How to Avoid Traveler's diarrhea?

How to Avoid Traveler's diarrhea?

Wondering How to Avoid Traveler's diarrhea? Or what exactly is Traveler's diarrhea?

The word 'Delhi Belly' is a term which is familiar to most foreigners visiting India. 

The Urban Dictionary defines Delhi Belly as "Diarrhea or dysentery contracted from eating Indian (i.e. from India) food". It is also known as Bombay belly, Traveler's diarrhea, Montezuma's revenge (in Mexico), and Karachi crouch in Pakistan. 

This is said to be because of poor standards of food hygiene practiced by most restaurants and street vendors in most developing countries all around the world. 

Food hygiene is a broad term which is used to describe the preparation and preservation of foods in a manner that ensures the food is safe for consumption. If sanitary conditions are not maintained or if food is prepared by people who maintain poor personal hygiene, then the food could get contaminated and can spread diseases like salmonella and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Proper food hygiene can help to protect communities and families from contracting these deadly diseases. Practicing food hygiene should not be limited to just the food/hospitality industry, but needs to be applied in our homes as well. 

Here are some tips for maintaining food hygiene: 

• Wash your hands well with soap and water before and after handling food. 
• Clean work surfaces with hot soapy water and rinse well, utensils and equipment like cutting boards, knives, ladles to prevent cross-contamination. 
• Wash fruits and vegetables well in flowing fresh water to remove surface dirt and bacteria. You can also scrub it with a vegetable brush if needed. This helps prevent dirt and germs from going into food when sliced with a knife. 
• Maintain personal hygiene and avoid touching or picking body parts or areas when preparing food. 
• Use fresh dish cloths and hand towels daily .Wash after use and store as dry as possible • Avoid tasting food with the same ladle directly from the pot. This practice may contaminate the food and introduce microorganisms present in your mouth/saliva. 
• Do not smoke while preparing food as cigarette smoke can enter food. 
• Keep raw and cooked foods separate to avoid cross-contamination.
• Cover cuts and soars with bandage and avoid touching raw food meant for consumption as salads.
• Keep raw meats refrigerated and wrap it tightly until needed to prevent leakage. Make sure that the fridge temperature is maintained at 5°C and the freezer temperature is at/below-17°C.
• Regularly dispose vegetable peels/scraps, rubbish and other food waste in which bacteria and rats /cockroaches can thrive. 
• Keep all food covered to ensure it cannot be contaminated by insects/pests (flies, cockroaches, mice, etc). 
• Personal hygiene and food safety go hand in hand in ensuring good health of not only our families but also the community at large. It is therefore important that good hygienic practices should be practiced in order to ensure that eating food in India is not synonymous with the infamous “Delhi Belly”!!

Sweta Uchil

Online Indian Dietitian

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

By popular demand, we are NOW OFFERING ONLINE DIET CONSULTATIONS: Customized Indian Diet Plans

Indian Weight Loss Diet, Indian Diabetic Diets, Indian Diets for PCOS, Indian Low Carb Diets and many more diets at our brand new website: JOIN NOW
MY INDIAN DIETITIAN: www.myindiandietitian.com

Summer is the Best Time to Shed Your Weight

With the summer sun beating down there isn’t much to look forward to other than a summer vacation somewhere cooler. For those who will be stuck in the heat, and have been planning to lose weight since the New Year, here are five reasons why summer is the best time to put your weight loss plans in action: Easy to stick to a diet plan: with no relief from the heat, fried, greasy, heavy food is probably the last thing you want to eat! That itself cuts out a lot of calories from your diet! Fruits and salads are so much more appealing:the water content in fruits and veggies makes it all the more delicious during summer. This not only adds much needed fibre to the diet, but also helps in keeping your body hydrated. You could lose extra calories by just drinking icecold water-yes, scientists now suggest that drinking ice cold water may burn a few extra calories as the body has to raise the temperature of the ice water to the bodies temperature! This may or may not be true but drinking 10-12 glasses of icecold water a day can’t add calories as water is a great zero-calorie drink. No festivals until August-so that means no excuses of having to break the diet due to festival binging! From now until Krishna Janmashtami (10th August), you can focus on your diet! Exercising in the heat could burn more calories-this is the principle behind ‘hot yoga’ (Bikram yoga)! Supposedly, exercising in the heat burns more calories since it makes the heart pump harder to your extremities to help you lower your body temperature, which rises fast in hot weather. So stop wasting time and get started and who knows you could end up losing up to 8-10kgs by Independence Day (15th August) if you only make up your mind!

Healthy North Indian Foods to choose when dining out…

Healthy North Indian Foods to choose when dining out…

Healthy North Indian foods to choose when dining out.

Published in Health India on 22nd May: Healthy North Indian Food Choices When Dining Out

Dining out need not be taboo for health freaks or those who are on the proverbial diet. You don’t have to stop socializing or be stuck with a salad when the rest of the gang is polishing off the food like there is no tomorrow. With a little information, some smart choices and the determination to stick to portion sizes, you too can enjoy a healthy meal while dining out.

While every cuisine has its unhealthy quota of foods, there also are foods that can easily fit into the ‘healthy’ list. Regardless of which restaurant you choose, here are some general guidelines by dietician Sweta Uchil-Purohit to make healthy choices when ordering North Indian food.

Ask for water instead of juices, mocktails, aerated or alcoholic beverages. There’s no point in adding extra calories when you can drink nature’s zero-calorie drink – water.

Avoid fried foods, desserts and food made of refined flours: Pass on the pooris, bhaturas, pakodas, naans and roomali rotis and look for healthier options like whole wheat rotis or phulkas. Desserts are loaded with both sugar and fat and are best to be avoided.

Go for plain rice: Since most restaurants don’t serve brown or semi-polished rice, your only option is to ask for plain rice. This is definitely a better choice than biryanis or pulavs.

Ask for your food to be made without oil, butter, ghee and malai: Since most restaurants are now familiar with the health conscious crowd, they are more than willing to make changes to their dishes to keep their clientele happy. Be firm and put in your request while placing the order and hopefully your food will be cooked with less oil if not with ‘no oil’.

Always order a non-creamy soup and a salad (no dressing): This is an age-old trick used by weight watchers. Fill-up your stomach with non-creamy or thin soups and salads (without the mayonnaise dressing) and you won’t be able to eat much during the main course.

Choose items that are baked, grilled or steamed: These are healthy methods of cooking that don’t add extra calories to the dish. Tandoori items, shashlik, grilled kebabs are all healthier choices than fried items.

Choose tomato based curries: These are lower in calories than themalai or cashew based curries. Rajma, chole and even fish or chicken cooked in tomato gravy is a better option.

Once you are familiar with these guidelines, you can easily pick out the healthy items from any menu. For those who love eating North Indian food, here’s a sample meal plan of what you can order:

Course	Veg	Non-veg
Beverage	Water	Water
Soup	Mixed vegetable soup	Tomato soup
Appetiser (optional)	Tandoori paneer/ Paneer Shashlik	Chicken tikka/ Tandoori chicken
Salad	Green Salad/ Raita	Green Salad/ Raita
Main	Roti /Phulka/ Plain rice	Roti/ chapati/Plain rice
Side	Chhole and Bharta	Methi chicken and gobi mattar

If you have to choose an appetiser/starter, pick something which is a protein based, non-fried item (like tandoori paneer/hara bhara chickenkebab or prawn shashlik) as protein tends to fill you up and will leave you with little space for the courses to follow.  Eat slowly and try to relish every bite (mindful eating), stick to your portion size and if you feel that you are full even before the main course arrives, then ask for your portion to be parceled so that you can enjoy it in the next meal. If you do get tempted when the desserts are being served, then go ahead and take a spoonful from your friend’s plate. Cheers and happy dining!

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

By popular demand, we are NOW OFFERING ONLINE DIET CONSULTATIONS: Customized Indian Diet Plans

Indian Weight Loss Diet, Indian Diabetic Diets, Indian Diets for PCOS, Indian Low Carb Diets and many more diets at our brand new website: JOIN NOW
MY INDIAN DIETITIAN: www.myindiandietitian.com

Diet Mantras: Three Words to Eliminate to be Successful in Following a Diet….

Diet Mantras: Three Words to Eliminate to be Successful in Following a Diet….

How To Successfully Follow A Diet…

Diet Mantras…..

Almost everyone has tried to “go on a diet” or “is on a diet” or is planning to “go on a diet”! But very few are able to stick to it and reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Why does this happen? Why do people “stop dieting’? Why isn’t everyone able to succeed ?

Being successful in anything takes a lot of hard work, dedication and planning. The same goes with sticking with a diet or rather changing to a healthy lifestyle.
According to Bernard Roth, a professor of engineering at Stanford University changing a few words could be the answer to being successful.  Let’s try and put the same theory to being successful in following a diet or lifestyle change and maybe it might help you to be more healthy.
In his new book “The Achievement Habit”, Prof. Roth suggests two verbal tweaks that could change the way you think about the world and in doing so become successful in life.
He suggests that:

Instead of Saying	Use the Word
But	And
Have to	Want to

Let’s try to use it in the usual ‘dieting parlance’:
1)Instead of saying : I have a party to attend, but I’m on a diet
Say: I have a party to attend and I’m on a diet.

According to Prof Roth-using the word ‘but’ just creates a conflict or a reason for something that actually doesn’t exist. By replacing it with ‘and’ you remove the conflict and simply find a solution to do both. Maybe you’ll chose to eat something before going to the party or chose wisely or control the portion size at the party. Here are a couple of articles that can help you to choose wisely and enjoy the party while still not going overboard as far as your diet is concerned:

• Sensible Eating Through the Festive Season
• Healthy North Indian Foods to Eat When Dining Out

2) Instead of saying: I have to eat right.
Say: I want to eat right!
Again, this subtle word swap helps in realizing that what you chose to do, even if they are difficult, are in fact what you have chosen to do for a healthier life.

3)Along with these two, it would also help is if you could swap the word “diet” for “lifestyle change”.
A ‘diet’ brings a mental image of a very restrictive, boring and unappetizing foods which doesn’t in anyway help you in sticking to it. A lifestyle change sounds so much better and incorporates not just changes in what you eat but also includes other factors like physical activity that will together change the quality of your life.
So instead of saying: I have to go on a diet.
Say: I want to change my lifestyle.

Make these 3 swaps and you could be on your way to leading a healthier life!

Sweta Uchil

Online Indian Dietitian

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

By popular demand, we are NOW OFFERING ONLINE DIET CONSULTATIONS: Customized Indian Diet Plans

Indian Weight Loss Diet, Indian Diabetic Diets, Indian Diets for PCOS, Indian Low Carb Diets and many more diets at our brand new website: JOIN NOW
MY INDIAN DIETITIAN: www.myindiandietitian.com

No More Excuses-How to Exercise When the Weather is Bent on Being a Spoilsport

No More Excuses-How to Exercise When the Weather is Bent on Being a Spoilsport

Weather has for long been the standard excuse for those who want to escape exercising. Whether it’s the rain, the snow or the heat- there is an excuse for every season!

Exercising in Winter

After the long, hot summer months, the monsoon rains bring much needed relief from the heat. The rains, which are a welcome change, can spell the end for outdoor exercises for all health enthusiasts. The rains or even the snow also tend to bring to the table steaming teas along with hot ‘pakoras’.

So how does one take care of the diet and exercise during with all these hurdles?

Here are some tips to help you continue your weight loss journey:

Exercise:

• Outsmart the rains/snow/heat and join a gym/aerobics/yoga/dance class. Since these are conducted indoors, the rains are highly unlikely to hamper your fitness plans!
• Invest in some exercise machines like the treadmill/elliptical/exer-cycle and burn those calories without having to leave your home (make sure to exercise otherwise you’ll end up using them to dry your wet clothes)!
• If joining a gym/exercise class or buying exercise equipment isn’t too friendly on your pocket-then pick up some exercise DVD’s or surf the internet for exercises that you can do at home.
• Keep yourself active-take the stairs whenever possible, jog inside the house, do simple home exercises.

Doing this will keep your metabolism from slowing down.

Diet:

• Avoid binging on fried foods (pakoras, chips, namkeens, samosas,etc) as far as possible. Moderation is the key word here.
• Snack on the grilled buttas/makkai/corn that seem to pop up everywhere with the rains. Nothing smells better than corn being roasted over hot coals on a rainy day, besides the fiber makes it an excellent healthy snack.
• Eat light meals and keep yourself hydrated by drinking loads of water.
• Healthy Snack Options:  Khaman dhoklas, Sweet Potato Baked Fries, Kale Chips,

Precautions: A word of caution as the monsoons also brings with it the dangers of waterborne diseases like cholera, jaundice, typhoid and diarrhea.

Here are some tips to avoid falling sick this monsoon:

• Drink only boiled/ bottled water. Carry a bottle of water from home to avoid drinking water from unsafe sources.
• All vegetables and fruits should be washed well in clean water especially those that are consumed raw. Avoid eating salads and cut fruits, juices,golas and chaats from the street vendors.
• Eat home cooked meals as far as possible. If it isn’t feasible at all times, then opt for cooked meals like roti/chawal with sabzi/dal. Avoid sandwiches, raitas, salads, which can contain raw vegetables.
• With these simple precautions you can prevent yourself from falling sick which will end up as another excuse for not exercising.

Just keep in mind that Summer/Autumn/Winter/Monsoon/Spring season is no excuse for NOT exercising.

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

By popular demand, we are NOW OFFERING ONLINE DIET CONSULTATIONS: Customized Indian Diet Plans

Indian Weight Loss Diet, Indian Diabetic Diets, Indian Diets for PCOS, Indian Low Carb Diets and many more diets at our brand new website: JOIN NOW
MY INDIAN DIETITIAN: www.myindiandietitian.com

The Daily (Nutrition) Dozen

Ok-so no lectures on nutrition and the benefits of eating clean and getting plenty of physical activity and sleep in this article. We are going to cut to the chase and make a list of foods that you must INCLUDE in your day to day diet.

Make this your DAILY (NUTRITION) DOZEN check-list:

Nutrition Checklist

1. Fruit- Aim at eating at least TWO different seasonal fruits everyday. It could be a mango and a guava or grapes and a banana-basically two fruits that are in season. Best way to add them to your diet is to eat them as a snack (say no to the chivdas/farsaans/chips).
2. Green leafy vegetables-palak, methi, sabsige (dill-english; soa-hindi;shepu-marathi), lal saag(red amaranth), coriander (cilantro), etc. If making a sabzi is too tedious- just add it to your dal, roti (methi paratha/Palak paratha) or make a big batch of coriander chutney or palak chutney(How to make Palak Chutney) freeze it and use that in your meals or in your sandwiches. 
3. Other vegetables- again go for seasonal vegetables and make sure your eating at least two per day. 
4. Salads- you could include one fruit, one vegetable and one leafy vegetable and make a crunchy salad if that makes things easy for you. Example- a mango, cucumber , tomato,onion and coriander salad tastes yummy and combines one from the first three into number 4!
5. Whole grains- Try to switch to whole grains completely wherever possible. Whole wheat flour instead of maida; dhalia, brown rice or barley instead of white rice.
6. Whole Pulse- at least one whole pulse (not dal) in the form of rajma, kabuli channa, double beans, peas, akkha masoor, green moong, akha urad, etc. You can even sprout them and add them to your salads or boil them and add them to your vegetables like cabbage with kabuli channa.
7. Curd/Yogurt- loaded with calcium and probiotics, include this with your meals or make a raitha or smoothie with it.
8. Protein with every meal- Proteins keep you full for a longer period so add this to every meal. Even if you are a vegetarian-make sure you include dal/pulse or curd, paneer, tofu or milk with breakfast, lunch and dinner. 
9. Nuts: are full of healthy fats, minerals, fibre and protein. You need to eat just 5-6 numbers of nuts like almonds, walnuts,chestnuts, pecans, brazilnuts, cashew nuts, etc to get the benefits. Just be careful not to go overboard with this as they can be very addicting!
10. Water:no doubt the best and by far the original "zero-calorie" thirst quencher! Aim for 8-12 glasses (weather depending) everyday.
11. Oils: Cold pressed oils, ghee, butter (yes-it's the switch to all things natural) can all be used but your total added fat/oil should not be more than 3 tsp per person per day!
12. Exercise: of any physical activity for at least 1 hour per day is a must.It's not nutrition-but without it the rest of the list will go down the drain. Think of it as important as brushing your teeth!

Aim to get at least 10 out of this every day(exercise is not optional though) and you can be sure that you are doing the right thing for your body.

The Daily Nutrition Dozen

Diet Mantras: Three Words to Eliminate to be Successful in Following a Diet....

How To Succesfully Follow A Diet

Almost everyone has tried to "go on a diet" or "is on a diet" or is planning to "go on a diet"! But very few are able to stick to it and reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Why does this happen? Why do people "stop dieting'? Why isn't everyone able to succeed ?
Being successful in anything takes a lot of hard work, dedication and planning. The same goes with sticking with a diet or rather changing to a healthy lifestyle.
According to Bernard Roth, a professor of engineering at Stanford University changing a few words could be the answer to being successful.  Let's try and put the same theory to being successful in following a diet or lifestyle change and maybe it might help you to be more healthy.
In his new book "The Achievement Habit", Prof. Roth suggests two verbal tweaks that could change the way you think about the world and in doing so become successful in life.
He suggests that:

Instead of Saying	Use the Word
But	And
Have to	Want to

Let's try to use it in the usual 'dieting parlance':
1)Instead of saying : I have a party to attend, but I'm on a diet
Say: I have a party to attend and I'm on a diet.

According to Prof Roth-using the word 'but' just creates a conflict or a reason for something that actually doesn't exist. By replacing it with 'and' you remove the conflict and simply find a solution to do both. Maybe you'll chose to eat something before going to the party or chose wisely or control the portion size at the party. Here are a couple of articles that can help you to choose wisely and enjoy the party while still not going overboard as far as your diet is concerned:

• Sensible Eating Through the Festive Season
• Healthy North Indian Foods to Eat When Dining Out
• Healthy Food to eat Before going to a party

2) Instead of saying: I have to diet.
Say: I want to diet!
Again, this subtle word swap helps in realizing that what you chose to do, even if they are difficult, are in fact what you have chosen to do for a healthier life.

3)Along with these two, it would also help is if you could swap the word "diet" for "lifestyle change".
A 'diet' brings a mental image of a very restrictive, boring and unappetizing foods which doesn't in anyway help you in sticking to it. A lifestyle change sounds so much better and incorporates not just changes in what you eat but also includes other factors like physical activity that will together change the quality of your life.
So instead of saying: I have to go on a diet.
Say: I want to change my lifestyle.

Make these 3 swaps and you could be on your way to leading a healthier life!

An IDLY a Day-a Healthy Indian Breakfast Option!

A great video showcasing the humble yet delicious IDLY:

How to Exercise When the Weather is Bent on Being a Spoilsport

Don't let the weather be an excuse for not exercising. 

After the long, hot summer months, the monsoon rains bring much needed relief from the heat. The rains, which are a welcome change, can spell the end for outdoor exercises for all health enthusiasts. The rains or even the snow also tend to bring to the table steaming teas along with hot ‘pakoras’.

So how does one take care of the diet and exercise during with all these hurdles?

Here are some tips to help you continue your weight loss journey:

Exercise:

• Outsmart the rains/snow and join a gym/aerobics/yoga/dance class. Since these are conducted indoors, the rains are highly unlikely to hamper your fitness plans!
• Invest in some exercise machines like the treadmill/elliptical/exer-cycle and burn those calories without having to leave your home (make sure to exercise otherwise you’ll end up using them to dry your wet clothes)!
• If joining a gym/exercise class or buying exercise equipment isn’t too friendly on your pocket-then pick up some exercise DVD’s or surf the internet for exercises that you can do at home.
• Keep yourself active-take the stairs whenever possible, jog inside the house, do simple home exercises.

Doing this will keep your metabolism from slowing down.

Diet:

• Avoid binging on fried foods (pakoras, chips, namkeens, samosas,etc) as far as possible. Moderation is the key word here.
• Snack on the grilled buttas/makkai/corn that seem to pop up everywhere with the rains. Nothing smells better than corn being roasted over hot coals on a rainy day, besides the fiber makes it an excellent healthy snack.
• Eat light meals and keep yourself hydrated by drinking loads of water.

Precautions: A word of caution as the monsoons also brings with it the dangers of waterborne diseases like cholera, jaundice, typhoid and diarrhea.

Here are some tips to avoid falling sick this monsoon:

• Drink only boiled/ bottled water. Carry a bottle of water from home to avoid drinking water from unsafe sources.
• All vegetables and fruits should be washed well in clean water especially those that are consumed raw. Avoid eating salads and cut fruits, juices,golas and chaats from the street vendors.
• Eat home cooked meals as far as possible. If it isn’t feasible at all times, then opt for cooked meals like roti/chawal with sabzi/dal. Avoid sandwiches, raitas, salads, which can contain raw vegetables.
• With these simple precautions you can prevent yourself from falling sick which will end up as another excuse for not exercising.

Just keep in mind that the monsoon season is no excuse for NOT exercising.

5 Ways to Eat and Yet be Able to Lower Your Cholesterol (What Indian foods to eat to Lower Cholesterol levels?)

What Indian foods to eat to reduce cholesterol? 

"You are what you eat"-you probably have heard your doctor tell you this umpteen number of times. Well, it is true. Sadly, today we 'eat what our taste buds like' rather than 'eat what the body needs'. This results in a number of lifestyle diseases like obesity, heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, hypertension or strokes. 

Hyperlipidaemia or elevated lipid (fat) levels which was seen more in people over the age of 40, is now commonly seen in younger age groups and even some obese kids in the urban areas. This is something that can be easily prevented and/or reversed by eating a healthy balanced diet and plenty of physical activity.

What foods to eat to reduce cholesterol? This is one of  the two questions that I am asked the most (the other being  "What to eat to reduce weight?") by those whose cholesterol levels are higher than normal. Most people that I have counselled have been able to reduce their cholesterol levels by just eating the right foods and choosing to do some kind of exercise on a regular basis. Here are 4 simple tips to follow if you want to lower your cholesterol through your diet:

What Indian foods to eat to reduce cholesterol? 

1)Eat your sabzi and phal (veggies and fruit): Your mom was right-all those years of nagging you to eat your vegetables and fruits and see what happens when you stop? That's right-all the bhindi (okra), beans(green beans), gobi(cabbage), phool gobi (cauliflower),kaddu (pumpkin),karela(bitter gourd) basically all veggies are good for you so long as you don't overcook them or drown them in oil. 

Why?Fruits and vegetables both contain loads of vitamins, minerals, are low in calories and have the most important nutrient for reducing cholesterol- fibre. Soluble fibre has long been known to lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, among other benefits. So make sure you eat a variety of vegetables that are in season.

How much to eat? At least one cup of sabzi (cooked veggies) and a salad at every meal and two fruits(not juice) a day. 

2)Switch to whole grains: If you've been eating white rice, white bread, maida(refined flour), instant oats then it's time to switch over to brown/red rice or parboiled rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat flour, dalia (broken wheat), regular/rolled or steel cut oats and whole wheat pasta. Try including new whole grains like , barley, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), ragi/nachni (a staple in the Southern states like Karnataka, AP). 

Why? Researchers have noticed a significantly lower risk of chronic heart disease (CHD) in those who consume whole grains on a regular basis. Again whole grains contain nutrients like minerals, antioxidants, lignans other phytochemicals and fibre that are lost when they are refined or processed by humans to increase the shelf life or to cook faster. In the process of saving time and money we end up with a product which has very few nutrients. Moreover the fibre in whole grains tends to fill you up and you end up eating less foods which means you get fewer calories.

How much to eat? Controlling portion sizes as suggested by your dietitian is very important.You'll soon realize that you not only eat less, but also don't feel hungry because of the fibre, which is actually a good thing. 

3)Limit bad fats: Unhealthy or bad fats like butter, ghee, vanaspati(trans-fat) and full fat milk and milk products need to be avoided or taken in restricted amounts. Switch to cold pressed oils which are made without chemicals or heat whenever possible. These include extra virgin olive, peanut, sunflower, sesame oils that are cold pressed. The second choice would be olive, canola, sesame, sunflower, peanut oil for cooking and canola oil for baking.
Why? The bad fats can increase your cholesterol and over a period of time clog your arteries. Good fats like omega 3's on the other hand can do the opposite and reduce the risk of heart disease.
How much to eat? Just enough. Though they may be termed as good fats, they still have the same calories as the bad fat. That means if your food is swimming in 'good oil' it still can't be good for your body.
4)Include Omega 3 rich foods: There are two varieties of Omega 3: seafood that provide EPA (Eicosapentoenoic acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and plant based foods that provide ALA (Alphalinolenic acid) .Oily fish like sardines (Tarle in Marathi, Kavala in Telugu, Mathi in Malayalam), Mackerel (Bangade in Kannada, Marathi, Aiyla in Malayalam), Salmon, tuna, anchovies(Bolenjaru in Kannada/Tulu, Natholi in Malayalam) are rich in EPA.  Vegetarians can choose from plant based APA rich foods like flaxseeds (Alsi in hindi/marathi, agase beeja in Kannada), walnuts (akharot in hindi), canola and soy oil, soybeans, soy nuggets, soy milk and tofu. Green leafy vegetables and omega 3 eggs (eggs from chickens fed a omega rich diet) also contain smaller amounts of omega 3.
Why? EPA and DHA have shown to reduce triglycerides, blood pressure and plaque buildup. In addition they could also reduce inflammation, the risk of strokes and certain cancers. ALA on the other hand needs to be converted to EPA and DHA in the body and researchers believe that this reduces the amount of omega 3 that is available. 
How much to eat? Include oily fish in your diet at least twice a week but make sure that you don't deep fry them. Fish curries, steamed fish or even grilled/baked fish will give you the most health benefits. Fish oil capsules are a great alternative for people who may not be able to eat fish on a regular basis. The vegetarian sources can be included on a daily basis.
5)Eat to live: You don't have to change your diet completely. Include foods that are good for you and remove foods that you know are unhealthy.  Get a dietitian to plan a diet keeping your likes and dislikes in mind. Your chances of sticking to a diet that is planned for you is much more than one that your neighbour is following!
Why? Because years of regularly eating the unhealthy foods are showing in your health reports and it's a signal to change.
How much to eat? Everything in moderation is the mantra. Too much of even the good foods can be bad sometimes-so try not to go overboard and stick to portion sizes.

For help in custom planning an Indian diet for lowering cholesterol-check out my 'Healthy Heart Packages: Heart Healthy Diet Plans

What Indian foods to eat to reduce cholesterol? 

Which is the BEST day to check your weight?

How Weekends may be the Key Factor in making you Lose or Gain weight

Do you get depressed at seeing your weight fluctuate every day? Don't panic-it's just a pretty normal phenomenon.
Researchers have now found out that the body goes through a weight cycle. This weight loss cycle or weekly weight rhythms is somewhat similar to the REM cycles (Rapid Eye Movement) during sleep. Researchers from Cornell University along with VTT Research Centre of Finland looked into what a seven-day-a week human cycle has on their weights.
They found a definite pattern in weight gain and weight loss according to the day of the week .Not surprisingly, the most weight gain among the participants was seen on Sunday and Monday. After that the weight tapered down to the lowest being on Fridays!
This only goes to prove that weight fluctuations through the week is a normal phenomenon among everyone and there is no need to panic.
Which is the BEST day to check your weight?
For weight watchers this is a also a good point to keep in mind and instead of checking weight every single day, to just check on one particular day of the week. The best day would be Friday-so keep Fridays as your weight check days.

How to lose 1 pound (half a kg) of body weight every week by eating a Healthy Indian Diet

Are you planning on turning a new leaf this New Year? Are you looking forward to discovering the new Healthy You? If you've tried it every year and given up at the end of January-then trust me, there's NOTHING wrong with you! It's just that you haven't found the right way to get healthy. This year, take the right steps, do the right things and make this the "Year Of the New You".

Here are 9 simple steps to start off:

1. Get up and move: Choose and start a physical activity or fitness program that you enjoy. It could be as simple as a brisk walk, a jog, aerobics, gym workout or a sport. Ideally something that keeps you on your toes for at least an hour every day. 'Sitting is the new smoking' these days-so keep moving! Your new mantra should be 'Calories in and Calories out'-burn out the calories that you eat!
2. Detox or declutter your kitchen pantry: Remove all the chips, bhujias, ghatias, sweets,cakes, chocolates and all the unhealthy foods from your fridge and pantry. It's going to be out with the old and in with the new foods this year! If there are no tempting foods in your reach, you will end up not eating them.
3. Stock up with 'real food': Once you have all the high-calories and ready to eat processed foods out of the house, buy lots of fruits, vegetables and ingredients that you need to make dishes from scratch.
4. Always include a vegetable and a protein source: Make sure you eat at least one vegetable (more is better) at every meal and add some protein to add satiety. Protein foods keep you full for a longer period of time and the vegetable will reduce the amount of grain/cereal you have. Examples: Upma with vegetables and curd, poha with vegetables and curd, sambar with vegetables. If you can't add a vegetable-then add a fruit.
5. Avoid sugary drinks and sweets: A little bit of halwa, a little bit of chocolate, a little bit of ice cream, a little bit of soft drink makes you pack on the pounds! 
6. Buy a water bottle: Yes, that's right-a water bottle. Most of us forget to drink water through the day. Buy a big 1 litre water bottle (BPA free) and fill it up. Take it with you and you'll never have to buy packaged water or soft drinks when you feel thirsty. Make sure you drink two bottles of water by the end of the day.
7. Set timings for your meals: Don't eat whenever you feel hungry-set regular meal timings. This helps in getting into a regular meal pattern and also does away with hunger attacks. This will reduce cravings and binge eating.
8. Eat dinner two hours before bedtime: Eating too close to bedtime is a definite no-no! It not only interferes with your sleep pattern, but also makes you sluggish and susceptible to heart burn (acid reflux) in the night.
9. Get eight hours of sleep: Researchers have now found a link between a lack of sleep and obesity. This is one simple thing which will go a long way in your journey of a new healthy you.

Once you have mastered these seven steps, then you can take the next most important step-find the right diet plan which has been tailor made for YOU. Check out this article- How To Choose the Right Indian Diet Plan for a Healthy Weight loss?

Also check out my website and pick a package that is suitable for you: My Indian Dietitian

How to gain weight in a healthy way?

For those who are underweight (BMI < 18.5*), gaining weight can be as hard as losing weight. Being skinny has its own set of health problems ranging from weaker immune systems (making them prone to infections, surgical complications) and slower recovery times for illness. They also tend to have low muscle mass, and less than ideal hair, teeth, and skin composition. They may have disruptions in the ability to regulate hormones and protect bone health, and women could become unable to menstruate

Gaining weight should be a safe process and takes a lot of time and effort. The best way to gain weight without becoming fat and gaining extra harmful calories is to follow a healthy balanced diet, along with workouts and weightlifting/strength training exercises.

The notion that ‘skinny’ or ‘underweight’ people can eat high calorie foods (like chips, cakes, pizzas, cookies, etc) without it adversely affecting their health is wrong. Poor diets can lead to ailments such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Plus, people who gain weight eating anything and everything tend to retain it as fat, and in much more undesirable places.

Here are some healthy ways to add extra calories to your daily diet:

• Eat more frequently: Eat five to six small meals throughout the day rather than two or three large meals.

• Eat nutrient-rich foods: As part of an overall healthy diet, choose whole-grain breads, pastas and cereals; fruits and vegetables; low-fat dairy products; lean protein sources (like egg whites, chicken, fish, soy and soy products, legumes and pulses); and nuts, seeds and dry fruits.

• Watch what you drink: Don't fill up on diet soda, coffee, tea and other drinks with few calories and little nutritional value. Instead, drink smoothies or healthy shakes made with milk and fresh or frozen juice and sprinkle in some ground flaxseed. Drink fluids either 30 minutes before or after a meal, not with it, to avoid becoming full before you eat.

• Add in calorie-dense snacks: Choose calorie-dense foods, such as nuts, dhoklas, idli with sambar, upma with vegetables, usal/ shundal (steamed pulses with a little tadka/seasoning) cheese, paneer, dried fruits, bananas, avocados, figs. Also, have a bedtime snack, such as an omelet/cheese/ paneer sandwich, or a sandwich with banana and honey, or a cup of curd with chopped fruits and honey.

• Mix it up: Add cheese/skim milk powder to soups, scrambled eggs, curries. Add pulses/legumes to dishes like vegetable pulav’s, poha’s, and even to regular sabzi’s (e.g. try adding kabuli channa to the cabbage sabzi/ sprouted moong to aloo matter,etc).

• Have a sweet treat: But be sure to select sweets that also provide nutrients, such as yogurt/curd with fruits/ dry fruits, groundnut chikki’s and milk based sweets like kheer, peda’s, rosugullas, rasmalai .

Besides eating, exercise, especially strength training, can also help you gain weight by building up your muscles and adding more "bulk" to your body. It may also stimulate your appetite and help you eat a little more. Remember that it can take a while to gain the weight you need, but be patient and continue to choose healthy foods until you reach your goal weight. Once you reach your goal, the next step would be to maintain that weight with regular exercise otherwise you could end up being overweight.

[* Body Mass Index (BMI) = weight in kg / height in meters²

If the BMI is:

(Note: The BMI for Indians/South Asians is different from the western population).

1. Equal to or less than 18.5 = Underweight

2. between 19-22 = Normal

3. between 23-25= Overweight

4. 26 and above = Obese ]