weight loss
Obesity-diet soda paradox
– Posted by Pillscribe
Usually, calorie-conscious people go for diet sodas as beverage, given an option. Diet beverages help to reduce calorie intake. These zero calorie drinks’ effectiveness as a tool in overall weight-management plan have been repeatedly endorsed by several studies.
However, new research shows that diet colas can work the other way round, as well. Diet drinks can make people eat more thereby ending up consuming more calories, according to a study by the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Obese people with the habit of drinking diet soda actually consume more daily calories from food, the study found. The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded study used information from the 1999 to 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
After analysing the national patterns in diet-beverage habits, sugary-drink consumption and caloric intake by body-weight category, the researchers found that 11 percent of normal-weight, 19 percent of overweight and 22 percent of obese adults in US drink diet beverages.
Overweight people fond of diet beverages took in 88 more calories a day from solid food than those who drank sugary beverages. Meanwhile, obese participants who drank diet drinks consumed nearly 200 more calories a day from food than obese men and women who drank sugary drinks. Meanwhile, the normal-weight adults who drank diet soda got 73 fewer daily calories from food, while the normal-weight people who drank sugary drinks added 46 calories a day from food.
“Diet-soda drinkers who are overweight or obese are eating more solid food during the day than overweight and obese people who drink sugary beverages,” said study researcher Sara Bleich, associate professor of health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins.
But why do diet soda-savvy heavy people tend to eat more? Maybe the answer lies with the artificial sweeteners used to flavour diet drinks, Bleich said. Earlier studies have reported that artificial sweeteners disrupt the brain’s sweet sensors and give the feeling of less satiated. The feeling that the tummy is not full make one eat more food.
Many experts and the American Beverage Association, the trade group representing soda manufacturers, dispute the findings of the study.
10 Healthy weight loss tips
-Posted by Preethi Rahul, Nutrition Consultant, HEAL Foundation
The festive season is round the corner, and most of us are battling against our sweet temptations on one hand, and the growing paunch on the other. Globally, 1 in 6 adults are obese and the incidence of obesity has doubled since 1980. Gaining a few kilos occasionally is not frightening but drastic weight gain is something which should not be ignored.
Here are 10 weight loss tips that will help in curbing the flab and keeping you fit.
- Have a hearty, nourishing breakfast everyday
- Do not fast or feast
- Variety is the need of the hour – include whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, cereals, pulses, meat and lean meat products, dairy (skimmed) to get a healthy blend of all the nutrients
- Limit the intake of white culprits like sugar, salt, dressings and refined flour (maida)
- Limit liquid calories like fruit juices, sugary soft drinks, alcohol, etc.
- Watch your portion size. Eat a variety of foods but ensure portion sizes are controlled
- Indian snacks are major culprits that cause the bulge. Choose healthier snacks like popcorn without the extra butter and salt, puffed rice, sprouts bhel, crunchy vegetables/fruits, etc.
- Exercise regularly. Choose an activity which you would enjoy doing to keep you motivated
- Keep yourself hydrated. Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water in a day. You can also have healthy drinks like buttermilk, coconut water, green tea, clear soups, etc.
- Give in to your cravings once in a while. A weekly treat with a bar of chocolate or a slice of pizza or one plate of your favorite pani-puri should do the trick.
Weight loss is not magic. Diligently following a balanced diet along with regular exercise and lifestyle modification can help in healthy weight reduction.
Eat to live. Do not live to eat!
Losing Weight, Every Year!
-Posted by Atiya Nishat, Health Writer, HEAL India
Yes, of all good things we do on New Year’s Eve, making resolutions, that too about losing weight, is certainly one of the most important.
No matter how much weight we put on during the year, due to reasons best known to God, it is always on New Year’s Eve that our eye chooses to look upon it, compelling us to decide that it is high time to lose weight.
From consulting a nutritionist to piling up the refrigerator with healthy foods, from joining gym to buying sneakers, all of us would agree that we really put in our best effort to lose ugly flab and bulges accumulated over the year. But at the end of every year, no matter how wholeheartedly we gear up, somehow we end up putting on more weight, just to make yet another New Year resolution!
Actually, losing weight is not a decision which we take in a flare of emotions; it is also not about getting enrolled in any weight loss programme or fitness center. Maintaining a healthy body weight is a demanding process, which takes not just self control and motivation but also consistent effort and dedication, not just on New Year’s Eve, but all the year round.
We can lose weight gradually, without compromising on our health, by simply cutting back on extra calories, refraining from junk foods, eating all three major meals of the day, including fresh fruits and vegetables, having plenty of fluids and most important taking some time out for a little walk or jog.
So, this time while jotting down your New Year resolutions, make sure that you do not enlist ‘weight loss’ as now you know that shedding that worrying pound is not about thinking about it, but rather depends on acting on the thought.
Happy New Year!
Digital monitoring for effective weight loss
Taking out Grain’s Nourishment
-Posted by Neha Gupta, Health Writer, HEAL India
Before you pick that pack of instant noodles or box of pizza to treat your child, think again! Research has revealed that high intake of refined ‘junk’ foods are linked to mental health problems in children. There is mounting body of evidence exhibiting the impact of unhealthy diets comprising of refined cereals on the risk for depression and anxiety in children.
As a nutritionist, advising parents not to feed their child refined foods are met with perplexed looks. This may be attributed to the fact that they are not aware of healthier options to replace the refined cereals in their child’s diet. Inclusion of whole grains like brown rice in the diet is a much called for measure to lay the foundation for overall wellbeing of children and adults alike.
Coming to the general physiology of a grain, the germ and bran layer of a grain is the most nutritious part of the grain since they are the storehouse for most of the vitamins, minerals, fibre and anti-oxidants present in the grain. But when they are subjected to the refining process, these layers are removed, causing loss of valuable nutrition. The endosperm left after the process, which we discern as a refined cereal, is primarily composed of starchy carbohydrate and is lacking in vital nutrients.
However, to create good will, it is sometimes stated that some amount of iron and vitamins are re-added to the refined grains during the course of manufacturing resulting in ‘fortified’ or ‘enriched grains’. The reality being that only a tiny proportion of the nutrients removed initially are added back.
Brown rice, which is essentially unmilled rice, is a wholesome and nutritious whole grain. When incorporated into diets, it has been shown to reduce the risk for chronic diseases. Increased consumption of brown rice has an inverse relation with weight, body mass index and waist circumference. Unwarranted intake of refined grains, on the other hand, has been implicated with high incidence of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.
For people watching their weight or diabetics struggling to keep their blood glucose levels stable, brown rice is an ideal choice. Children can be introduced to this powerhouse of health by substituting brown rice in dishes which are made with refined grains.
With the introduction of brands providing quick cooking as well as delicious tasting brown rice options, it will soon become a smooth sailing for parents desiring a healthy disease free childhood for their little ones!
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