"Dairy Diet"

thejewishstar.files.wordpress.com

All of us like a bit of variety. Something different to look forward every day so that it doesn’t feel like you are reliving the same 24 hours again and again and again. And lets face it, that’s why we like to eat out or order in. Just the change in menu from the regular ghar ka khana to something a little more exciting (say Chinese or Italian…yummm) can make for a nice break in the average mundane week. And why not, absolutely nothing wrong with stimulating the taste buds with a little something out of the regular fare I think. As long as you are still getting your daily basics on your dinner plates that is.


So what are those basics? Well, simply put, they are your carbohydrates, proteins, fruits and veggies, and oh yes, your dairy. Now you know enough reasons why it’s super important that you get your daily dose of those first three categories, but what about the fourth? Why do you really need to bother with dairy after you pass the age of 15 when your mom finally stopped yelling at you about drinking your milk so that you could grow “big and tall and strong”?

The truth is that despite all the bad press they may get from dietaholics (oh yes, I do believe that’s a valid term to use for those obsessed with calorie counting, for gods sake, we are NOT all going to walk around calculating every breath of air we take!) dairy products really do contain a bunch of good stuff. Lets start with calcium, the main ingredient found in all dairy products, helps to keep the body strong and prevents brittle bones, nails, teeth and hair as well as decreases the chances of osteoporosis later in life.

Dairy also contains high amounts of protein, which is the main nutrient needed for good muscular health. Vitamin D is another important reason to get that dairy on your plate as it works as an important aid in the absorption of calcium by the body, increasing its bone density and strength. Research has even shown that those people who consume healthy amounts of dairy products on a regular basis are less likely to develop high blood pressure over a period of time than those who have a low intake of dairy.

Last but not least, where oh where do you find this vital nutrient for your daily diet? Good sources of calcium, protein, magnesium, Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 can be found in milk, paneer (cottage cheese), cheese, butter, yoghurt and even in ice-cream (low-fat) --- but go slow and reach for the low-fat versions so that you avoid the extra saturated fat, calories and cholesterol and still get all the rest of the goodies you need.

"Soups Up"

blog.sigsiv.com

It’s the perfect meal when you want to go light. It’s the ideal feel-good food when you are feeling far from good. It’s the winter food which keeps you feeling warm. It’s all the nutrients and health you need fitting perfectly in a bowl.


Undoubtedly, one of the nicest benefits to adding soup to your regular diet is the fact that even though it fills you up with its yumminess, it can easily be a low-calorie; nearly fat-free meal in itself. A good example is any clear vegetable soup. Basic rules say if the soup is clear it means it doesn’t contain any cream, butter, or milk --- which means its practically water people! Instead just adding some boiled veggies to some clear vegetable stock soup can make for a super-delicious meal. So not only do you get a taste of something warm and nourishing, adding comfort to your day, you get a healthy way to lose those extra kilos :)

And here’s another reason why you should think about soup. Since soup is more or less liquid in form, you can put all kinds of wholesome goodness into the blender and add it to soup making sure its packed with all the vitamins, antioxidants, and immunity boosting foods you need to keep you fighting fit. Which is why soup is also a smart thing to eat if you are ever feeling a little under the weather. Take your pick from a wide range of ingredients to make tomato, spinach, pea, mixed veggie, broccoli, beetroot, pumpkin, cabbage, even lentil soup! If you are a carnivore who cant do without meat on your plate you could consider adding a little shredded chicken, or some shrimp into your bowl as well. So the next time you are wondering what to have for lunch, just think about all the wellness power in that little bowl of soup and drink up!

"Hope for Bad Hair Days"

inxecovier.com

Its summer time again and just like every year, your hair seems to be going through some sort of angst. Maybe its the dry air, or maybe its swimming in the sun-kissed beaches of Goa, or maybe its just that you haven’t had a chance to condition it in ages, but there definitely something that needs to be done!

Here are my 3 Golden Rules for happy hair.



Feed your hair: just like you worry about the way your body looks and think about what it is that you put into your body, your hair needs to be looked after in the same way. Some foods which encourage healthy hair growth while giving you lustrous and lovely locks include egg (or egg whites if you are watching the cholesterol), salmon (vitamin B-12, iron and omega-3 fatty acids), dark green veggies (spinach, broccoli both of which have vitamin A and B) brown rice, cottage cheese, and even lentils (loaded with iron and zinc).So the next time you are loading up your plate for lunch – don’t just think about thin thighs, think about happy hair!


Nourish your hair: Picking the right products for your hair is almost as essential as making sure you are giving it the nutrition it needs through your diet. The first step to correct product use is to identify the kind of hair you have, so the next time you are at the parlor just ask your hairdresser whether you have dry, oily, damaged, or normal hair. Next, find the brand which works for your hair. if all brands did the same work we would all be walking around flipping our hair like the girls in the Sunsilk ads, but this is not the case so we can only rely on trial and error to get it right. Again, ask your hairdresser what they may recommend and try that, if you don’t think its doing much for your hair, try something else. If you have over-treated or sun damaged hair, make sure you invest in a good deep conditioner that you use once a week to help soften the hair.


Save your hair: Yet again, our mothers were right. Too much blow drying really does damage the hair. Not only does it dry out the hair, it also robs it of precious moisture and sheen, leaving it looking dull, dry and very brittle. Another thing we really shouldn’t get too much of? Permanent colors and strong treatments like rebonding, perming, and repeated highlighting. I'm not saying ban the beauty parlor for good, but exercise some restraint with the product pile-up in your hair girls and boys. If you do like to go visit the salon every so often, then make it a weekly protein treatment, or better yet, a nice oil massage!

"Breathe Easy"

thehealthylivinglounge.com

It happens to all of us. Some days it just feels like the world has woken up on the fast train and some how you are stuck on a verrry slow donkey trying to catch up. Its almost as if there aren’t enough minutes in the day to finish all of the zillion things you need to get ticked off of your “To Do List”! Blame it on the heavy meal you had the night before. Or maybe the extra glass of wine that you really could have done without. Or the fact that the alarm just didn’t ring this morning causing you to wake up and move straight into fifth gear to get into the office on time. The point is, your world seems to be spinning out of control today and you have a bad feeling things are just going to collapse all over you. Like a house of cards.


Here’s what you have to do. Just Breathe.

It’s actually as easy as that. Close your eyes. Now take a deep breath in, taking your own time to breathe in all the oxygen you can. Try and count the number of seconds it takes you to get this nice, full breath of air into your lungs, focusing on the physical movement in your lungs while dong so. Once you have taken in a complete breath, slowly, with awareness on all the sensations of your body, begin to exhale. Keeping the eyes soft and closed, gently allow the breath to leave your body and once you have completed your exhalation, begin to breathe in deeply once more. Continue to breathe in this way for about five more breaths counting one complete inhalation and exhalation as a single breath.

Deep breathing is one of the easiest and simplest ways to get back that sense of balance when you are feeling over flustered or stressed. Proven by research around the world, this form of breath work helps to give the mind a feeling of calm and even reduces blood pressure when practiced on a regular basis. The best part is that the next time you are having one of those crazy days, you don’t have to go to a doctor or worry about falling to pieces in the middle of your office. All you need to do is breathe :)

"Go for the Green"

musikality.com

Sometimes the simplest solution is the one that’s right there staring you in the face. As human beings living in the times of instant cash, instant noodles, and yes, even instant fixes we are all moving at the speed of light. All the time. Answering phone, replying to emails, sending texts, even “poking” or “pinging” each other literally every minute of the day. So when the moment of burnout comes, and yes, it does come for us all girls and boys, what’s the best way to escape the chaos around? Like I said, its so simple, it scares me. Just step outside.

I mean literally, leave the four corners of your air-conditioned worlds and get outside (where the animals live). Reconnecting with nature has been proven time and again to have several benefits both from the physical point of view as well as from an emotional/mental/some could call it spiritual perspective.

Think about how good you feel when you are driving out of the crazy city traffic on those weekends to the beach or the hills. It almost feels like the minute you leave the intensity of the urban life and start moving towards the quieter strength of nature, that you begin to feel a sense of calm. If you can’t manage to take a weekend break too often, find a park near your home or office and just spend a half hour walking there after work. Trust me, you will get home with a fresh feeling of optimism and energy. Walking not only gives you a great form of calorie-burning exercise, the time spent outdoors and away from the constant demands of the laptop and phone gives you something special.

Of course you can find this sense of space in other ways. Some people are literally spa-aholics, for whom missing their weekly massage is equivalent to the apocalypse. What I am selling is free. And from my experience, the best way to rejuvenate the tired body, mind , and spirit.

It’s out there for all of us to enjoy – the magic of mother nature.

"Bursting Bladder?"

travelblog.com

Ever feel like you are just dyyyyyying to pee? Usually when you are stuck in a seemingly endless meeting. Or when you have spent about an hour commuting from one side of town to the other travelling on the super bumpy roads of our cities. Even when you step out from a room in which the ac in turned on “high cool” to the sweltering heat outside? Sometimes I really wonder if adult diapers might just be the solution to my almost daily stress to running into some restroom or the other to pee! So if you have the same worries, these next tidbits of news are going to make you very happy.
The experts have found that the consumption of certain things can actually make your bladder feel like its bursting even more, so read on to know how to avoid dying-to-pee syndrome the next time you are about to step into that meeting!



Caffeine: Keep a count on those coffee breaks people. Research has found that caffeine actually stimulates the bladder and acts as a diuretic, producing more urine. But don’t panic, you don’t have to quit that little coffee habit you’ve got going altogether, just cut down on the cups, or even better, switch to deca!
P.S. Guess what else contains caffeine? Chocolate. Enough said.


Too much liquid: While I am all for staying hydrated, research says two liters is a very decent amount of fluid for the body to intake on a daily basis. If you are one of those water enthusiasts, try and avoid drinking too much in the evenings, it will save you those midnight trips to the bathroom!


Too little liquid: Contrary to the assumption that if you don’t drink too much, you won’t need to pee, and that will solve the problem, too little fluid in the body can actually irritate the bladder and cause an infection. The key is to drink enough to stay balanced and hydrated. And don’t forget, you also get a good portion of your daily fluid needs from food itself – about 20 percent! Food which contains high amounts of fluid? Fruits, salads, soups and dals.

Alcohol: Although it is dehydrating, alcohol also makes you tend to pee a lot more frequently while you are consuming it. In fact, it can also induce the brain into sending mixed signals to the bladder, making you feel like to need to pee when you don’t! So remember to drink responsibly girls and boys.


Other culprits I bet you didn’t know about, but all of which can make a nervous bladder even worse, aerated drinks (fizzy drinks and sodas), acidic fruit and juices artificial sweeteners and spicy food!

"Good vs Evil: The 2 Sides of Holiday Foods"

maxwebber.hunter.cuny.edu

Its that time of the year again people. Pool parties, birthday bashes, annual extravaganzas, and crazy music festivals. Its officially party time. You know what that means don’t you? Cake, pudding, chocolate pie, strawberry cupcakes, butter cookies, and much much more… Ok, you can stop the drooling! Before you reach for that second, make that, THIRD slice of the caramel toffee cake stop and take a second to read on. For I have for you a neat little list of the not-so- goodies on our holiday plates, just to help you know when its worth another bite, and when its most definitely not!


And I am not just talking about a little big of struggling to get into those fitted jeans. According to statistics, the average person puts on about a half kg every festive season (make that 1kg for us Indians since we like to party during Diwali and at the end of the year!), and most people do not end up losing that extra kg, leading to progressive weight gain year after year!

Listen up, and learn girls and boys.

Chicken with the skin on – you’ll be surprised to learn that the skin of the chicken actually contains a whole lot of saturated fat which is usually the stuff that likes to clog up your arteries, not to mention add some ummm…bump to your backside. Another warning – pick white meat (chicken, turkey, pork) over red meat (mutton, beef) when possible since the latter has more fat per bite than the former!

Mashed, soft –as-heaven potatoes – you can bet your last rupee this stuff has got dollops of butter and other creamy delights inside its innocent looking exterior and trust me, you don’t want to go there. If you want to eat potatoes, pick the grilled or even the roasted kind…yummy, without the tummy.

Pecan/Apple Pie – don’t fool yourself into thinking that because its named after a healthy fruit or nut, its super light and healthy. On the contrary, these desserts usually come loaded with all kinds of fatty stuff like butter, milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup. On average, one slice of a pecan pie can be between 500 and 800 calories. Now how long does it take to work that off on the treadmill?? Hmmm, about 90 minutes for most of us!

So before you attack that buffet table at random, think twice people.