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.

Tips for A Healthier, Fitter Family

Image Courtesy: bbc.co.uk

 The old saying that "A family that eats together stays together" not only holds good even today but needs to be tweaked a little to suit today's health conscious world . It should now read as "A family who eats healthy and exercises together stays fit forever!"
As a dietitian my goal is not only to get my client on the right 'eating' path, but also to extend the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise to his/her family. Many a times clients (mostly women) give up as it gets difficult to make two different menus-one would be the regular food for the family and the other for themselves. My solution-if the present food and eating habits has resulted in weight gain and other related health problems,then it is advisable to change it not just for yourself,but also for the whole family.  To do that you need to make subtle changes not just in the cooking but also in the family's outlook towards health. Here's how you can bring about a change in your and your family's health:

1. Reduce oil used for cooking to half of your currant usage. 
2. Avoid making or buying fried foods like chips, pakodas, fried chicken and such on a regular basis.
3. If you must, then buy the smallest available packs/size of fried foods,sweets,chocolates, cakes-that way there won't be any left overs for snacking on later.
4. Use whole grains like brown/semi-polished rice, whole wheat flour, whole wheat pasta, 100% whole wheat breads and locally grown millet and grains like ragi/nachni(finger millet) and jowar(sorghum).
5. Switch to eating fruits for desserts on a regular basis.
6. Buy skimmed milk, low-fat cheese, non-fat plain yogurt
7. Munch on healthy snacks like fruits, salads, a handful of nuts, edamame salad or other cooked beans/pulses like a chickpea salad.
8. Drink water when you are thirsty and with your meals instead of juices, aerated drinks, beer or energy drinks.
9. Buy only 100% fruit juices( or you could make fresh juices at home) instead of those loaded with sugar.
10.  Include a variety of seasonal vegetables (and not just potatoes) with every meal.
11. Avoid red meats like beef, pork, mutton(goat meat) and instead have fish or poultry.
12. Eat your meals together as a family and not in front of the television.
13. Try to inculcate the idea of physical fitness by including the whole family in outdoor fun activities like walking, trekking, hiking, biking, swimming or even playing outdoor games together.
14.  Include kids and/ or your spouse when cooking so that the resulting meal is a family effort.

Old habits are hard to change, the trick is to be persistent! Try introducing one or two changes every week, that way the changes may actually go unnoticed. Just bear in mind that IMPOSSIBLE can easily turn into I'M POSSIBLE!!

8 Commonly Heard Myths about Exercising:

There are a number of myths associated with exercising. Here are some of the commonly heard myths still doing the rounds in India:

Myth 1: I don't want to start exercising as I've heard that I will put on more weight when I quit!!
This is obviously someone who is looking for reasons not to exercise! When you exercise you burn fat which brings about weight loss. Moreover people also tend to be more conscious of their diet since they are putting in so much effort to exercise. When you quit, you also tend to get back to your old eating habits. This increase in calorie intake and no means of burning those calories will ultimately make the weight creep back.
Solution:  Don't Quit!! Exercise is not a short-term means to achieve your goal of weight-loss. Make it a daily routine and it'll help in maintaining the weight you lost (along with a host of other health benefits).

Myth 2: Women should not train with weights otherwise they may end up looking like bodybuilders.
Both men and women can benefit with a little strength/weight training. Weight training has shown to help make your bones stronger and can also help in shedding weight faster by maintaining muscle mass and reducing the percentage of body fat. As for the fear many women have of becoming bulky-relax! Women don't have enough testosterone (the hormone needed for building muscles) like men to end up looking like bodybuilders!
Solution: Work out with less weights at least once or twice a week.

Myth 3: Don't drink water during your workouts.
This myth probably originated in gyms where the trainers had to show instant weight loss after a workout! Water should be an essential part of your workout routine. You lose a lot of water from the body in the form of sweat and water helps in hydrating your body. Watch any sport and you'll see players(cricketers, tennis players, basketball players, gymnasts and such) grabbing a bottle of water whenever they can to avoid cramps due to dehydration!
Solution: Try to sip a 1 liter bottle of water  during your workout.

Myth 4: Crunches will help get rid of belly fat.
Spot reduction is a myth. You need to reduce the overall fat in the body to see some difference in the belly fat. Crunches can help in tightening/toning the abdominal muscles, but it cannot convert the belly fat into muscle.
Solution: A balanced diet and a regular exercise routine will help you over a period of time.

Myth 5: Don't workout during your periods.
Sounds more like an excuse to get 3-4 days off from exercising! Unless you have severe cramping/pain, working out during your menses can actually help in reducing the discomfort.
Solution: Try doing lower intensity workouts like walking or yoga on those days.

Myth 6: I'm not overweight,so I don't need to exercise!
Exercise has many health benefits out of which weight-loss is just one of them. Lack of physical exercise can increase the risk of obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, strokes later on in life.
Solution: Exercise should be as important to you as brushing your teeth. Even low intensity workouts like walking 2-3 times a week will help you in the long run.

Myth 7: You need to workout in a gym to see the desired results.
Any kind of exercise/physical activity whether done in a gym, in a park,on the beach or in your house is enough to see results.
Solution: Aim at exercising at least 4-5 times a week for 30mins-1 hour.

Myth 8: I don't have time to exercise!
I don't have time either-I make time!! Just remember someone busier than you is exercising right now!!
Solution: Take inspiration from the President of the United States who is known to exercise regularly!

(Image Courtesy: www.nydailynews.com)

Diet and Fitness Tips for the Monsoons

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 also tend to bring to the table steaming teas along with hot ‘pakoras’. So how does one take care of the diet and exercise with all these hurdles? Here are some tips to help you continue your weight loss journey:
Exercise:
• Outsmart the rains 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 heathy 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:
1. Drink only boiled/ bottled water. Carry a bottle of water from home to avoid drinking water from unsafe sources.
2. 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.
3. 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 Reasons Why Summer is the Best Time to Shed 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:

1. 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!

2. 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.

3. You could lose extra calories by just drinking ice cold 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 ice cold water a day can’t add calories as water is a great zero-calorie drink!

4. 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!

5. 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!

Who will LOSE (weight)on Dancing With The Stars this season?

That’s right-while most people are interested in knowing who will win the ‘Mirror Ball’ trophy, I’m more interested in seeing who will lose weight this season.
Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) has become a platform for the stars not only to show case their dancing talents, but also their weight loss through dancing. In the past seasons, stars like Kristie Alley, Kelly Osbourne, Rob Kardashian, Ricki Lake, and Nancy Grace have lost the trophy but walked home slimmer, trimmer and a lot fitter than when they started the show.
Dancing is an excellent way ‘to keep your body moving’-the mantra for everyone today! It can burn anything from 200-500 calories and is known to aid weight loss, increase cardiovascular performance, muscle mass, flexibility and improve balance. The advantage with dancing is that it does not feel like exercise.
This seasons DWTS has an interesting star cast which has actors, singers and sports stars like Super Bowl champion Donald Driver from the Greenbay Packers and the tennis legend Martina Navratilova.
So instead of sitting back and enjoying the show, this time, put on YOUR dancing shoes and groove away to the music. Who knows, you may be the BIGGEST loser when the show ends!

New Year Weight Loss Tips!!

It’s that time of the year when everyone one tends to make resolutions for the New Year. If like always, losing weight is on the top of your list, then here are some tips to keep in mind:
• Exercise-the latest weight loss mantra is to move your body! Whether it’s joining a gym or dance classes or swimming, exercise has to become as important as “brushing your teeth”!
• Don’t skip breakfast-a new study in the Journal of American Dietetics reveals that dieters who regularly ate breakfast shed weight more steadily than those who skipped it.
• Avoid snacking on high calorie foods-which tends to pile on the calories without you noticing them. Instead of fried foods(like chips/mixtures, chivdas, samosas, vada), pastries, donuts, etc, choose healthier options like fruit with low fat yogurt, channa chaats, low-fat cheese sticks or even a handful of mixed nuts.
• Watch the sugar- juices, cokes, cappuccinos, mochas, milkshakes, sweets and desserts are loaded with sugar which can wreck your diet. Hydrate yourself with at least 10-12 glasses of water, the natural “zero-calorie” drink and keep the sweets and desserts for the occasional indulgence.
• Eat balanced meals-crash diets don’t work in the long run. So instead of trying out fancy new diets, stick to eating balanced diets that are tailor made by a dietitian to suit your lifestyle.
• Control your portion sizes- anything eaten in excess (even the healthy foods) can add unnecessary calories. You can have several smaller meals instead of the traditional 3 big meals if you feel hungry in-between meals.
• Avoid weekend binging-it can bring back all the calories you managed to burn during the week with the end result being that there isn’t much weight loss.
Follow these tips to be able to stick to your resolution and to make sure that it doesn’t become another resolution that bites the dust!
Sharing a New Year joke making the rounds:
Dear God,
All I want for 2011 is a big fat bank account and a slim body...
Sincerely, please don't mix these up like last year!!

Let this not be just a wish-make it come true!
Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year!!

Mall Walking-the latest fitness trend!

A new fitness phenomenon called ‘Mall Walking’ comes to town. Popular in most American cities, mall walking is simply as the name suggests, using your neighborhood mall as a place to exercise. You can walk or even jog in the corridors of the malls. Most participating malls open their doors early for walkers even before the shops open their doors to shoppers.
What are the benefits of mall walking?
• You can walk in any weather: With mall walking, you can never have the heat, rain, snow or the wind as an excuse for not exercising. Since the temperatures in malls are controlled, you have a perfect climate all year through.
• Safety: Since you are walking inside the mall, you don’t have to worry about getting mugged, teased or even hit by traffic.
• Clean and pollution free environment: You don’t have to jump over puddles, or try to avoid stepping on dog poop or worry about your allergies acting up due to pollution!
• No cost: The malls won’t charge you for walking-so that means you won’t be paying a hefty membership or monthly charges.
How to get started?
• As for any exercise routine, ask your doctor or health care provider if you are fit for walking.
• Invest in some comfortable workout clothes-even though it’s the hippest mall around, you can’t be exercising in your skinny jeans.
• Put on your walking/exercise shoes-again stilettoes are a strict no-no for exercising.
• Start with 10-15 minutes of walking at a pace that you are comfortable and then after a couple of days increase the pace and the duration.
• Get a walking buddy (or partner) to keep you both motivated.
What are the disadvantages?
• It could be heavy on your pocket-the main reasons why mall owners are happy about letting you use the mall! Walking by the displays in the shops could make your wallet lighter even if you aren’t a shopaholic!
• If you get tempted by the aromas from the food court, you could be getting in more calories than you burnt! The solution to this would be to walk without your wallet or just get minimum cash (just in case of emergencies).
• Since you aren't paying for it-getting motivated to exercise may be a challenge(money after all,is a great motivator and everyone wants to get his/her money's worth).

Keep in mind that the walking surface is hard,so make sure you are wearing good shock absorbing shoes to protect your joints.

So come summer, monsoon, winter, don’t let the weather bother you too much-just slip on your walking shoes and go ‘mall walking’.

Q) Have you ever tried 'mall walking'? Tell us about it.

Top 5 ways to beat workout shyness

Are you one of those who keep putting off exercising to ‘tomorrow’? Do you start your New Year’s resolutions with ‘Start exercising daily’ but never seem to be able to ‘start’ or if you do start never are able to do it for more than a couple of weeks? We all know that we should exercise, but some days it's tough to get moving: not enough time, too tired, no energy. Here are some tips to beat workout shyness:
1. The ‘Buddy’ system: get a friend/ relative/spouse/ neighbor to workout with you. Having a partner makes it more difficult to miss the gym when a spell of laziness hits you, and you are likely to work out harder once you are there. The best part of having a workout buddy is that after you complete, you’ll have somebody to cut loose and celebrate with! You’ll also have somebody to continue working out with in order to keep yourself in your best shape possible.
2. Buy a whole year’s package: basically pay up. Money is the ultimate motivator. A whole year’s gym package would probably cost you a bomb and you’ll find yourself being regular just to get your money’s worth (if not anything else).
3. Set a goal: To start with, set small attainable goals like exercising for five days a week for at least 45 minutes each time. Once you attain this, then you could go one step further by either increasing the intensity of training or by increasing the time for exercising, etc.
4. Find a workout that is fun: Exercise need not be limited to working out in a gym. You could find some fun activities like dancing, jazz exercising, aerobics, playing a sport that you love (like tennis, basketball, squash, etc). Sometimes the fun element in these can make you look forward to it rather than detesting the thought of it!
5. Reward yourself: Every time you achieve a goal, reward yourself-it could be going for a movie, meeting up with friends, a facial, a new dress, getting a new hair cut or buying yourself a gift certificate to a spa (go ahead and pamper yourself, you’ve earned it!)

Along with these tips, don’t forget the health benefits of exercising:
• Helps manage your weight,
• Combats diseases like osteoporosis, heart diseases, certain types of cancers and diabetes,
• Improves your mood,
• Promotes better sleep and
• Boosts your energy levels.

So pack a bottle of water, wear a snazzy exercise outfit and hit the gym (or the dance floor/ tennis court, etc) and watch those extra layers of fat melt away. You may even surprise yourself by fitting into the pair of jeans from your college days!