My take on Yoga and Wt loss

Following are my thoughts on Yoga which I have shared with my peers and group members of the Indian Dietetic Association, Pune Chapter.

Hope this will also imform you a bit more on Yoga and why it can be incorporated in our troubled lives to keep us fit and healthy !!!

With a heated discussion on potency of different foods {hot or cold} and their effects on the body , if any, and handling such queries as nutrition consultants, we have been sharing our views according to our own experiences.

Diet and Ayurveda has always been a controversial issue and some of its concepts are bound to act as speed breakers for our understanding. With this as a background, when the issue of “yoga” comes up for discussion, I am sure there are going to be a lot of emails flying all over the place. I will share my views on this, as suggested by Dr. Geeta ma'am. I am just putting down my experiences and thoughts on this matter, but, I am open to all suggestions, all clarifications and expressions and am looking at this as a process of crystallizing my own thoughts.

My experience with Yoga starts in my childhood when i wasn't even aware of human biology and the way it has its effects on the human body. It was just about performing different ”asanas” in different formations, showing off the body for its flexibility and winning a shield probably at the end of the competition for my school. But it opened up a world of different experiences. I was also fortunate enough to learn the basics of concentration {will definitely not call it “Meditation”} during this time too.

My personal fascination with foods, using them as medicines (& sometimes cosmetics too), dietetic counseling , trying to understand ayurveda, practicing yoga on and off, has continued over the years.

So, these thoughts are purely based on my experiences and my reading on the subjects of yoga and sports physiology. When I say that yoga can be incorporated into a weight loss regime, very effectively, it is also based on some facts from the books of sports nutrition and sports physiology.

1} Usually the aim of any wt loss programme is to help the client to lose weight so that they achieve the targeted , ideal weight and try to maintain it in the long run. This also means that the there should be loss in overall fat mass and the body should be within the range for its ideal body fat % as well.

2} Exercises and current trends in weight loss focuses on trying to spend or burn as much calories as one can on exercising machines. Calculations here are based on calories given to the body using food or other formulas and the calories burned while exercising. Theory says that as long as there is a deficit in these equations, wt loss will result.

3} Sports Physiology says that the choice of fuel used by the body for exercise depends on 3 things: Intensity of Exercise

Duration of exercise

Nutritional status of the body.

4} Intensity of exercise: More than 60% VO2Max = CHO used as primary fuel

Bet 40-60 % VO2Max = mixed balance of fuel

Below 40 % VO2Max = Fat used as primary fuel.

5} According to my personal opinion, if energy for exercise is derived from body fat as a primary fuel, then, resultant would give us a lasting weight loss.

Yoga, typically, is not thought to be a calorie burning exercise. Probably it will not even meet the requirements of American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines for weight mgmt.

BUT,

6} Bio-energetics clearly says that Low intensity, long duration aerobic exercise always uses Fat as a fuel and energy is derived from slow glycolysis and fat oxidation.

7} Whereas, high intensity exercises show high and selective dependence on CHO as a fuel.

8} Not only Yoga , but low intensity longer duration exercises like Tai-chi or Pilates which necessarily explore the “mind and body ” connection as well, also bring about the same effect.

9} Low intensity Yoga has shown to promote (by experience and observation) a lasting Wt loss, improved strength and flexibility by achieving efficient burning of Fat.

10} Last but not the least, dynamic and continuous Yoga { now a days being called as Power Yoga} but used for generations by Indians in the form of Sun Salutations (A & B) viz “Surya Namaskar” would also qualify for burning enough calories according to modern standards for achieving wt loss.

As for other exercises, Brisk walking will similarly qualify for a lower intensity exercise which burns calories effectively but this will not necessarily improve on flexibility, muscle tone, posture and strength like Yoga would.

Jogging according to me will be a high intensity exercise.

As for me, a combination of warm up stretches, brisk walk of 25 mins, dynamic yoga 25mins and cooling down should show the desired effect of wt loss with out the addiction of any exercise machines anywhere on the planet.

Shraddha Rajwaday

Open Sesame !!!

Lets see what sesame seeds have to offer us as a part of our diet.

Sesame seeds are very nutritious and provide excellent source of protein, particularly for the vegetarians.It also has really good amounts of calcium and unsaturated fatty acids.

Has very valuable and heart friendly antioxidants, namely, Vitamin A , Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Iron, Zinc, Magnesium and Niacin.

The black seeds yield the best quality of sesame oil and is mostly used for medicinal purposes
especially as a massage oil. It gives strength to the muscular as well as skeletal systems. It is thus very popular as a massage oil particularly to growing children.

The white seeds are richer in calcium and can be used in vegan diets as a good source of calcium.

The reddish seeds have exceptionally good amounts of iron. They can be safely used in the treatment of Anemia.

Sesame seeds soften and nourish the skin when used externally.
Taken internally, sesame seeds are nourishing and tonic. They have soothing, laxative and a slightly diuretic effect. It can also stimulate menstruation.

Sesame oil has a golden amber colour and has distinct nutty flavor. Because of its high smoking point it can also be used for stir frying and Indian style of cooking.

Sesame oil can also replace olive oil in salad dressings. It can replace cashew nuts in rich Indian curries as well.

Interesting fact worth considering is : 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds supplies 14% of a woman's daily calcium needs.

Another interesting way of using these wonderful seeds is to use them as mouth freshener along with saunf (fennel seeds) after your food.

GO AHEAD AND TRY THEM !!!!!

New year Wishes, The Indian Way !!!

Happy New Year To All !!!!

Come January and we are all happy to welcome the new year. Happiness is all around and everyone is full of new vitality and energy to start afresh. New year brings new joy, new hope and strength to try and strive further. This is the true season to share and multiply your joy.

Come January and the season starts to change in India. The day starts to lengthen and the sun starts showering the earth with its warm love that grows each day. The bitterness of the cold winter starts to slowly wear off its effect and everything seems to be full of life again.

Come January and the households in India are ready to share their joy with others and the very feeling of sharing our joy with others has kept us going as a strong culture with rich tradition and a vast and beautiful heritage.

Come January and we Maharashtrians get ready to celebrate the “Makar Sankraman” or the “Makar Sankranti“. We believe in multiplying our joy by giving and sharing. Giving and sharing well wishes, giving and sharing positive vibes, and giving and sharing food made with love and care.This also comes with a hope to forget all the sorrow, struggle and pain and forgive one and all. So...............

Come January and we are all ready to FORGIVE AND FORGET and with a big smile we greet each other to say “Til gul ghya ani god god bola” ( we offer each other TILGUL , try to forgive and forget and show the willingness to start afresh.)

You sure guessed it right,
I am guiding you to think about “til-gul” from a different point of view, other than what i mentioned above. And it cannot be anything else but nutrition at this address !!!!

Interestingly, sesame plants were first cultivated in Africa and later introduced to India, probably via the spice route. It was identified in an excavation in Harappa, now in Pakistan, dating to 2000 BC and was recorded in Egypt about 1300 BC. Sesame seeds have been widely used for a long long time in India, and they even establish an important spot in Vedic literature too.

We have been using sesame seeds in our kitchens for a long long time. The very thing that these wonderful seeds have a place in our kitchens is that they are absolutely worth it. These small seeds we amongst the first ones to be used as a source of oil in human diet.

In India we get different varieties of sesame seeds. White, black and brownish red. Interestingly all of them have great nutritional and medicinal value.

As a way of offering “til gul” to all of you, I will be glad to share some more nutritional information on sesame seeds this time of the year. Hoping you will find it interesting and will give you learned joy in offering “til gul” to friends and family this year.

Food can be a stress too.......

Stress is a modern "buzz word". Everybody talks about stress now-a-days and even small children are prone to stressful situations.

Common symptoms, or rather physiological effects of stress include Immunological suppression (frequent infections), food cravings, weight loss, constant fatigue, loss of appetite, anxiety, depression, mood swings or even skin irritations.

"Stress" becomes further more interesting because it can be experienced very very individually and uniquely by everyone of us. That is, what may be a very stressful situation for me, may not be a problem for someone else. What frightens me may not be as alarming to you.

Stress gets funnier to interpret as it can be altered in every consecutive similar situation you come across. To give a personal example, i was frightened and had sweaty palms and could feel my heart thumping in my body at the time i was supposed to deliver my 1st lecture in front of about 50 people. Now, i am a bit more seasoned and am a bit better off in dealing with this situation. So....... that thumping has gone away but still that nervousness may be there.

What i mean is, the situation is the same, but its interpretation by our body can change. So, we can actually learn to acknowledge stress and understand it to minimize it.

BUT IN A CATCH 22 SITUATION , FOOD WE EAT CAN BECOME A STRESS TOO...................


Think about the "food-stress" you are giving to your body when

1: you eat food you are allergic to

2: you are on a crash diet

3: you buy and eat FAD foods

4:you load yourself with lots of salty or sweet foods

5: you eat the tantalizing wadapav or pakodas

6:you smoke and think it is helping you to relax and take a break

7: you have alcohol and are sure it is helping you to unwind from the daily grill

8:you end up eating ready made dinner options...........................

The list can thus go on, but what we can do to atleast help our body to cope with and to eliminate the internal causes of stress is to

" BE WATCHFUL AND THINK ABOUT WHAT AND WHEN AND HOW WE EAT"

It may not be posible to eliminate the external stressors in our lives, but,

WE DEFINATELY HAVE THE POWER TO ALTER OUR EATING HABITS AND CHANGE OUR LIFESTYLE.

Hello !!!!

Hello to all my friends and supporters.

Its been a long time that i have been away and was not able to share with you thro' blogs.

But i would be very much around and back to communicating with all of you.

All this time that i was away, i have been reading and resting and taking time leisurely and to some extent recuperating.

Recuperating from an accident , which left my right arm broken into two pieces, and was then operated on. So was really dependent on my family to help me thro' .

This short communication is to let you all know that i appreciate your support, and felt really happy to know that many of you have been waiting for me to start sharing again.

This gives me the strength and the confidence to start all over again.

BUT, like always, i cannot leave before i share something with you all......

TRY THIS SUGAR CHALLENGE :

All of us know that eating a lot of sugar or sweets are not desirable for us. In fact anything too refined is bad. So, that puts sugar, salt and of course maida products in the "BAD" category.

But to try an experiment to make ourselves more "sugar aware", we can do a simple experiment. It is tough but not impossible.

Avoid all sugar for 10 days. Eliminate sugar from tea, coffee, say no to chocolates and desserts, refuse chocolate bars, ice creams, sweets and cola drinks. Shun honey and jaggery if possible too.

After 10 days, try eating 1 spoonful of white sugar........................

I can bet that it will be so overpoweringly sweet and unbearable that it can actually put you off sugar for quite a while.........................

GO AHEAD, TRY IT........... Let me know the Reactions and the Side- Benefits ( not side effect, as there won't be any!!!!!!)

Are you Vitamin B12 deficient?

Surprisingly ...... I am......

Some days back I was constantly feeling a little irritable and was feeling completely sapped of energy.The "Monday-morning- blues" feeling was a constant companion and then I thought I might be having anemia. One of my doctor friends suggested that I should get a haemogram done . While I was leaving her clinic something also prompted her to say " get your serum B12 also checked Pls" Clearly i went ahead to do both the tests and got some alarming results.

My haemogram was within a perfect normal range but my B12 levels were riding at an all time low alarming levels...............

I am now taking a multi vitamin and making sure that am including something very common to each house hold and important to replenish the B12 in my diet but something which i was convieniently trying to avoid everyday........ MILK

I also thought that I should share an article written by one of my students, Ashuta Gundecha, on this very subject............ What follows is the same article written by her, unedited and in her own words.........



Are u Vitamin B12 deficient???
A Jain diet is based on the fact that a simple natural diet will help keep their mind pure and peaceful . This diet necessarily means a vegetarian diet including sattvic foods.
In Jainism, foods can be classified into 3 categories:
Sattvic food includes fresh fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, cereals, whole grains, legumes, lentils, milk, nuts and seeds. These foods keeps the body in a peaceful state, calms mind, enabling it to function at full potential.
Rajasic food includes spices, herbs, coffee, tea, fish, eggs ,salt and chocolate. These foods are said to be stimulating , making mind restless and uncontrollable.
Tamasic food includes meat ,alcohol ,tobacco ,fermented foods, overripe foods. These foods are destructive to mind ,makes person greedy. These foods destroy body’s resistance to disease.
Now worldwide it is being proved that vegetarian diet which includes sattvic foods is the best form of diet.
BUT the question arises ,are all the nutrients required for good health present in vegetarian food?

The answer is YES!! BUT if the person eating vegetarian food does not include milk and milk products , he might be deficient in one of the important B complex vitamins- VITAMIN B12 !! Vitamin B12 is needed for building proteins in body , formation of blood cells and normal function of nervous tissue. A person might develop anemia if he/she is vitamin B12 deficient.
Vitamin B12 is required in following amounts:
(ICMR -Indian council of medical research Vitamin B12 content of foods:
Recommendations) Values per 100g of edible portion
GROUP Vitamin B12 mcg/day
Man 1.0
Woman 1.0
Pregnancy 1.0
Lactation 1.5 (mother breastfeeding her child)
Infants 0.2
Children 0.2-1.0 (1-18 years)

Foods Vitamin B12 mcg/day
Milk(buffalo’s) 0.14
Milk (cow’s) 0.14
Curd (buffalo’s milk) 0.13
Curd (cow’s milk) 0.10
Skimmed milk powder 0.83

All vegetarians should ask themselves 2 questions to know if they are vitamin b12 deficient: Do I consume milk and/or milk products on regular basis??
Do I suffer from any of the symptoms like sleeplessness, dizziness, red tongue, sore tongue, numbness of hands and legs, difficulty in walking, weight loss, diarrhea??
If your answer to the previous question is NO and later question YES, then u might be vitamin B12 deficient.
Thus its important for vegetarians to consume dairy products(milk and milk products on daily basis). Also special care should be taken by mothers breastfeeding their child as the requirement of vit B12 rises in them. Even infants if breastfed for long duration i.e more than 6 months without giving top feeds may develop vitamin B12 deficiency.
Way in which milk and milk products can be incorporated in the diet,
-Plain milk, curd, buttermilk.
-Buttermilk, kadhi.
-Milkshakes, fruit salads ,kheer.
-Paneer sabji, paneer paratha, paneer rolls.etc.
So when all the foods included in sattvic diet are included by vegetarians, they would be able to live a healthy life!!!

I have learned my new lesson now, having my glassfull of milk everyday and already on the way of recovery!!!!

Every coin has 2 sides...........................

The other side of Garlic !!!

I have been down with a throat infection for the past 2 to 3 days and my family may be finding it comfortable as there is no regular nagging behind them from my side. It is very clear that with the kind of infection I have, I am unable to speak, let alone pester my family for their daily chores.


This compulsory " MAUNA VRAT" did get me thinking and I suddenly remembered that i had not spoken to all of you about " the other side of Garlic".


Since day one in the ailment I am sincerely using the home remedies to fight the infection using garlic as the main constituent, but i have been very careful that the amount of garlic that i am using is not too much for my body and my body type. It is this thought that got me thinking and i realised that we haven't discussed garlic in a different light.


When we are using garlic as herbal or food medicine, we need to be cautious about certain things and conditions. These are listed below:

• Any herb that is strong enough to act as a medicine , is always strong enough to produce side effects. Having large amounts or very high doses or long duration applications of Garlic can sometimes cause side effects like stomach irritation, nausea, garlic odor to breath, skin irritations, flatulence and heartburn also.
  
• Apart from these side effects, one has to also take into consideration the body physiology of the patient before garlic is used in larger amounts. A Typical "Pitta" physiology with a type A personality will not tolerate Garlic as easily as others.
  
• Garlic is a herb with hot potency. In other words, it can bring about heat and can really fire up body processes. So it should never be used directly when there is an acute inflammation or redness or pain.


• Caution for Diabetics: Use of Garlic has a blood sugar lowering effect and so people using hypoglycemic drugs should use garlic with caution. If using this herb in very large amounts during cooking, it is advisable to inform the Diabetologist or the Dietitian about the amount that is being used.


• Caution for Heart Patients: Garlic has a blood thinning effect. People taking blood thinning drugs which are prescribed after a stroke, heart attack or detection of blood clots should consult with their physician or nutrition consultant before using large amounts of garlic in their food. Large amounts of Garlic can amplify the effects of these drugs to a higher extent than required, hence the caution.

So........... This was just a caring reminder of the other side of garlic to my readers and followers of this blog !!!

With a lot of help from my favourite Garlic pearl necklace and caution about the use of direct juice in this particular inflammation and infection; and after an undesired but unavoidable antibiotic prescription from my family doctor, I am on the path of a speedy recovery.

See you all soon !!!