Ayurvedic Ginger Pickle for digestion

Ayurvedic Ginger Pickle for digestion

In Ayurveda ginger is used to relieve various conditions from aiding digestion, to relieving inflammation, colds, nausea and much more.

For those who have digestive problems, ginger is great as it can stimulate the digestive juices and increases the flow of saliva. Eating a little ginger in lime juice with a little salt is recommended before eating a meal.

Try this instant ginger pickle recipe to prepare digestion before a meal:

• Fresh ginger root:2 inches
• Lemon or lime juice: 1 nos.
• Rock salt: to taste
• Raw honey(optional): to taste

Method:

Peel and grate the fresh ginger and place in a jar. Stir in the lemon or lime juice, the salt and the honey.

Eat some ginger pickle just before meals as an appetiser or digestive aid.

This instant pickle can last for several days when refrigerated.

Sweta Uchil

Online Indian Dietitian

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Indian Diet Plans by Indian Dietitian Sweta Uchil

Indian Diet Plans by Indian Dietitian Sweta Uchil

Are you looking for an Indian Dietitian? Are you looking for an Indian Dietitian nearby? Are you looking for an Indian Dietitian who can plan Indian Diet plans? Are you looking for an Indian Dietitian who is qualified? Are you looking for an Indian Dietitian who can plan your diet chart according to your needs, eating habits and lifestyle? Are you looking for and Indian Dietitian who knows what life is for an Indian outside India?

Then look no further-meet Sweta Uchil-Purohit. Our Dietitian who ticks all the boxes. How? Let’s have a look:

Are you looking for an Indian Dietitian? Sweta Uchil is an Indian Dietitian and completely understands the eating habits of all Indians. She is not only a popular dietitian among Non Resident Indians but also the South Asian(Sri Lankans, Nepali, Pakistani and Bangladeshi community).

Are you looking for an Indian Dietitian nearby? Sweta Uchil is an Indain Dietitian who has an e-clinic. That means she is just a click away-you can easily have a diet consultation without even leaving your home. That is the nearest that anyone can be to you.

Are you looking for an Indian Dietitian who can plan Indian Diet plans? Being Indian and having a keen interest in learning about different cuisines and also having the exposure to people from allover India, she can plan diets for any region of India/South Asia.

Are you looking for an Indian Dietitian who is qualified? Sweta Uchil is an Indian Dietitian who started her career as a Clinical Dietitian at Manipal Hospital, one of Bangalore’s most highly acclaimed hospital. Here she planned diets for not just weight loss but also for Diabetics, Renal patients on dialysis as well as post kidney transplant diets too.

Are you looking for an Indian Dietitian who can plan your diet chart according to your needs, eating habits and lifestyle? Sweta anything between 40 minutes-1hour on each client during the first consultation. This is to get a deep understanding of the patients current diet and lifestyle. After this, the plans a diet based on these inputs so that it makes it easier for the client to follow the Meal plans recommended.

Are you looking for and Indian Dietitian who knows what life is for an Indian outside India? Tired of explaining how life outside India is for a NRI? Sometimes people in India don’t seem to get how different the lifestyle of Indians who live and work abroad to that in India. Sweta has lived in the US and currently lives in Australia and hence is familiar with life in both hemispheres.

Where are the reviews? Of course in today’s world we don’t even buy a pen without checking if it has good reviews so how can you choose a Dietitian/Nutritionist with checking for reviews? Go ahead and check our Reviews page or log into your Linkedin account and check Sweta Uchil-Purohit’s Linkedin profile for the current reviews.

What does a typical Indian Meal Plan look like? This is very difficult to generalize as Sweta Uchil plans each Meal Plan according to the eating habits and tweaks it to fit her recommendations.

Contact us now to know more: CONTACT US or Message us on our Facebook page

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Ashgourd Majjigehuli (Wintermelon curd curry/ Ashgourd Morukulambu)

Ashgourd Majjigehuli (Wintermelon curd curry/ Ashgourd Morukulambu)

Ashgourd (Kumbalkay in Kannada, Kumhda in Hindi, Vellai Poosanikai in Tamil) is a common and highly revered vegetable in India. It is also used in Hindu religious ceremonies.
It is supposed to be a light vegetable and easy to digest, so best for those who find it difficult to digest heavy foods.

Ashgourd/Wintermelon

Here is a simple curd curry using Ashgourd:
Ingredients for the majjige huli:

• Ashgourd/Wintermelon: 500gms cut into cubes
• Coconut: 1 cup grated(fresh/frozen)
• Channa dal/split chickpeas: 1tbsp soaked in water for 1/2hour (optional)
• Green chillies: 2-3
• Cumin seeds/zeera: 1tsp
• Mustard seeds: 1tsp
• Yogurt/ curd: 1 cup (should be slightly sour)
• Water: 2-3 cups
• Salt: to taste

For the tempering:

• Mustard seeds: 1tsp
• Cumin seeds/zeera: 1tsp
• Urad dal: 1tsp
• Curry leaves:3-4 nos.
• Oil: 1tsp

Method:

1. Boil the Ashgourd/Wintermelon in just enough water till half done.
2. In the meanwhile grind the coconut,green chilies, the soaked channa dal(optional), mustard and cumin seeds till you get a fine paste (add a little water when grinding).
3. When the ashgourd/Wintermelon is half cooked add the ground masala and a cup of water and let it boil.
4. Add salt, yogurt and another cup of water and cook for a minute or two.
5. In a separate pan, heat the oil and add the mustard,cumin and the urad dal. Wait till the mustard starts to pop, add the curry leaves , then pour the tempering over the majjige huli and mix.
6. Serve the majjige huli hot with parboiled rice or regular rice.

Q: What is your favorite side dish to go with rice?


Sweta Uchil

Indian Online Dietitian

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Celebrities with Diabetes

Celebrities with Diabetes 

Celebrities with Diabetes:

Have you been recently diagnosed with Diabetes? Do you feel like it’s the end of the world? 

Most people go into a state of denial and think that ignoring the problem will make it “go away”. 

The truth is,pray as much as you want, but it won’t go away. What you can do however, is accept the situation, learn and understand the condition, so that with the help of your doctor, dietitian and diabetes educator you can be in better control of yourself and diabetes. 

Keep in mind that you are not alone in this battle, with India on the verge of becoming “the Diabetes capital of the World” there are more than 40 million diabetics in India alone. Diabetes is not restricted to the common man; even movie stars, sports stars, singers and other celebrities suffer from the disease and yet are still able to lead a glamorous lifestyle. 

Celebrities who are also diabetics:

•  Wasim Akram: The former Pakistani bowler also known as ‘the King of Swing” was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 30 and was at the peak of his career. Akram apparently could not believe that he could be a diabetic as he thought that only people over the age of 50 and leading a sedentary lifestyle could get it. Eventually, he learnt to follow a strict diet and exercise regimen that was tailor made for him along with daily insulin doses. To his credit he has about 250 wickets which he took after being diagnosed as a diabetic! 
• Kamal Hassan: Diabetes has not dampened the spirits of this versatile actor and father of actress Shruti Hassan. He tries to balance a hectic schedule and his Type 1 diabetes and even takes out time to encourage other diabetics to take charge of their lives. 
• Gaurav Kapur: The Channel V VJ, host of Big Switch 2 and actor was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the tender age of 22. Gaurav now practices yoga and jogs to keep fit, follows a strict diet and avoids alcohol to keep his sugars under control. 
• Elvis Presley: The King of ‘Rock and Roll’never publically admitted the fact that he was a diabetic and went on leading a high profile life. 
• Halle Berry: The Oscar winning Hollywood actress was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 23 when she collapsed on the sets of a TV show. The actress then went on to win numerous awards and even an Oscar in 2001. In 2007, she gave birth to a baby girl. “Diabetes turned out to be a gift," she says. "It gave me strength and toughness because I had to face reality, no matter how uncomfortable or painful it was." 
• Nick Jonas: India's most famous 'damad' (or Priyanka Chopra's husband) and singer of the boy band ‘The Jonas Brothers’ was diagnosed with diabetes at age 16. Diet, exercise and an insulin pump that delivers insulin throughout the day is what lets Nick lead as normal a life as possible. 
• Randy Jackson: The American Idol judge, singer and Grammy Award winning producer was obese, had a family history of diabetes and is an African-American(the 3 major risk factors for diabetes) when he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Randy has since then, managed to shed around 45kgs (100lbs)with regular exercise and diet. 
• Salma Hayek: The actress cum producer was diagnosed with gestational diabetes when she was 25 weeks pregnant with her first child. Though this type of diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy, these people have a high risk of developing diabetes later on in life. 
• Sonam Kapoor: The actress and fashionista was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at a very young age. Instead of sitting back, she decided to take control of her life. She started eating healthy and with regular exercise lost a ton of weight and is able to keep it under control.

So it’s not just you, even the rich and the famous can suffer from Diabetes. What you need to do is to take a leaf from their book and try your best to control diabetes so that you can lead as normal a life as possible.

At the end of the day-don’t let Diabetes control your life, try to control it!

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
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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

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What Foods Help You Sleep?

What Foods Help You Sleep?

Research that what you eat can affect your sleep. One of the ways to a restful sleep at night is to keep the brain calm rather than agitated. 

Tryptophan, an amino acid, helps to make serotonin and melatonin which are important neurotransmitters that affect sleep. 

Tryptophan-rich foods include:

• warm milk, 
• curd, 
• chamomile tea,
• banana, 
• raisins,
• almonds and walnuts, 
• fish, 
• sesame seeds. 

Here are some tips to fall asleep:

• Indulge in stress busting activities before bed time, like listening to music, reading a book, take a warm water bath, drink a glass of warm milk with a pinch of nutmeg or a cup of chamomile or liquorice tea.
• Put a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow or behind your ears.
• Avoid caffeine -coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and nicotine (cigarettes and other tobacco products) close to bedtime 
• Eat at least 2 hours before your bedtime.Eating before bed can cause the body's metabolism to slow. The body slows down its functions at night to prepare for sleep, but consuming foods, especially those high in carbs, can make it harder to digest and also results in weight gain.
• Don't exercise close to your bedtime. Exercise raises your body temperature, speeds up your heart rate, and stimulates your nervous system. Intense exercise done too close to bed lead to interrupted sleep in some people. 
• Try some breathing exercise-alternate nostril breathing is known to help
• Keep the room temperature between 15C-20C if possible. This is supposed to be the optimal temperature for sleeping.
• Avoid looking at screens/gadgets just before bedtime. The blue light that’s emitted from these screens can delay the release of sleep-inducing hormone called melatonin. It is also said to increase alertness and delay sleep.

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

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Lockdown and Weight Gain?

Weight Management :Tips for Lockdown and Work From Home

Lockdown and Weight Gain? Should you worry?

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly changed the way we live. To help keep us safe, it is likely that our lives will be different for a while.

Physical Health and Well being:

With Covid-19, the Lockdown and Working from home has become a common feature of our lives in 2020, home working brings its own challenges when it comes to staying physically and mentally healthy. For those living on their own, feeling isolated all day, finding yourself 'just finishing things off' at 11pm, or constantly fighting the temptation to polish off the leftover ice-cream are just some of the issues for those of us using our lounge room as an office. 

Lockdown and Weight Gain? Should you worry?

48 percent of people say they have put on weight during lockdown in a new survey. But don't stress out.Here are some tips to help you improve your overall well being while working from home:

1. Set up a separate office space.
2. Maintain a healthy work-life balance by logging your time and setting limits.
3. Get up every hour and get out at least once a day.
4. Choose a good chair.
5. Keep the kitchen stocked with healthy snacks and meals.
6. Eat only when hungry. Stop snacking endlessly or due to boredom.
7. Take frequent breaks-every hour is a good idea. Take a walk to the kitchen, have a glass of water, stretch and take a quick 10 minute walk.
8. Use a watch/app to monitor the number of steps you get in a day-aim at getting at least 10,000 steps.

Lockdown and Weight Gain? Should you worry? The lockdown has increased the sedentary lifestyle in most houses. Those who used to hit the gym to get their daily dose of exercise are no longer able to do this. A sedentary lifestyle is used to denote a type of lifestyle most commonly found in modern cultures. It is characterized by sitting or remaining inactive for most of the day, with little or no exercise.

Are you a victim of Sedentary Lifestyle? Unfortunately with the lockdown everyone of us have become victims.

Read on to know how you can bring some activity into your daily routine.

Overweight and a sedentary lifestyle are directly linked and are together responsible for most of the lifestyle diseases that we come across today. The problem is caused by people eating too much, or exercising too little, or most often; a combination of both.

A sedentary lifestyle is linked to diseases such as type II diabetes, heart disease, depression and even hemorrhoids.

Lack of exercise causes muscle atrophy, i.e. shrinking and weakening of the muscles thereby increasing susceptibility to physical injury. Additionally, physical fitness is correlated with immunity and a reduction in physical fitness is generally accompanied by a weakening of the immune system.

Research shows that people who are physically active are biologically younger than the ones who are couch potatoes. This means that your body may feel and appear much older than you actually are.

Today, a lot of people just sit and work in their houses.After they finish work, they end up spending endless hour watching TV. Working from home all day ends up in virtually no physical movement at all. As a result, they are being diagnosed with mental and chronic diseases. It is important to maintain a minimum level of physical activity as it provides a number of immediate health benefits and prevents lifestyle diseases later in life.

Much more than weight loss:

Lose Weight the Healthy Way. It is important to be physically active not just to lose weight but for a number of other reasons -

> Low levels of activity, resulting in fewer calories used than consumed, contribute to the high prevalence of obesity or overweight.

> Physical activity may lead to better body fat distribution.

> A number of health benefits can be obtained by including a moderate amount of physical activity during the day

> Physical activity reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes  in particular

> Physical activity also improves mental health and is good for the muscles, bones and joints

According to most guidelines, 30 minutes of physical activity in a day for just five days in a week can have significant health benefits.For those with high-stress jobs or desk jobs, a brisk walk for 30 minutes for every working day of the week helps in not only weight management but also in preventing a number of posture and lifestyle related disorders.

Lose weight the healthy way -

Engaging in physical activity will help you in permanent weight loss. It will improve your metabolism and also keep you away from lifestyle diseases. Most of us lead a sedentary lifestyle simply because we do not have the time or now, even a place to exercise.

Get going -

It is important that you build physical activity into your daily schedule. It would be difficult at first but you must keep in mind the following tips:

> Start gradually. Start with walking 10-15 minutes every hour. This can be inside your house, in your backyard, or even on the terrace/ corridors. This will ensure that your Basal Metabolic Rate(BMR) does not fall.

> Do not give yourself targets you can not achieve

> Set specific goals for yourself. This makes it easier to reach the goals

> Involve your family and friends. Let them motivate you to do your best.

> Focus on the long term benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

> Buy an exercycle, or an elliptical or ake up a sport like table tennis (you can always start by converting your dining table).

Stress and Mental Health:

The impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, physical distancing and isolation can make us feel anxious, stressed and worried.When we aren’t able to see our friends and family regularly, it can be harder to keep on top of how we’re feeling.

Being aware of how you’re feeling and knowing what you can do to look after your mental wellbeing is an important part of staying healthy during this challenging time.

While it is reasonable for people to be concerned about the outbreak of coronavirus, try to remember that medical, scientific and public health experts around the world are working hard to contain the virus, treat those affected and develop a vaccine as quickly as possible.

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
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Stress and Weight Gain: Understanding the link between Stress and Weight Gain

Stress and Weight Gain: Understanding the link between Stress and Weight Gain

The Stress - Weight Management Issue

Stress is the way a person responds to pressure from various situations and it affects mental, physical, psychological and emotional well being.

Most of us are victims to stress. We cannot change our surroundings but we can definitely change a few things in our lifestyle!

The demands of a job, relationship with colleagues, personal ambition, and competition are other reasons for stress in the lives of most people now a days. Especially at such places, stress is also linked to many addictions like overeating, smoking, drinking, and drug abuse.

Physical problems associated with stress range from something as common as a headache to long term stress diseases like, digestive problems including ulcers, insomnia, fatigue, high blood pressure, nervousness, heart disease, strokes and even cancer.

It may even lead to emotional disturbances like, anxiety, anger, depression, irritability, frustration, over-reaction to everyday problems, memory loss and a lack of concentration for any task and psychological problems like withdrawal from society, phobias, compulsive behaviors, eating disorders and night terrors

Stress Management

Stress management involves a complete behavioral change including a change in the lifestyle and attitude.

Stress is known to induce eating disorders and addictions. Diet management is an important part of a lifestyle modification and a well nourished body is less prone to the ill effects of stress.

Processed foods, fast foods, stimulants and addictions make and stressful condition worse.

Another problem that people may face during stress is that of overeating. During a stressful condition, hormones are released in the body and these cause an increase in the utilization of the stored fats and carbohydrates for instant energy.

Once the stressful condition subsides, these hormones continue to stay in the body leading to an artificial craving for food. That's when we end up consuming an unnecessary amount of fat and carbohydrate rich foods.

Stress often leads to stomach cramps, constipation and digestive problems. 

A diet rich in vegetables provides not only fibre but also amino acids which produce seratonin; a compound that has a soothing effect on the brain. 

Apart from this, maintaining fixed meal timings and having small frequent meals also help in beating the stress!

Check out our Packages for Weight Loss the Right Way:

My Indian Dietitian Online Weight Loss Packages

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
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5 Reasons Why Summer is the Best Time to Shed Your Weight!

5 Reasons Why 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, 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!

For help with planning a diet and fitness routine, check out our packages:

My Indian Dietitian Online Diet Consultation Packages

5 Reasons Why Summer is the Best Time to Shed Your Weight!

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
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Bye Bye Belly Fat

A flat belly is every one’s deep desire. 

Bye, Bye Belly Fat

Our Indian palette somehow doesn’t allow us the perfect girth we all wish for. Our starchy meals are the main cause of that ugly paunch. Besides, festive cooking and large portion sizes are responsible for bulging belly. 
Let me share some practical tips to help you lose the fat from your belly: Skip sugar. Sugar, sweets, desserts all are simple sugars. That is, they are immediately absorbed and flow in the blood stream and raise insulin. Elevated insulin’s are responsible for increased belly fat. 
Avoid sugary beverages. Try and have plain water, lemonade, buttermilk, coconut water as thirst quenchers. Sugar laden and alcoholic beverages are empty calories that add to your excess belly bulge.  Early dinner help. Although it is the total calories and quality of food that impact your shape, it is wise to eat supper earliest. Eat early and let the meal digest before you go to bed. 
Avoid simple carbohydrates. Breads, potatoes, rice, refined flour. Replace it with protein rich foods and maybe some wholegrains, oats and millets along with it. This will show you good results. Whole grains are wholesome, filling, allow good intestine clearance. 
Walk a lot. Exercise is essential to release happy hormones. Endorphins suppress stress hormones that are the reason for adding bulge to belly. 
Go slow. The crazy lifestyle is not helping. Stay calm, focused, and happy and fell the difference. Meditate or just listen to relaxing music. 
Sleep well. Studies show that sleep time less than 8 hours is responsible for increasing weight. Rest your body and mind and feel the difference.
With these little changes, you can realize your dream of saying bye, bye to your belly fat in the not too distant future.

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!

What are Carbohydrates?

What are Carbohydrates?

Wondering what are carbohydrates? What's the big deal about Low Carb Diets?
Carbohydrates are obtained from staple diet and provide energy to body. Carbohydrates are the main source of calories in our meal. Carbohydrates are divided in two categories: Simple and Complex. Simple carbohydrates are sugar and starches. Complex carbohydrates are obtained from vegetables, whole grains and pulses. 
Carbohydrates have been targeted by various diet communities as the culprit of obesity. Well, this may be true but “all carbs are not bad’. They have to be eaten wisely. Firstly, differentiate between the simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrate energy is obtained from sugar. Other sources are:

Biscuits, 

Cakes and pastries

Chocolate 

Honey and jams Jellies 

Brown and white cane sugar 

Pizzas 

Prepared foods and sauces 

Soft drinks 

Sweets and snack bars.

Complex carbohydrates are found in:

Barley 

Beans 

Brown rice

Chickpeas 

Lentils 

Nuts 

Oats 

Parsnips 

Potatoes 

Root vegetables 

Sweet corn 

Wholegrain cereals 

Yams

How many calories does Carbohydrates provide?

Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 Kcal. 

How much carbohydrate does one need? 

Recent studies have shown that excess of carbohydrates which are not used up by the body is converted into fat and stored in the body which is one of the main culprits of weight gain as well as cholesterol problems.

That's right-cutting carbs can have a three fold benehit:

1. Helps in weight loss

2. Helps in reducing sugar lvels in diabetics

3. Helps in reducing the cholesterol levels

 In a low carbohydrate diet, the calories will be made up by fat and protein.

 Which carbohydrates should you skip? 

It is best to avoid the easily digested refined carbohydrates obtained from refined grain flour (maida/suji): white bread, white rice, as well as pastries, sweetened beverages, highly processed foods. These contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes and heart disease. 

Which carbohydrates can you eat? 

When and if you do eat carbohydrates, it's best to eat whole grains like brown rice, dalia/broken wheat, poha, oats, barley, millets like ragi rather than refined carbohydrates.

Sweta Uchil

Online Indian Dietitian

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

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Quick and Easy Spinach-peanut stir fry (Palak and peanut stir-fry)

Quick and Easy Spinach-peanut stir fry (Healthy Indian Palak Recipes)

 Quick and Easy Spinach-peanut stir fry (Healthy Indian Palak Recipes)

Spinach or palak is a powerhouse of nutrition and is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate as well as being a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and vitamin B2.

This is a quick and easy recipe that is my go-to when I’m in a hurry or when I’m just feeling too lazy to make an elaborate dish with palak/spinach. I call it my ‘Lazy spinach stir-fry’ which I make often as everyone seems to love it and I never have any leftovers now matter how many bunches of palak I use to make this.

Ingredients for the Easy Spinach and peanut stir-fry:

Spinach/Palak: 2-3 bunches (washed, dried and chopped into small pieces)

Roasted peanuts: 1 big handful (crushed coarsely)

Red chili flakes: 1-2 tsp (or as per heat tolerance)

Olive oil/Ghee/ Coconut oil: 1 tbsp

Garlic: 5-6 cloves (finely chopped)

Salt: to taste

Lime juice: a dash

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a kadai, add the chopped ginger. Then add the red chili flakes and the chopped spinach leaves and saute on high heat till the water evaporates.
2. Keep stirring and switch off the kadai when the spinach is wilted. Switch off.
3. Mix the crushed roasted peanuts and salt.
4. Add a dash of lime and mix.
5. Serve the easy spinach and peanut stir fry as a side to rice and dal.

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

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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
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