Pregnancy Diet

Pregnancy is the most beautiful phase in a woman’s life. It brings both emotional and physiological changes as well as it also poses extra demands on the body. In this phase the body needs extra nutrition for the developing foetus, for pregnant woman herself and also the lactation period to follow. Pregnancy Diet must be full of nutrition and healthy also.

Importance of Nutrition in The Diet in Pregnancy

These nutritional demands have to be met for a healthy child and mother because as the week progresses the organs and other system of the foetus start developing in mother’s womb and thus the energy used to create these systems (which actually comes from the energy and nutrients in the mother’s circulation, and around the lining of the womb) also starts to increase. The table below highlights the nutrients, its importance and food sources which should be included in a women’s pregnancy diet -

NUTRIENTS	IMPORTANCE	FOOD SOURCES
Protein	cell growth and blood production	lean meat, fish, poultry, egg whites, beans, tofu
Carbohydrates	daily energy production	breads, cereals, rice, fruits, vegetables
Calcium	strong bones and teeth, muscle contraction, nerve function	milk, cheese, yogurt, spinach
Iron	red blood cell production (to prevent anemia)	All green leafy vegetables e.g. spinach, methi and whole-grain cereals
Vitamin A	healthy skin, good eyesight, growing bones	carrots, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes
Vitamin C	healthy gums, teeth, and bones; assistance with iron absorption	citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes, amla, guavas
Vitamin B6	red blood cell formation; effective use of protein, fat, and carbohydrates	pork, ham, whole-grain cereals, bananas
Vitamin B12	formation of red blood cells, maintaining nervous system health	meat, fish, poultry, milk  (Note: vegetarians who don’t eat dairy products need supplemental B12)
Vitamin D	healthy bones and teeth; aids absorption of calcium	fortified milk, dairy products, cereals, and breads
Folic acid	blood and protein production, effective enzyme function	green leafy vegetables, dark yellow fruits and vegetables, beans, peas, nuts
Fat	body energy stores	meat, whole-milk dairy products, nuts, peanut butter, margarine, vegetable oils  (Note: limit fat intake to 30% or less of your total daily calorie intake

Recommended Nutrients in The Diet in Pregnancy

Best Post Workout Food Options

People often give importance to pre-workout meals to support the muscle growth and promote weight loss. But latest studies are giving more weightage to post work out diet as being the most important meal that can make or break your fitness.

Your body absorbs the maximum amount of food right after the workout. Your muscles absorb the food quickly in order to replenish the energy burnt and to repair the muscles tissues. Three most essential requirements of the body especially post the workout are protein for muscle repair and simple carbohydrates to replenish the glucose levels.  The carbohydrates eaten post workout will not be stored as body fat but infact will be instantly consumed by the body. Simple carbohydrates help spike the insulin levels that help the cells absorb the nutrient instantly.

An average person looking for general weight loss and fitness only requires 8-10 grams of protein post the workout. For serious muscle building an average person requires 20-22 grams. The actual percentage of protein is directly proportional to your weight. Please consult a professional dietician to get recommended protein for your body weight.

Non –Veg

Chicken Breasts: This body part of the chicken is the leanest (minimal fat content) and contains highest source of protein.  For every 100 grams of chicken breast you get 30 grams of protein. Best way to eat is grilling it with some fresh seasonal green vegetables. This will also comprise of a complete balanced meal and will contain essential vitamins & minerals.

Tuna: Every 100 grams of tuna tuna canned in water and drained provides an astonishing. 29.13 grams of high-quality protein. It can be best eaten as salad or with rice. It also contains essential minerals and vitamins that help boost the metabolism.

Salmon: It is high in protein, Vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids that support muscle formation and promote weight loss. Salmon also contains minerals such as iron, phosphorus, vitamins A and B, calcium and selenium. Eating salmon is very good for the heart as it lowers cholesterol, prevent the hardening of the arteries and make the arteries flexible.

Eggs: Whole eggs provide great protein content at 6 to 8 grams per egg, and are also rich in vitamins, zinc, iron and calcium making them one of the most complete muscle building foods out there. Eggs provide maximum amount of nutrition for the least amount of calories.

Vegetarian

Cottage cheese/Paneer: Is one of the best muscle-building foods you’ll find. Just one cup of cottage cheese can pack 28 grams of protein. The main health benefit is that cottage cheese is low in fat and carbs and very high in protein.

Broccoli: One cup of chopped and cooked broccoli (146 g) provides 46 calories, 4.6 g  of protein,. Broccoli is rich in cholesterol-reducing fiber , is a super source of chromium that helps regulate insulin and bloodsugar . It also has detox and antioxidant properties that help keep off infection and build immunity.

Pulses:30 gms of pulse or 1 cup of pulse contains 7 gms of protein in it. This almost meets the daily meal requirement of an average person looking for weight loss or general fitness. You can fresh sautéed vegetables and a chapatti to complete the vitamin, carbohydrate mineral and fibre dietary requirements to boost the metabolism.

Almonds: Almonds provide a good source of protein and fat, but it’s their vitamin E that is most beneficial to your muscles. The powerful antioxidant fights free radicals and helps you recover quicker from your workouts.

Water:Your body is 70 percent water and your muscle tissue is around 75 percent water. Keeping your muscles hydrated will help increase strength, increase energy levels and aid in proper digestion. A minimum of 7-9  glasses are recommended for best results.

 

Protein Sources for Vegetarians

Vegetarians often feel left out that there are not much protein options available in their diet as compared to their non-vegetarian counterparts. Chicken, eggs, lean meats, red meats, fishes are popularly known as the good sources of protein. The good news is that there are plenty of protein options available for vegetarians to meet the daily protein requirement. Contrary to the belief an average individual only requires approximately one gram of protein per kg of body weight to meet the daily protein requirement intake. Extra protein gets stored as fat in the body.

Protein helps in the building of muscle fiber and for various other functions of the body. Protein is required by the body for the growth, maintenance and repair of all cells. It is also essential for the synthesis of antiboidies which fight infection and is the main nutrient for our hair, nails etc.

Best Vegetarian Protein Sources

Yogurt: Yogurt and Greek yogurt both are healthy options for protein. One cup of yogurt can provide you with 14 gm of protein and more ever with other nutrition as well. Opt for a plain yogurt than the sweetened and flavored one as it is less in sugar and other additives. Yogurt boosts bone health, promotes colon health and boosts immunity. Greek yogurt contains more protein than the regular yogurt.

Soybean: Soyabean is one of the richest vegetarian protein source and is rich in carbohydrates, fats and other important vitamins and minerals. Men should eat less of soy products as they are high in female hormones and excess consumption could cause man boobs. Other soy products are equally healthy for protein. Like tofu, soymilk etc are all healthy sources of protein. Read more

How to Increase Muscle Mass

Simple fundamental of weight lifting and strength training can help you load on quick muscle mass and lose fat from the body. The basic logic behind using heavy weights is that it provides resistance to muscle which in return makes it bigger and stronger. But  simply pumping iron is not going to get you the muscle mass. Right nutrition is equally important for the muscle gain and development.

What happens when you lift weights? The tiny muscle fibers tear accelerating the process called muscle protein synthesis. This basically means the body uses available amino acids to repair muscles and avoid further damage. This is an on going process but every exercise session takes about 48 hours to actually show. So instead of pumping weights 7 days a week you can actually minimize it to about 3-4 days a week to see good results without over-working out your body.

Let us further explain what happens how energy is consumed during a workout session. While exercising our body takes energy from the glycogen reserves during the workouts. So more you workout your body ,the body is burning calories and using the energy reserve. After the workout the body naturally craves nutrition to replenish the used resources. So when you over train yourself then the reserves sometimes runs out of glycogen reserves. The body breaks down the protein in the muscles to get the glucose levels to normal affecting the muscle growth. This means over-working out might give you no muscle in return.

Proper diet with your exercise otherwise you might not gain the desired muscle mass. Everyone focuses on  protein, we agree they are important  but the body also requires carbohydrates to keep the glycogen levels intact, followed by fats for hormone functions. Muscle repair is not just for a few hours but continues for a longer period. Eat protein , carbohydrates and fats in through out the day to not get deficit of any nutrition.

Rest is important for the body as muscles recover during rest and require adequate time to recover and make up for the muscle wear and tear. If there is continuous muscle exertion and no rest given to the muscle then the muscle eats up its own reserves and the reverse happens. Instead of gaining muscle mass the body loses the muscle mass which is known as  catabolic state. This state also happens when you are fasting or eating very less and go without food for long time. Read more

Is Flavored Yogurt Healthy

We require 2 teaspoons of sugar in a day if you are looking to lose weight and  about 4 teaspoons if you just want to manage your current weight. But don’t just count the sugar consumption in your tea and coffee but all the other sources that you might consuming sugar indirectlylike your sweetened soda’s, colas, candies, sweetened cornflakes and flavoured yogurt. Often diet programs and nutritionist brag about eating yogurt in the diet as it has probiotics, vitamins and minerals, protein etc which promote better health and is low in calories as well. But is flavored yogurt as healthy as non-flavored yogurt?

Flavored yogurt which come in a variety of mouth watering flavors don’t contain the real fruit in it but conatins the pureed form which is high in sugar content. Compare the ingredients of regular yogurt and flavored yogurt to understand the difference in  calorie intake. Around 200 gms of flavored yogurt contains 25 grams of added sugar. The extra sugar gets stored in the body as fat and over a period of time this continuous weight gain can cause health complications. The sugar in the flavored yogurt increases the calorie intake by 100 calories for a 200 gm serving.

We are not saying that flavored yogurt is the main reason behind your weight gain. What we mean is that foods like flavoured yogurt are often marketed as health foods. They might be relatively more healthy than the other processed foods but they still are hidden source of high calorie food that are often misunderstood as fat free.

When talking about weight loss it is not just important to eat healthy foods but manage calories either by portion control or choosing healthier options. Sugar provides instant energy and no nutrition. People who have blood sugar problems could experience a sudden increase in sugar levels with flavored yogurt. Instead flavor your yogurt seperately with fruits that you want. Flavored yogurt is also high in sodium content causing water retention in the body and resulting in bloating. Read more

Ideal Weight Loss

If you were given a choice to lose weight how much would you want to lose and what should be your ideal weight loss.It would make life comfortable if you know that how much weight you could lose within a month and after x months you would reach a desired weight. Suppose you lose 4 kgs a month and by the end of 6 months you would be able to lose 24 kgs. You could actually calculate the expected weight loss and set the time limits according to your own choice. Read this article on ideal weight to set target for your weight loss.

There are some important points that you should keep in mind while planning your ideal weight loss.

Body Composition Analysis: This is the first step towards Ideal weight loss. Body composition analysis gives you a report which tells you about how much fat and muscle percentage is there in your body at different parts. BCA also tells you what your daily caloric requirement is and how many calories you require to maintain the same weight. It also tells how much visceral fat is present in the body. BCA also includes on the basis of your height and weight to be more precise and effective weight loss.

Once you have your BCA report it is time to start taking action. We understand that we have to eat a limited amount of calories per day as the body requires it whether we are at rest or work. It is advisable to not starve yourself as it makes weight loss difficult. Suppose if your daily caloric requirement is of 2000 calories then spread your meals through out the
day on the basis of this. You could break 500 calories for each meal which would be 1500 calories and the rest 500 calories you could distribute for your snacks, biscuits, mid meals etc.

Keep things in mind that don’t assume your daily calorie requirement and eat on an assumed basis. Choose healthy food options which are low in calories and not provide empty calories. Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, legumes, dairy, lean meats, nuts and seeds etc. Follow the food pyramid for correct distribution of carbohydrates, protein, fats and
fiber. Read more

Are Dates Healthy?

There are lots of speculations if dates are healthy or not? Calling it healthy or not so healthy depends on whether you should include it in your diet for its health benefits or you can use it as a substitute for sugar incase you are trying to lose weight. Dates are the fruits of the date palm which can be eaten fresh or dried though both the forms are nutritious. It helps in lowering cholesterol and and has anti-oxidation properties that protect the body against free radicals.

Dates are high in fiber which relieves constipation and the high amount of carbohydrates in it provides high calories. The one drawback with dates is that it is high in glycemic index and contains a lot of sugar which can increase blood sugar levels. It is often substituted for sweets, candies or to control sweet craving as it is healthier than processed sugar and carries a lots of minerals and vitamins for the body to nourish with health benefits. But due to its high glycemic properties dates are associated with foods that can result in weight gain.

Dates have an average gylcemic index (GI) of 103, which is very high and not recommended for people on a weight loss program or suffering from high sugar levels. More and more health experts promote food that have low GI as the secret to long-term health reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and also beneficial for sustainable weight loss.Foods with GI index less than 55 are considered Low Glycemic Index food (GI < 55). Foods with GI index between 55 and 70 are considered intermediate (55< GI <70). High Glycemic Index foods are with GI index more than 70 (GI >70).

Besides its single but important drawback dates have many other health benefits. They are high in potassium which maintains blood pressure and maintains nerves and muscles.The magnesium in dates help relive muscles, fatigue, nerves and reduces tension. Dates are rich in calcium, iron, copper and manganese with B vitamins to better enzyme activity. All the nutrition of the dried fruit promote better health.

You can eat the fruit raw or use yor culinary skills in making delicious combinations with in in your diet. You could include it with milk, fruits, salads or bread. Its sweet and can be eaten when we are overburdened with work and mind seems wandering as it relives stress and anxiety with instant energy. Read more

Low Calorie Breakfast Options

Make your breakfast options healthier and satisfying. Start eating breakfast which offer low calories and helps you lose weight. Eating breakfast will keep you active and full helping you avoid munching in between. If you skip breakfast you could be slowing your metabolism which would affect your weight loss process.

You could make breakfast options simpler and easily available to not skip it and eat healthy and stay fit. Here are some breakfast options that would keep you active and keep you full to avoid mid-meal munching.

Curd and a fruit: If you are the one who doesn’t like eating breakfast and are always in a hurry to run to the office then this the easiest breakfast option. You don’t have to prepare anything or cook it either. Just carry it or even buy it on your way. A good combinationof carbohydrate and protein providing approximately 250 calories. Curd (Yogurt)provides satiety which helps to keep hunger away till its time for next meal.

Brown Bread and Egg: Eggs are possibly the most versatile as well as being the most nutritious breakfast protein. They can be poached, scrambled, fried, soft-boiled, hard-boiled or made into an omelette. Egg is low in calories and saturated fat yet is full of vitamins A, B,D, E and minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium, selenium and magnesium. Brown bread is rich in nutrients providing a feeling of fullness, thereby reducing the risk of overeating. Egg with 2 slices of bread provides approx 220 calories.

Sprouts with buttermilk : Sprouted seeds, legumes and grains are a cheap and easy way of increasing your intake of vitamins and minerals. Germinating seeds and grains increase their nutritional value. The vitamin C content of wheat increases sixty percent during sprouting. Sprouts are filled with antioxidants, they are full of protein, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Buttermilk is lower in fat than regular milk, because the fat has been removed to make butter. It is also high in potassium, vitamin B12, calcium, and riboflavin as well as a good source of phosphorus. Approx calories 270 calories.

Oats in low fat milk: Oats, like other cereal grains, are valued primarily as a source of carbohydrates which provide calories for energy needs. It contain soluble fibre beta glucan which help to control your sugar and cholesterol levels. Oats have a higher concentration of well-balanced protein than other cereals. It also helps in keeping bowel movements regular. Approx calories 240 calories.

Nuts and Fruit: Nuts are a Super source of Non-animal, digestible protein Breakfast options does not have to be the one which has to pass through the oven. Eat some nuts and a fruit at breakfast with a glass of milk. When eaten first in the morning, nuts help start proper digestion for the rest of your day. A fist of nut along with a fruit provide approx 200 calories.

Whatever you prepare for yourself, choose a healthy option to keep you full and meet the nutrition requirement.

You can also use Fitho’s calorie counter to search for your food, calculate its calories and see its full nutrition facts.

 

Eat to lose weight

Weight loss and diets arn’t really about not eating and starving yourself to burn  fat. You could eat the same quantity and lose weight. Not eating is unhealthy for our body as it effects the immune system and the body’s power to fight infections and slows down the metabolic rate. Would you rather eat healthy and lose weight or not eat and get unfit.

There are certain foods that are low calorie and some foods provide no calories at all. Our bodies require a certain number of calories per day and eating beyond it would store the calories. Usually when we are eating we give less importance to the calorie intake but rather eat till we feel full. So here are food options that will fill you up and keep the calorie intake balanced and low.

Fresh foods: If you want to eat choose natural food options like fruits, vegetables, cereals and pulses etc. The cheese burgers, pizzas, patties, fried foods, heavy snacks, empty calorie food provide less nutrition and are fattening. 1gm of fat provides a lot more calories than whats carbohydrates or protein provide. So changing your habits and eating healthy food will help you consume less calories,keep you full and fat especially which gets difficult to burn.

Fruits and vegetables Salads Read more

Indian Diet for Weight Loss

Fad diets mostly don’t focus on a balanced diet for  weight loss. For instance take low calorie diet. Here they cut off the carbohydrates so that the body outsources it energy from burning fats. Well if the body does take energy from fat then what about the vitamins and minerals from carbohydrates which are fruits, vegetables, cereals and legumes. This kind of diet leads to extreme fatigue and poor nutrition.

To lose weight you need to eat healthy and not stop eating. Our bodies have a daily nutritional requirement for it to function properly. Instead of depleting the body with this nutrition try to ensure you eat a balanced diet.

Most of the popular fad diets have been discovered or created by Americans or Europeans. The food types are obviously different than that of an Indian diet. But this doesn’t mean that a regular Indian diet is unhealthy. There are many regional healthy food options available in our diet. We will help you discover easy to cook, delicious & healthy recipes based on Indian cuisine that will help reduce weight fast.

Some healthy Indian Diet Options for weight Loss

Khicdi: Dal(Split Pulses) and rice cooked together and generally  eaten with a combination of curd. This indian diet is simple with least spices except salt, turmeric and some herbs for aroma. It contains protein from dal, carbohydrates from rice and is easy to digest and light for the stomach.

Besan ka cheela made of gram flour is usually eaten in combination with curd is a instant, nutritious, low calorie, protein rich recipe ideal for breakfast and snack time . Cheela can be a part of weight loss diet since it is low in calories and also a part of muscle building diet since it is high in protein. Make sure its made in minimal oil and cooked on a non-stick. Read more

How to fuel your workout

If you are doing a moderate workout of 30-50 minutes then fueling your body before workout is not required. The energy required for the workout session is enough from our daily consumption of meals. Fueling before workouts also depends whats your objective is , whether it is  losing weight, building muscles, toning up etc. Only if you are working out for a very long period like marathons then extra energy is required. Regular workouts do not require additional energy.

To increase efficieny in the body it is important to keep the fluid levels balanced. Dehydration and less fluid leads to cramping and decreased release of energy for the body slowing down the metabolism. Water is sufficient to keep you hydrated during your regular gym workouts. Energy drinks and bars are required for marathon trainers or bicyclers where they train for hours. Eating high carbohydrate food or drinks before or during the workout only adds to the calories.

Timing the meal is important as if you overload yourself then you would feel sluggish, vomiting, feel heavy to actively move around etc. If you haven’t eaten for much time before a strenous workout then you will feel fatigued and have a heavy head and not feel comfortable and concentrated. Plan your meals atleast two hours before the workout for effective results.

Diet: Choose carbohydrates before a meal as they are more important for providing energy for the workout and maintaing the glycogen levels. Choose complex carbohydrates which quickly breakdown for energy and eat less of fibre before a workout.

Fuel your self rightly and don’t experiment on yourself. Eat protein rich food post workout for muscle recovery and growth of muscles. Push yourself and reach higher fitness levels. Keep the water levels recovering and become all the more resistant.

Lean Body Tips

You can get lean body as fast as you lose fat from your body and bring fat down to 10% of the body weight. Lean body mass is the weight of bones, organs and muscles in the body other than fat. Reduce the fat on the body and increase the muscle percentage for a leaner body with muscles.

Tips for lean body

Fat: Burn the fat in the body and get the fat percentage below 10%. Reducing fat from the body is important in getting a lean body. Quit eating fattening food and oily food.

Build Muscles: Building muscles will increase the lean body mass and also increase the metabolic rate to burn more fat in the body. Muscles will make the body toned and make you look fitter than usual.

Preloading: It is important to eat according to the body requirement because all the extra calories other than the daily body requirement gets stored as fat. Preload with water half an hour before the meal which will make you eat less along with portion control.

Nutrients: If you are looking for a ripped professional body then you need to balance the intake of protein, carbohydrates and sufficient vitamins and minerals. If there is more carbohydrates and protein in the diet than the body requirement then the extra calorie from them will be stored as fat. Read more

Healthy Food For Kids

Kids need a filling and nutritious diet for growth and unhealthy foods will slow down their growth if the daily nutrition is not met accordingly. From carbohydrates for energy to go non-stop through out the day, the amino acids from protein to build muscle and recover them, vitamins and minerals for healthy functioning of organs and chemical reactions in the body
and fat for good cholesterol and cushioning of organs.

Though kids like foods that are surprising and delightful to their taste buds. Get creative with your recipes and start making your food nutritious and attractive. Here are foods for kids to kep them healthy. Give your child plenty of options ranging from chocolates to everything that they like.

Cornflakes with milk and fruits: We all feed our kids with cornflakes but make it more healthy with adding fruits to it. Include the fruit that your kids like eating. Strawberry, grapes, nuts, seeds, apples, bananas etc. This meal will provide your kid with carbs, protein and essential vitamins and minerals along with iron to improve metabolism.

Eggs: Eggs provide a lot of satiety and protein, vitamins and minerals. Make it healthier by adding a slice of cheese or add a few slices of vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber etc. The meal will keep the kids feel fuller and have lots of nutrition for a good growth.

Sandwiches: What about adding a slice of lean meat for non-vegetarians and cottage cheese for veggies ? Play around with your stuffing options with boiled mashed potatoes, cheese slice, tuna or vegetables. Choose whole grain bread or multiflour bread to make it more healthy.

Drinks: Say no to aerated drinks including the cola’s and sweetened sodas as they would add empty calories which is not healthy for a childs growth. Provide other varities from fresh fruit juice, lemonade, buttermilk, banana milk shake, mango shake and other shakes with fruits, nuts and seeds.

Walnuts: For healthy functioning of mind omega fatty acids are equally important. Walnuts, flaxseed and fish products like salmon, tuna etc are rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids which are important for developement of childs brain.

You can pick lots more  healthy options for your child. Keep foods providing empty calories and junk that add no nutrition away from their diets. Use less oil in the food and avoid fried foods. Follow these basics and keep your kids healthy.

 

Weight Loss for Women

There could be many reasons behind women gaining weight like sedentary lifestyle, emotional reasons, theureupatic reasons,  eating habits and the love for chocolates. If you are a woman and looking to lose weight then here are tips to make you understand the body psychology.

For healthy lifestyle it is important to get all the daily nutritional requirement like protein for muscles and hair, carbohydrates for energy for the work that you do, good fats like omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and goof fats for normal growth along with vitamins and minerals for various bodily functions. On the other hand to maintain a healthy and fit outer appearance it is important to balance the food intake and and body requirement and not starving the body with its nutritional requirements.

Diet: Women are fond of food and love gossip munching which unrealisingly makes them consume hundreds of calories through different sources. Our bodies require a certain number of calories, in order to manage the weight the calorie intake has to be monitored, again not missing on the nutrition. Read more

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Wrong posture or over working the muscle can causes inflammation in the tissues causing pain, redness, swelling and stiffness. Inflammation can happen in any patrt of your body from your toes, legs, joints to the neck, eyes etc.

People who play sports, workout in the gym or general physical exertion can result in inflammation where the body starts to fight the wear and tear of the tissues of excess exercition causing inflammation in the area.

Too much of fat in the body, sugar, protein and dehydration can increase inflammation in the body. Stress and lack of sleep also cause inflammation in the body which can lead to aging and developing diseases. Diseases causes by severe inflammation may not get perceived by the body and grows in the body without much of physical pain.

The following foods can help to reduce inflammation Read more

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