Get a fab figure in 2011 - I

In part two of our four-part series on a mind, body and relationship make-over for 2011, we tell you how to take small, but firm, steps towards physical fitness

Whether losing weight and getting into shape is on the agenda or not, jump-start your new year with the simple goal of feeling better inside out. No unreasonable goals; it's all about making simple switches in eating habits and firming the resolve to stick to your exercise regime. We help you team your determination with a clear-sighted plan. 

Work on it
Job, commute, chores, etc., take up large chunks of each day and mustering up motivation is difficult.
  
Start early
Do it for a week and watch your body clock re-wire itself. Some peaceful 'Me' time early in the day will charge your batteries for the entire day.  

Chase fun
If you dreads the idea of going to a sweaty gym, don't do it. Do something that you love which will keep you motivated - a high-energy aerobic-cum-callisthenics workout with pumping music in your own room, perhaps.
 
Convenience is key
If you want to join a gym, keep in mind the convenience factor. Choose a gym that is close to your office or home to increase the chances of actually going to it.  

Be realistic
Set simple realistic goals. Ambitious weight loss plans fall through within the first week. Make goals that are small enough to be achieved, but challenging enough to keep you at it. 

New and improved
One of the most demotivating factors is doing the same workout over and over. So spice it up by trying out something new - salsa or tennis lessons - anything that will make you sweat and have fun.
 
Make it challenging
If you like the challenge of competing and winning, team up with a bunch of friends on the field, court, or the gym. 

Treat yourself
Start your plan by taking measurements, weighing yourself and keep a tab on progress. Reward yourself with every milestone you achieve. Not with a candy, but a new outfit or haircut. 

Meditate
Sit for 10 minutes in padmasana, breathe deeply and bring in positive, reassuring, calming messages for your day.

How to Take Care of Your Eyes in Summer

While it may be cool to flaunt that chic pair of sunglasses, you need to know if they really protect your eyes against sun damage. Summer brings with it, it's own share of problems — don't let your eyes take the brunt of your carelessness.

"Overexposure to ultraviolet light is thought to be a cause of cataracts, retinal damage and other eye problems. For summer, ideal sunglasses are those with a wrap-around frame since they keep sun and dust out. If you're planning on indulging in water sports, invest in a pair of good sunglasses. For outdoor activities like camping, which include chopping wood or cooking around a campfire, don't forget to wear clear, protective glasses. Often flying embers can lead to severe eye burns."

If you swim regularly, ensure that you wear goggles. In summer, most pools have increased amounts of chlorine and other chemicals to keep water safe, which often leads to weepy, irritable eyes. Wash your eyes with fresh water when you step out of the pool. It isn't just your skin that dries out in summer, but even your eyes. Lubricating drops are ideal this time of the year. Ask your eye doctor to prescribe you with preservative free drops — they keep the eyes comfortable.

"Allergic disorders of the eye increase during summer. Increased temperature and pollution make one (especially children) prone to eye allergies, which cause itching and redness along with a burning sensation. Wash your eyes with cold water twice a day, avoiding rubbing them, stay away from dusty areas, wear protective eye glasses and use eye drops under the supervision of an eye specialist."

Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is common in summer. It is characterised by redness of eyes, pricking sensation, discharge and watering in eyes. Immediate treatment is important as it will prevent the spread of infection to other people and worsening of the eye condition. Maintain good hygiene by washing your eyes with clean water. Don't share handkerchiefs or towels and limit your contact for the first couple of days as conjunctivitis spreads easily. Use antibiotic eye drops and eye ointments only under medical supervision.

Styes
Eyelid swelling, redness and pain occurs when a bacterial infection of the eyelids occurs. If you develop a stye, maintain proper eye hygiene with a hot compress, analgesic tablets and antibiotics.

Dry eyes
Dry eyes syndrome is common during these months due to increased temperatures and rapid tear film evaporation. Wash the eyes often and use lubricating eye drops for relief.

Precautions
Consultant eye and refractive surgeon Dr Nikhil V Nasta says taking simple precautions will protect your eyes.

• If you swim, wear goggles to prevent chlorine allergies and swimming pool conjunctivitis.
• Wear dark glasses if you need to be out in the sun.
• When selecting dark glasses, make sure they are 100 per cent UV protected. Wearing substandard sunglasses will make the pupils dilate, allowing more harmful UV rays to enter the eye and cause damage.
• When sitting in an AC room, make sure the blast is not directed straight into your eyes — this leads to drying and sensitivity of the eyes.
• If you've been in the sun all day and wake up next day with red or painful eyes, use lubricant eyedops.
• Restful sleep for six to eight hours helps rejuvenate your eyes in a natural way.

Pistachios... A weight-loss snack !!

Choosing to snack on pistachios rather than pretzels as part of a healthy diet not only supports weight loss goals but can support heart health too.


The study is especially significant as snack foods account for more than a quarter of the total caloric intake among Americans.

Snackers often think pretzels are a better choice for weight management compared to a nut like pistachios just because they are lower in fat. A study debunks that myth.


In a 12-week randomized study, 52 overweight subjects were placed on a 500-calorie deficit diet and were assigned to either a pistachio snack or pretzel snack group.


The pistachio group included a daily snack of 240 calories (about 75 pistachios) and the pretzel group, a two ounce snack of similar caloric value totaling 220 calories.


The results showed that the pistachio group had better success with supporting their body mass index (BMI, a height to weight ratio) goals compared to the pretzel group.


Pistachios can help support heart health too, proving that they can be included in a healthy diet, even for those who are managing their weight.

Beat the heat in a healthy way

The heat outside is sweltering and all you feel like doing is spending the day indoors in the comfort of an air-conditioned room. However, since most of us aren't blessed with such luck, we are forced to step out into the heat, be it for work or for pleasure. Health too becomes a big concern during this season, as diseases like jaundice and chicken pox ruling the roost. We give you a few tips to beat the summer.

Sipping in the summer sun:
You would have probably heard it a million times before, but then, it's only because it works. Keep yourself hydrated — drink plenty of water. However, rather than just grabbing that bottle of ice cold water from the fridge, drink water that is as close to room temperature as possible. Better still would be to drink lukewarm water, or water out of an earthen pot, as this will quench your thirst better.


Keep it fresh:
Freshly-cut fruits and vegetables make for great snacks during the summer. Ideal fruits to eat during the season would be watermelon, pineapple, guava, sweet lime, oranges and grapes, as they are very refreshing. Salad vegetables like lettuce, cucumber, carrot and tomato also add a zing to your diet and taste great too.


Dessert temptations:
Let's face it, there are some cravings that are natural and desserts top the list. Although there is nothing wrong with a bit of indulgence, it is advised that you don't binge. Desserts to indulge in during the summer would be chilled treats like custard, jelly or milkshakes — they are not just refreshing, but nutritious as well.


Probiotic nutrition:
What works best for all those who count calories is fermented rice. Cold rice, fermented overnight, works great as does buttermilk, when taken with some citrus pickle or onion. They are cooling and provide the necessary probiotic nutrition for the day.


Mix it up:
Fruit mixes work wonders during the summer. Good recipes for fruit mixes would be an orange-watermelon mix, topped with pineapple and a dash of lime.

Include kiwi fruits in your diet

Know your plastic

This hairy, light brown fruit - also known as Chinese gooseberry - when cut into half, looks very appealing because of its bright green color and a circle of black sesame-like seeds in the centre. Kiwifruits (Actinidia deliciosa) or kiwis as they are popularly called, have a become a common sight in the Indian grocery market in recent years and  is a very popular item used for fresh cakes, tarts, fruit salads and other types of desserts. This exotic looking fruit is rich in many vitamins, minerals and falvonoids. Its high amount of Vitamin C, as much potassium as bananas, and a good amount of beta-carotene make it a healthy choice.

This fruit has a hairy exterior that many find quite unappealing. The furry skin of kiwifruit is edible but most people peel the skin (it might feel like sandpaper on your tongue!) before consuming it.

When you are buying this fruit you need to choose the ones that are plump, wrinkle-free and a little firm. These fruits can be ripened at home and then eaten. You can leave it at room temperature. Don't purchase kiwis that are very soft or are shriveled.

How much do you really know about the nutritional and other benefits of this fruit? Read on to find out more...

#  Having a regular intake of kiwi in one's daily diet helps to improve the cardio vascular health by preventing accumulation of deposits and plaques on the walls of the arteries.

#  Possessing a number of carotenoid, falvonoids and Phyto nutrients makes the kiwi a good source of anti-oxidants to help fight against cancer.

#   Kiwi contains lutein, a compound that helps in prevention of muscular degeneration or weakening of one's eyesight, glaucoma and cataracts due to ageing.

#   A good source of vitamin E, consuming kiwi in your daily diet is beneficial for maintaining healthy skin.

#   Kiwi can help tenderize meat because it contains an enzyme called actinide that is similar to papain in papayas that reacts chemically to break down proteins.

Why kiwi?
- Prevents asthma
- Prevents wheezing and coughing, especially in children
- Protects our DNA from mutations
- Provides a healthy amount of antioxidants and vitamins

Milk - top or primary source of vitamin D

There are few true replacements for the nutrient package you find in one glass of fat free or low fat milk.

Without milk in the diet, it's hard to meet a number of nutrient needs - most notably vitamin D.

Well known for its role in keeping bones strong, vitamin D is now being hailed for so much more. Emerging evidence suggests vitamin D may also help protect against diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and certain cancers. It also supports a healthy immune system.

Experts recommend each day - vitamin D, the amount in 2 glasses of fat free or low fat milk.

It's one more reason to grab another glass of milk.

Stop fooling yourself - III

cont...

It's my medication
You can't risk your health by stopping the pills. So what can you do if they make you gain weight?

The facts
Many drugs for common complaints, such as depression, diabetes, migraines and high blood pressure, can lead to unintentional weight gain.

Beat it
First, ask your doctor if there's an alternative that doesn't cause weight gain. In cases where this isn't possible, ask to see a dietician. 


It's in my genes
Obesity runs in the family. So, it's not your fault if you are obese too.

The facts
While it's possible to inherit obesity, it's not a dominant gene. Your chances of being overweight are affected more significantly by eating habits you adopt when growing up.

Beat it
If there's a family tendency to being fat, it's important to learn about healthy eating when young and get regular exercise.

Six kitchen drop-outs...

You might be following the dos and don'ts of a healthy lifestyle — avoiding fried, unhealthy stuff, watching what you eat and exercising well.

However, small things you miss tend to have a huge impact. Fact is, food is bombarded with chemicals in some way or the other and you invariably end up making the mistakes you were desperately trying to avoid. The solution — be informed and aware. Here are six easy dietary tips that can save you from life-threatening diseases.

How to use salt

The common table salt you buy from your grocery is bleached and leached of all its minerals. This 'refined' or 'iodized' salt also includes additives including aluminium silicate (to make it free flowing), dextrose, bleaching elements and chemicals. Salt is vital to your body, but it's important to have the right type.

Solution: Switch to unrefined crystal rock salt (sendha namak). it contains 84 of the 92 trace minerals and that too in the same proportions as the human body does. It also has calcium and magnesium.

Avoid tea bags

Switching to green or herbal tea is a good choice, but tea bags can negate all the good effects. They are manufactured using a compound called epichlorohydrin, which is also used as an insecticide and to manufacture plastics. The bags are bleached to look white, and the edges are heat-sealed using chemicals. Drop by drop we absorb these chemicals into our bodies and weaken our immune system.

Solution: Use natural tea leaves

Food labels

If you don't recognise - or can't pronounce - the words on a food label, don't buy it. First, check for expiry date. Any product with a shelf life of two to three years is bad. While purchasing oil, check the chemicals mentioned.

Solution: Here's a quick guide:

- Avoid products containing nitrates and nitrites, sulphur dioxide, sodium benzoate, coloring, BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), MSG (ajinomoto), refined or bleached flour.

- Avoid products containing sugar substitutes such as saccharine or aspartame.

- Avoid food that has been genetically modified or engineered. Nearly all processed food contains GMOs.

- Avoid products made with ingredients described as 'natural flavouring' or 'natural colouring'.

- Avoid products with added sugar – watch for words ending in "ose", e.g. glucose.

Water before and after meals

Naturopathy believes water is unhealthy for the body 30 minutes before and one hour after any cooked meal. If you have water before meals, it settles in your system before you've started eating. The enzymes released to aid digestion get diluted and they can't be as effective. Similarly when you have a meal it roughly takes 40 minutes to an hour to digest, and this process gets affected if you have water during or immediately after eating.

Solution: Chew food really well; the body generates its own fluid through saliva to aid digestion. And if you have something too spicy and have a lime shot instead of water.

Oily truths

Don't fall for oils that make tall claims. Through a refining process, crude oils are standardized, using water, salts, acids, alkali, clay, pressurized hydrogen and catalyst metals. Oil is further processed, filtered, deodorized and bleached, stripping it of its vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

Solution: Use unrefined sesame or mustard oil. Don't use extra virgin olive oil for cooking as it has a low burn point. Cold pressed, unrefined oils are best used in their natural state.

Know your plastic

Adopt these two measures: No plastic containers or wraps in the microwave. No plastic water bottles. For dioxin, a chemical that's highly poisonous to cells and causes cancer, is present in plastic and freezing water-filled plastic bottles releases it. Similarly, the combination of fat, high heat and plastics releases dioxin so don't heat fatty food in plastic containers in the microwave.

Solution: Use glass or ceramic containers for heating food and glass jars or bottles for storing water. While having instant noodles or soups, remove the contents from the packet or container and heat them in something else.

Superfoods for the stomach

This monsoon, eat foods that enable fast digestion.

Ginger: Ginger contains an active constituent gingerol, which is responsible for its hot, pungent taste, as well as its stimulating and healing properties. Ginger is often used as a therapeutic spice, working on the digestive system by encouraging secretion of digestive enzymes.


Fennel: (SAUNF) Fennel contains anethole, which stimulates secretion of digestive and gastric juices. Fennel also contains aspartic acid, which acts as an anti-flatulent.
It is no wonder, many of us are in the habit of chewing fennel seeds after meals. Fennel is a digestive herb with many medicinal and culinary uses. It acts as a popular "after mint".


Yoghurt : Yoghurt contains probiotics which are responsible for several activities in the gut; such as producing lactase; killing harmful bacteria and improving digestive tract function.


Fenugreek: (METHI) I Fenugreek leaves and seeds assist digestion, help relieve constipation and help overcome flatulence.
Tip: You can soak fenugreek seedsovernight and eat them next morning tohelp relieve you from digestive disorders.


Mint: Mint is used as a treatment for indigestion, colic, heartburn and flatulence. It also can stimulate the appetite and cure nausea and headaches.


Peppermint tea can help soothe a dry throat.


Bay leaf: Bay leaves are used to treat migraines, stressand anxiety. They also improve digestion and help detoxifythe system.

Stop fooling yourself - IV

cont...

I'm big-boned
We'd all love to believe it's large frames that are to blame for our size.

The facts
Being big-boned means you will have more muscle, but it shouldn't add more than a few kilos to your weight.

Beat it
Try to accept your body type. You can still be slim and look amazing if you learn to eat properly for your size.


It's water retention
It's not flab, it's water, and you're forever finding yourself puffed up with it. Or are you?

The facts
Many women actually do suffer from cramp-related water retention during the week before their periods.

Beat it
Fluid is transported around the body by our lymphatic system, and we rely on muscle movement to keep it flowing. So get lots of exercise and walk instead of driving whenever you get the chance.