Let me know if this sounds familiar:

You decided to start making healthy food choices(again) on Monday. Its Thursday(or wednesday, depending on the severity of the diet) and the motivation that was coursing through your veins just a few days ago, no longer exists.

You sneak in a few snacks after a lunch, a dessert after dinner, and before you know it, its sunday and you’re bingeing away at food you’re not even all that hungry for, because you’ve promised yourself you can start again on Monday.

Come Monday, you break out the soups and salads and teas(again) to pay for what you consider the sins of the weekend.

Except, if you did do that, I can promise you one thing for sure.. you WILL fail before the week is out.

The average diet lasts 72 hours… just long enough for your body to realise that a famine is upon you, slow down your metabolism, throw out some muscle, and send out hunger signals.

All of this will ensure that the next time you eat, you will store more than you burn. For every diet you try and fail at, you will be heavier.

If you think willpower is your problem.. you’re wrong. Diets are your problem.

Making unrealistic promises to yourself is your problem. Promising yourself perfection in a life thats entirely human and wonderfully imperfect, is your problem.

So the next time your eating goes wrong. This is what you can, instead, try and do:

1) Get back to where you left off as soon as you can. Not on Monday. Not tomorrow but ASAP. The very next meal.

2) Don’t try to compensate for the past. The future will take care of itself. In the long run, one bad meal will change nothing, week after week of binge eating followed by starvation will.

3) Food and exercise are not reward and punishment. Eat because you’re hungry. Exercise because you need the strength. Throw out the guilt that everyone has convinced you, you need.

4) At every meal eat some protein, carbs and veggies. Irrespective of what your last meal looked like.

Think of it this way. If you decide to run a marathon.. but also decided that you will only complete it if you do not stumble/fall through the entire distance, and will, additionally go back to the starting line every time you fall… would you ever get around to finishing the race?

Exactly.

Get up, dust yourself off and pick up where you left off. Thats really all it takes.

The Author, Jyotsna John, is a fitness enthusiast who turned her passion for fitness into a full time career. She has travelled to UK and the US and studied a lot about fitness while she was there. She has a list of certifications, and is currently a trainer at The Unit, in Chennai.

With Diabetes, one of the most enduring issues is how one can best control their blood sugar and their weight loss. It is no longer just as linear as it once was – it’s not about strict or crash diets, forbidden foods and opting only for sugar free food. According to the American Diabetes Association, the standard nutrition recommendations for people with Diabetes now are to eat well with Diabetes in mind. This means, just eating well while applying the basic principles of healthful eating.
The original trend was to follow a rigid diabetic diet – which means one has to limit the amount of carbohydrates, while eating once in every two hours. People can, now, instead, eat healthily, and manage the content of one’s intake without allowing stress to take over. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans dovetail perfectly with the American Diabetes Association’s nutrition guidelines currently, and it dictates that the norm is now to: shed a few pounds if there is need for it, to get and keep the blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure within the healthy target zones and to retain a state of good health mentally and physically.
Here are five simple tips to follow to do this:
1. Always choose your portions wisely. For lunch and dinner, fill half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with starch or grain, and the remaining quarter with a lean protein source. Include a serving of fruit and low-fat milk or yogurt at the majority of your meals. Choose whole grains instead of refined varieties.

2. Always moderate your portions: Oversized portions tend to lead you to gain excess calories and pounds. Enjoy all that you want, but in moderate portions.

3. Always choose healthy oils and fats: Make sure that you eat less total fat, and more of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated and transfats are absolutely not allowed. Steer clear of solid fats to ensure that you minimise the extent of saturated fat. Get more is from mono- and polyunsaturated sources by using liquid cooking oils from vegetables, nuts, or seeds. Always cut back on your fat-gram count by trimming down to daily calories.

4. Always opt for Nutritious Carbohydrate Sources: Avoid taking too many calories and empty gains through refined sugars and heavy calorific content. Get your carb grams from nutrition-loaded sources: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods.

5. Always keep eating out to a minimum: Try cooking at home, and making on-the-run breakfasts, taking brown-bag lunches, or grabbing a healthful frozen entree paired with a salad, fruit, and milk for dinner a few times a week.

References:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Handful-of-walnuts-a-day-may-keep-diabetes-away/articleshow/49934943.cms
http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/food-to-eat/nutrition/5-healthy-eating-tips-diabetes

What’s a festival without something deliciously sweet? Christmas Cakes are easily enough to whet anyone’s appetite. Here are a bunch of fun cakes that you can make this Christmas, but with a healthy twist!

1. Chocolate Banana Cake: Mash a banana in a large mug with a fork, and add some nut butter and egg and mix thoroughly. Then, stir in the some jaggery and cocoa and beat until smooth. Microwave it until it rises and is firm. The banana in the cake makes it easy to avoid adding sugar, while the jaggery helps lace the cake with a mild taste.

  2. Vegan, Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie: In a large mug or separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients, namely, wheat flour, artificial sweetener, cocoa and salt. Add your wet ingredients, coconut milk and oil, to your dry. Divide the batter between two microwave safe bowls and microwave for on high until the mixture is cooked through. It should still be moist when cooked.

3. A Whisky Dundee with the goodness of health: Preheat an oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Grease and double-line a loose-based deep cake tin with greaseproof paper. Beat olive oil and plant sugar in a food processor for 3-4 minutes, or until very light and fluffy, add marmalade and mix for a few seconds, and slowly add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, almonds and spices to the batter. Mix slowly until well combined and then stir in mixed dried fruit and cherries with a large metal spoon. Add whisky or milk and mix until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin, smooth the surface and carefully arrange the blanched almonds in circles on top. Bake for 1½-2 hours, or until well risen, firm and golden-brown. Using plant sugar will help you cut back on the unnecessary fat content!

4. The Fruitcake: Preheat an oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Grease and flour a tube pan. In a large bowl, combine jaggery, wheat flour, soda, spices, eggs, lemon rind, vanilla, 1/2 cup brandy, fruit, nuts, and melted butter or margarine. Mix it all up thoroughly and pour into prepared pan. Bake it for an hour, and then cool on a wiring rack. As an optional step, you can wrap the cake in foil and sprinkle two tablespoons of brandy over the cake everyday for two weeks.

References:

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/healthy_cake_recipes_for_christmas

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_christmas_dessert_recipes

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/low-fat-cake

For better skin, hair, body health and to stay in shape, proteins are vital! Here are some fun ways to keep proteins in your diet as an important element without compromising on the deliciousness.

 

1. Try the Coconut Chicken Nuggets. Marinate some chicken in a mixture of olive oil, red chilli powder, cumin powder, salt, ginger paste, and honey. Refrigerate for 2 hours, and then, heat a non-stick pan that is a bit greased with olive oil and toss the marinated chicken in. Cook it on high heat for 5 minutes while making sure that both sides of each nugget turn white and then a light brown. Remove it from heat and sprinkle the chicken with the grated coconut. Your coconut chicken nuggets are ready!

PC:www.tarladala.com

2. Vegetarian? Then the Green Peas and Soya Tikkis are perfect for you. Soak soya granules in hot water for 8 to 10 minutes and then squeeze out all the water. Boil green peas for 5 minutes and then dry it, and blend it with the soya granules to make a smooth paste, add the green chillies, ginger, besan, salt and mix well. Divide the mixture into balls and lay them on a pan, after soaking them in rava or rusk powder for the crispness.

 PC:www.kitchenchemistry.com

3. Another delicious way to get protein in your diet is to indulge in the Vegetable Soya Frankie.  Boil soy granules in water for ten minutes, drain and keep aside, and heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, add chopped onions, green chillies to it. Add some moong sprouts and carrot and sauté for a few minutes. Add soy granules, cabbage, salt and pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Roll up some of this mix in a roti or chapati, and you’re good to go!

PC:www.cookinglight.com

4. Try the mashed peas and chicken grilled patties for a fun way to snack and get protein into your system. Boil peas, and dry minced chicken. Add the peas to the chicken and mash and mix with oil, meat masala, red chilli powder, salt, ginger paste, garlic paste, eggs, and besan. Mix well and refrigerate for an hour. Make patties out of the mix, and bake in an oven on high for 7 minutes on each side.

References:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Healthy-protein-rich-snacks-for-the-weekend/articleshow/17265034.cms

http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report-eight-protein-rich-snacks-to-eat-1952088

http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/eight-protein-rich-snacks-to-eat-k114/

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/special-diets/high-protein/

A man once went to a doctor, and asked him for a solution to lose weight. The doctor gave him a simple exercise, of looking left, and then right, and repeating it twice. The man was puzzled – this was just too simple! “When should I do this, doctor? How many times in a day?” asked the man, curiously. “Every time anyone offers you anything to eat!” said the doctor.

Hold on, before you think this is our advice for you, there’s more – and better advice in store. With the festive part of the year on us now, stocking up on sweets and savories automatically – for most of us, means an expanding waistline. Staying in shape this season can be a challenge, agreed. So we’ve decided to help you out with some low-calorie sweets for Diwali. Just remember, though: low carbohydrate and sugar free options are the way to go, if you want to make your sweets low in the calorie count.  Here are some simple and fun recipes that you can try out at home this festive season!

 

PC: www.myfoodstory.com

1. Make a brilliant Apple cinnamon kheer. All you need is  75 ml milk, 40 grams rice, 2 grams sugar free, 1 gram cinnamon powder, 20 grams green apple that has been finely chopped, 75 ml water and 5 grams granola. Wash and soak the rice for two hours, and then cook it with milk and water till it is well cooked. Add the cinnamon powder to the kheer. Cool the kheer and add chopped green apple and sugar free to it. Garnish with granola and green apple. Serve cold!

 

PC: www.valar-myblog.blogspot.com

2. Try a delicious Bulgur Wheat Kheer! Use high-fibre bulgur wheat with low fat milk and no sugar – by cooking down the bulgur wheat in milk and water, and adding a small dose of sugar substitutes. If you want to tone down the calories further on this marvel, used skimmed milk instead.

3. Fancy a nice Choconut Banana dish? Peel a few bananas and slice them. Set them aside. Chill a silicon sheet. Melt chocolate in the microwave. Meanwhile, dry roast almonds, cashews and walnuts on low heat until they are golden brown. Once the chocolate is done, remove from the microwave and whisk it until it is smooth. Grind the nuts coarsely and transfer it all into a bowl. Add some desiccated coconut and mix it well. Pick up each banana piece with a fork, dip in the chocolate and then roll it in this nut-coconut mixture until it is well-coated and place it on the silicon sheet. Set it in the fridge for a bit and serve chilled!

 

PC: www.trueayurveda.wordpress.com

4. Indulge in some delicious Gajar Halwa, but the healthy way. Pop in some carrots in a non stick pan and add some orange juice and cook on high heat. Add sugar and mix, and cook on high heat until all the liquid is absorbed. Add ghee and mix it up. Preheat the oven to 160°C, and put the carrot mixture into moulds. Drizzle a tablespoon of condensed milk in each mould, cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot!

References:

http://www.blisstree.com/2012/11/13/food/healthy-diwali-recipes/#1

http://www.idiva.com/photogallery-work-life/low-cal-mithai-recipes-for-diwali/17414

While a good detox from a qualified wellness doctor does go a long way in maintaining good health, there are a few things you can do on a day to day basis to help your body detox regularly. It may not be a complete detox, but it certainly helps in the long run and also when you do get a detox done, people who have been following these simple day to day stuff, do experience much better results. And in this month, with the sun beating down and we are all clamoring for water, this simple liquid can do wonders!

PC:www.kleenex.com

It’s not without reason that water is called the elixir of life. And water when consumed the right way, not only quenches thirst, but also helps your body detox. A simple day to day routine is to have a full glass of water, and just water without honey or lime or anything, the first thing in the morning, as soon as you get up (and brush your teeth). Water will stimulate, what is now scientifically called the gastrocolic reflex, which means, it stimulates your entire bowels and over a period of time can correct poor bowel habits. Water with honey, lemon and other add ons are good, but that depends from person to person and sometimes it is best done for a short period, but the point is, plain water in the morning is good for everyone, what can to be added to it, needs to be evaluated on a person to person basis.

PC:www.drusandhealthyliving.com

Through the day, we drink water (we should be doing that at least) and yes it is good, but making a few changes will go a long way. When water is taken by itself, it gets absorbed in the intestines and goes through your kidney and that is very necessary to keep you in good health. But, if you have a glass of water after eating a fibre rich fruit or vegetable, the fibre absorbs the water preventing it from being absorbed in the intestines and as the fibre flows through the bowels, the water content also flows through and gives the effect of a sponge cleaning your bowels. This goes a long way in keeping your bowels healthy. What this also does is that it makes you eat a good amount of fibre! Fibre rich food (you can get a whole list from the Internet) when taken with water will clean your bowels for you. Not only that, fibre tends you make you full quickly, but does not let you gain weight as quickly, so, if done correctly, you can manage your weight too – BINGO!!!!

Good health and wellness is really just a way of life and sometimes as easy as making the best use of the water you drink.

The author,Dr. Wasim Mohideen is preventive care and wellness physician. A medical professional with an MBA and Post Graduate training in Allopathy as well as Alternative medicine, he strives to bridge the gap between modern medicine, traditional treatments and healthcare management.

 

The festive season is around the corner, and the biggest challenge that’s going to keep you on your toes is to stay fit! It’s easy to indulge in all the tasty delights that can wind up adding to your woes with an expanding waistline – but fret not! Here are some healthy desi recipes that can keep you in top shape without compromising on taste!

1. One of the most loved savouries around Diwali is the murukku. Deep fried as a usual cooking method, it is indubitably unhealthy for the heart. Your best bet is to opt for a baked version. Mix rice flour, oil and salt and fold it with curd and water, and make a dough. Make roundels using a murukku press on a greased baking tray, and bake them in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius, and flip them over after 10 minutes, and bake till they turn golden brown!

2. Try the oats burfi with a simple recipe! Mix sugar and water and boil it on a low flame, stirring throughout. Add cardamom and essence, and add some  powdered oats when there is a string consistency in the liquid on boil. Keep stirring it so that there are no lumps, and add oil while you’re stirring. Set it off the stove on a greased plate and cut it up into squares, or roll them into balls to make laddu.

 

PC: www.foodviva.com

3. If you love Bengali sweets but hold back because of the calories, try the fruit sandesh. All it needs is some milk and a banana as a core ingredient. Curdle the milk with vinegar, and draw out the whey till the paneer remains. Peel and mash up a banana and add some kewda water and honey, and make it into a dough with paneer, shaping it into bite size pieces. Flatten the delight into bite sized pieces and enjoy the sweet!

 

PC: www.allrecipes.com

4. If your idea of festive sweet delights is westernized, try the Mocha Ricotta Crème  put together with half a cup of skimmed milk ricotta crème, artificial sweeteners like Splenda (about two packets), walnut or pecan bits and mocha!

References:

http://www.blisstree.com/2012/11/13/food/healthy-diwali-recipes/#1

http://www.archanaskitchen.com/recipes/indian/snacks-and-sweets/indian-sweets-mithai-recipes

Social protection and Agriculture go a long way in ensuring food security, safety and a steady supply of resources that can keep the economy going, while also making society healthy. One of the biggest challenges in India today is the lack of suitable distribution – and this has led to many social issues ranging from farmer suicides to inadequacy of food. Agriculture can be a significant element in promoting social protection and poverty alleviation. This World Food Day, join us in making this conscious choice. Here are a few things you can do at your own convenience to bridle the two!

1. Start a simple home garden on your kitchen ledge. Plant little fruit trees, herb shrubs and perhaps even a few sprouts. This will not only help you nurture a kitchen garden and eat nutritious produce, but also help produce more products that can be used.

2. Indulge in some terrace gardens or rooftop gardens. Planting on your terrace can be a very useful way to keep your supply of produce going, while also helping cool your houses down through the extra plant cover.

3. Increase your usage of plant waste by recycling it all into compost, or material that can help add to your soil’s quality. In doing that, you recycle nutrients into the soil that can help you nurture your plants well. A compost pile allows the recycling of the plant waste products into a nutrient-rich additive for the garden.

4. Having your own kitchen garden provides the opportunity that will benefit the environment. It reduces the waste you produce and provides natural fertilizer for your plants. The reduction of chemical usage will help reduce pollution and contamination, which in turn results in produce that is healthy and bereft of any deprivation of core nutrients.

References:
http://www.hgtv.com/design/outdoor-design/landscaping-and-hardscaping/14-simple-gardening-tips-and-tricks
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Citrus-Fruit-Peels-in-the-Home-and-Garden or
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/fight-against-hunger-too-slow-and-uneven/article7279094.ece

One of the most endearing jokes on losing weight that we grew up on comes to mind. A doctor advices his patient, saying, “You see, to lose weight, there’s a simple exercise. Simply shake your head from side to side.” “When should I do this, and how many times, doctor?” asked the patient eagerly. “Well, every time you are offered food!”

With the festive season upon us, food is a very integral part of the sharing experience – and it is indeed vital to ensure that we stay in check so that our health doesn’t take a beating. Here are a bunch of tips for you to follow this festive season, so you lose weight!

PC: s3.amazonaw.com

1. Follow a diet and stick to it sincerely. For best results, start this well in advance of the festive season, so that you lapse into the routine.

2. Eat small portions – or in moderation. Everything does taste good, but keep your appetite in check. If you think you’re likely to binge, then stop for a moment and start sharing sweets – it gives maximum pleasure and also makes sure that you don’t end up eating too many.

3. Fall back on healthy options like fresh and dry fruits, and make it a point to serve people who visit you, with this rather than fat filled and processed food.

4. Take smaller portions of sweets.

5. Avoid fried food and keep your eye on roasted, steamed and sautéed food so that you don’t wind up eating inappropriately.

6. Opt for foods that have a lot of water content in them, especially because they are filling and are low in calories, fats and sugars. Some options include as chestnuts, green chana, germinated seeds, `makhana`.

7. Pick a beverage where you have the option between drinking and eating something. Coffee and tea, Thandai and natural extracts in beverage form (such as rose water, kewara water, jaljeera) are other healthy options.

8. Make healthier versions of sweets and snacks, using organic or natural ingredients.

References:

http://www.indiatimes.com/health/tips-tricks/weight-loss-healthy-eating-tips-for-the-festive-season-240571.html

http://www.indiaparenting.com/health/325_2081/how-to-avoid-calories-during-festivals.html