coughed out by someone with a cold or flu can be passed on through hands and other surfaces.
Don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth, as the infection can spread particularly easy through these areas.
Dispose of any used tissues immediately - never leave dirty handkerchiefs lying around.
Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze if you have the virus.
Avoid close contact with anyone who has cold or flu symptoms.

Flu

Flu carries an increased risk of complications and serious illness for older people (aged 65 and over), and people with long-term medical conditions.
Having the flu is more severe than a when you have a cold, and symptoms often develop more quickly. The symptoms of the flu include:
a fever that comes on quickly
severe aches and pains,
exhaustion, and
having difficulty sleeping.
While recovery from the common cold usually occurs within a week, the severe stage of flu usually lasts 3 - 5 days. It can then be followed by up to three weeks of post-viral fatigue (tiredness). If your symptoms persist for longer than a week or become very severe, see your GP.
Older people and those with long-term medical conditions may need medical attention earlier.

Self help

You can also take care of yourself by:
-Drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, such as water or fruit juice. Also, avoid drinking alcohol while taking medicines containing paracetamol
-Wrapping up and keep warm - layers are the best way to keep warm outdoors.
-Taking paracetamol to relieve any pain-aspirin and ibuprofen can also be used but are
more likely to cause stomach upset. (Aspirin should not be given to children under the age of 16.)
**Wearing layers is the best way to keep warm outdoors**

Usually it's only necessary to see your GP if:
-you have a cough that lasts more than three weeks,
-you begin to experience a shortness of breath
-you develop chest pains, or
-you already have a chest condition.

Home care

If you're a fit and healthy person, a cold or flu is unlikely to be serious, or cause you any complications. It will disappear without treatment, but there are plenty of over-the-counter medicines you can use to help relieve your symptoms.
Decongestants such as pseudoephedrine can be taken for congested nasal passages and sinuses (stuffy nose).
Anti-histamine tablets and nasal sprays, also used to treat allergies, are an alternative treatment, but can make you feel drowsy.
Coughs and sore throats can be relieved with cough medicines and lozenges.
You can also use antiseptic or local anaesthetic throat sprays, which will help soothe
sore throats and ease pain.

Antibiotics can only be prescribed by your GP, but don't often work on the majority of coughs and sore throats.
If you are taking over-the-counter medicines, it is important to check with your pharmacist (chemist) that they will not interact with other medicines you are currently taking.
In particular, always check the packaging and enclosed patient information leaflet to make
sure you don't take more than the recommended dose.If you're unsure, always ask your pharmacist.

Cold and flu advice

As the nights begin to draw in, there seems to be a definite chill in the air. Winter has arrived and it's time to wrap up warm to protect yourself against the dreaded cold and flu (influenza).
Colds and flu occur all year round, but seem to be most common in the winter months. No-one is quite sure why, but it may be because many people spend more time indoors, with closer contact between other people and are getting less fresh air.
Unsurprisingly, colds are the most common upper respiratory illness in the UK. Both colds and flu are caused by viruses, which are highly contagious. They spread when people who are infected sneeze or cough, sending tiny droplets of infected saliva into the air.

The main symptoms of a cold are:
-sneezing
-a sore throat, and
-a blocked or runny nose.

**Colds are the most common upper respiratory illness in the UK**

You may also have a high temperature, feel tired, or have regular headaches.