Fats

• Fat plays a big role in our body. Most importantly, it helps us survive during periods of prolonged mental and physical stresses, sickness and prolonged starvation.

• Fat is energy dense substance providing us with 9 kilocalories/gram. Other than survival, fat also performs the following functions in our body :

- Transports vitamin A, D, E, Kwhich are also known as fat soluble vitamins.
- Protects vital organs like heart, kidney, liver, lungs, etc.
- Acts as an insulator and prevents loss of the body heat.
- It is a part of the protective sheath covering the nerves and helps in nerve transmission.
- Stimulates flow of bile and emptying of gall bladder.
- Required fir milk production and the normal growth of the foetus in pregnant women.
- Makes up much of the brain (more than 60% of the brain is composed of fat) and helps it fuction smoothly.
- Lubricates joints.

• Fat is stored as adipose tissue in the body from where energy can be used in some extreme cases. It is due to this ability that the human species has evolved and survived. So the fat is our body's answer for bad times. It is the only nutrient that can help us survive through the toughest phases of our life. so EAT FAT TO LOSE FAT.

• There are mainly two types of fats :

1. Saturated fats - Butter, animal fats(red meat), milk and milk products, coconut and palm oil.
                  - LCFA (Long Chain Fatty Acids)-> animal fat -> hard to digest and damages cardiovascular health.
                  - One should always have it in moderate amount.


2. Unsaturated fats - All oils except coconut oil.
                    - Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) : peanuts, olives, avocados, almonds. It has oleic acid which is great for moisturising skin, glow and hair growth.
                    - Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) : Omega 3- flax seeds, walnuts, fish oil and Omega 6- sunflower, safflower and soyabean oil. [Omega3:Omega6 = 1:1]
                    - Trans fats : when unsaturated fats hydrogenated, gets converted into saturated fats and these are called as trans fats. 
                    - Processed foods, store-bought cakes, biscuits and fast food like pizzas,burgers,fries have trans fats in them.
                    - It is created to preserve food and give it a texture. It is a bad fat as it increases LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein means bad cholesterol) in the body.

• Peanut oil and that new entrant, rice bran oil, have a strong content of MUFA. Their fatty acid content is similar to olive oil and they have a flavour which is much better suited to Indian cooking than olive oil.

• For a lean, toned body, healthy heart, supple skin and lustrous hair make fat as a part of every meal or atleast of three main meals(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner).

• Include nuts,cheese or any other dairy product in your diet because it's not just enough to eat food that is cooked in oil. 

• Consuming healthy fats in healthy (adequate) amounts will actually ensure proper functioning of the body and optimum fat burning.

• Fats, when eaten in combination with carbs and protein, work at reducing the glyceminc index of the food.So they actually work at slowly releasing sugar in the blood. This leads to effective fat burning, stabe blood sugar, minimised hunger, a good mood and a glowing complexion.

• Try using blends of oils instead of using only one type of oil for years. Change your cooing oil after every 2 months. So the fat layers won't stack in your body. Use filtered oil rather than using refined oil because it retains the nutrients in it.

P.S. Fat is required not just for optimum health but for the sustenance of life itself.

Make sure you have atleast 1 tea spoon of homemade ghee everyday and puhhhleeeezz HAVE IT GUILT FREE.

Proteins

Dark circles under your eyes, chipped nails, hair fall, frustration, anger are all linked with protein deficiency. Amino acids (proteins) are necessary for normal hair grpwth and lustre, strong nails and smooth skin. 
without them not just you look, but how much fat you burn gets affected. Our protein requirement stands roughly at 1gm/kilo of body weight.

The word protein comes from the greek word 'proteios' which means primary. It has many roles to play i our body without which normal functioning can be impaired.
Some of these functions are :
- Making antibodies, which are our primary defence system against infections.
- Movement and muscle contraction, which we get from contractile proteins.
- Catalysing metabolic and biochemical reactions through enzymes. Enzymes take part in all chemical reactions in the body. eg.Enzymes help the digestive system in breaking down the food.
- Picking up signals from the body and sending them to a cell that needs it. Hormonal proteins work as messenger proteins(like insulin).
- Making up cells and tissues, structural proteins such as keratin, collagen and elastin do this important job for us, creating connective tissue, tendons, ligaments(responsible 
for keeping hair, skin, nails healthy).
- Help to transport nutrients from one part of the body to another, the haemoglobin does this.


Have a close look at the following image and you will realize that proteins are everywhere :)

There are 3 types of Amino acids:
1. Essential - Can not be synthesizes by the body.[Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine].
2. Non essential - Body can make it in adequate amounts if nitrogen is available in the diet. [Alanine, Asparagine,Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid, Glutamine, Serine].
3. Conditionally essential - These are needed in the diet unless precursors are available for their synthesis. [Arginine, Cysteine, Glycien, Proline,Tyrosine].


* Precursor is a substance from which another is formed especially by metabolic reaction.*


Precursors of conditionally essential amino acids :
Amino acid                           Precursor
-Cysteine                       Methionine, Serine
-Tyrosine                       Phenylalanine
-Arginine                       Glutamine/Glutamate, Aspartate
-Proline                         Glutamate
-Glycine                        Serine, Choline




Quality of protein is affected by amino acid content, amino acid imbalance, interference of trypsin inhibitors and non availability of carbs.It is also affected by heating and processing.


Sorces: Animal foods like meat, fish, eggs. Plant foods like pulses, oil seeds, nuts. Milk and milk products. Generally animal proteins are most easily digested and absorbed over 90%. 
Cooking with moist heat improves protein digestibility whereas dry heat methods can impair it.

Methionine can be supplied to the body in adequate amounts by eating a well balanced diet andby consuming good quality protein like fish, eggs, milk products,whey. A diet 
which restricts protein will lack methionine and will not facilitate fat burning process.


One thing that will turn exercise into an anti ageing activity is protein.


When too much of protein is consumed at one time, it does not get stacked away for future use, instead  it is converted to fat by a process called deamination.




Combinations of foods to improve quality of protein:
Excellent combo                                                     Example
-Cereals + legumes                                      Idli, dosa, khichdi, chapati + sprouts
-Cereals + milk & milk products                    Payasam, paneer pulao, cheese sandwich, 
                                                                 curd rice, cheese pasta     
                                                                      
-Legumes + nuts & oilseeds                            Gingelly seeds/grondnuts/ coconut chutney 
                                                                   with roasted bengal gram daal




P.S. Proteins are the machinary of living tissue that builds the structures and carries out the chemical reactions (functions) necessary for life.

Carbs...

• Carbohydrates are important part of nutrition. It is the main energy source. Almost 50-60% of daily diet (food intake) consists of carbohydrates (Carbs).1 gram of carb provides 4 kcal.

• Carbs are responsible for providing our body with the energy it needs for normal day to day functioning. Additionally, they play many other important roles :

- Synthesise and form DNA and RNA
- synthesise hormones and fatty acids such as cholesterol.
- Generate powerful antioxidants and protect our cells from damage and ageing.
- Cleanse the body.
- Help hormone and immune functions.
- Regularize bowel movements because of their fibre content.

• There are mainly two types of carbs- simple carbs and complex carbs. In the body, simple carbs gets converted into gllucose faster than complex carbs hence they get absorb quickly into blood and increase the level of blood glucose.

• Sources:

Simple carbs- Sugar, Honey, Jaggery, Processed food, Refined flours (Maida), Fruits, Dry fruits.
Complex carbs- Cereals, Whole Grains, Milk.

• High GI (Glycemic Index) foods get converted to fat quickly and low GI foods have a much better chance of getting utilised for energy instead of getting stored as fat.

[ GI- The glycemic index measures how fast and how much a food raises blood glucose levels. Foods with higher index values raise blood sugar more rapidly than foods with lower glycemic index values do.
High GI (70-100) Carbohydrates which break down quickly during digestion, releasing blood sugar rapidly into the bloodstream – causing marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

Medium GI (56-69) Carbohydrates which break down moderately during digestion, releasing blood sugar moderately into the bloodstream.

Low GI (0-55) Carbohydrates which break down slowly during digestion, releasing blood sugar gradually into the bloodstream – keeping blood sugar levels steady … and so provide you with the best health benefits.]

• Body can take high GI food only after execise, when body needs instant energy.

• In the absence of carbs, fat can not be utilised for energy.

P.S. Carbs are not FATTENING. It is important to eat lots of carbs in your breakfast because the brain needs fuel right away and carbs are the best source. So make a wise choice of carbs and be energetic.

NUTRIENTS, NUTRITION AND HEALTH

Nutrients, Nutrition and Health are interlinked. Only ample amount of supply of nutrients can nourish the body and helps in maintaining a good health.

You must have heard the word NUTRIENTS...What are they???

 NUTRIENTS are the constituents in food that must be supplied to the body in suitable amounts.
There are two types of nutrients: 
- Macro nutrients (Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats and Water)
- Micro nutrients (Vitamins, Minerals)


I guess everybody knows them :)



Now what is NUTRITION???
NUTRITION is the science of foods, the nutrients and other substances therein, their action, interaction and balance in relationship to health and disease; the processes by which the organism ingests, digests,absorbs, transports and utilises nutrients and disposes of their end products. In short, it is a role of food in maintenance of health.

P.S. LIFE CAN BE SUSTAINED ONLY WITH ADEQUATE NOURISHMENT :)

What is health???
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.

Essential dimensions of health :
- Optimal growth and development.
- Maintenance of the structural integrity and functional efficiency of the body tissues necessary for an active and productive life.
- Ability to withstand the inevitable process of ageing with minimal disability and functional impairment.
- Ability to combat disease such as resisting infections (immunocompetence), preventing the onset of degenerative disease, resisting the effect of environmental toxins
  and pollutants.
- Mental health.
- Social well being is the ability to live in harmony with others.

P.S. JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT SICK DOESN'T MEAN YOU ARE HEALTHY.

What is DIET??

If I ask this question to anybody...the quick answer will come--- Diet means not to eat tasty food and just to eat salads, fibre and juices which tastes bad and a person who is 'dieting'
 can't enjoy his life because he can't have yummy food which actually he wants to devour.

If you really think that dieting means all the above things then let me tell you that all the above things will make you unhappy, unhealthy,weak,angry, frustrated and hence unsuccessful. Because
if your peace of mind is not on the right place, you can't concentrate on things which you are doing and you go wrong everywhere. Our thinking ability also decreases. And all this failure leads to depression,
stress. (stress + Depression = Health hazards and Weight gain).

 

Phewwwww...who wants this all??? Of course NOBODY. And that's why I'm here to help you :)

 

So the DIET is not eating tasteless food but to eat balanced, nutritious/nutrient dense food at the right time and in right proportion/amount; according to need of your body. One needs to love his /her body first, then only they can think of nourishing it effortlessly.

P.S. Diet means not starvation but to nourish our body with a balanced food and water intake.

Intro :)

Hieeeeeee people...Finally I can welcome myself on the blog. (Thanx 2 my cousin who pushed me to do that :D ) Wanted to share everything since soooooo many days but couldn't really get through.
But now. that I'm here...all health conscious people not need to fear ;)

Let me introduce myself..I'm a Sports Nutritionist, Diet consultant and  Cardiac Rehab Specialist. I will try to solve all FAQs about food, eating habits, exercises, obesity, weight loss, dieting and other health hazards.

Just keep reading the blog and gain knowledge and some crazy facts about nutrition, maintaining healthy body and achieve maximum fitness with some simple tips from me :)

P.S. This is just a try to reach out to people and share my knowledge and experience :)