Say Hello to Food Plate and Bye to the Pyramid

Food plate replaced food pyramid. Instead of stacking food groups in a pyramid (in the order of consumption), food groups are now being laid out on a plate. Instead of pyramid suggesting portions of various food groups striped in rainbow color there will be a new circular chart depicting recommended meals.

More interesting than the design change are the category modifications but missing few items. Let’s compare pyramid with plate and how implementing it will help make our diet healthy.

-         Fruits and vegetables have taken a centre stage, comprising largely half of the plate. Suggesting half of your meal should be vegetables-cooked plus raw (salad) and fruit. Both these food groups contribute to provide essential vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants guarding our body from any infection. Vegetables are organized into 5 subgroups- dark green leafy, red& orange vegetables, beans & peas,starchy and other vegetables, based on their nutrient content.

-          Former “Meats and Beans” group from pyramid is now simply “Proteins,” The plate further states that at least 50% of the proteins should be lean proteins- pulses, chicken, egg white or lean fish as against meat, ham or organ meat. With an increase in cardiovascular problems and obesity, these guidelines extend a helping hand for consumers to diligently select what they are consuming.

-          One more food group from food pyramid “Milk” is also changed now to “Dairy.” The new guidelines indicate a switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk from full cream milk.

-          Grains which were earlier given a major bottom slab at the bottom now form 65% of a main meal. The new icon nutrition plate states that at least half of the grains consumed should be whole grain ensuring that you get enough fibre in your diet.

-          Close attention to the new MyPlate image shows that there is no representation and guidance for Fats/Oils. Fats/Oil are often linked to many health issues, including risk of heart disease.

Besides some specific advice on food groups, new plate recommends:
-          Enjoy your food, but eat less
-          Avoid oversized portions
-          Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers
-          Drink water instead of sugary drinks
The real aim for new plate undoubtedly is too make healthy eating more easier to understand and implement. Since we use plates at our meals, it’s easy to translate what a well-rounded, nutritional healthy meal should look like.

Compiled by:
Geeta Kohli,
Sr. Dietician,
Fitho Weight Management Service

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

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

How to Control In-between Meal Snacking

We ensure that most of our meals are healthy. The problem comes when we crave food in between meals. If you feel hungry so often then you certainly need to watch out as eating more  food whether healthy or junk leads to weight gain.

The biggest trouble with in between snacking is that one craves something that is satisfying and ready to eat. Unfortunately we dont find having salads or fruits as snacks satisfying enough. While junk food or fattening foods manage to hit the spot, instantly satisfying the hunger pang. Gradually these small food breaks stop having the same satiating effect. After sometime the portion size increases  giving way to more food cravings and constant need to eat something Most of the times this snacking is psychological, as in we condition ourselves to feeling hungry even after having proper meals. Here are some reasons and tips to keep the hunger pangs in control, making you eat less.

Untimely Meals: Not having meals on time is a big factor in making you feel hungry at odd times . The body follows no patterns and gets used to giving a call at random times which pushes us to eat more than a usual meal. Time your meals and eat food with high fiber and protein to keep you feeling fuller.

Breakfast: People who don’t have a balanced and satisfying breakfast often find themselves bingeing on odd time. The unsatisfaction of the previous meal  makes the mind want for more and eating unhealthy. Have a good nutritious breakfast with satisfying food. Read more

Balanced Diet

We are all familiar with the concept of eating right. There is so much information about all sorts of healthy foods and their calorie value. There is enough being written about how vitamins are good for you and what are the rich sources of this nutrient. But rarely do we get to know the approximate quantity that is required by the body on a daily basis. What makes a balanced diet. To make it a little simpler for you we decided to give you an overview of what should make your daily dietary intake.

 

The key nutrients that are required for smooth functioning of the diet are proteins, fat, fiber, minerals, iron, carbohydrates, vitamins and calcium. A diet that includes all these essential nutrients, in correct portion, is known as a balanced diet. Based on the average calorie requirement for a male weighing 60kgs: 2700 or a female weighing 55 kgs:2100 here is a list of essential foods to maintain your weight :

Read more

Lose Belly Fat through Dairy Products

Yogurt is a super food for vegetarians containing carbohydrates for daily energy and proteins for muscle development with lots of vitamin C for strong muscles and to lose belly fat. A study at University of Tennessee found that participants who consumed 3 daily servings of fat free yogurt on a 12 week basis gained less fat around their mid-section than those who didn’t consumed dairy products containing less calcium. Portion control will push you further in losing weight and gaining extra inch around your belly.

Michael Zemel, PhD, director of The Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville has been the first to show that calcium stored in fat cells is important in regulating how fat is processed and stored by the body. The more calcium there is in fat cells, the more fat the cell will burn and the greater will be the weight loss

Read more

Look Hot & Stay Fit this Summer

Summer sets in, time to re-groove our fitness levels after cold winters where probably the chill had not allowed you to get out of your bed and hit the exercise program. This is the time of the year when you can flaunt with your body and get a few heads turning around. You probably have a desire to look slim, toned and look taut in whatever you wear. Are you ready to wear that bikini when you are on a holiday to cool yourself and enjoy sometime relaxing your mind and your body.

Before you change your wardrobe and go shopping with thin looking clothes just jump start your fitness routine and shed a few kilos and inches from hips and arms. Here are a few tips for exercise and food that you should follow to see yourself with a body you would vouch for. Read more

Easy Ways to Control Post Dinner Snacking

Do you eat at midnight ? A research suggests that snacking post dinner increases your weight and drags you towards being fat. Eating after dinner adds extra calories to your body at a time when it is not required. Late night munching is an acquired habit that one gets addicted to after sometime and gets into a cycle of  binging on high calorie food like ice-creams, junk food, chips, chocolates etc post dinner.

Night time is also the time when our bodies are resting and eating food at this time leads to piling up of the calories. For many people midnight munching is a habit Read more

Fiber for Optimum Health

Fiber is an essential nutrient in your diet. Fiber is in the form of soluble fiber as well as insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber binds with the fatty acids in the stomach and the arteries. This helps to regulate blood sugar and reduces the over all cholesterol. The insoluble fiber removes toxins from your colon and balance intestine acidity.

Research has shown that people who consumed the highest amount of fiber were 22 percent less likely to develop heart and health related risks. Fiber helps in controlling diabetes and heart disease risks because it improves cholesterol levels, blood pressure, inflammation and blood sugar levels. Besides it, fiber also has the property to bind along with the toxins and remove it from the body quickly. Read on to find out how much fiber your need, and best sources of fiber for your body. Read more

Are you Eating Empty Calories ?

All foods give us energy (or calories) but are all foods nutritious? Calories can come from fats, carbohydrates, proteins. But for optimum functioning of the body, our body requires micro nutrients such as vitamins & minerals and anti-oxidants required for good body metabolism, tissue repair and optimum regulation of bodily functions.

‘Empty calories’ are calories from foods that are high in calories but low in nutritional values. It lacks the health promoting nutrients essential for healthy living.

Empty Calories = High Calories but Low Nutrition

Empty calories are bad because they only give you calories and usually, a high amount of sugar. Foods that contain empty calories are Read more

Is Oatmeal healthy?

Oatmeal is the latest thing to recommend for a healthy breakfast. But is oatmeal really healthy? Let’s find out.

Oatmeal is overall healthy. It provides healthy carbohydrates. It is a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber and contains essential amino acids for optimum functioning of the body. The fiber slows down the digestion of starch and helps in regulation of blood sugar levels and keeps you away from heart risk. The fiber makes you feel full for a longer time which helps you lose weight. Further, the soluble fiber present in it helps in reducing LDL ( bad cholesterol).

It all sounds wonderful, but should you be eating oatmeal for every meal? Probably not, since Read more

Fire Up Your Metabolism

Firstly we need to understand what metabolism is and then can we have a picture of how metabolism effects weight loss . Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns to maintain itself. Whether you are eating, drinking, sleeping, cleaning etc… your body is constantly burning calories to keep you going.

Metabolism is affected by your body composition i.e.  the amount of muscle you have versus the amount of fat. Muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. People who are more muscular… Read more

5 Fruits to Boost your Health

Fruits are a major and natural source of  many vitamins, minerals and other natural substances to protect you from chronic diseases. Fruits are available through out the year and some are seasonal too.

Here is a list of commonly available fruits that you can include in your daily diet to boost immunity to stay away from infections with its anti-oxidation properties to destroy free radicals. Read more

Which is the healthiest orange juice brand?

Fruit is always better than the juice. But we all love Orange Juice. Store bought orange juice is mostly sugar loaded, but there are some options that are healthier. Ever wondered, which is the healthiest? Here, we give you a lowdown on the good and the bad of healthy orange juices, and the Fitho choice for Orange Juice!

We considered the leading orange juice brands in India- Tropicana, Real, Activ and Minute Maid Pulpy Orange.

Both Activ and Tropicana took an immediate lead over Minute Maid and Real, since they had no added sugar. Their ingredients were primarily water and orange juice concentrate. Between Activ and Tropicana, Activ had marginally higher Calcium content, and Tropicana had more Potassium.

Product ingredients are listed in order of decreasing weight. Real’s ingredient list is- water, orange juice concentrate, sugar, etc. For Minute Maid, it is- water, sugar, orange juice, etc.
Minute Maid has more sugar than Orange Juice, in its ‘Pulpy Orange’ drink!

Between the Tropicana and Activ, we liked the taste of Tropicana better. So, the Fitho choice for Orange Juice is Tropicana.

Below is the nutritional info for all 4 Orange Juices
Tropicana: 48 cal; 11 gms Sugar, Vitamin C- 16 mg, Potassium- 170 mg, Calcium- 18 mg. No added sugar.
Real Activ: 48 cal; 12 gms Sugar, Vitamin C-  20 mg, Potassium- 86 mg, Calcium- 18 mg. No added sugar
Real: 56 cal; 13 gms Sugar, Vitamin C- 12.5 mg, Potassium- 70 mg, Calcium- 5 mg. Contains added sugar.
Minute Maid: 42 cal; 10.5 gm Sugar (no more info). Contains added sugar

Note that most packaging is more than 100 ml. The smallest we found was 200 ml. Most of us consume a whole package, so be careful of how many calories you’re taking in. Still, the fruit is better than the juice, so go for that!

To really lose weight, get on a proper weight loss plan. Or see any of our customized fitness plans, like personal training, diabetes management, hypothyroid, pregnancy weight loss, and more..

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