Health Care in Daily Life

**annie** · 01-20-2010, 06:41 AM

Many young people go on a crash diet to lose weight without knowing the adverse effects that it can cause on your body. The notion that the solution to weight loss is a crash diet or the ability to stay off food is totally wrong and erroneous and should be avoided as it leads to serious health problems. To lose weight you need not deprive yourself of food or starve yourself. The solution is moderation and it involves making five simple changes in your daily food habits.

1. Don't torture your body. You might think that the less you eat the more you will lose weight. You might go on an extremely low calorie diet and completely avoid anything that carries high calories. Well you will lose weight but then your body will be weak. If you make a habit of consuming fewer calories than your body requires, your body will automatically go into the 'starvation mode', which will definitely result into weight loss but you will be losing not fat but important components of your body like water and muscle. Thus although your size and your weight goes down, the fat still remains. With the result that you will experience lethargy, weakness, Fatigue, hunger pangs, headaches and loss of concentration. Thus try to avoid extremely low or extremely high calorie food intake. Just stop torturing yourself.

2. Balance your diet. Eat more of low calorie high fiber foods such as salads and fresh fruits with each meal. Avoid salad dressings. Eat more of whole grain food and also try out vegetable soups, which are great if you are on a diet. Avoid red meat (beef, pork, ham, sausage), organ meat (liver, brain, kidney) and egg yolks since they are bad for your health as they fall into the saturated fat category. These foods contain high level of calories. Saturated fats, oily stuff, sweets, ice cream and chocolates should be avoided as far as possible. Include sprouts in your food intake, as they are rich in protein.

3. Don't skip meals. Don't commit the mistake of skipping meals. If you are thinking that if you skip one meal you might work towards losing some weight but it is quite the opposite. Because when you eat you tend to eat more and this might work against all your efforts of losing weight. Breakfast is one meal that's very important because as the first meal of the day it helps you to raise your energy levels and provides you energy for the rest of the day. Dinner should always be light. Your body burns few calories while you sleep and if you consume excess calories at dinner, it can easily get stored up in the body as fat.

4. Learn a few tricks.

* Instead of eating three large meals in a day eat six small meals.
* Drink two glasses of water prior to each meal.
* Focus on eating. Relish the food you are eating and don't divert your attention to anything else while you are having your meal.
* Never eat while watching television since you don't keep track of how much you are eating and you tend to eat more.
* Chew each morsel thoroughly to liquid consistency. This will help digest the food properly.
* Pause for a moment before taking an extra serving.
* Don't overeat and don't get swayed away by seeing your favourite food served on the table, which might contain high calories.
* When dining out avoid high calorie food.

5. Don't lose heart. Everyone's weight control efforts get sidetracked from time to time. You might get fed up of going on a diet over and over again without getting any result. Don't worry. It is important to remember that temporary setbacks should, after the initial disappointment, serve as stepping-stones to future success. Use your past failures as learning experiences on the way to successful weight control. So pick yourself up and go ahead do it this time.

**annie** · 01-20-2010, 07:05 AM

FRUIT FACTS

Everyone knows eating fruits is good for health since fruits make your skin glow and your hair healthy. But what is the best way to eat them? Is eating fruits with their skin more beneficial? Should you eat fruits before or after a meal? There are many other questions, which normally bother you. We have thus brought for you some fruit facts and tried to dispel some myths.

Apple a day keeps the Doctor away

This is very true and it does keep the doctor away. Infact apples and all other fruits, for that matter, have proven over time to do nothing but good for human beings.

It is better to eat fresh fruit

This is also true. When making fruit juice, valuable fibre may be removed. Sugar may also be added to packaged juices that are bought from supermarkets. Sugar syrup may also be added to the juices sold at hawker stalls. So, by drinking juices in place of fruit, you could gain more calories but miss out on valuable dietary fibre.

Fresh orange juice is better than frozen concentrate orange juice

This is a myth. Researchers have recently discovered that orange juice made from frozen concentrate can have higher levels of active Vitamin C than ready-to-drink orange juice. And once reconstituted, the vitamin in frozen juices may keep its potency longer. This is because Vitamin C is destroyed very easily and ready-to-drink orange juice goes through more processing than concentrates.

Yellow fruits are rich in vitamin C

This is true. The puld of yellow fruit is a good source of bioflavonoids, which can help neutralise cancer-causing substances. Colour therapists say yellow foods are foods associated with the sun, and can raise one's spirits and boost optimism. Thus eat lots of yellow fruit like bananas, grapefruit, pineapples, melons, lemon etc.

**annie** · 01-20-2010, 07:06 AM

Red fruits contain vitamin A

This is true. Red fruits contain beta-carotene, the plant version of vitamin A. Fruits with a higher level of beta-carotene are redder in colour. Colour therapists say red fruits have a warming and energising quality. Thus eat lots of watermelons, cranberries, red apples, raspberries, red cherries, red plums, strawberries, tomatoes etc.

Green fruits are good for your heart

This is true. Green fruits are the most vital of all fruits since they contain a chemical that protects you against heart attack and keeps your heart healthy. They also protect one against bacteria, thus reducing the risks of food poisoning and tumours. They are recommended for low blood pressure and soothing the nerves. Thus you should include avocados, green grapes, green apples, kiwi fruit, limes etc in your meals.

Orange fruits keep you fresh and active

This is true. Orange fruits are rich in beta-carotene, which makes one energetic and active all day long. It is seen by colour therapists as the colour of creation, and is linked to the mind and ideas. Eat lots of mangoes, apricots, oranges, nectarines etc.

People who want to lose weight can go on a fruit-only diet

This is a Myth.The body needs a balanced diet in order to be healthy. Eating only fruits will deprive the body of the necessary nutrients not found in fruits.

**annie** · 01-20-2010, 07:11 AM

Popping a Vitamin C capsule is just as good as eating an orange

This is a myth. Fruits and vegetables contain numerous phytochemicals. For example, broccoli alone may contain as many as 10,000 phytochemicals. Although phytochemicals have been found to benefit the body in some ways, the safety of large doses of isolated, purified phytochemicals, as found in supplement capsules, has not been investigated thoroughly. So, the best and safest source of phytochemicals is an actual fruit and not a supplement.

**annie** · 01-20-2010, 07:23 AM

ENHANCE YOUR ENERGY LEVELS

Do you feel exhausted or tired very quickly? Do you feel that you will faint while you are walking on the road? Well if this is the case then you are in trouble coz your body doesn't seem to be producing enough energy. And the first person responsible for this condition is you. Your body cannot produce energy out of nothing. If you eat junk food, which does not contain nutrients, it will affect your energy levels and that is the reason of fatigue, lack of energy and exhaustion.

Following are a few tips that will help increase your energy levels:

1. Exercise regularly at least 5 days in a week for 40-45 minutes. It will help increase your energy levels but don't over do it.

2. Instead of eating 2-3 large meals try eating 5 to 6 mini meals. Studies reveal that people who eat small, frequent meals suffer less from exhaustion and can think more clearly than those who eat 2-3 large meals.

3. In your mini meals include food like fruits, vegetable juices like tomato juice, carrot juice, cucumber juice or a whole grain salad sandwich.

4. To boost your energy consume all foods in their natural forms that is, not processed or refined.

5. Limit your sugar intake.

6. Include sprouts in your food habit. Eat sprouts mixed in your salad since it is a very good source of vitamins and sprouting increases the nutritional value of the food.

7. Eat more complex carbohydrates like jawar, bajra, brown rice, oatmeal seeds and dry food since they contain fiber.

8. Take Vitamin-B supplements since B-complex vitamins protect the nerves and increases energy levels. The natural B-complex sources are leafy vegetables, whole grain cereals, pulses, dals, peas, and banana.

9. Try avoiding eating dairy products since they decrease your energy levels. Instead of eating wheat roti eat bajra roti.

10. Eat vegetables, which increase the oxygen carrying capacity of your blood since that will help increase your energy levels. For that take a glass of raw vegetable juice made of tomato, carrot beetroot flavored by coriander or mint leaves and add a dash of limejuice.

**annie** · 01-20-2010, 07:36 AM

Dieting does not mean eating less or keeping yourself starved. Most women on diet have this idea of dieting and the result is that they are hungry since they eat less and hence they give it up as quickly as they started. Dieting simply means eating differently and eating sensible food and less junk food. Sensible eating means choosing low fat, low sugar foods, lots of fruit, vegetables, beans, cereal, potatoes, wholegrain bread, rice & pasta, low fat dairy foods and modest amounts of lean meat & fish.

Following are the important diet mistakes that are committed which results into a disastrous attempt.

* Most dieters don't eat enough. Result -- They get so hungry that ultimately they give up.
* Most dieters want to lose weight too fast. Result -- They get so impatient, they give up.
* Most dieters don't understand fat. Result -- They eat all the wrong food available.

**annie** · 01-20-2010, 07:43 AM

Hence one has to eat sensibly. Follow the following guidelines.

Don't Go Hungry and Avoid Food

Hunger is definitely your biggest enemy. Because if you stay hungry then it makes you feel miserable. And the end result is that you give up dieting and go back to the biscuits/cookies and all kinds of junk food you can lay your hands on. Unfortunately, most dieters still think that dieting means eating in small quantity - that's why most of them give up dieting and stay fat.

Avoid Fat

Avoid fat because it is no good for your health. Fat contains more than twice the calories of other nutrients. Fat in small quantity is ok i.e., you need no more than about 30 grams of fat per day. To do this, you must switch to low-fat options whenever possible. Switch to low-fat dairy products. Avoid high-fat foods like, fried breakfasts, fries, pastries, butter, mayonnaise, chocolate/candy and biscuits/cookies. Eat less red meat (beef, lamb, pork). Twice a week is enough. Switch to fish, chicken, pork steak, lean beefsteak.

Eat Less Sugar

Sugar provides us with virtually no nutrients, so if we stopped eating it tomorrow we wouldn't be any less nourished. It is not your friend and so have as less sugar as possible in your diet. To do this you will have to reduce the amount of sugar you add to your tea or coffee or juice. Have cereals without sugar. Avoid non-diet soft drinks. Instead, enjoy diet drinks/minerals or 100% fruit juice. Avoid so-called treats like biscuits/cookies, chocolates/candy and cakes.

Eat More Fibre

Fibre is very important and you must include more fibre in your diet. Fibre contains far fewer calories than fat or sugar so it's an ideal slimming food. It also fills us up, so we feel nice and satisfied. It also helps to protect against a number of digestive complaints like constipation, diabetes, gallstones etc. High fibre, starchy foods include: whole meal bread, potatoes, pasta, brown rice, beans, peas, leafy green vegetables, sweet-corn, pulses, bran-based cereals, oat bran.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Adding lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet is not only good for reducing those extra weight but it makes your skin glow, hair shine and is very good for your health. Ideally, eat 4-5 helpings of fruit and 3-4 helpings of vegetables every day. Eat more salads; drink vegetable soups and green leafy vegetables in your daily diet. Add fruits in your cereals, drink fresh fruit juice without sugar or simply cut fruits into big pieces and munch on it.