Nutrition and Dietetics expert, Parvathy Radhakrishnan answers readers’ questions on nutrition. Get your doubts cleared and see them featured on our FAQ page every Wednesday.

This week’s answers:

1. I am 26. I am overweight near about 20kg. I daily go to gym and also play badminton.
I want to lose weight in 6 months. What can I do in diet?

Brijesh

Avoid fried foods, fast foods, sweets and commercial snacks. Avoid chocolates, sugared juices, soft drinks. Sports drink one a day or a glass of fresh orange juice after work out is fine. Otherwise eat fruits, lots of salads and vegetables. Grill, steam or bake fish/chicken or meat. Eat a light dinner. Space your meals and eat 3 meals with fruits as snack in between.

You should work out an hour daily to reduce 3 kilos a month.

Read the rest of this entry »

Boil a handful of fresh mint leaves in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes and drink to remove bad breath.

Excess weight before and during pregnancy can have long-lasting health consequences for the offspring of such mothers later in life, according to a new research.

It has been known for some time that being overweight during pregnancy can lead to overweight children and adolescents.

Now, investigators at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine and the Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Washington, Seattle, have found a direct correlation between this maternal overweight and higher tendencies in their adult children towards overweight and other life-risking factors, such as high blood pressure and excess sugar and fat levels in the blood.

The research was based on analysis of clinical information on 1400 people who were born in Jerusalem between the years of 1974-76. The data provided information, among other things on their birth records, including the weights of their mothers before and during pregnancy and the weight of the child at birth.

Read the rest of this entry »

How to not lose weight!

If you’ve been adhering to a strict healthy eating and fitness plan for a while but are failing to see the results, it may be time take a look at what is sabotaging your success. From dieting blunders to physical factors, check out the top 10 reasons why you’re not losing weight.

You overcompensate for exercise

Many of us are familiar with the temptation to reward our workouts with an edible treat (well, you’ve just burned off all those calories, right?), however, it may be that by increasing your calorie intake to fuel or reward your sessions you are actually undoing all the hard work of your workout. In fact, as we often overestimate the calories we burn through exercise, you may even be taking in more than you have actually worked off, leading to weight gain rather than loss.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dr Gowthaman, Medical Director, Dr Gowthaman’s Ayurveda Panchakarma Center, Chennai, answers readers’ questions on Ayurveda. Get your doubts cleared and see them featured on our FAQ page every Tuesday.
This week’s answers:

1. i am suffering fron cervical spondylosis at c4-c5 and c5-c6 disc osteophyte complex with unconvertebral joint hypertrophy causing compression of left c5 and c6 nerve roots. pls suggest me options and price for the treatment.
NaveenRHundekar

Please find a Ayurveda Pancha Karma Center near by and look for personalized Ayurveda treatment. Cervical spondylossis is the specialty of Ayurveda. Ayurveda therapies like Pizchil, vasti, Navara Kizhi etc can normalize this condition in no time.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lack of basic evidence about the numbers and causes of apparently inexplicable heart attacks among young sportsmen and women are seriously hampering our ability to prevent them, say experts.

At the very least, we need to start building reliable databases of all such events across sport, in a bid to start plugging these knowledge gaps, said Dr Richard Weiler, a sport and exercise medicine specialist, and colleagues in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

His comments come in the wake of the recent high profile case of premier league footballer, Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed on pitch, in front of a stadium packed with spectators, after sustaining a sudden heart attack.
Fortunately, Muamba recovered, but cases like these, although rare, are still likely to occur despite screening programmes, and they are poorly understood, Dr Weiler highlighted.

Read the rest of this entry »

One in 100 footballers have been hospitalised following on-field injuries, which is the highest as compared to any other sport, a new study has revealed.

A three-year study into 16 sports, including Australian rules, soccer and rugby, revealed that of the 6275 suburban footballers admitted for treatment from 2007 to 2010, 331 suffered a serious or life-threatening injury such as a skull fracture, damage to the brain or abdominal organs, or multiple injuries.

A follow-up study of injured footballers found players required an average of more than four weeks off work to recuperate. A year after being hurt, 10 per cent were still unable to perform the same work duties as they had before their injury.

Other community sports included in the 16-sport study were netball, volleyball, badminton and hockey.

Read the rest of this entry »

Food with a lot of fat and few carbohydrates may actually benefit type-2 diabetics who are advised to stick to a low-fat diet.

The results of a two-year dietary study led by Hans Guldbrand, general practitioner, and Fredrik Nystrom, professor of internal medicine at the Linkoping University, Sweden, show that this kind of diet could have a better effect on blood sugar levels and blood lipids.

Diabetes millitus type-2 is a lifelong disease in which there are high-levels of blood sugar (glucose). Diabetes is caused by a problem in the way your body makes or uses insulin. Insulin is needed to move glucose into cells, where it is stored and later used for energy.

In type-2 diabetes, your fat, liver, and muscle cells do not respond correctly to insulin. Consequently, blood sugar does not get into these cells to be stored for energy. Increased fat also makes it harder for your body to use insulin the correct way.

Read the rest of this entry »

While fate determines some fertility factors, a new study has suggested that oral issues may play a key role.

A recent Australian study compared rates of periodontal disease with the speed by which women conceived. Of 1,956 women (average age 31) seeking to become pregnant, 74 percent had healthy smiles, while the remaining fourth had cavities.

Those with periodontal problems took 42 percent longer to conceive (7 months vs. 5).

This might be because the kind of oral bacteria that causes cavities also increases inflammation, which not only impacts placental health, but might even increase the risk of miscarriage or premature birth.

Whether or not you`re a wannabe mom – taking care of those choppers can yield big health benefits.

Previous research found that people who avoid brushing their teeth were 70 percent more likely to suffer a cardiovascular event (e.g., heart attack) than those with conscientious oral care.

Read the rest of this entry »

You`ve had a sunburn in the past year. Not a big deal?

It raises the risk for skin cancer, including melanoma, a rare but often lethal cancer. Experts say that even one blistering burn can double the risk of developing melanoma.

THINK TANNING BEDS ARE SAFER?
You`d be wrong. The World Health Organization classifies tanning devices as carcinogens, meaning their use can lead to cancer.

THINK YOU NEED TO BE BRONZE TO LOOK GOOD?
Well, the pale look hasn`t been a problem for celebs like Kristen Stewart, Gwyneth Paltrow or Taylor Swift.

WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DARK SKIN? DO THEY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE SUN?
Melanoma risk for blacks and other dark-skinned people is much lower, but even they can develop it.

WHAT`S THE ADVICE?
To be safe, avoid direct sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. or cover yourself. And when you must be in the sun, use sunscreen often.

Read the rest of this entry »