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.

Hi,

I am a 29 year old working woman. I have been married recently. My details are:
Height: 165 cms
Weight:64 kgs

I want to shed 8-10 kgs .I usually don’t exercise but I used to be an active person earlier. I can still walk long distances and take the stairs without getting breathless.But I don’t get time for long workouts. I need an exercise plan and a healthy diet to lose weight. Also, I must inform you that i work in night shifts( 5:30 pm to 2:30 pm). Please advice on a diet that suits my lifestyle.

(more…)

Indian citizens, who go to their workplace either by cycling or walking, are less likely to be overweight or obese, or suffer from diabetes or high blood pressure, a study has claimed.

Researchers from Imperial College London and the Public Health Foundation of India said that these findings suggested that encouraging more people to use physically active modes of transport could reduce rates of important risk factors for many chronic diseases.

Physical activity and health information was collected from almost 4,000 participants in the Indian Migration Study.

The study found that 68.3 per cent of people in rural areas cycled and 11.9 percent walked to their workplace, compared with 15.9 percent who cycled, and 12.5 percent who walked in urban areas.

However, 50 percent of people who travelled to work by private transport and 38 percent who took public transport were overweight, compared with only 25 percent of people who walked or cycled to work.

(more…)

Calculating your target heart rate can help you maximise your workout for great results!

What is a target heart rate?

Target heart rate is an optimal heart rate used by gym users or fitness enthusiasts that enables people to achieve optimal workout results.Heart rate changes during physical exercise and the more intensive the exercise, the faster the heart rate. Due to a change of heart rate, the supply of blood and oxygen to the body cells also changes.

“Target heart rate is that optimal state where the body functions most efficiently, can adapt well to changes of physical intensity during an exercise, and is a measure of improved physical fitness.” The target heart rate range differs for men and women and also depends on the person’s current physical condition and past training.

(more…)

Quitting smoke, limiting alcohol, eating more fruits and vegetables, and keeping your weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar in check, can lower your likelihood of stroke.

Still, there are eight lesser-known ways to protect yourself, based on research, ABC News reported.

Walk 20 minutes a day. We know—you work, you have kids, errands to run, dinner to make, and an episode of Real Housewives to watch, but make the time.

Even if you break it up into two 10-minute sessions, it’s worth it.

Walking a total of 2 hours a week can cut your stroke risk by 30 percent, according to a large study of nearly 40,000 women, conducted over a 12-year period.

Walk briskly (so you can talk but not sing) and your chances are reduced by almost 40 percent.

Know the difference between sad and depressed. The latter makes you 29 percent more likely to suffer from stroke, says a new study of more than 80,000 women.

(more…)

Adding stress to our lives seems easy enough. It’s getting rid of it and managing it that’s the tough part. We have a magic word for you that’s bound to reduce some of that stress. Read on for more.

The big S word: STRESS

Stress has become a malady spanning individuals of all ages and from all walks of life. We live in an ‘instant ‘ time where everyone wants something instantly. Too many expectations from us and the tension of living up to them takes a toll on our mental and physical well-being. Do you remember the last time you went for a relaxing walk or just stood in your balcony watching the world go by? Do you keep reminding yourself about that one day you will pick up the paintbrush to paint or start swimming? Our guess is… NO. That world ceases to exist.

(more…)

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) exercise and nutrition experts have offered tips for those in search of a summer slim down.

EatRight by UAB Weight Management Services Clinical Dietitian Lindsey Lee R.D., said nutrition is necessary to support weight loss efforts.

“Incorporate good nutrition habits — eating fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains and lean protein sources — to get the calories you need to maintain an exercise program,” Lee said.

“If you restrict calories too much, you could start to feel burn out,” Lee stated.

To bolster the burn, Lee suggested: Fill up on lower calorie fruits and vegetables, choose water over high calorie sodas and decrease high calorie, high fat options.

The expert suggests switching up food preparation: Instead of steaming vegetables, grill them or toss unique vegetables like skewered okra or fresh asparagus on the grill.

(more…)

First showers of monsoon are heartily welcomed by everyone after experiencing the scorching heat of summer. But monsoons reduce the immunity of our body and make us susceptible to many diseases which are commonly associated with this season. It is time for us to keep our body resistant against diseases by boosting our immunity and taking precautions against these diseases.

The diseases associated with monsoon are malaria, jaundice, gastro intestinal infections like typhoid and cholera. Apart from these, viral infections like cold and cough also make their presence felt.

Puddles of water formed due to rain become breeding grounds for mosquitoes which spread diseases like malaria and dengue fever. As a precautionary measure against mosquito bite born diseases one can use mosquito net around the bed which is better choice to mosquito repellants like mats and coils.

(more…)

Aerobic exercise can help former heavy drinkers to reverse the damage alcohol has done to the brain, researchers say.

The results of the study conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder indicated that regular aerobic exercise like walking, running or bicycling is associated with less damage to the brain”s “white matter” among heavy alcohol users.

White matter, along with gray matter, are the organ”s two major physical components. White matter is composed of bundles of nerve cells that act as transmission lines to facilitate communication between various parts of the brain, said lead study author Hollis Karoly, a doctoral student in CU-Boulder”s psychology and neuroscience department.

“We found that for people who drink a lot and exercise a lot, there was not a strong relationship between alcohol and white matter,” said Karoly. “But for people who drink a lot and don”t exercise, our study showed the integrity of white matter is compromised in several areas of the brain. It basically means white matter is not moving messages between areas of the brain as efficiently as normal.”

(more…)

In a new study, researchers have just discovered the key role played by a protein, the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, during physical exercise.

Physical inactivity is a major public health problem that has both social and neurobiological causes.

According to the results of an Ipsos survey, the French have put “taking up a sport” at the top of their list of good resolutions for 2013.

In their mouse studies, Francis Chaouloff, research director at Inserm’s NeuroCentre Magendie, Sarah Dubreucq, a PhD student and François Georges, a CNRS research leader at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, the researchers demonstrated that the location of this receptor in a part of the brain associated with motivation and reward systems controls the time for which an individual will carry out voluntary physical exercise.

(more…)

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:

MY AGE IS 56+ MALE. I WAS DIAGNOSED ABOUT 14 YRS BACK SUGAR LEVEL OF 314 PP. OVER APERIOD OF TIME MY WT. HAS COME DOWN TO 74–75 KG. MY SUGAR LEVEL FASTING IS–116— PP–130—–145. I TAKE REGULAR MEDICINES LOKE GLIMY FORTE 2 AND GLIMY FORTE–I000MG, ECOSPRIN 75, REMIPRESS –5, CAPSULE–NURACT PLUS, ROSULIP F–5 AND CALICIUM CALCIA SACHE ONCE IN 15 DAYS. BUT I TAKE DIABETIC MEDICINE DAILY. MY LEGS AND MY BUTTOCKS BACK HAS SHRUNK ALOT. IS THER ANY NEGATIVE EFFECT OF THESE MEDICINES. MY ALL TESTS OF SUGAR, COLESTROL, URIC ACID LIPID, LFT ,RFT ECG ARE IN LIMITS. I WANT TO ADD ON SOME FAT ON MY BUTTOCKS AND LEGS. PL ADVISE BEC– IAM GETTING THINNER AND MY PANTS ARE LOOSE. PL ADVISE , GUIDE ME.
vinod
Vinod, you have not mentioned your height.So I am not able to say if your weight is normal or or if you are actually underweight. You can try strengthening exercises specific for buttocks and legs. If you need to increase weight then you need to eat more but then medications also may need to be increased accordingly.

(more…)