What to eat during exams?

This time of the year calls for acute mental stress and pressure for thousands of students who take various exams all over India.Both Rhea and Laxman were those kids who were busily preparing for their board exams.While Rhea ate well,slept well and took her exams,Laxman was erratic in his eating habits and break timings.It lead to lot of health issues just before his exams that he almost had to miss his exams.Let us see how Rhea prepared for her exams, eat right and stayed healthy.

                                     Exam time is invariably a period filled with energy draining hours of studying, last minute memorizing episodes, sleepless nights and irregular eating. Though most them are able to overcome the physiological and psychological stress the performance in exams can be enhanced with careful planning of food and sleep coupled with well-organised study plan. Late nights, stress, missed meals and quick food fixes will all play havoc with your ability to concentrate, take in information and the function of your fit-to-burst brain-box

What to eat in the breakfast?

A proper break-fast is a must irrespective of you are a morning bird or a night owl. If you are morning person eat your breakfast by 10 am in the morning. But if you got to hit your bed only by early morning then keep a breakfast alarm , just eat something as simple as biscuits ,it would take hardly 10 minutes and you could then get back to sleep. This will keep your system energized through your rest period and you would not feel any craving while you get back for lunch. Preferable go for whole-grain dishes like multi-grain Paratha, Ragi Dosas ,oil-free scrambled egg with some veggies would be ideal.Along with the main dish also grab some mineral rich fruits like Bananas,oranges. When not eating egg it is recommended to go for a glass of milk for the good amount of protein source enhancing your memory power. Like everything else in your body, the brain cannot work without energy. And the first meal of the day is very important. The ability to concentrate and focus comes from the adequate, steady supply of energy - in the form of glucose in our blood to the brain .The fibre from fruit and whole grains will keep you going for long hours of study. One cup of tea or coffee a day would not matter but not a sip more than that.

What to eat for mid-morning?

For all those who study through night mid-morning around 10-11 am will probably spent in sleeping. But for the rest of you go for some sweet-lime or any citrus juice with some hi-fibre biscuits.A handful of Walnut and raisin s will do excellent work on your brain functioning by providing adequate amount of omega acids, DHAs and anti-oxidants.

What to eat for lunch?

A lunch with some rice or Chapattis is very important. Just add sufficient vegetables and whole legumes as the accompaniment. A whole grain maindish like Jowar rotis or a cup of red rice will always be useful.The fibre will keep releasing energy slowly and B vitamins will help in protecting the immunity system.A cup of curd or glass of butter milk at the end of the meal is ideal. You could stick to usual amounts but not the food made of refined cereals,high fat or high sodium. These might interrupt with your brain functioning and will give you more hunger pangs that will create fatigue and irritation.Keep away from heavymasalas and oil. Oily fish are great but meat and chicken are a big no-no.The lunch should ensure that the ingredients will help in maintaining concentration throughout the day.If you are a night owl then take some time from sleep ,have a warm shower and eat your lunch atleast by 3 pm.The next part of your day will be any way spent studying so ,stick to the normal routine.

What to eat in evenings?

A cup of milk with some short eats like ground nut Chikkis,home-made or local made whole-grain Chakklis or Murukku is fine to get you off that afternoon sleepiness mode. These will keep your brain active after putting in such long hours of work.

What to eat in mid-evening?

A cup of vegetable salad made of Cucumber,onion and tomato is enough to keep you hydrated and refresh your senses for the last phase of your day.Grab some simple Papads,Khakhra or steamed snacks for this break to go with it.Or just go for some Sundal or cooked whole legumes season with light spices. Lycopene in tomatoes can enhance memory.

What to eat in dinner?

A wholesome dinner will mean a few Chapattis with a cup of rice with loads ofDhal based dishes with vegetables and a cup of salad. If need be go for a grilled oily fish dish .Do leave out egg for dinners. Also go for light gravies for dinner.Vegetarian can stay with 2 cups of freshly fermented curd. The probiotics will build in a lot of immunity too. A fitting dinner should be followed by an apple.Apple is a chosen fruit here as it very filling and has loads of nutrients to combat stress and relax nerves.A half-cup milk of milk can have soothing effect for a good night sleep after a long day of brain work!

What should night owls eat at mid-night?

If you are the night owl that puts in the best of hardwork in the night,remember it is always only a second option.But then if you are already tuned to the routine then follow the tips:

1. Have an early dinner preferably by 9 pm.
2. Load your fridge with food like apples,bananas,milk and some handy whole wheat bread slices.Try some smoothies and blends.
3. Keep your snack shelf filled with multi-grain Museli flakes and dates to munch.Also stock some home made chutneys to serve as bread spreads.
4. Drink lots of water but keep away from aerated drinks.If required a glass of sweet lime juice is a good idea.
5. Try to get to bed by 3am ,so that you can get back to your feet for your break-fast break.

Some more tips to follow:

1. Stay away junk foods: Any food with empty calories and high amounts of sodium such as most western junk foods .But yes some light homemade Chatvarieties are allowed occasionally.
2. Cut out on gums and Candies:Ensure that you don't chew gum. The chewing action will cause you to swallow more digestive juices, which will increase your hunger. Highly sugary products can play havoc with the blood glucose levels and lead to sudden falls leading to fatigue and restlessness.
3. Stay hydrated:Water allows many of the chemical reactions in our bodies to take place and therefore, the speed at which our brains can work and process all those notes will be affected if we dehydrated . The NHS recommends we aim to drink around 1.2 litres of fluid a day - water being the liquid of choice to keep your body functioning on top form.
4. Get enough sleep:While you want heaps of energy during the day, come bedtime ensure your body and mind are ready to rest. The sleep pattern disruption will cause anxiety and stress.
5. Boost your immune system:If you've been suffering from stress, sleepless nights or a poor diet due to all that knowledge cramming, your immune system will likely need a helping hand. Avoid having your hard work scuppered by a cold or worse by filling your plate with fruit, veg and whole grains.
6. Meditate and practice Pranayama: If you are above 14 years practice Pranayama and meditation to up your memory power and focus.

So just go ahead and eat well ,sleep well and enhance your performance in your exams.

My Yoga story

Yes! It is international yoga day on June 21.What so great? It is an awakening of sorts. A health tool , a way of life that our ancestors followed for centuries saw an almost death till some recent years.But the world awoke before us ,that it is a billion dollar industry today. 
       
Very rightly said in Bhagwath Gita too.

"yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā samatvaṁ yoga uchyate"
(http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/2/verse/48)
Also, in the words of our PM Modiji  when he called observing an International Yoga Day, describing the ancient science as "India's gift to the world." 
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Narendra-Modi-calls-for-International-Yoga-Day/articleshow/43665102.cms)

All  this said and done. I have to tell you 2 instances where Yoga has changed my life .It has given me a multi-dimensional outlook to my life.The  holistic touch that continues to support me in all my ups and downs is itself a great pointer to the healing power of Yoga.Yoga is just not an exercise regimen but it is a way of life.It cleanses your body,soul and mind.

Rewind to 2005 July 25,most of us remember the catastrophic flood that hit Maharashtra. The waters gulped down most villages.It devastated Mumbai the next day. We were staying a few kilo meters away from Panvel in the Raigad district.A beautiful township was our home that also housed my husband's factory.In the wee hours of  morning of July 25th me and my daughter were still asleep as my husband was away in his night duty at factory.Heavy rains were lashing already.Suddenly a gush of water entered our house.In a few minutes our house got flooded.The water was seeping rather silently and quickly. We were somehow rescued from the mess.Sooner our house was almost submerged with 10 feet high water.We lost most of our things and a lot more of our memories .Hours later me and my little daughter were reunited with my husband.What followed was an unimaginable and stressful chain of events.We moved forward thanking God for saving our lives. Though with help of relatives and friends we settled in our lives,I went into severe depression.That is when my aunt introduced me to Pranayama and Kapaal Bhathi and a few another basic Aaasanas .I was in my late twenties then and sincerely started practicing them for 3 years. Yoga taught me to face and survive.
                                            The next phase was more challenging.A huge untold tragedy struck our family when my husband lost his loving sister to cancer.Though he faced the eventuality with great courage soon he slipped into severe depression and acidity related issues.A good friend of ours introduced us to Isha Yoga.Both me and my husband learned it.He practices Shambahavi yoga till today.It has been 3 years now with some lifestyle changes like playing sports and right eating helped him to get on track.
                Both these life changing incidents have inspired me more than ever before to practice some form of Yoga in my life.Part of my career too involved in an organisation that promoted Yoga and I learnt how to apply Yoga for some therapeutic conditions.Today all my workshops have a compulsory 'Pranayama' teachings.Especially in corporate healthcare scenario of today Yoga helps to de-stress and lead a happy and healthy life.

My Pranayama time

Two women change to health

Just the other day two of my friends Sita Kumar and Minu Sharma came visiting me for consultations on weight-loss.Both were in their late thirties one was a gracious home maker-chef  and the other was an enterprising fashion designer. Both of then had kids were super women juggling home, family and work. They were over-wight,complained of fatigue and chronic back and knee pain. Minu also had issues with her menstrual cycles.All said and done I found out both of them didn't weight-loss programs but zing of some important nutrients and life style to their body. A small transformation in their diet and food style has helped both of them to be are right on track and feel great again.

                      Every women has a super woman in her.With multi-tasking being norm of the day 30s to 45 can be most testing years. And sadly a study has proved that Indian women are the most stressed on in the world.

                    But 2 main nutrients  can keep  you going this way all the way and help you to fight the health and emotional issues in a positive way.They are Iron and Calcium. I am going to take you through both these nutrients and help you to understand their importance in your daily life.

The white Power for women

Minu's problem was very acute.She was suffering from bone and joint pain and due to nature of her job,she needed to strain her bones maximum.What she lacked was proper Calcium nutrition.Calcium is very crucial for any woman at any stage of life. Entering the 30’s with enough bone mass is a huge challenge for in today’s modern lifestyle.

A look at the risk factors that makes your bones weak:

• Gender:The female population is more susceptible to bone issues atleast by 8 times due to primarily 2 reasons-pregnancy and physiological stress
• Race:White-skinned people face more risk .Constitutionally dark-skinned have higher bone density so lesser issues during aging. 
• Body size: Influence of weight and body fat distribution on bone density in postmenopausal women- a study has proved that  women with higher fat mass on the upper part of body tends to have higher bone density. Also the estrogen secretions are higher.
• Genetics:Some bone related issues are genetically influenced. But the issues may not follow a same pattern.At time it may not even occur.
• Disease:Diseases related to thyroid and liver and GI can considerably decrease the absorption of calcium.They create an imbalance of calcium in blood plasma. Kidney diseases can lead to changes in phosphate levels which impair the remodeling process in bone malformation.
• Drug therapy:Some medicines can accelerate the loss of bone density .Some of them are anti-convulsants, corticosteroids used in treating arthritis and thyroid hormones used in treating thyroid also may have an effect on bone density.

What do we do?  Increase Vitamin D synthesis:

Keep yourself physically active always:(Useful for both Anemia and Calcium Deficiency)

                                                                Black power from Iron

Sita had this tiredness and fatigue always.She felt sleepy even when her enthusiasm was at peak.Her menstrual  periods were irregularand painful. So I suggested a hemoglobin test that confirmed her Aneamia.

The possible nutrients she might be lacking is Iron, Apart from that Folic acid and Vitamin B12  help to fix iron.Their  deficiencies also could lead to Anemia.Let us know more about that.Iron cannot be synthesized in your body it can only fixed from the food you eat.

 Reasons for Iron Deficiency: 

 Heme versus Non-heme iron:The bioavailability of iron depends on several factors. People who are iron-replete absorb iron less easily than people who are iron-deficient.In addition, absorption depends on the specific form that iron takes.

Heme Iron:Heme iron is the most readily absorbed form of iron present in most non-vegetarian foods such as  in shellfish, red meat, poultry, and fish. On average, people absorb between 15-35% of the heme iron they consume.But these sources are rich sources of fat,hence we need to limit their consumption.

Non-heme iron: Non-heme iron is found in plant foods, as well as in eggs, milk, and meat. Compared with heme iron, it’s less easily absorbed by the body. Moreover, sources of non-heme iron often contain phytates, which bind to iron and carry it through the digestive tract unabsorbed. As a result, the foods with high iron content aren’t necessarily the best sources of iron. By weight, soybeans have roughly twice the iron of beef. But only about 7% of the iron in soybeans is absorbed. Spinach is also high in iron, but less than 2% of the iron in cooked spinach is absorbed.But the problem can be solved adding some iron absorption enhancers like

• Vitamin C may be particularly effective. 
• One study reported that adding just 63 mg of vitamin C to a meal rich in nonheme iron yielded a 2.9-fold increase in iron absorption .
• Meat can also make a big difference. Experiments suggest that adding 50 to 85 grams of meat to a meal results in a 1.5- to 4-fold increase in iron absorption.
• Beef may more effective than other meats. 
• In one experiment, beef protein enhanced iron absorption 80% better than did chicken protein . 
• Also follow the below the image to strike the right combination of iron in your diet!
• I am very happy for Sita and Minu who took some steps towards positive health They considered themselves important.

So women..please gift yourself with power of black and white for a healthier future!  

( Disclaimer: Both are my friends who were happy to share their stories.Name being changed for privacy purposes)

The Big Fat Lies

You want to lose weight to stay  healthy? Just re-frame the question..do you want to gain health to stay happy? Most people today  Google  for the former issue more!

                              If it was just this easy to lose weight 'online',then believe me nutrition and dietary sciences will never have any existence.But when the weight-loss bug bites in the battle begins with a lot of homework on what to eat and not, then a series of exercise routines. There are also some great believable crash diets that promise more than they can in reducing the extra flab. All continue until, they hit a road block with  a point of no return. 

                     Most of them gain more weight than before.Some just have fallen off the cart with more burden on their health.So let us see some 'Big' fat lies that seems to be cheating all. 

Crash Dieting:

Simple, a crash diet is nutritionally imbalanced. It will lead you into troubles more than one. Eating one of those diets with only fruits, vegetables or juices can be detrimental to your health. You might lose some kilos here and there but it drains you of all the reserved energy and nourishment.

Missing meals:

The most common myth is that missing meals can reduce weight. But it is actually other way round. It puts on weight and leads to you into obesity. If you miss one meal you then you tend to binge the next but might not burn the food you ate that is converted in to more fat. Always remember break-fast is a must. Every big meal should comprise at least 2 servings of complex carbs.

Dieting with ‘Sugar-free’ foods:

The most dangerous myth about dieting is to go on Sugar-free beverages, sweets and artificial sweeteners  for weight loss.But all these contain Aspartame which can kill your heart’s health and in the long run invite Lifestyle disorders affecting you. It is better if you could use healthier sweeteners like Palm sugar, Agave sugar or honey instead .

Going without fat:

A little fat is good for you. A total fat-free diet cannot reduce kilos in a big way. It is important to have foods with good fats like omega fatty acids and MUFA. Nuts like walnut, Avocado and olive oil are sources of good fats.

Curbing cravings

Another weight loss myth is to resist cravings .Whenever you are tempted to eat your favourite food, just go for it. But have small portion of the same. If cravings exceed too much then it will surely have a bad effect on your weight loss program.

Eating Diet pills/One meal supplements:

There is no single food or magic potions that will lead you to weight loss. All are either gimmicks or quacks setting you up. Never go on them. A healthy lifestyle with sensible eating can do the wonder! Food supplements are very dangerous in the long run. They can lead to hormonal complications in your body. Never go for short –cuts.

Keeping yourself away from favorite fast foods:

Well not works always.But fortunately most fast foods are not part of our culture.So the only threat is o of craving for these foods as an alternative or a change.Just learn to make wise choice on menu cards and share a plate with your friend.

All carbs are bad:

Never think that all carbs are bad.Unrefined cereals and legumes are best form of healthy carbs.But it seen that people avoiding all types of carbs to reduce weight.It is importnat to note that when a diet is devoid of carbs you lose some amazing nutrients that help you  to lead a healthy life.

Magic foods to burn the calories:

There is no magic bullet foods that can burn extra calories.Nothing works best other than exercises.

So never fall prey to such products.

So don’t just go ga-ga about fad-diets and get carried away by quick-fix solutions. What you need is a weight-loss plan that is sustainable and gives you the desirable results on a long-term basis.

 Always remember the 3 Ps-Prepare, Perspire and Persevere.

 Prepare yourself well, work-out is a must and be patient in achieving your weight loss goals.

Try to strike a balance between your food style and lifestyle.So gain health not just lose weight.