Healthy Lifestyle

[dev]

Hi all,

I might not be able to post regularly in this thread for a couple of months from now... Those following my diet plan,in case of any doubts,pls PM me...Will try to reply at the soonest possible...will also make posts whenever I find time...

..........................................

Eat healthy,live better...

[a.ratchasi]

Good job, dev!

[dev]

BODY MASS INDEX
Most medical personnel will tell you that being overweight is unhealthy. A long list of ailments await those who are overweight or obese. These include increased risks of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes etc etc.

Definition of overweight means different things to different people:
For instance, a 5 foot 2 inch tall woman can be considered overweight at 160 pounds while a 6 foot 2 inch man is on the thin side at 160 pounds.

So,how do you know what's the ideal weight for you?
One way is to put everything on the same scale by adjusting for height. This can be done using the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation. It describes the relative weight for any given height and measures your overall total body fat content. It does not, however, differentiate between people with too much fat and athletic, muscular body type people. Thus, you should really use BMI in conjunction with other body composition assessments.

[dev]

An interesting article from rediff.com...

Is your child eating junk food? Beware!

Vinitha Ramchandani | March 21, 2005

Recently, in a tête-à-tête with fans, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he wants to ban sale of junk food in California schools.

He disclosed he wanted vending machines that dispense fresh fruits, vegetables and milk in their place.

Radical? Not really.

Talk to dieticians, school counsellors, even educationists, and you will find Schwarzenegger has probably said something very close to their heart.
Says Swati Popat, director, Podar Jumbo Kids, Mumbai, "We have a whole generation of kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. And the reason for this is largely [the kind of] food [children eat]."

If you think your child is naughty and half an hour of him/ her is enough to exhaust you, it might be wise to check the food you are giving your child. Junk food might just be the culprit.

Please note, though: there is a difference between junk food and fast food.

Sports nutritionist and child counsellor Sejal Mehta says, "Fast food is food that is fast to cook. Idli is fast food and highly nutritious. Junk food harms the system with empty calories. It has no proteins and vitamins. For instance, aerated drinks fill your stomach with carbon dioxide and decays the food in your intestine. The high sugar content slows down the blood circulation in the brain.

"The child feels full and is instantly energised. The energy then dissipates and the child is left lethargic in half an hour. S/he then wants more of the stuff, thus causing addiction."

[dev]

contd...

What is junk food, really?

Junk food is a slang word for foods with limited nutritional value.
To put it simply, foods high in salt, sugar, fat or calories and low nutrient content can be termed junk food.

Salted snack foods, candy, gum, most desserts, fried fast food and carbonated beverages are some of the major junk foods.So if your child has fries at McDonald's or decides to wolf down vada pav made at home, s/he is consuming junk food.Any over-cooked food or food that is cooked in high heat kills nutrition. What you consume then is fibre.

All packed food contains preservatives. Most contain food colouring. Both are harmful and often contain carcinogenic substances.When your child consumes foods like these, s/he could develop allergies like asthma and skin rashes.

Homeopath Rajiv Menon says he categorically tells parents to stop their children from eating all pre-packed snacks and stop aerated drinks when they come to him for prolonged allergies and asthma attacks. "Half the time, they don't even require medication after that," he says.

[dev]

contd...

A step in the right direction

Some schools in India are taking a stand about children's diet, though. Take the Podar schools all over India. They seem to be imposing good eating habits among their students.

Says Dr Devika Paul, a parent, "I was surprised when my kindergarten-going daughter Priyanka told me not to pick up a packet of Ruffles [pre-packed crisps]. She told me it was bad to eat and her teacher would not allow her to carry it to school."

At Podar Jumbo Kids, parents whose kids have gained admission to the pre-primary school are surprised when they are counselled about food.

"The right diet is important for school-going kids," says Popat. "We give a food timetable to parents. They are free to work around it. For instance, on Monday, children are allowed to bring cooked or uncooked cereal. On Tuesday, it is only fruit. On Wednesday, they are told to bring bran bread or chapattis with vegetables.

"We tell parents to avoid chapattis, though. They tend to get rubbery and can be hard on tender jaws. We also tell parents mandatorily that children cannot bring in pre-packed food, wafers and sweetened water in any form. We encourage children to drink water. The more water [you drink], the more oxygen [supplied] to the body."

As for parents, Popat says, "Mothers don't like it. It is so much easier to pack a Peppy [pre-packed crisps] for dabba along with a Frooti."

A school teacher at Arya Vidya Mandir, Bandra, Mumbai, says she noticed all 40 children in her class brought packed snacks to school. This causes a chain reaction. If 10 children bring packed food to school, the rest, too, want to bring the same thing.

It is better if the school bans junk food at school, says another school counsellor.

Parents, heed this!

Perhaps an easier way would be to educate adults and children on how to judge the food you eat.

i. First, while buying pre-packed, convenience food, check the list of ingredients and nutrition facts label found on the packages.

Keep an eye out for sugar, fat or salt as one of the first three ingredients. If any of these are listed high in the ingredients, consider that food to be very high in sugar, fat or salt.

The high sugar content in junk food causes tooth decay, increased tendency for blood clots, decreased levels of good cholesterol, increased levels of blood fat associated with diabetes and heart disease and childhood obesity.

Says Meenal Rajani, "I just spent Rs 7,000 on a root canal treatment for my 11-year-old son."

At Chaturbhuj Narsee Memorial and ND Parikh pre-primary school, Mumbai, children are served healthy snacks, like sprouted bhel, sandwiches, idlis, khichdi curry, patties stuffed with vegetables, unmashed pav bhaji. "And the children love it," says a teacher.

ii. The nutritional information on the label also registers the number of calories per serving, grams of fat, sodium, cholesterol, fibre and sugar content. This information will make you more cautious and select the foods to reduce your child's nutritional health risk.

iii. Studies show that the colour of food affects us, too.

According to Monisha Bharadwaj, writer of Indian Luck Book: How To Bring Luck Into Your Life, the colours of some food are important. Some can calm you, while some act as anti-depressants. Some are stimulating, while others can be antiseptic (see below).

So are all junk foods bad?

"Not really," says Anjali Bose, dietician. "If you can balance junk food with a fruit or a whole vegetable, it is okay, really. Junk foods may have higher levels of fat, salt and sugar, but they still contain nutrients and can be considered a small part of a healthy diet.

"A general rule of thumb is to eat fresh, healthy foods about 90 per cent of the time, and indulge in junk foods no more than 10 per cent of the time."

Here's to healthy eating!

[dev]

contd...

How colours in food influence our health

~ Blue

* Examples: Raisins, blue plums, mushrooms.
* Characteristics: Antiseptic, soporific.
* They affect: The mouth, throat and respiratory system.
* They induce calm and restful sleep without nightmares.

~ Green

* Examples: Green grapes, coriander, cucumber, milk, milk products.
* Characteristics: Calming, relaxing.
* They affect: The ears, arms, digestive system, heart.
* They give energy to your body.

~ Yellow

* Examples: Yellow lentils, bananas, pineapple, corn.
* Characteristics: Cleansing, laxative, harmonising.
* They affect: The stomach, liver, nervous system.
* They calm the mind, promote well-being and happiness.

~ Orange

* Examples: Mangoes, carrots, egg yolk, papayas.
* Characteristics: Tonic, appetite-builder, anti-depressant.
* They affect: The legs, stomach, the circulatory system.
* They protect against air pollution and the sun's ultraviolet rays.

~ Red

* Examples: Berries, kidney beans, tomatoes.
* Characteristics: Warming, stimulating.
* They affect: The kidneys, bladder, muscular system.
* Excessive amounts can cause anger, irritability and hyperactivity.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier

Here is the link... http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/mar/21junk.htm

[Anandi]

thanx dev!

yr posts are highly informational..WE get to know so many facts!!
you are doing a great job

[gvb]

Hi Dev,
I have been having this question in my mind for some time..If a person can consume 1200 calories a day can he/she eat sweets or fried snacks or watever as long as its within 1200 calories..I know that this cannot be a routine thing..See sometimes when i eat icecream or sthg i usually skip dinner to balance it..so my question is does this balancing work?And is consuming Sugar a definite no-no?

Thanks,
GVB

[Ilavenil]

Hi Dev,
I have been having this question in my mind for some time..If a person can consume 1200 calories a day can he/she eat sweets or fried snacks or watever as long as its within 1200 calories..I know that this cannot be a routine thing..See sometimes when i eat icecream or sthg i usually skip dinner to balance it..so my question is does this balancing work?And is consuming Sugar a definite no-no?

Thanks,
GVB

No, though the total calories you can take per day is 1200 calories, you still have to stick on to 60% carbs, 15% protein and 30% fat, where 30% of fat has to have <10% saturated fat. Since Icecream will have more satured fat and sugar, though total calories make it look OK, it will alter the balance. BTW, eating icecream once a while is not harmful. But eating snacks and deserts regularly will definitely affect the outcome.