Diet for Diabetics

Dealing with a therapeutic condition can be difficult. Managing the diet is of utmost important but it mostly comes at a cost of either following a very difficult routine or being given options that are unappetizing making it difficult to manage the condition through diet.

Diabetes is one such therapeutic condition where managing the diet is critical to ensuring that the insulin levels are in control. Diabetes is relatively easy to control with a help of correct diet and exercise program.

The rise in blood sugar is seen due to eating unhealthy, not exercising and consuming fattening foods. This can be managed or controlled by eating foods that slowly breakdown in the body and slowly release the glucose in the body preventing the blood sugar levels to rise quickly. These particular kind of foods are also known to have a low-glycemic index. Every diet program also needs to be customized your body type and physical needs. People that are more active require different calorie intake versus people who are not so active.

Some of the foods highly recommended for diabetic patients are vegetables like green peas, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bitter gourd, garlic etc are some of the healthy options. Eat beans, green vegetables, chickpeas, dals etc which will keep you fuller and maintain blood sugar levels. Include fengureek, Basel leaves and some quantity of lean meat and fish.

Diet alone will not be as effective. Exercise fit for your physical ability and body type is essential to show results. If you find it difficult to get started then condition your self slowly to set a routine. Tell yourself everyday in the evening you will go for a walk, water your plants or just engage in mid intensity household chores. Slowly increase the intensity and explore activities that will keep this routine going. Better still you can even get together with your friends or family to play a light sport or go for a walk /jog in the evenings or early mornings.

Lastly maintain a strict routine for your meal timings. Even if you watch what you eat and exercise regularly but don’t care about your meal timings it can completely harm the momentum. Make sure you dont skip your meals and eat them at recommended intervals so that the body is able to function normally.

In case you find it difficult to get started on your own then you can get professional help. This can help you atleast get started on a routine and get you on track before you can independently take charge of your health  and adopt a healthy lifestyle for good.

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.

 

How to Build Muscles

If building muscle is what you want then here is some basic information on muscles and how to exercise them effectively to get the size or definition you are looking for.

What is the most basic function of muscle. Muscle apart from physical appearance is important for movement, to maintain posture and is known as the source of power in the body.

They take care of everything from walking to keeping the blood flowing. The best part about muscles are that they are  long-lasting, they are self-healing and are able to grow stronger with exercise.

There are three types of muscles in the body. Cardiac muscles in the heart take care of the pumping and functioning of heart, second type are the smooth muscles that are found in the walls of the arteries and intestines and lastly the skeletal muscles which cover our outer body, and are often exercised strength and physical shape.

The skeletal muscle is what we want to develop and not the other two smooth and cardiac muscles. Here are tips to build stronger muscle. Read more

How To Gain Weight

Are you lean and thin and want to gain weight to look muscular and a well proportioned body. Gaining weight is not difficult once you understand the right approach to  achieve your target. The basic of weight gain revolves around the calorie requirement and the calorie consumed with a smart choice of foods for them. One needs to consume extra calories in order to gain weight.

Often people get confuse while trying to gain weight and increase the fat intake resulting in disproportionate distribution of weight, constant feeling of sluggishness and over a period of time can become vulnerable to lifestyle diseases caused by being over-weight. While the other approach is to stick to a healthy diet routine along with the correct exercise that ensures substantial calorie intake and even distribution of muscle gain all over the body, respectively.

If you are interested to know how to get started on a weight gain plan here are some easy tips for you to follow:

Read more

How to Get a Six Pack

Reveal your six packs with the right combination of  diet and exercise. Everyone is born with abs but over a period of time they get covered by the layer of fat on our belly. Only exercising your abs will  make your stomach grow bigger and thicker. The secret to well defined abs is bringing down the body fat to 7-8 % and they will start showing itself. The fat percentage can be lowered by simply eating and exercising right.

Here are a very simple tips to get better abs:

1.Increase your water intake, drink cold water to rev up the metabolism.

2.Do high intensity interval cardio twice a week for fat loss and strength training to build muscles on your body. When there is more muscle then the body’s metabolism automatically increases even when the body is
not exercising.

3.Drink green tea as it is a natural metabolism booster and helps in fat loss.

4.Watch what you eat to cut down on the extra calorie intake. Avoid foods with fat, sugar and oil.

5.Don’t skip breakfast and eat lighter dinners. Keep some time between dinner and sleep. Read here for healthy breakfast ideas.

6.Work out the abs indirectly with exercises like planks, push ups, pull ups, legs ups etc. Working out the abs directly thickens your stomach taking you away from your abs and v shape.
8.Eat less sugar as insulin levels decrease the level of fat burn. Eat fish, fish oil tablets to drop the insulin level and increase fat burn.

Get started with your 6 pack abs resolution and achieve it this summers to enjoy your perfect body. Keep yourself motivated and every pound of fat loss will successfully reveal the  abs.

5 Meal ideas to Stay Fuller

Eating nutritious food is important, but how much and when to eat is vital too. Staying fit is easier than its perceived to be. Eating the right food at the right time will not only meet your daily nutrition requirement but keep you fuller through out the day keeping you away from all the junk and empty calories we binge on otherwise.

Research shows than men who ate meals with higher amounts of protein than the average meal, when they were trying to lose weight felt fuller throughout the day; they also experienced a reduction in late-night desire to eat and had fewer thoughts of food. This is especially important with regard to the Indian vegetarian diet that can be extremely carbohydrate heavy, with little high quality protein, to ensure long term satiety that protein provides.

Proteins can make you feel fuller for a longer time but this doesn’t mean that you only consume protein. The body requires a balance of protein, carbohydrate and fats.

Few sources of protein for your diet:

Eggs: Eggs are highly satiable and makes you fuller for a longer time and proving vital minerals and vitamins with fat and provides the energy for basic functioning. It takes care of the calorie intake and is healthy for the body.

Fish: It is not only rich in omega fatty acids but provide ample amount of protein to make you feel longer. Some salmon in lunch or dinner or your desired meals will help you stay away from hunger and nourish the body as well.

Sprouts or Beans: For veggie lovers sprouts and beans can be a part of your diet. Eating sprouts in your diet will fill you up and keep irregular food cravings away.

Soy Products: Soy milk offers outstanding nutrition, along with their health benefits. They provide balanced nutrition of high-quality protein and carbohydrates, low in fat with no cholesterol and very low in saturated fat.

Dairy Products: Dairy Product vary to milk, cheese, cottage cheese, butter, cream, yogurt, buttermilk etc. Dairy products tend to be good sources of calcium, protein and healthy carbohydrates.

Meat & Poultry: Meat and poultry products rank one of the highest for proteins. They contain ample amount of protein and help keeping you feel fuller for a longer period of time.

Add some protein to your diet to keep you feeling a little fuller for a longer time. But ensure that you eat a balanced meal.

7 Muscle Building Foods

We all know what muscles are and what are the basic functions that a muscle perform. Secondly, we also know it that by lifting weights and doing high intensity workouts we can build muscle. But do you know that to build muscles, along with the timing of nutrition, there are some foods that are more effective than others at helping you build muscle.

Below are a list of foods essential to building muscle:

Eggs: Rich source of protein and provides important vitamins and minerals.

Nuts: They are rich in fibre, Omega 3 fatty acid (lowers LDL levels) antioxidants such as Vitamin E and selenium

Beans: Apart from being a rich source of protein, it is also a good source of both soluble and insoluble fibre.

Yoghurt: Rich in protein and carbohydrates, and good for muscle recovery & growth.

Milk: A rich source of protein , calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin and other essential amino acids.

Fish: Contains omega -3 fatty acids and good source of protein.

Water: Water is essential to deliver nutrients to your muscles for growth & repair. So, water is key to building muscle.

Including these ingredients in your diet will recover your muscles and tissues and provide your muscle with nutrients to keep your muscles pumping for longer time.

10 Foods to improve your mood

Ever wondered why is it that whenever we feel upset or depressed about something we binge on our comfort food and repent later? Most of these foods that provide us temporary comfort are high on calories and only adds to our woes by adding onto our weight.

Let’s see which healthy options can elevate our mood by keeping a balance of our calories as well.

1. Dark Chocolates: Chocolates, in general are loaded with chemicals that enhance mood, seratonin in particular.

2. Yogurt: Besides being a good source of protein, calcium and vitamin B12, yogurt also contains a whole lot of useful bacteria which keeps our immune system intact and helps our stress combating ability. And in studies has shown that yoghurt can improve fat loss.

3. Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes help in reducing stress levels as they satisfy body’s craving for carbohydrates and sweets.

4. Nuts: The next time you’re feeling down, help yourself to some crunchy nuts.

5. Water: Lack of sufficient consumption of water leads to dehydration and even a small case of dehydration can cause stress. So, drink up!

6. Fish: Fish is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, protein and importantly, Vitamin B 12 which is an important component for producing serotonin also known as the happy hormone.

7. Asparagus :Asparagus is rich in folic acid and contains magnesium that are famed for their mood-lightening properties

8. Oranges: Oranges are a rich source of vitamin C containing up to 1000 mg of it. They also contain anti-oxidants which prevent the formation of free radicals that cause cell damage.

9. Green vegetables: It provides stress relief, helps enhance mood with regard to depression, panic, anxiety and other emotional disorders. Many green veggies contain potassium which greatly helps calm one’s nerves when stressed.

10. Dried Apricots: Apricots are a rich source of natural sugars and, hence, another perfect option to beat those sweet cravings. A handful of dried apricots are bound to make you happy and healthy.

So the next time you are under the weather include above mentioned list into your daily diet you are bound to notice some changes in your mood for sure.

Healthy Hair Diet

Wonder what’s a healthy hair diet? To get healthy hair, we’re all bombarded with shampoo and conditioner advertisements that promise to do wonders to your hair, make it heathy, strong, etc etc.. But do you ever wonder about this- Your hair grows from inside your scalp. Its health is decided before it actually grows out of your scalp. Sure, the shampoos and conditioners ensure that they remain clean and all of that, but to really have healthy hair, its important for you to be healthy and consume a healthy diet that promotes healthy hair. Include the following foods in your diet- they won’t grow hair back on a bald patch, but they’re probably help salvage whatever is left of it, and will promote a healthier head of hair

Salmon- This delicious (we’re already drooling) and healthy fish is rich in protein and Omega-3. Sardines is also a good source of Omega-3, which helps to seal in shine in your healthy hair.

Bran- Not on the list of most delicious foods, but surely on the healthy list. Its rich is fiber, and it’s full of vitamin B, which slows hair loss and promotes growth of healthy hair. Other sources that are rich in Vitamin B are beans, peas, carrots, cauliflower, nuts, and eggs.

Avocados- Not so easily available in India, you can find avocados a health food stores and international food markets. These are used extensively in Mexican cuisine and new-age American cuisine. This fleshy fruit can be eaten straight up, or mashed to make a bunch of dips, fillings, etc. These protect hair follicles.

Green tea- Green tea helps weight loss and is healthy for your hair too. Brew a strong pot, cool it, and then give your head a rinse to kill dandruff-causing fungus.

Where to get ‘beautiful groceries’ in your city

Our article on groceries that make you beautiful got lots of requests for places to buy these fruits and vegetables that make you beautiful. So here it goes.

Fruits: Pomegranate, Citrus fruits- Seasonal, all fruit sellers keep it. For really good quality fruits in Delhi, go to INA Market and Khan market, while for good prices check out your colony grocery stores. Blueberries, Avocado- INA market in Delhi is the place to be for exotic food items. Blueberries are seasonal so you won’t get them all the year around but avocados are easily available. In Calcutta, try Spencers or the Health Food Store on Loudon street.

Nuts: Your next-door grocery store should have them. If thats not the case, then check out INA market, Lajpat Nagar, Malviya Nagar or Chandini Chowk in Delhi.

Yogurt & Cottage Cheese: Yoghurt is found everywhere from your local grocery, Mother Diary, etc. Also all your next-door super store and hyper stores like Reliance fresh, Big Apple, Spencers etc keep a substantial stock of them. If you are looking for low fat substitutes then make it at home for best results. Cottage Cheese is harder to find, and should be available at a health/international food store. INA Market in Delhi. If you’re adventutous, try to make it at home!

Vegetables: Spinach and beans are easily available at all vegetable vendors. Spinach is seasonal, and better quality is seen during winter season. Beans are available all year round. Broccoli is slightly expensive and might not be easily available. But your bigger vegetable stores are guaranteed to have it.

Water: Good hydration is your skin’s best friend. So ensure that you’re getting at least 8 glasses down your system.

Green tea: Available in most grocery stores and comes in various price brackets. If not available at your regular store, then try the international food market or health food store.

Flaxseed: You can check with your grocery store and ask if they can order for you. Incase that’s not possible they are easily available at INA market in Delhi. In Calcutta (Kolkata), the health food store carries them- a bit on the expensive side. So, make sure you check with your local market.

Fish: In Calcutta, I don’t think there’s a problem in finding fish. In Delhi, if you can bear with the stench of a fish market, the CR Park Market is the place to go. Le Marche in Select City Walk has a clean, smell free environment, and they home deliver too. Their prices on the not too over the top. If you’re looking for Salmon and some other exotic fishes, go to the INA Market.

Sexy Spices: Also stocked by grocery stores all over.

Fitho.in is based in Delhi and Calcutta, thus the list of places. But if you’re located in another city and know where these groceries can be obtained, do comment and let us know.

Do you buy beautiful groceries?

What do you do to get beautiful? Splurge on high-end beauty products? Or simply get a cosmetic surgery done? I have something simpler for you- buy groceries that make you beautiful. Yes, these are essential products can help you not just be healthier, but look more attractive too. And this beauty isn’t just skin deep

Fruits: Pomegranate, blueberries, avocado and citrus fruits. These fruits have great antioxidant capacity that translate to wonderful and healthy skin. Just a bit of lime juice squeezed on your salad will not only give that tangy taste but will also give you spurt of instant energy leaving you feeling fresh!

Yogurt & Cottage Cheese: Also know as the radiant protein works wonder on your skin. Apart from calcium, cottage cheese supplies your body with selenium, an essential mineral. Low fat dairy products in general are full of vitamin A and work magically on your skin. If you have a thyroid problem or diabetes that’s even more reason to stock up!

Vegetables: Spinach, beans, broccoli are high in vitamin A as they have antioxidant properties and help in development and maintenance of epithelial cell (also the outer lining of the skin)

Green tea: This beverage has polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory characteristics, besides all the other benefits. Now that spells goods news for your skin.

Flaxseed: For the omega 3 punch. They are tasteless and can be sprinkled on your breakfast cereal, in a sandwich, your protein shake. Now, that’s easy

Fish: Your skin needs essential fatty acids and oils that will help nourish your skin. They add luster and softness to your complexion.

Sexy Spices: Spices and herbs are inherently anti-aging. Finally something that’s always there on an Indian menu!

With this list of beautiful foods you can give your fridge and your skin a beautiful makeover and get that glow without trying too hard!

Don’t know where to buy these exotic fruits and vegetables? Check out our post on where to buy beautiful groceries.