Poonam's NUTRITIONS Blog

Blood Pressure

2011-07-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

In 90 percent to 95 percent of high blood pressure cases, the American Heart Association says there's no identifiable cause. This type of high blood pressure, called essential hypertension or primary hypertension, tends to develop gradually over many years.

The other 5 percent to 10 percent of high blood pressure cases are caused by an underlying condition. This type of high blood pressure, called secondary hypertension, tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension. Various conditions can lead to secondary hypertension, including kidney abnormalities, tumors of the adrenal gland or certain congenital heart defects.

Certain medications — including birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs — also may cause secondary hypertension. In a 2005 study, women who took an average of 500 milligrams or more of acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) daily over several years were more likely to develop high blood pressure than were women who didn't take any acetaminophen. It's not known if the same holds true for men.

Various illicit drugs, including cocaine and amphetamines, also can increase blood pressure.

What Causes Hypotension(low blood pressure)?

Hypotension is caused by conditions or events that interfere with the body's ability to control blood pressure.
Orthostatic Hypotension

Orthostatic hypotension has many causes. Sometimes, two or more causes combined will result in hypotension.

Dehydration is the most common cause of orthostatic hypotension. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more water than it takes in. People can become dehydrated because of:

* Not drinking enough fluids
* Fever
* Vomiting
* Severe diarrhea
* Excessive sweating from strenuous exercise

Some medicines used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease can make it more likely that a person will develop orthostatic hypotension. These medicines include:

* Diuretics
* Calcium channel blockers
* Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
* Angiotensin II receptor blockers
* Nitrates
* Beta blockers

To know how to cure BLLOOD PRESSURE, wait for my next post.

Thanks

Daily tips for healthy $ummer

2011-04-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

Minimise the intake of dried fruits. Increase the intake of fresh fruit.
Use sabza (tulsi seeds) in your drinks -- this has very cooling effect on the body.
Drink lemon juice, coconut water and thin buttermilk, to replenish the fluids that are lost in sweat.
Avoid sugary foods, especially honey.
Sprout salad is rich in proteins and good both for skin and hair. Watermelon and papaya are also good for skin.
Include 2 servings of curd daily in your diet.
Avoid Pepsi/ coke/ black coffee/ Thai and Chinese food with spicy sauces.
Wash your hair at least twice a week. Either oil your hair once weekly or use a good conditioner after hair wash.
Rose water is a good moisturiser and it can be sprayed on the face to tone and refresh it.
To protect your vision at work and at play, wear protective eyewear. When outdoors, wear sunglasses that block at least 99% of ultraviolet A and B rays. Sunglasses can help prevent cataracts, as well as wrinkles around the eyes.
Drink mango juice, orange juice, apple juice, pineapple juice, instead of tea or coffee for evening.

Quick tips for healthy summer ☺☺

2011-04-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

When it comes to summer, We can enjoy lots of nutritious food and have rocking summer. So here are some tips what we can do to spend healthy summer.

Drink plenty of water. It is very easy to get dehydrated in summer without even knowing it. Water is very useful for growth and maintenance and even for regulating our body processes.Water is the second only to oxygen as essential to life. Water plays a vital role in all bodily processes and makes up just over half of your body's weight.

As mentioned, water is the most plentiful nutrient in the body, accounting for about 60 percent of your weight. Protein accounts for about 15 percent of your weight, fat for 20 to 25 percent, and carbohydrates only 0.5 percent.

In short water is the most essential nutrient for body. So drink as much water as you can.
Take rest when your body needs it but do not relax when it comes to workout. Follow some basic exercises to stay fit.
Wear sunscreen and sun protective clothing whenever you venture outdoors. Sunburns are not only painful but they are also risky with regards to other infections.
Eat light, small and frequent meals. Ripe summer fruits - peaches, plums, melons and pears, are exactly what your skin craves for in the hot season.
Include salads in your diet. Salads contain a significant amount of water and can actually thin the blood, which has a cooling effect.
Avoid smoking and alcohol, if you do so.
Avoid Chilly Treats.Craving ice cream, frozen bananas or grapes make a great-tasting, and also low-fat alternative.
Eat five meals a day. It’s better to have five or six small meals a day than to skip meals or eat only two or three larger ones.
Eat fruit smoothies instead of ice cream. It’s tempting to eat some foods during the summer that really don’t offer the best nutrition for you. Ice cream is a terrific example of a summer food like this. Learn to make substitutions so that you’re eating foods that are just as refreshing but a lot healthier for you. Substituting fruit smoothing (made from milk, yogurt and fresh fruit) for your ice cream is a great example of how to do this.
Make sure that your food is fresh. All of that great nutrition that you’re getting from following these other tips is going to go right out the window if you make yourself sick by eating foods that aren’t fresh. This is a particular concern in the summer because the temperatures get warmer and foods spoil more quickly. Make sure that you pay extra careful attention to the freshness of meats and seafood.

Nutritious Diet For Toddler$

2011-03-16T01:58:00.000-07:00

In the first year of life, milk is the mainstay of the diet and during the second 6 months a variety of other food is introduced.

The diet in the 7^th month of life:

Group 1 - Rice & Alternatives
Baby Cereal
Rice
Potato
Group 2 - Fruits & Vegetables
Orange
Papaya or Banana
Green leafy Vegetables
Carrot or Pumpkin (yellow vegetables)

Between 1 and 2 years, toddlers are adjusting their diet and for good toddler nutrition the diet should include:

Cereal grains, potatoes, rice, breads, pasta - 2 servings per day
Dairy (full fat milk, cheese, yoghurt) - 2 servings per day
Fruit and Vegetables - 2 servings per day
Fortified Toddler Food - 1 serving per day
Carrots/Pumpkin - 4 servings per week - for adequate Vitamins A & C
Oranges/Kiwi fruit/Mandarins - 2 servings per week - for adequate Vitamins A & C

Remember:

no more than 2 cups (16 oz. or 480 mls) of milk per day - full fat milk is required for adequate nutrition for infants and toddlers under 2 years of age
limit fruit juice to no more than 1 - 6 oz. (30 - 180 mls) per day - only feed it from a cup - do not put in a bottle
limit refined sugar
introduce healthy foods repeatedly - up to 10 times (don't give up the first time your toddler refuses)

Intere$tinG Facts Ab☻ut AppLe

2011-03-12T03:28:00.000-08:00

Here are some apple nutrition facts that everyone should know about to encourage them to eat this wonderful fruit:

One apple, on average, contains more antioxidants than a large vitamin C dose of 1,500 mg. Apples are also full of phytochemicals that help with antioxidant activity, as well as in preventing cancer. Antioxidants combat particles in the body called free radicals, which can significantly damage the cells and may contribute to the development of certain cancer types. Apples can help turn all this around.
Phytonutrients contained in apples are another type of antioxidant. These assist in fighting the harmful effects of bad LDL cholesterol, which, in turn, prevents heart disease.
Apples have been found to prevent or decrease the effects of osteoporosis because they contain a flavanoid called phloridzin, as well as boron. Boron is an essential trace element that increases bone density and makes bones stronger.
Apples contain pectin, which helps the digestive process, since it is a soluble fiber. One apple has the same amount of fiber that is contained in a breakfast bran cereal bowl. Also, the pectin contained in apples supplies the body with galacturonic acid, which is a substance that decreases the body’s insulin needs and, in turn, may assist in managing diabetes.
There are many apple health benefits because they have many vitamins and minerals that have been shown to strengthen the blood. At the same time, they do not contain any fat, cholesterol, or sodium.
Apples have tartaric and malic acids, which can assist with digestion and liver disorders. In addition, drinking apple cider vinegar may prevent kidney stone formation.
There are many complex carbohydrates in apples, which provide a sustained energy boost, as opposed to processed, sugary foods. Also, research has confirmed that apples have positive effects on lung function, which help you breathe more easily.
Surely one of the most important apple health benefits is their ability to help prevent different types of cancer. For example, according to a study that was conducted with 10,000 people, those who consumed apples regularly decreased their chances of developing lung cancer by 50 percent. The risk of breast cancer was found to have fallen by 17 percent. One study conducted on rats concluded that an extract made from apple skins decreased their chances of getting colon cancer by 43 percent. Other studies have confirmed these results by concluding that apples generally reduce the risk of colon cancer and keep the digestive tract healthy. Apple skin extract was also found to decrease the risk of liver cancer by 57 percent.

So Don't try to avoid apple and drink apple juice for liquid requirements.

Calorie requirement for different age groups

2011-02-17T01:29:00.000-08:00

The amount of energy supplied by a nutrient is measured in calories. Different foods can be used by the body to produce different amounts of energy. 60 to 65 percent of your calories are spent just keeping you alive and keeping your heart beating, your kidneys filtering waste, and maintaining temperature near 98 degrees. Another 25 percent goes for pure movement. The remaining 10 percent of calories is spent processing food. At least a minimum amount of 1200 calories of nutritious food should be consumed a day.

1000 calories = 1 kilocalorie

1 kilocalorie = 4.2 kilojoules

LIFE STAGE	GENDER/AGE	CALORIES
INFANT	0-6 months	650
INFANT	6 months- 1 year	850
TODDLER	Boys: 1–3yrs Girls: 1–3yrs	1,230 1,165
CHILDREN	Boys: 4-6yrs Girls: 4-6yrs	1,715 1,545
CHILDREN	Boys: 7-10yrs Girls: 7-10yrs	1,970 1,740
TEENAGER	Boys: 11-14yrs Girls: 11-14yrs	2,220 1,845
TEENAGER	Boys: 15-18yrs Girls: 15-18yrs	2,755 2,110
ADULTS	Boys: 19-50yrs Girls: 19-50yrs	2,550 1,940
SENIORS	Boys: 19-50yrs Girls: 19-50yrs	2,550 1,940

Note: - Infants nutritional needs are not gender based. Both grow fast, have high metabolisms, and require balanced diets and liquids.

Weight Conciousness

2011-02-09T22:41:00.000-08:00

Now a days everyone wants to maintain their body so that they will not look overweight.Having a slim body is not so difficult but doing unnecessary dieting is bad for health. So one should keep his or her body healthy and if you want to lose calories and fat in your body do some common things. Here are some steps to be healthy as well as keeping your body in a good shape.

Give ten minutes to your body to do some exercise in morning. It is very necessary to keep your body in shape. Follow this link to know some basic exercise. http://exercise.about.com/od/exerciseforbeginners/a/simple_exercise_2.htm and this link to know some tips about workout http://www.wholefitness.com/basicworkout.html. And after exercise give your body 10 minutes rest.
Then avoid eating Sweets and having sugar because there are lots of calories in sugar which is not good for our body. Use sugar free instead of sugar.
Avoid eating potatoes, Dry fruits oily and junk food.Junk food is not only unhealthy, but it affects our body also.
Do not drink alcoholic drinks Coffee as well as tea even avoid chocolates. It is not good for and health not good for body.Try some juices and some milkshakes.
Eat vegetables, fruits and pulses daily and SPROUTS- awesome for health and body too, eat sprouts thrice a week and see the change within 2 or 3 months. It is good for skin, nails and hairs too.
Never ever miss your breakfast. I see lots of people who avoid breakfast- reason we are on dieting.I don't know who is telling them to do these kind of stupid things.Honestly avoiding breakfast is not good for health.You will never lose your weight if you are avoiding breakfast. Eat some light and nutritious food but never miss it.
Eat less if you are on dieting but if you are eating 100% then now eat 90% then 80% then 75% but after some breaks.And do not eat not less than this.Eating slowly can lead to weight loss.
Drink plenty of water or other calorie-free beverages.
9.Eat light dinner and be very choosy about your dinner.

10.Add spices and flavor to your food.Because your taste buds gets satisfied with these things and then will not force you to eat more.

And finally please concentrate on healthy body not on thin.
And getting tense about your weight loss will never let you lose your weight.Never take stress.Because it effects our body and health too.Things will happen slowly and you will get a good result so be relaxed and eat healthy.

10 basic things to keep your body Healthy...

2011-02-03T03:01:00.000-08:00

Never ever Skip your your Breakfast.And your breakfast should be healthy but not so much oily.
Always try to eat and drink something which is a substance of milk or drink a glass of milk at least one time a day. And if you don't like milk you can at least eat curd, custard etc.
At least drink 13 glass water per day. And if you cant drink this much water try to drink juices and all.Orange juice is very useful for body as it gives our body power to fight with germs.
Your Dinner should not be very heavy.Eat light food and that should be little less in quantity.
Try to avoid junk food...I know it is quite yum but eat less.
Only eat seasonal vegetables and fruits.Off season fruits and vegetables could not give us nutrition and even could harm our body.
Avoid taking pain killers and energetic tablets, Calcium tablets blah blah. It could really harm your body.
Avoid filtering the flour which everyone usually use. Because after filtering what u get is full of vitamin B.So if you are filtering the flour it means you are filtering approximately 50% nutrition of flour.
Eat pulses and grain altogether.Because Protein is made up of 13 parts.Usually things have three kind of protein in them.

First class Protein- All 13 parts of protein are present in this type of food
Second class Protein- 1 or 2 parts of protein are missing
Third class protein- only 3 or 4 parts of protein are present in this type of food.

Grains and pulses both comes in second category It means it is source of second class protein.In all the 13 parts of protein in grains laicin is missing and in pulses mithayonin is missing.And if both are mixed altogether we get first class protein.

If you don't want to eat too much and doing dieting then it is not good to eat less. Do one thing, Eat food after a particular time period. Suppose You don't want to eat 2 chapatis at the same time.Eat one now and after one hour eat another. But don't ever try to reduce your daily food.

NUTRITIONS: BREAKFAST First of all let me tell you what actual...

2011-01-12T23:04:00.000-08:00

NUTRITIONS: BREAKFAST
First of all let me tell you what actual...: "BREAKFAST First of all let me tell you what actually breakfast is. Breakfast is combination of two words. One is Break and other is fast. In..."

2011-01-11T05:50:00.000-08:00

Health

At the time of the creation of the World Health Organization (WHO), in 1948, health was defined as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

Health depends on the nutrients that your food gives you during the time of digestion.There are three main groups of nutrients contained in food which are needed by the body in differing amounts. Noni Fruits and Noni juice are Andaman Products that provide carbohydrates, proteins, and fat. These major nutrients are needed by the body for growth, repair, maintenance and energy. In addition, the body requires fibre, vitamins and minerals which are present in varying quantities in different types of food. Good nutrition requires a balance of the right nutrients, that is, getting the proper amount, or proportion, of each one.

Our diet should provide adequate amount of all nutrients to maintain good health and physical efficiency. Daily food intake should be such that of the total consumption, about 15 to 20% is protein, 40 to 50% is complex Carbohydrates and 20 to 30% is fat.

Noni fruit powder is high in carbohydrates and dietary fiber.According to the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, a 100 g sample of the powder contains 71% carbohydrate and 36% fiber. The sample also contained 5.2% protein .

Fruit juice of Noni has been approved as a Novel Food by the European Commission in 2003. The knowledge on the chemical composition of Noni fruit has considerably increased over recent years. A number of in vitro and, to a certain extent, in vivo studies demonstrate a range of potentially
beneficial effects.

2011-01-11T05:25:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST

First of all let me tell you what actually breakfast is. Breakfast is combination of two words. One is Break and other is fast. In day time we used to eat lot of food or we can say we eat and drink something after some intervals.But when at night when we sleep for 6 or 8 hours we eat and drink nothing so we have a kind of fast and having something at morning time makes us to break that fast that is why we call it breakfast.

Now breakfast is most important part of day because we eat something after a very long interval and our day starts from morning so what we eat in morning time that makes us to work for whole day.So our breakfast should be very healthy and highly nutritious.

It should highly contain PROTEINS, CARBOHYDRATES, CALCIUM and IRON.

Basically you could eat Eggs, Whole Grains, Fruits, Bread(only brown bread) or toast, French Toast are also highly nutritious.

And please drink at least a glass of MILK OR JUICE.

And one should never miss his/her breakfast.