Weight Loss Mantra

Say good-bye to hair fall blues

2011-12-25T05:35:00.000-08:00

Losing hair?
Getting nightmares due to hair trouble?

Read on to know why you might be losing hair and what you can do to prevent hair fall....

You might suffer from hair loss due to :

Stress
Inadequate sleep
Dehydration
Lack of exercise
Over work
Nutritional Deficiencies like anemia
Bad and irregular eating habits
Medical problems
Improper hair care and hygiene
Steroids or medicines to treat PCOD, cancer, thyroid, PMS etc..
Hereditary

If any of the above is true for you, then simply try rectifying it. Below are some useful tips for hair care:

First, make sure you are drinking at least 10 - 12 glasses of water daily. If you stay in a hot climate, then your requirement goes even higher.
Make sure you are eating right. No long gaps. Nutrition rich food like fruits, vegetables, protein foods (e.g:- eggs, milk, meat, nuts and oilseed) are Incorporated in your daily diet in reasonable amounts.
Eliminate / reduce junk food, street foods , nicotine, caffeine from your lifestyle.
If you are over stressed or over worked.. RELAX!
Exercise is the best stress buster. Plus, it helps in adequate blood circulation which would mean better nutrient supply to your scalp for better hair growth.
Sleep for atleast 8 hrs daily.
If you stay in a city with high pollution, wear a scarf or hat when going out. It protects your hair. If you are travelling on bike or scooters, use a helmet.
Comb your hair before washing. Use a wide toothed comb to brush your hair. Be gentle while combing to avoid breakage.
Wash your hair once or twice a week with mild shampoo. Gently massage the shampoo at the roots. do not rub as wet hair is easy to break. Do not use shampoo at the ends.
Use conditioner on the lower end of your hair after shampoo. Conditioner shouldn't be applied on the scalp / roots.
Wash your hair with cold water or room temperature water. Hot water will open up the pores of your skin (of the scalp) and will lead to hair loss.
You can massage your hair with normal oil (not hot oil massage- for same reason as point 11) to pep up the blood circulation once a week an hour before you shampoo your hair.
Pat dry your hair. Avoid using hair dryers or hot plates on hair.
Avoid chemical treatments on your hair. Try using natural conditioners like egg, henna, olive oil, almonds oil, curd etc instead.
If you are losing hair due to some medicinal intake for treating a disease or health disorder, then make sure your are consulting a nutritionist to ensure your nutrient intake is optimum to support convalescence and reduced hair loss.

Hope you found this informative. If yes, then please leave a post or comment / queries below :)
Happy reading!!

I AM BACK!

2011-11-06T01:39:00.000-07:00

Hey fellas!

Sorry for being away for so looong from blogging!

I was busy trying to help a boy who is suffering from Blood Cancer.

Mohammed Rais is a 15 year old boy from Uttar Pradesh, India, who has come to mumbai for his treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel.

I spoke to Dr Manju Senger who is treating him at TMH, who informed me that the boy is at curable stage and his treatment will cost a whopping 4.5 Lakhs Indian rupees.

This boy belongs to a very poor family and his father cannot afford Mohammad Rais' treatment..

I have managed to raise Rupees One Lakh Ninetyfive Thousand and Four Hundred Eighty Rupees so far. A sum of 1 lakh rupees from this amount has already been transferred to Tata Memorial hospital and his treatment has thankfully begun.

I am pleased and happy to know and realise that there were so many people who came forward to help me raise money for this ailing boy.

I hereby take the opportunity to thank Anuya Jha, Faiza Shaikh, Rose Gomes, Pubali Sanyal, Batul Mukhtiar, Vikaas Sachdeva, Munizah Jeelani Khan from Dubai, Fauzia from Malaysia and P.A. P. L for coming forward for such a nobel Cause. Its is due to your utmost kindness that this boy could access medical treatment at Tata Memorial hospital.

Its sad that many cancer patients succumb to this dreadful disease due to lack of medical attention and lack of funds.

Incase, you want to donate and help such patients, you can get in touch with me on weightlossmantra@gmail.com for more details and you can talk to the patient and his doctor directly. There are many more patients like Mohammed Rais who are still waiting for your help. You little acts of kindness can do wonders to such ailing families. GOD BLESS.

The Ramadan Diet (Ramzan Diet)

2011-07-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

The holy month of Ramadan is soon approaching. This is a very pious and most celebrated month of the Islamic Calender. The End of Ramadan is marked by Eid - ul - Fitr.
Muslims all over the world fast during Ramadan. The purpose of fasting is to seek pleasure of Almighty Allah, The most beneficent and the most Merciful.

When a person fasts, he abstains from food and drink.He also abstains from bad habits like alcohol, smoking, lying, cheating, fighting etc. He abstains from sex too during his fasts.
A fasting person involves himself in prayers, charity and good deeds as its believed that the rewards of any good deed is much more in Ramadan than any other months of the Islamic Calender.

People wake up early in the morning before Fajr prayer to have their meal called Sehri. The time of Sehri will vary from one country to other depending on the position of the sun. Sehri time varies anywhere between 4am to 6am in the morning depending on which country you are and what month is going on. For example, the days are shorter in winter and longer in summer, so the Sehri Time varies accordingly.

The fasting period starts from Sehri and continues till Maghrib. That's Sunset. That is again variable depending on the position of the Sun. In India , its around 7.00-8.30pm when the Muezzin says the Azaan during sunset.

After hearing the Azaan, the Muslims break their fast. This is called Iftaar. The fast is mostly broken with dates and water.
A lot of people lose weight naturally during Ramadan, which is obvious due to fewer calories and muscles wastage. But what is interesting that few unlucky ones unwillingly gain extra pounds by the end of this month.This surprised few of my fellow nutritionists too when their clients came back weighing heavier than before...

My observation being a Nutritionist for past eight years and as a Muslim myself was that there were few common practices followed by Muslims all over the world which caused weight gain.

Reasons for weight gain during Ramadan

1. Muscle wastage due to fasting: Muscle wastage due to long hours of fasting i.e going without food and water for longs hours at stretch can be the key reason for a drop in metabolism and increase in fat percentage.

2.Skipping Sehri : If you skip Sehri, you are inviting more muscle loss and slower metabolism. The first meal of the day will be Iftar directly which you are going to store and convert to fat instead of using up. (pst pst: plus you are gonna get lesser sawaab... so bank on the sehri and get more rewards during Ramadan!!)

3.Overeating:
a)Overeating in Sehri to avoid feeling hungry (whats the point of fasting then my brother?)
b)Overeating in Iftari. Have Patience. Eat little and and in humble way. Islam doesn't encourage eating too much.

4. Feasting after Fasting: Many Muslims want to make Iftar a very glamorous affair. They spend a lot of time in deciding what to make and making all kinds of delicacies. Stick to simple food and spend more time in Prayers and Duas instead.

5. Junk Food and Fried foods: Kebabs, falooda's, bhajiyya's and all kinds of biryani's, pulao's, deep fried foods, kheer's etc as main items for Iftar is indeed a wrong selection of food items for people interested in maintaining their weight or losing weight. Avoid these.

6. Having a heavy Iftar and not having dinner. Again, fewer meals, heavier meals, lower metabolism and of course weight gain.

7.Partying all night till Sehri: This is a trend specially in cities like Mumbai - the city which never sleeps. Restaurants and eating outlets are open throughout the night specially during Ramadan that pulls young crowd. This again leads to weight gain..

8. Eating Very Few Calories : Due to the change in Schedule like waking up in the middle of the night for Sehri and after long gap eating the Iftar at sunset upsets the system of few people who don't feel like eating anything at all. Eating fewer calories than required will also slow down the much hyped BMR.

9. Lack of exercise: Gym goers tend to skip gym and any kind of workout during Ramadan.

10. Sleeping whole day till Iftar: This is true for mostly housewives or people who don't need to go to work or offices. They sleep soon after Sehri and sleep the whole day till its time for Iftar. Its obvious that these people are going to get a paunch by the time Ramadan ends.

11. Lack of sleep: this is the other group who want to reap as much benefits in the month of holy Ramadan which comes only once a year that they sacrifice their sleep for prayers and offering Salah.

The basic solution to all the above is to do the right things!!

Happy Ramadan guys and Remember me in your Duas!!!

Reasons for weight gain

2011-07-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

Today, I decided to put many intrigued minds to rest.
All my clients ask me why they are putting on weight even while they are eating healthy (as per them).

So here are just few points - (EIGHTEEN POINTS!!) that will help you explain the reasons behind your weight gain:

1.Slow Metabolism
Even if you eat less, you are still burning lesser calories than you are consuming because of slow metabolism.

2. Lack of Balance in your meals
You might be eating little food, but not the balanced food, i.e a balanced proportion of carbs, proteins, fat, essential vitamins, minerals and fiber.

3. Lack of Protein in diet
You might be a vegetarian and might be lacking protein in diet. Or you might be a non vegetarian but not eating your proteins regularly.

4. Lack Of Water
If you drink less water , you don't digest all that you eat properly making your metabolism and other functions sluggish and slow.

5. Over eating
A lot of time we overeat but we don't come to know.

6. Sedentary lifestyle
If you are someone who is hooked to the computer or TV at all times at home and on desk all the time while at office, then you have a high chance of obesity.

7. No exercise
People who tend to exercise tend to be more slimmer and healthier than people who don't.

8. Age
As you grow old, your metabolism slows down. No wonder, we have so many people telling us how fit and slim they were when they were in their 20's or 30's compared to now, or how good they were before marriage or before having kids.... We all have heard it all. So you are not alone.

9. Gender
Females have a higher tendency to put on weight than their male counter parts.

10. Hormones
Fluctuations in hormones like thyroid, estrogen, testosterone to name a few play a major role in your fat loss and fat gain.

11. Alcohol
Have you heard of beer belly? Alcohol drinkers tend to put on fat on majorly their belly (and other parts too). That's how they got the name.

12. Sleep
Too much of sleep (more than 9-10hrs) and too little (less than 6 hours) can both lead to weight gain.

13. Junk food
One on the major reason for higher obesity rates in the country. The coming of junk food which are high in fats and empty calories.

14. Excess Oil / Fat intake
Many Indian households use excess oil in cooking, deep frying along with the already amount of ghee and butter that they consume.

15. Medical conditions
Medical conditions like PCOD or insulin resistance or glucose intolerance are susceptible to unexplained weight gain.

16. Irregular eating pattern
People who don't have fixed time or discipline for eating and sleeping etc will have a higher fat percentage than people who live a more organised life.

17. Stress
People who have tendency to eat in stress will put on weight , but naturally. for such people, keeping stress under control is more important.

18. Hereditary
If your parents and grand parents both on maternal and paternal sides are obese, the product child having that "gene for fatness" inbuilt in him.

These are just few points that i have spelled out loud and clear for people wondering why their body has more tendency to put on than others. There are many more interlinked reasons and how to deal with it which, I shall discuss in my next posts Insha Allah.

If you found this information useful, or you have further queries, I would be happy to hear from you. Follow me on this blog for more interesting articles.

Best Baby Food! Mothers milk!!

2011-06-21T01:20:00.000-07:00

bonding time :)

Every mother is worried about her little ones growth and good health. She keeps wondering if her baby is getting enough or does she need to add some supplements in her little ones diet ?

Baby nutrition is a challenge to all mothers and drives all parents crazy.

The first battle starts at the birth of the baby and the question that arises is whether the baby should be breast fed or not? Or am I supposed to wait till the thick yellow discharge is gone and proper milk is available for the baby? When should I start breast feeding?

It’s surprising that even today; many new born babies are fed formula milk in nursing homes. I had once asked the nurse on why the baby is not given mother’s milk. The nurse promptly replied, “Because the mother produces milk after 3 days, till then the baby is on formula milk… “.

This answer did shock me as I didn’t expect this kind of lack of awareness in a nursing home.

Once the baby is born, the mother discharges thick yellowish colored liquid called colostrum. This thick milk contains all the vital nutrition that the baby would need to grow into a healthy child.

To explain it further, in the prenatal stages, the baby is completely dependent on the mother for nutrition, digestion, excretion and mere survival. After the birth, the baby has to use his own lungs to breath, and digest his own food to survive; he also has to survive the temperature changes, the bacteria and dust of the outer world. So the mothers colostrum that usually lasts for first three days of her post pregnancy days, is Gods way of protecting the baby and giving him the necessary antibodies that will help him fight his own battle in the first three crucial days of his life and coming years ahead.

This colostrum which is rich in immunoglobulin, (i.e. is it contains stuff that not only protect the newborns immune system) but also gives its strength to fight diseases and infections which a baby is at risk of exposure.

In olden days, the ignorant women and daayis would not let the mother breast feed the baby thinking it’s not milk… but as time changed, researchers and nutritionists have understood the function of this yellow colostrums as a boon for their baby, they have started to stress on babies to be breast fed immediately after they are born.

The colostrums that the baby gets for first three days of his life is enough for his nutrition and there is no need to administer the child other than this.

Then comes the dilemma of giving water to the baby…This is a huge practice in Indian households. Mothers try to give water to the baby. Please note, the baby should not be given anything other than breast milk till they are at least 6 months old..

Mothers’ milk has enough water to fulfill the baby’s requirement.

However, the downside of giving top feed to the baby before 4-6 months of age is:

The babies digestive system is not strong enough to digest anything other than mother’s milk.
Baby’s system on a whole is weak, and chances of food poisoning or bacterial infection and colic is high if top feed is given at such tender stage of life.
It’s inconvenient for the baby to take on any top feed or bottle feed as it wants to suckle to the mothers’ breast only, but bottle is forced on to him.
Mother’s milk contains all the nutrient custom tailored for its baby for its proper growth and development, so formula milk or cow’s milk is strictly prohibited unless the baby has some problem with suckling or mother cannot produce enough milk.

If you are one among the many women who is wondering what is best for your child, then you need not worry. If you still have some issues regarding breast feeding or you are facing trouble for the same, feel free to contat us for further help.

All the best with your little ones :)

MONSOONS ARE HERE!

2011-06-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Monsoons are here and we are celebrating. People in India love Rains, as rains are associated with good agriculture produce and less water shortages for the coming year.

Its not only respite from the summer heat but also a reason to go out and eat mouth watering "garma-garam bhajiyas and samosas" from the nearby street vendor. And the problem begins here. With the coming of monsoons, comes the water and food borne diseases too. The most common of them being the common cold or flu, Malaria, Dengue, Jaundice, Typhoid and of coarse Diarrhoea etc.

To enjoy our rains, we need to make sure that we are healthy and fit, for which, we need to ensure the following:
1. The water we use for drinking and cooking is first boiled at least for 20 minutes, filtered and cooled down for use.
2. Water shouldn't be allowed to stand anywhere around the house. This stagnate water is a good breeding ground for mosquitoes and thus Malaria. If you can mop it away, its good. Otherwise, pour a bit of kerosene on the standing water to prevent the mosquitoes for breeding.
3. Avoid eating street foods. hygiene is an issue in the rainy seasons. Also you will be avoiding a lot of food related infections this way.
4. Eat as much seasonal fruits as possible to keep your immunity high. Fruits and vegetables help you to fight against diseases.
5. Wash your vegetables and fruits very well before using.
6. Keep the floors and surfaces of your house dry and insects free.
7. Make sure you do your pest control on time as rainy season means lots of crawling insects and flies in the house.

These are the basic to do things that will help you keep yourself away from any trouble this season. Happy Monsoon!

SALADS FAQ

2011-06-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

Lot is being talked and printed about salads in health magazines and health columns of daily newspapers. We are bombarded with benefits of Salads on lifestyle television and zero figure aspiring gossiping aunties. Yet, there are a lot of doubts regarding its intake in our diet which I have duly answered below:

What are the Benefits of Salad?

I will try not to be repetitive here, but will yet list few of the most important ones:

It contains fiber. So the benefits of fiber follows i.e provides roughage, feeling of fullness, aids constipation, absorbs fat etc..
Vegetables and fruits eaten raw as Salads provide us with loads of vitamins like vitamin A, B,C,E and K along with minerals like iron, which, otherwise gets destroyed when we have vegetables in cooked form (in form of sabzi) as we Indians overcook our vegetables till its identity is lost along with its nutrition!
It prevents us from over eating as it provides a feeling of fullness.
It moderates the intake of carbs in our diet For e.g.: if a man eats 2 chapatis with sabzi, he will eat 1 roti with sabzi and salad, thereby preventing weight gain..
It absorbs the fat / oil that we have eaten like a sponge and throws it from system. This prevents excess fat deposition and storage in our body.

What kind of low fat dressing can I add to my salads?

You can sprinkle little salt and pepper over your tossed salads.
Add zero fat mayo (little qty)
You can add a bit of ketchup
Add a dash of orange juice or lemon juice to make your salads tangy.
A spoonful of beaten curd will also serve the purpose.
Don’t use olive oil or any oil, butter or margarine in your salads. (This specification is for Indians who already use a lot of oil in cooking, in chapatis etc).

I am a bachelor or a busy housewife, I can’t make salads. What can I do?

You don’t need to make an elaborate recipe of salads. Eat a whole cucumber or tomato or a carrot stick without the need for cutting along with your meals. Its one and the same thing.

How do I have salads when I am in office? The salads will get spoiled.

You can take a peeled cucumber or beetroot or any other vegetable which can be eaten raw in a zip pouch. This will maintain the nutrition quality of the salad and also will also remain fresh.

Can I take vegetable juice or soups instead of salad?

Something is better than nothing. You can have soups or vegetable juice which is not strained (i.e. fiber is retained) instead of salads to break the monotony of salads. But some vitamins and mineral like vitamin A, C and iron gets destroyed by exposure to light and heat. That’s why eating salads is preferable.

How do I incorporate variety in my salads and make it interesting on daily basis?

Make your salads with different fruits and vegetables everyday.
Use different dressings.
Add chicken, fish, boiled egg whites, paneer or tofu to your salads to increase protein value.
Have your salads raw, baked, barbequed or boiled to have some change in diet.
Add anar dana (pomegranate) or little pieces of orange in your vegetable salads.

I don’t need to lose weight. Do I still need to eat salads?

Yes. Salads will not only keep your digestive system healthy but also provide with nutrients which will keep your skin and hair beautiful, increase your immunity, keep your heart healthy in longer run and also slows down your ageing process.

Be healthy and fit and look young with your salad!! So many advantages!

I have tried to answer all the questions that my clients often ask me. If you still have any doubts , please feel free to post your query and I will try to answer to the best of my ability.
Meanwhile be happy and eat right!

VITAMINS

2011-06-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

In the last decade, public interests in the benefits of vitamin and mineral supplements have rocketed. As a nutritionist, I have people coming up and asking if they should be taking vitamins.. Do we really need to take vitamins?? Will taking excess of vitamins cause any health problems?? Which vitamins should I take?

For many of us, the word vitamin brings up the image of bottles of pills lining the shelves of our local chemist or fortified cereals that we eat for breakfast. But these chemical substances occur naturally in minute quantities in most of the food we eat.

Although vitamins contain no calories, they are essential for normal growth and development, and many chemical reactions in the body. Vitamins are necessary for the body to use the calories provided by the food we eat and help process proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Vitamins are also involved in building cells , tissues and organs. Antioxidant vitamins (Vit A, C and E) are also involved in improving immunity. They are known for their anti-ageing and anti cancer effect on the body. They save our body from the oxidative damage that occurs as a result of pollution, stress and ageing.

We can get our vitamins in natural form in food that we eat. For example:

Sweet potato, carrots, cabbage, pumpkin, mango, liver, eggs, pineapple, papaya are rich source of vitamin A.
Foods such as peas, spinach, bananas, salmon, yogurt, cheese, meet, avocado etc are packed with B-vitamins.
Mango, melon, oranges, capsicum, guavas, sweetlime are rich in vitamin C.
Egg yolk , mackerel , salmon, cod liver oils are rich source of vitamin D.
Wheat germ, prawns, almonds, hazel nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E.
Apricots, grapes, pear, plums, asparagus, celery, peas, carrots are rich in vitamin K.

But, despite our natural sources of vitamins, we need to supplement our diet with additional supplementation because of the following reasons:

Most of vitamins and minerals are very volatile and can get destroyed in the process of cutting, chopping, grinding, washing and cooking.
The body may not absorb all the vitamins in the food due to some absorptive disorder.
Some food component such as phytates, tannins, oxalates binds with vitamins and hinders the absorption of vitamins.
The requirement of an individual will go up in cases of growth like in adolescence, pregnancy, lactation , in addition with increased requirement due to exercise, stress, injuries, smoking, alcohol, health problems and deficiency.

When a client comes to me, supplementation of vitamins and minerals are only encouraged after accessing the person’s medical history, lifestyle, eating patterns and intensity of exercise by a trained and certified nutritionist in addition with a nutritionally balanced meal.

However, taking over the counter vitamin or mineral supplementation without the recommendation of doctor and a nutritionist / dietitian is highly discouraged as this may cause severe health problems and vitamin toxicity due to over dose.

Vitamin supplementation can only do any good to the body if taken in the right amount and right time. Too much or too little of anything is harmful for the body.

SELECTING THE RIGHT NUTRITIONIST FOR YOU

2011-06-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

If you are planning to lose weight this year and it tops your "to do list", then you must be wondering where to go and whom to meet. You must have already started asking your friend who must have lost oodles of weight so that you can also join the wagon.

What are the criteria when you try to locate your nutritionist? Let’s see, maybe you would want to go to someone your friend or your neighbor is going to. Or maybe you would want to try someone who fits in your budget?

You would want to go to a qualified nutritionist who would find solution to your fat loss issues and be value to your money...?
But finding the right nutritionist isn’t that easy.

As discussed earlier, India does not have any governing body to regulate nutritionist and dietitians working in hospitals, clinics and gyms. Unlike doctors (who have to have a minimum of MBBS degree with a fixed duration of practice dedicated to government hospitals and private hospitals before they get a license to practice), anybody with a certification course can claim to be a nutritionist and start practicing.

A housewife with just a home science degree can stand up to be a nutritionist, a trainer or any person with a 2 months sports certification or 1 month diploma courses in non-recognized institutes can call himself a nutritional expert or a dietitian and start practicing.

In such situations, your health is in your hands. You have to find out if the person who is prescribing you nutrition programs is doing the right thing for you. And the first step towards it is to be an alert individual.

CHECK THE QUALIFICATION

Ask the nutritionist her qualification. Your nutritionist should at least be a graduate in Applied nutrition or Sports nutrition or Dietetics from a recognized college or university. Many colleges usually give out a home science degree with majors in Nutrition or dietetics. This is a full-fledged 3 years program with in-depth studies and training to handle all kinds of cases. Then you have the post graduates or MSc qualified nutritionists too.

Most of the institutes in India offering these courses are women’s colleges and universities; therefore, it’s more likely that your nutritionist is a lady. In case, you come across a male nutritionist, double checking his credentials would be an added necessity.

Be aware, the certification or a diploma course can only help a person understand nutrition in a better manner, but by no means, can it make the person eligible to be a practicing nutritionist or a dietitian. So, in case you come across doctors with such certifications, you have to think twice before going ahead.

TALK TO YOUR NUTRITIONIST BEFORE ENROLLING

The next step after the educational qualifications is to identify what kind of diet program your nutritionist plans for you and what are the targets she has set for you.

If while enrolling you in any of the weight loss programs, the nutritionist or dietitians says any of the following:

Ø That they will make you lose 20-30 kgs in 3 months (or something of those sorts).

Ø They will use machines that will break down your fat…

Ø sauna will melt your fat

Ø will give you special ayurvedic medicines, or scientific formula for losing weight, or homeopathy medicines to lose fat

Ø Their special powder or black salt massages will make your tummy tuck

Ø you have to buy their special high fiber food stuffs and chew on them for the rest of your life to stay thin

Ø their special detox diet program will help you

Ø no need to diet

Ø no need to exercise or weight train as you might gain weight

Then all you have to do is walk out from that door and never come back.

THE RIGHT GUIDANCE

A nutritionist is a health practitioner who engages into preventive measures for keeping people healthy. When a person walks up to a nutritional health practitioner, then an ideal nutritionist would first talk to you and figure out your problem by studying your daily activities, medical and health problems, lifestyle issues, exercise programs and fat –weight analysis report.

After this study, they will be the one to tell you how much you should ideally lose and in how much time. I usually notice here that the individual /client comes and tells the nutritionist that they have to lose a whopping 10-20kg fat in 1 month time or fastest possible time. This is a wrong practice, as this might put your nutritionist under stress to make you lose weight in manners not right for your health and body in the long run.

A good nutritionist is not the one who will make you lose weight at the drop of your hat, but the one who makes you lose weight by corrective measures of diet, exercise and lifestyle patterns where you lose gradually but permanently and make these changes a part of your daily living even after the program is over.

Once you have spotted the right nutritionist who stresses more on your good health and fitness than meeting target weight loss, just follow the instructions and get the desired results! But remember, to achieve best results and good health, patience is the key to success in the long run!

Hope this was enough guidance to help you. Go ahead and achieve your new year’s resolution! Fit body is not too far now! Meet your nutritionist today…..

Why you need to diet?

2011-06-17T10:20:00.001-07:00

In my entire career, it's been a battle for me to convince people the importance of following a diet. Mothers, husbands, mother in laws and not to forget our very own sedentary doctors with large waistlines and cholesterol value reaching new heights who are busy minting money without any care and need to upgrade their knowledge and degree that they may have earned some 20 years ago... All think that there's little need to follow any diet...

"Oh, I have a lot of medical problems, that's why my doctor said no dieting till I become strong" .

But my question to such doctors is --- how will a person come out off weakness and illness if they don't follow a diet?? The problem with we Indians are that we associate diet or dieting as synonyms to starving..

They still fail to understand that dieting refers to a healthy eating habit and not losing weight by means of starvation alone.

There are diets for weight gain too, we have dietitians at hospitals to help the inpatients to recover from a surgery / post operative condition. Dietitians and nutritionists are best people to advice you foods that will help you heal.

If a woman is overweight and she is also anemic, then a nutritionist has the necessary qualification to help her manage both through a thorough diet prescription.

When a doctor is handling or treating a case of osteoporosis, he should also keep in mind that such a person needs a proper diet to recover other than just calcium and pain killers. It's unfortunate that the nutritionist and doctors being from the health industry, dont see eye to eye on a lot of issues like this.

If one takes the step to follow the right diet with correct amount of vitamins and minerals, then one will never need to go to a doctor. Taking nutritional advice is a preventive measure to avoid going to a doctor or in worse cases hospitalisation (as in by pass surgery for example).

I strongly feel that everyone should at least, once in a lifetime, irrespective of age, sex, medical condition or physical activity must take a complete nutritional assessment of their diet and try following it as per the advice of nutritional experts.

Finally to sum it all up, "An apple a day really keeps the doctor away"!!