How Healthy are Packaged Soups

Positioning of food products as healthy has become as fashionable as people joining a gym. Unfortunately most of these so called health products are not as healthy as the natural counter parts of these. For example packaged soups do not carry half as many health benefits of natural soup simply because nutrition cannot be stored for such a long time. Besides all the preservatives used to improve the shelf life of these perishable goods destroy the antioxidant qualities of the vegetables. The ingredients used are also of not the best quality, leaving the major content of the soup to be actually starch, sugar and sodium.

The vegetable content of any packaged soup is almost negligible besides containing depleted nutrients. Here are the three critical components of a pre-packaged soup that might be causing harm to your family’s health.

• Corn flour- the packaged soups have a very high amount of corn flour for a thick consistency. Some major health hazard of corn flour is that it raises the blood sugar content. It leads to the Yo-Yo effect which is harmful for one’s health. It further leads to fat deposition in the body, which makes one more hungrier and further leads to over eating. Corn flour leaves an adverse effect on the intestine.

• Salt- packaged soups contains very high amount of salt. This is extremely not recommended for people suffering from blood pressure or even those who have borderline blood pressure as high salt will increase their levels. Excess of salt causes is linked with osteoporosis, asthma, kidney diseases and stomach cancer sometimes; it also causes water retention and edema.

• Preservatives- in packaged soups amount of preservatives is also very high. Coal Tar Azo Dyes, sulfites, etc are some kinds of preservatives which are present in soups. Such kind of preservatives can also cause cancer and other health hazards.

Moreover all the nutrients in a packaged soup are in powdered form (dehydrated) and when these nutrients come in contact with heat, they lose all the essential vitamins. Besides these soups only contain empty calories that gets stored in your body and don’t get absorbed immediately as they are void of any nutrition. Most people tend to gravitate towards these products because of fantastic marketing, convenience and affordability of these products. Don’t be short-sighted and only think for now and not the larger picture of good health. The money that you think you are saving on buying these cheap products is actually adding to your medical bills later in life. Read more

Diabetes Diet Plan

There are increasing number of people being diagnosed with diabetes caused by obesity also popularly known as Diabetes Type 2. Everyone knows that  the high blood sugar levels cause this problem. The most obvious management  for this is avoiding foods and beverages that have a high glycemic index and high glycemic load. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder where the body is unable to convert sugar into energy and there is insulin resistance where the body cant process sugar naturally.

The simplest and natural way to manage diabetes is through diet and exercise. What does this mean? It simply means that one needs to be more careful what they eat and ensure there is certain amount of exercise that is included in their daily routine.

Lets start with how to manage diabetes with diet. It is important to understand the difference between foods that quickly convert to provide energy and those slowly breakdown to convert into energy and don’t stress the blood sugar levels immediately. It is not only sugar that quickly breaks into energy in the body but also foods that have carbohydrates which have medium and high on glycemic index. We make it simple for you and have prepared a list of foods along with their glycemic index to help you choose better.

Eating in moderation helps in avoiding weight gain and accumulation of fat in the body. Stay as far as possible from unhealthy food for diabetics such as sweets, sugar, potatoes, sweet potatoes, packaged juice, white bread, pasta, sweetened cornflakes, fortified flour, fruits that are sweet, dates etc. These foods quickly breakdown in our body and increase the blood sugar levels. Instead add green leafy veggies, cruciferous vegetables, carrots, bitter gourd, garlic, bell pepper, lentils, fruits (citrus), oatmeal, brown rice etc to your diet that are low in glycemic index and help in keeping low blood sugar levels. Read more

Should You Eat Junk Food?

Junk food is  not healthy and we know it. Eating junk food can almost be compared to the warning sign on cigarette packets. All smokers know its bad for health but yet they smoke. Junk food only provides empty calories to the body without any nutrition. But prolonged consumption of  junk foods can even cause irreversible damage like diabetes, high cholesterol, heart diseases etc.

Some of the universal favorite junk foods are potato fries, salted chips and snacks, candy, sugar, high sweet content food, sweet desserts, fried food products, fast food fried foods and products like sweetened sodas. A lot of food companies are marketing foods like sweetened cereals, packaged soups, biscuits as health products. But if you read the ingredient content you would notice the high sodium, sugar and corn syrup content of these products. This does not mean they are lying . These so called healthy foods might contain some nutrition than others but are still not completely healthy. The similarity between partially healthy and completely unhealthy foods is that they are high in calories that only leads to storage of fat.

Junk food products that are salted are loaded with sodium that increases cholesterol in the body affecting heart health, results in water retention and slowers metabolism.It also causes high blood pressure and hypertension. On the other hand sweets lead to excessive calorie intake which leads to increased blood sugar levels causing type 2 diabetes in the long run. It causes storage of fat and increases visceral fat than reduces the insulin effect. Yet if you reverse your nutrition from empty calories to healthy foods then you would experience weight loss and better health.

Below are some unhealthy food options  that can be easily replaced with somewhat healthy options:

Cheese Burger with Coke: This is all season snack for us and is so satisfying and filling is what we feel. This is a monster diet when we look at the calories it provides. The combo provides approx 380 from the cheese burger and 210 from an 500ml bottle. The cheese and, high sodium in the burger and sweet in the drink is not so healthy choice.  Instead choose from vegetarian wraps that are made of healthier grain as a good substitute for white bread.

Cholle Bhature: Famous indian food which is combination of chick peas and fortified flour which in high in oil and sodium. Its taste makes you eat more of it which spikes the calorie intake to 170 calories from chick peas and 275 calories from two pieces of Bhature which is deep fried. Why not instead eat sprouts or boiled chick peas with salt, pepper and lemon with a slice of garlic bread.

Potato Wedges with Salsa Dip: The touch of the salsa dip on widgets is mouth watering but is high caloric. Its small size and shallow dips with each bite increase the caloric intake. 380 calories from the wedges and 80 calories from the salsa dip. Drinking some sweetened beverage could further increase the caloric intake as it is high sodium which makes you feel thirsty making you eat and drink more. Instead look for finger foods that have green vegetables in them for better nutrition. Eating grilled vegetables can be tasty too if you are open to giving them a chance.

Hot Chocolate Fudge: Sweet desserts that promise happy moments are certainly not healthy with their calorie intake. One hot chocolate fudge adds 350 calories to your diet. What about eating some dates insted for the sweet tooth? You could drink a cup of cappucino instead. Dark chocolate is healthy and could make a healthier choice. ‘

Cheese Pizza Slice: Dont be confused that sharing a pizza and eating two slices would not be unhealthy. Cheese and the pizza provide nearly 450 calories eating two slices. Some sweets or sodas increase the intake again. Choose veggie or chicken pizza with out cheese. Opt for thin crust, whole wheat pizza without any fillings in between.

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 acheap 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 alsohelps 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.

What is Making You Fat

We know enough about the repercussions of being fat, unfit or eating unhealthy foods which can cause metabolic disorder and cause weight gain. Though we read about healthy food options to include in our diet and presume to have fixed all the factors for weight loss but yet weight loss seems to not happen.

Did you fix quitting junk food that adds only calories, fats and not nutrition ? Have you started eating foods that are healthier than what you were eating earlier? You are reading the best of advices and following them too but the outcome is not satisfying. Where is it that you are going wrong and what is it that you do to make weight loss happen and not get fat. Fix the loopholes where you are going wrong and correct it to lose weight.

Its not just about eating the right amount of calories , it is about ensuring they meet the daily nutritional requirement intake for a healthy metabolic rate. Read below for factors that probably are holding you back from losing weight.

Fluids: It is lots of water that you have to drink through out the day and not energy drink, iced teas, lemon drinks, sodas and sweetened beverages. Do you know how many packets of sugar are these pre-packaged drinks are adding to your diet  even if they are being marketed as healthy. These drinks might even sabotaging your fitness routine by increasing your daily intake of required calories. Instead stick to water to rev up metabolim and keep the body hydrated.Water is zero calories and preloading with it before a meal can help you lose weight fast.

Portion Control: You feel unsatisfied when you eat small meals. Large meals make more calorie intake which is over your daily nutritional requirement and gets saved as fat. Eat in small plates, chew slowly and stop eating once you feel full.

No Fiber: Fiber helps in better digestion of food and absorbs lots of water from the body. If you have water retention then add fiber to your diet. Fiber also keeps you feel fuller for a longer time without adding any extra calories.

No Exercise: Exercise boosts weight loss. You are eating to your requirement which will help you lose weight but exerise will accelerate the calorie burn in the body and give quicker results. As more muscles are improtant higher metabolism and weight loss, regular exercise will develop muscles in the body.

Missing Meals: Some people miss meals to fasten their weight loss presuming to save calories for the day. Missing meals makes the body go in the mode of starvation where the body burns the reserves slowly. Eat you meals at time as you would miss on the nutrition for that meal. Eating the next meal after the missed meal makes you consume more calories as you are hungry, which would get saved as extra calories as skipping meals slows the body’s natural metabolic rate.

Cheat Meals: It is alright to have a cheat meal once or twice a week but if you are cheating more unhealthy meals for healthy meals then you are slimming your chances of losing fat. It disrupts the weight loss process as the body takes time to adjust to a pattern before showing results.

How to Manage Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is caused due to resistance developed by our body cells towards insulin produced by the body. This leads to a rise in blood glucose level as the cells natural tendency to absorb insulin as much reduces, preventing the body from using glucose effectively resulting in excess sugar levels in the body. Type 1 diabetes is genetic but Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease most commonly caused by obesity. The good news is that because Type 2 diabetes is not genetic and can be controlled, managed and sometimes even be reversed completely.

Recent study on diabetes suggests that you could reverse your diabetes to normal. That means you could balance you blood sugar levels in the body. The study by Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre at Newcastle University in England says that eating less calories about 600 per day for three months could reverse the diabetes. In the study 11 people with type 2 diabetes for four years were put on a 600 calorie diet with leafy green vegetables and liquid diet which reversed the diabetes of 7 people.

At Fitho we believe that you dont have to go on such a strict low calorie diet that can damage your daily nutrition intake. Read here to understand what is a  balanced diet and how it is essential for our healthy well being. Diabetes Type 2 can be controlled and managed through healthy diet and exercise without reducing the calorie intake to such low levels. A person diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes needs a special diet chart that ensures that mostly food with low glycemic index should be included. Here is a list of foods that you must include and also avoid. Read more

Breakfast Options that are not so Healthy

We have always emphasized on breakfast being the most important meal of the day. Healthy breakfast not only nourishes the body but also is very effective for weight loss. Some people eat unhealthy breakfast which not only adds empty calories but depletes the body of daily nutrition intake. Eating junk food, deep fried, fattening foods will only promote weight gain and keep you feeling heavy and sluggishness all through the day. Let us pin point some of the not so healthy breakfast options that are eaten by most of us and at times even considered healthy.

Corn Toast with cheese: The corn and cheese toast is made of a white sauce batter that has corn and cheese added to it. The white sauce batter is made out of white flour and contains no nutrition, while corn is nothing but starch. Mostly white bread is used as the base of this toast which is again an unhealthy option.

Parantha: Many people have a habit of eating paranthas for breakfast Read more

Weight Management Tips

People who are overweight, weight loss is the most obvious first step and but once that has been controlled the most critical and difficult step is to manage the weight. Most people find managing weight more difficult than to actually losing weight. There are simple ways of weight management and we will share them with you through this article.

There is a basic logic behind weight imbalance i.e. you are eating more than you are burning. Simple to say but that is the biggest hurdle. Here are some easy tips on how to get started.

Watch what you buy to eat: Opt for more natural and fresh foods as they not only provide essential nutrition to the body but also keep you fuller for long. Even while shopping for packaged foods that claim to be made of natural ingredients read the ingredients carefully. Insure the first ingredient is natural and the main ingredient is the actual  food instead of sugar or some artificial flavouring used.

Be smart while eating out: Its not that there are only unhealthy options available when you are eating out. Every cuisine can be cooked in a healthy way or has healthy options. Learn to know whats the healthiest option available on the menu. If need be ask the chef on how the dish is prepared or to recommend something healthy for you.

Stop when you feel full: Listen to your stomach and not your heart. Even if the food is delicious and its your favorite dish learn to draw a line. You can have that dish anytime you want and its easily available. Gone are those times where you didn’t know when you will get to eat your favorite food next. With the food revolution your favorite dish is available at every corner or can be easily made at home. This will help you control your portions more effectively.

Get Active: You can simply start this by conditioning yourself to not sitting in one place for more than 2 hours. Some people have desk jobs are bound to get stuck to the chair. You can still work around it. Get up and get yourself a glass of water or tea. Walk to your colleagues work station to discuss the work instead of speaking on the intercom. There is a study that shows that people that are more active have lesser weight issues than people who are not. Get active to be a part of the fit list.

Hunger Pangs: Your body needs food but if you have three proper meals eaten on time and eaten well  this will take care of these recurring hunger pangs at odd hours. Also you feel hungry as often as you condition your body to eat food. The more food you will eat the more hungry you will feel over a period of time. Its all about setting a routine. That doesn’t mean that you eat your dinner before 7: 00 pm, it simply means that ensure you finish your dinner at least 2 hours before your bed time.

With these easy weight management tips you will see managing weight will be a lot easier. You can also look at friends and family for support to help manage your weight better. Involve them in your quest to get fitter. This will help not only push you to staying on track but also get your support group healthier.

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 Reduce Weight

Reduce Weight by managing your diet and exercise. If you are over weight then it doesn’t mean that you have a disease and you need to go on a medication. Eating fat burners and  pills for weight loss will not be the ultimate step in reducing weight but you would gain it back in sometime. We spoke about liposuction and how one gains back the weight after an year at different places.

You have gained weight over a period of time by eating simply more than your body requirement. Suppose your daily caloric requirement is 1500 and you are eating 2000-2500 calories per day, then your body will save the rest 500-1000 calories as fat which adds on by time and becomes a problem.

Here are tips to reduce weight Read more

Food With Fat For Health Benefits

Fat has an important role to play in the smooth functioning of body just like how protein is important for muscle building, carbohydrates for energy and vitamins and minerals for other nutrition. The minimum requirement of essential fat for men is 2-5% and women is 10-12%, anything below which physical and psychological health would be effected. When one consumes fat more than the daily requirement it then it gets stored in the belly, thighs and all over the body. Fat helps in healthy cell function and keeps the skin healthy and stores energy in the body and provides 9 calories per 1 gm of fat.

Essential fat is required for brain functioning, bone marrows, central nervous system muscles and healthy functioning of the body

It provides cushion to internal organs of the chest and abdomen.  These essential fats are often confused with the bad fats that increase the LDL bad Cholesterol. Essential fats actually increase the HDL good cholesterol levels improving heart health and improves the flow of blood in the arteries.

Here is a list of Fatty foods for good health

 

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.

Exercise to Drink More Water

Inspite of knowing that water is good for your body, many of us find it difficult to drink water. … We have something that can help. Did you know exercising makes you thirsty? So if you are unable to kick out this bad habit of drinking less then maybe adding an exercise routine can help you get more water in the system.

But why does exercise make you thirsty?
First, during workouts we sweat … losing water and salt which causes the imbalance of fluids and electrolytes in the body. Our body naturally counters this internal reaction by triggering thirst. If you are feeling thirsty post workouts, its because you have worked hard and have lost water and salt through sweat.

As 70% of the body composition is water, after workouts and wear and tear the body goes into repair mode and requires water for speedy recovery. Water helps carry nutrients and helps remove toxins and wastes from your body.

Sometimes we don’t pay enough attention to the body signals and drink enough water resulting in dehydration.

Here are a few tips to maintain water levels and avoid dehydration
Read more

Think Before You Drink!

You stay away from the most obvious signs of sugar in your food,. Avoid desserts, don’t take sugar in your tea/coffee. But sometimes you ignore the not so obvious forms of sugar that might be harming you. To start the damage control right away here are a few ways how sugar is finding way to your system.

Cola drinks(Regular and diet): The cola drinks are soda and added sweeteners and artificial colors present in it. The soda present in it increases the level of co2 in the body which results in the reduction of anti-oxidants in the body. It contains a high amount of sugar in it which is not good for the health Read more

Is Sugar Healthy

We all know sweets, chocolates, candies, ice creams and sweetened food contain high levels of sugar and therefore stay away from them as much as we can. Sugar is addictive and is also a good source of instant energy. Eating too much sugar is unhealthy and leads to excess fat storage and increase of insulin.

Although we limit ourselves from the most obvious forms of sugar there might be ‘sugar coated’ ways that you are consuming sugar. Here are a few example of not so healthy ways that we might be consuming sugar without really being aware. Read more

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