Entries Tagged 'Diet' ↓

The greatest love on earth is indeed one’s love for food. It is indestructible and the most sincere.
It is a dietician’s job to make the obese get over this love: no doubt one of the toughest jobs on earth.

Obesity one of the greatest problems crippling humans now has a number of co morbidities that includes diabetes, blood pressure, arthritis , heart disorders and bone problems. An Indian dietician thus holds a very important position in today’s society.

The Indian diet is quite balanced in itself. But in the past few years many have switched to the western diet laced with Pepsi, pizzas and pastas which is the sole reason for the sudden peak in obesity. Also many have lost control of calories eating too much of rice and wheat which mostly gets stored as fat in the body.

Also studies have proven that Indians are very susceptible to abdominal obesity due to a gene we carry. Hence we have to be extra careful to tread the line of obesity.

An Indian dietician works in clinics, hospitals or specialty centers (like diabetics, kidney or coronary wards). They assist infants, elderly, the sick, athletes and the obese to control their calories and nutrition.

They help patients carry out a customized food plan that is drawn up especially for them. This plan is based on their occupation, age, weight, fitness, disorders and stress levels.

Dieticians should necessarily enjoy working with people. Apart from working in clinics or hospitals they may also be employed in defense establishments, educational institutions, residential schools, factories, sports establishments, and health and fitness centers

Research in diet and nutrition is also an option. Organizations like The UN and some NGO’s employ dieticians to work on new diets.

If you enjoy writing you may even combine journalism or blogging with health and nutrition and write about diet plans and weight loss tips. In fact most news papers, magazines and television channels employ their own special dieticians to write columns and host programs on weight loss and answer queries.

You must have good communication skills and a lot of patience if you want to be a dietician. A lot of cajoling and convincing is required to motivate obese people to follow dietary restrictions. Also you must make sure you are fit and healthy as patients will look for practice and prescribe.

The majority of diets available are built for the western world. These have to monitored and customized for the Indian. Also most Indians are vegetarians and hence they demand a unique diet to suit their body and life style. Hence as an Indian dietician you will have to be willing to try different approaches and experiment.

For several years it has been recognized that south Asians have certain unique clinical and biochemical characteristics that make them susceptible to obesity .These are collectively referred to as the South Asian Phenotype. Asians have a unique body phenotype with relatively lower BMI but increased abdominal adiposity and body fat particularly visceral fat.

The Asian Indian race both native and migrant has extra body fat in its composition which has now been nicknamed “The Thin Fat Indian”. We have more fat and less muscle and have the best brains but do not make the best athletes. Possibly we have world chess champions and are the software outsource capital of the world but we lack woefully in Olympic sports.

The traditional India diet is very healthy and balanced. Indians get their proteins from lamb, fish, chicken, bean and pulses.

The carbohydrates come from rice, wheat and bread. Due to climatic differences across India, rice is popular among south Indians while wheat is preferred by north Indians.

The cooking oils, nuts, ghee and butter used in Indian diets serve as source of fats. The type of oils used in different parts of India is different for example groundnut oil is largely used in eastern India and coconut oil in south India.

The various mixes of vegetables and fruits used provide all the essential minerals and vitamins. Fruits like guavas, mangoes, grapes, melons, oranges, apples etc are widely grown and consumed in all parts of India.
The majority of Indians are vegetarians and hence it comes as no surprise that their diet is nearly entirely comprised of vegetables.

Dairy products form a major part of the Indian diet. A large number of Indian savories are made from curd or milk. Yogurt is used in curries, milk in sweets and porridge, deserts etc. curd is used in a variety of sauces in Indian gravies and in chat items like Chat Paapad. Butter milk is a part of the staple Indian diet in most parts of India.

It is not surprising that spices form the core of the Indian diet. Most of these spices are used not only for their smells and exotic flavors but also for their medicinal properties. Turmeric is a well known anti septic and is also proven to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger has cold relieving properties. Other spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, garlic and chilies are other commonly used spices.

Obesity results from the interaction of many factors in genetic, metabolic, behavioral, environmental and lifestyle influences. The basic principle behind weight gain is defect/imbalance in energy homeostasis. i.e.; lack of proper dieting. As a result the excess energy is stored in the body and the fat cells increase in size and number.

In a study in the University of New South Wales, animals were offered cafeteria diets (chocolate bars, cheese curls, cookies etc).These animals became obese and began to refuse their natural food .Even more starling, they began to eat these food items even when they were not hungry. Junk food thus has been proved to have the ability to develop “fake”hunger leading to repeated eating and obesity

Over the years the average fast food consumption and portion sizes has increased.

Ready access to inexpensive snacks, drive through and quick delivery, the popularity of buffet dining, television advertising of unhealthy foods, school contracts with soft drinks and other junk food companies reflects the double edged sword of technological advancements as these can have disastrous effects on our body.

There is a clear decrease in traditional three meals a day pattern and a rise in more frequent, less formal eating occasions commonly described as snacking. While the eating frequency per se may not contribute to obesity patterns, the quality and quantity of these snacks have severe impact on individuals. Studies have shown that consuming increasingly large packets of chips or sandwiches during these “snacking” is associated with significant increase in appetite and the individual ends up consuming large quantities during the subsequent meal.

Contrary to popular assumption dieting does not refer to starving yourself off calories and cutting out any traces of carbohydrates and fats. In fact when you’re dieting you’re not expected to give up on any kind of, you only have to cut down on the size of the portions.

An obese person who is dieting is encouraged to have around 1500-1600 Kilo calories a day. This diet should have a major contribution from proteins, vitamins and minerals and less contribution from fats and carbohydrates.

Fats and carbohydrates should never be cut out from the meals as is common among most diets popular on the net. Deficiency of fat may lead to loss of lean muscle which in turn to many health disorders. Also cutting out carbohydrates drains you of energy which only prevents you from exercising and makes you hungrier.

Dieticians and nutritionists correct eating habits of patients and help them lead a healthy life. They are employed to assist people to plan meals depending upon their age, work and lifestyle. If the patients have a special disorder like diabetes or heart disease, the diets are customized for them. They monitor their patients repeatedly and implement the effects on the diet plans.

A dietician is often confused with a nutritionist. A nutritionist simply studies the effect of storage, heat and other physical- chemical factors on food. They also evaluate the effect of food on humans. They are usually employed to prevent complications in patients and assist them in recovery.

The studies of Nutrition and Dietetics are interlinked and complimentary to each other. It is one of the growing possibilities in today’s world. These practitioners find jobs in hospitals, clinics, star hotels, labs, canteens, recreation centers etc. Also, they are employed by private agencies for consultancy. There are many openings in the media and print for columns and programs.

A dietician must be socio-friendly and easily likable. They must be apt in communication and have enough patience to convince children and adults to follow the diet plans. In cases of the critically ill and elderly, they have to closely monitor the situational and be ready for emergencies. In such cases one mistake may cost a life.

There are four types of dieticians and nutritionists.

Clinical Dieticians
They work in hospitals and clinics and assist in drawing diet plans for the sick. They associate with doctors to draw up nutrition and calorific restriction details to avoid further complications and best assist the recovery of the patient.

Community Dieticians
They work in public health centers like clinics, home health agencies and health maintenance organizations. They design diet plans to prevent disorders and promote general health.

Community nutritionists analyze fiber and nutrition content in packaged foods and prepare literary distribution.

Management Dieticians
They work in health care facilities, companies, schools, defense establishments, sports facilities, prisons etc. They plan the large scale meals and over see the sanitary conditions. They also help prepare individual records of each patient.

Consultant Dieticians
They work under health care facilities or carry out their own private practice. They assist their patients on diet planning, weight loss, cholesterol reduction etc.

People opting to work as a dietician or a nutritionist may study a three year B.Sc. in Nutrition and Dietetics. Four year courses are also available in post graduation.

What with the sudden popularization of size zero by celebrities and the rise in awareness of the hazards of obesity everybody suddenly wants to lose weight. 

All this fuss has led to the rise of numerous weight loss diets which often consist of starving yourself for weeks just so you can shed a few pounds. But many do not realize these so called instant weight loss diets are extremely hazardous to health. 

Some of the popular diets like Liquid diets, Cabbage soup diets. Atkins diet, General Motor diets etc are not very appealing to the obese and need extreme self control to be followed meticulously. Also if one gives up in the middle of a regime, which happens very often, they end up gaining more than they bargained of in rebound. 

Hence it is just best for an obese man to stick to 1500 Kilo calorie diets that are easy to follow and also healthy for all age groups. You will definitely not give up soon as these diets allow a variety of tasty food items and encourage occasional indulges. 

These weight loss diet plans are broken down into three main meals. The main meals provide about 400 kilo calories and the snacks and desert contribute about 200 kilo calories. Preferably one must stick to the three meal plan and avoid snacks in between. To satisfy the initial pangs in the first few days of the day, you may indulge in low calories snacks. 

Fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, pulses, whole grains, milk, salmon, eggs, olive oils are the recommended food items. Also fresh fruit juices with no sugar or cream and water can be drunk in unlimited quantities in between meals. 

Here is a sample Weight Loss Diet Plan 

Breakfast: Oatmeal / scrambled eggs/ 2 slices of bread

Coffee / Tea with fat free milk  

Snack: one Apple / One Cucumber  

Lunch: Rice/ 2 slices Bread/

One serving meat

Vegetable Salad 

Snack: Tea/coffee with fat free milk  

Dinner

Potatoes/ One serving meat

Bread/ Rice/ Tacos

Vegetable Salad/ Fruit desserts 

The goal of this weight loss diet plan is about 5 Kilograms in 12 weeks. This weight loss may not be instant but it is very healthy and prevents rebound. All the food items in this plan will satisfy the taste buds of obese patients and encourage them to reduce weight. Make sure you have at least one cheat meal a week where you can indulge in any food of your choice.

Obesity rates are at its peak in India. Nearly one out of every ten in India is obese. This has lead to the sudden popularity of crash diets and gyms. But the weight loss regimes like the Atkins, The general motors, Liquid diets all prove of no use to Indians.

Many Indians follow the western diet plans for months and still bear no results. This can be extremely frustrating and nearly all of them lose motivation. Also most diet plans available online are extremely complicated to understand. They do not incorporate Indian dishes and this trouble many an Indian taste buds.  Also most Indians are vegetarians and their preferences are mostly not accommodated in diets.

An Indian weight loss diet has to be customized of the average Indian. It will be vastly different from a western weight loss diet because of the different cuisines in India. Also they will have to accommodate the variety in different states of India. For example the north Indians eat a lot of chapattis (wheat) which is much healthier than the south Indian counterpart, rice. But at the same time, south Indians eat a lot of gravies and vegetables whereas north Indian cuisines contain a lot of fats and butter.
Hence an Indian weight loss diet must be able to satisfy Indians from different states.

A traditional Indian meal in itself is extremely healthy. While we have the same rice and wheat for carbohydrates like the bread, pasta and cakes in the western world, we have more vegetables, fruits, pulses (dal) incorporated into our daily meals. The main reason for obesity is the leaning toward junk food popularized by the Americans and the increase in portion sizes.
The most popular of all weight loss diets are Low Carbohydrate Diets. It is impossible to avoid carbohydrates in an Indian meal. Our meals are filled with items like Idli ,Dosas, Upma, Poha, Dhoklas, Parathas, chapattis etc. but you don’t have to cut out these items because unlike their western counterparts , these are not processed and are hence filled with plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Here is a typical Indian Weight Loss Diet Plan.

Breakfast: 2 Dosas/ 2 idlis/ one bowl poha/ one bowl upma/ 2 chappatis

Coffee/ tea with low fat milk
Lunch: One Bowl Rice/ 3 chappatis with vegetables

One serving meat (30 g)

Sprouts salads

Dinner: 2 chappatis with sabji / 2 dosas/ 2 idlis

What many obese people don’t realize is that losing weight and reducing fat is not the same thing. Reducing weight involves losing the water stored in between fat cells and loss of other toxins losing fat is the actually burning of fat cells to produce energy.

Fat is most likely stored in the stomach, thighs and buttocks. And these are the most difficult parts to shape for any obese man or woman. You can diet all you want but it will have no effect.

So the big question is How to reduce fat?

For losing the fat in your body you only have to follow two strict rules.

Work Out
Strengthen your muscles and do a lot of cardio exercises. This will convert all the flab in your body to tone it into shape. Also this will ensure you won’t get skinny. Also strength training increases your metabolic rate and hence encourages the body to reduce weight.

Add squats, sit ups and crunches to the regular cardio exercises. This will lay emphasis on specific body parts and help burn fat quickly. Preferably one should exercise for 30 minutes a day every day of the week. Or you may exercise for an hour three days a week.

Eat The Right Calories
Eat only fresh food items and stay away from processed or tinned items. Simply buy raw food and cook it on your own. This will get rid of all the preservatives, fats and chemicals added and keep you healthy. Eat a lot of proteins, this will help build muscles and prevent flab. Eat a lot of vegetables and fruits and stuff yourself with water. Also make sure you are not deficient of some necessary fat as this will have disastrous effects on your body.
Drink lots of fresh juices and avoid soft drinks and alcohol. Alcohol adds more liquid fat to the belly and hence it must be strictly moderated. Also, avoid sugar or cream in the drinks.

Cut down on your carbohydrates and have them only after a work out session. Avoid white bread /rice etc and eat only brown carbohydrates. Also switch to whole wheat grains.
Eat more frequently instead of heavy meals. Break down the standard three meals to smaller snacks in smaller time intervals. Never skip breakfast and fill it with carbohydrates. Eat every three hours.

An example of a healthy diet to reduce fat is,

Breakfast: eggs with tomatoes, Green tea

Snack: Tea /coffee

Lunch: Chicken (30 g), tomatoes, wheat/rice

Dinner: spinach, carrots, peas, Wheat/ Rice

Obesity is a very tough opponent to fight. While gaining weight is extremely easy and takes such a short time, losing weight is a war in itself. We starve ourselves, give up all our favorite savories and exercise for hour together but the weighing scale never moves an inch!

If you are one of those who are striving on rabbit food just so you can lose a few extra pounds you must know you are wasting your time. Crashing your meals and calories will not make you thin or healthy. Look at it this way, when you crash your meals you are depriving yourself of all necessary nutrients. This will cause deficiencies in your body and further deteriorate your health. Also when you have drastically cut down your calories you are extremely devoid of energy and you end up being too tired to exercise.

A healthy diet is not that which makes you curse the chef or giving up all your taste buds. A healthy diet on the other hand will make feel great, give you plenty more energy and also keep you sharp, calm and happy.

Healthy diets are not just about what you eat, they are about how you eat too. Here are a few diet tips that will keep you healthy and energetic!

• Begin gradually

When you begin to diet and cut down on your eating habits, you must remember to take it gradually. Overnight you cannot give up eating a thousand calories, this will make your body extremely weak and also you will not keep self control for long.

• Eat In Portions

It does not matter if you want to eat ice creams or pizzas: just remember to cut down on the size of the servings. Also break down your meals into parts over time intervals. This will prevent you from getting hungry soon.

• Don’t Rush

It matter how you eat. Don’t rush in meals while watching television, while working or during travels. Take time to finish each meal, gradually.

• Snack On Vegetables

If you feel hungry between meals and just cannot resist visiting the kitchen, keep your hands away from the bread and cheese. Instead snack on vegetables and fruits. Stock up your kitchen with varieties of veggies and plan new recipes of salads for meals.

• Reward yourself

If you manage to attain the target weight loss in the required time you may reward your self with indulges. This helps keep the enthusiasm going!

The General Motors (GM) Diet is possibly one of the most famous diets of all time. It was developed By the General Motors Inc. and The John Hopkins University in 1995 exclusively for its employees. It was later released for the general public.

The General Motors Diet is very difficult to follow in itself. It requires strict adherence to a single item throughout the day. For vegetarians, especially Indians the diet is even more difficult as it requires giving up all the usual food items. Also the original diet was developed for non vegetarians with plenty of fish and meat. The vegetarian counterparts are not very well known.

This diet will lead to a loss of nearly 5- 6 kilo grams in one week. This diet can be repeated for any number of weeks with a gap of at least 3 days in between. On a full cycle, the entire body is cleansed of all toxins. The change in shape is very noticeable. Also the diet has effects on behavior. At the end of the diet, one’s attitude is improved. You are calmer and sharper. After successfully completing the diet you will feel very energetic and healthy.

Here is The General Motors (GM) Diet for vegetarians,

Day One:

You can eat an unlimited amount of fruits but bananas are prohibited. The recommended item is watermelon has this has the maximum water content.

Day Two:

Today you can eat an unlimited amount of vegetables. You can eat them raw or half cooked. But no salt or garnishing are allowed. Also avoid oils or coconut while cooking vegetables. You can simply eat a large boiled potato with a little salt.

Day Three:

An unlimited amount of fruits and vegetables can be eaten today. But bananas and potatoes are prohibited today.

Day Four:

Today you may eat only bananas and milk. The maximum limit is eight bananas and three glasses of milk. You can break your meals according to your wish.

Day Five:

Today you can eat one cup of rice, up to 6 tomatoes and drink at least 12 glasses of water. You may even cook the tomatoes with the rice, but avoid too much of oils.

Day Six:

Today you may feed on unlimited amount of vegetables. Also you may eat one cup of rice today.

Day Seven:

Today you can eat unlimited amount of fruits and vegetables. Also you may eat one cup of rice.

Non Veg has been a part of human diet, since time immemorial. When it comes to creating meals that are made of some type of non veg food, there are a number of possibilities. It includes chicken, mutton, fish, pork, beef, etc. We love to eat these items because they are delicious and spicy…

Check out the complete article here: Pros and Cons of Different Non-Veg Food

Weekends may be the true enemies of our waistlines. For many people, there is a significant difference between calorie intakes during the week as compared to the weekends. Thus, losing weight strategies should focus on weekend eating behaviors…

Check out the complete article here: 11 Tips to Control Weekend Binge

Everybody has heard it before: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It alone can make a huge, positive difference in your health. The key is to choose energy-enhancing, health-invigorating foods…

Check out the complete article here: Ideas for a Healthier Breakfast

When it comes to weight loss, we’re always looking for either ways to burn the most calories or ways to reduce their intake. Even if you are not obese, it seems like just about everyone is worried about being overweight. So here are some tips that we have gathered from across the globe to incorporate in your diet…

Check out the complete article here: 12 Weight Loss Tips from Around the World

Mountaineering is a strenuous activity; and the last thing you want to happen to you while in the mountains is to faint due to malnutrition. Thus, it is important to take the kinds of food that would help you survive in the mountains…

Check out the complete article here: Nutrition for Mountaineers

Valentine’s Day is a day synonymous with flowers, chocolates, hearts and extravagant meals with the loved ones. This year, why not try a different approach with nutritious and healthy meals that will not only warm your heart, but help keep it healthy as well…

Check out the complete article here: Romantic Recipes for Valentine’s Day

Everyone who follows a diet - whether to lose weight or to become healthier - has times when it is tough to stay motivated and that is when it is just too easy to give up. Resisting tempting foods can be extremely difficult especially at the beginning of the quest but it is possible…

Check out the complete article here: Top 10 Diet Breakers

It may seem as if staying healthy and enjoying good food lie at opposite ends of a scale, making the battle of the bulge a very frustrating experience for most of us. However more worldwide studies are proving otherwise…

Check out the complete article here: Health Tips from World Cuisine

Indians follow the western diet plans like atkins diet, the south beach diet and the cabbage soup diet, without considering that they all are based on the US food plan system where as the Indian food pyramid is very different…

Check out the complete article here: Indian Weight Loss Diet

Dietary supplements are a topic of great public interest. Whether you are in a store, using the Internet, or talking to people you know, you may hear about supplements and claims of benefits for health. How do you find out whether “what’s in the bottle” is safe to take, and whether science has proven that the product does what it claims?…

Check out the complete article here: Diet Supplements: Under the Scanner

Knowing about nutrition and eating right is an important part of running. What you eat can have a dramatic effect on your running performance, so it is very worthwhile to devote some thought to what you put into your body when you are expecting it to perform well…

Check out the complete article here: Nutrition Tips for Runners