Health

25 Tips to avoid over eating during holidays

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 9, 2018 36

Worried about over eating during holidays?

We all love holidays ,good food, fun with friends and families.

But if research is right, then we gain about half a Kilo, after each bout of holiday food.This piles up.

The holiday food binge makes “you” 5Kg heavier , every decade.

Remember how much sweat you shed to get rid of that 1 kilo?

It’s so easy to gain ?

Why can’t the calories just melt away?

Believe me I researched thoroughly .

You have to prevent it with your body ,mind and soul .

Repel those calories , which slow you down ,make you bloated and unhealthy.

But how can you diet during holidays?

The two never go well together.

So what’s the best way to avoid the fitness crash during,and after holidays ?

How to avoid getting back all those pesky love handles?

25 Tips to avoid overeating during holidays

Try to exercise in the morning . This helps to decrease cravings .

Don’t skip the weights . Weight lifting helps you boost up your BMR .You burn more calories the entire day.

Those endorphins which are released when you exercise helps you avoid emotional. overeating.

Have a healthy breakfast Protein in your breakfast with healthy carbs will keep you full .Proteins at breakfast help keep you fuller, for longer periods

Protein in your breakfast is the secret ingredient, which makes you feel full for longerc

Don’t starve yourself.

Starving the entire day for the party, will make you overeat. .Go for low-calorie ,high fibre options.

Avoid Stress over holiday plans ,menus and guest list.That will make you stuff yourself with high salt high sugar snacks . Emotional earing roller coaster from which it’s a battle getting off.

Sleep

Burning the candle at both ends cm make you crabby .So if you party till late night ,catch up on sleep next morning .

Sleep has a big role to play in decreasing stress,cravings and overall healthy eating choices.

Can your plate help ?

Yes it can!

Our minds play tricks on us

A big white plate makes you heap up all food .Even those that you don’t eat.

Take a smaller plate . If your plate looks crowded you automatically take less.

Try a coloured plate .White colour makes you eat more.Blue less according to colour psychology.

Don’t forget to use your fork while eating.

Using cutlery helps you eat slower

Avoid seconds.This is your pitfall. Remember if you keep healthy ,you can eat all your favourite food forever. Control is key .

Make water your best friend.

Yes I know this advice is as old as the hills.But it works

Drink water 2 glasses 15 to 20 minutes before your meal.It will make you full and help you avoid overeating.

Go low on Salt.

The less salt you have the less sugar you will crave.

Salt makes you swell up .

Plus its relationship with sugar cravings ,make it the number 1 evil to avoid .

Chew

Chewing 20 times as the saying goes ,does help you cut back.

When you chew your muscles break up the food into tiny pieces.This helps in digestion .

The time it takes to chew helps your brain process your eating activity.

Satiety is actually something your brain realizes.Your tummy comes quite late to the game.That’s why eating slowly helps your brain and tummy communicate better.

Eat mindfully

Mindfulness helps you enjoy every mouthful .Appreciating every morsel is a way to practice thankfulness . Plus prevent over indulging.

Eat before you cook

Before starting to cook or bake at home ,have an apple .Never cook bake on an empty stomach .

All the aroma will make you taste too much of your own cooking.

Ditch the sugary drink and the alcohol

Get water favoured with lime ,cinnamon ,and your favourite fruits.

Try to adjust the sugar content in your own baked goodies .Tweak it to make it healthy .

Use healthy methods of cooking.

Grill ,shallow fry or airfry.

Deep frying kicks your fitness out of the orbit.

Don't eat all the deserts .Eat what you love. That way you will never need to go without it.Eating right helps you enjoy food throughout your life — Don’t eat all the deserts .Eat what you love. That way you will never need to go without it.Eating right helps you enjoy food throughout your life

Don’t eat all the deserts on the buffets . Select the one you really love . Maybe have a bite of another .

Use the 3 bite rule.First bite for pleasure.Second bite to slowly savour it.3rd bite for a lingering memory.

Be very picky about your favourites.

Practice saying No.

Ask someone to watch over you .

If you are hosting the party give away the leftovers.Maybe keep some.But not all.

Lastly enjoy your self .Keep your health in mind .But don’t obsess about it.

Do you worry about holiday over eating?

What’s your favourite way to keep fit du ring holidays ?

Comment below to let me know.

Day 23 for #NaBloPoMo

Linking up with marathonsandmotivation

When do babies speak?:Hearing Screening in Childhood

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 9, 2018 8

The first time my Rai said “Ma”, it was the best feeling in the world.

She was around 7 months and had learnt to protest vehemently , when she disliked her food .

The Ma was followed by Na (meaning no)

So she learned quickly the two words which got her what she wanted.

Ma was reserved for when she wanted something .Na was when she didn’t want something .Children are so perceptive.They just know what they want.Absolutely no confusion .

At night when she woke up her one cry of “mamma” was enough to wake me up.

There’s something about the frequency of vibration of your child’s voice .You hear it with something deep inside .

Children develop language by hearing .

If they don’t hear well ,their speech may be delayed and may not develop even.

When can you expect the little ones first sign of hearing and speaking?

At 1 month: Child’s body moves in response to the direction of the voice.

At 2 months: Listens to voice and coos.

At 3 months: Listens to music. Says aah,ngah.

At 4 months: Laughs out loud.

At 7 months: Says polysyllabic vowel sounds. Babble

At 10 months: repetitive consonant words.

At one year: Other words than mama, dada,baba.

Hearing your child speak is the sweetest sound in the world.

When I hear her call me I really want to leave everything and cuddle her.

How children know whom to call “ma” is the greatest mystery.

Cochlear Implant: What you Need to know(Part 1)

Cochlear Implant: Who needs it? ( Part2)

When do Babies speak(Part 3)

Reference:

1)Nelson Text Book of Pediatrics

2)Scott -Brown Text Book of Otorhinolaryngology

Truth about Bow legs:What you must know

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 9, 2018 4

The uterus is the home of a new life.As your baby grows the space inside may seem cramped.

This cramping causes the legs to be folded .

The child is born with bowing of legs ,due to folded leg position in utero.

This bowing in infants is called physiological Genu Vera.

Once they start putting pressure on them while walking ,they may straighten out .This happens by 2 to 3 years of age.

If not corrected ,then they may cause some serious problems.

What are the problems with bowing of leg?

Shortening of 1 leg
Deformity
Difficulty walking running
Higher risk of arthritis.

Persistent bowing may be due some deficiencies.

What are these deficiencies?

Rickets
Blount’s disease
Lead fluoride poisoning

First few tests which you must do:

25(OH) Vitamin D in serum

Serum free calcium level
X-ray of legs.

How will your doctor check for change?

Measurements of distance between knees while child is lying on the back.

This is monitored to see for any worsening

What is the best course of management?

Treat Rickets.
Treatment of any other underlying problem .
Braces& Orthopedic devices to keep the leg in straightened position (serious cases)
Surgery after 3 years (determined according to individual case basis)

All problems may not be solved but timely intervention can change the life of a child for ever.

Day 21 #NaBloPoMo

Protected: Protein in your breakfast :What you must know

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 6, 2018 12

Cow milk Pros and cons:This can scare you

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 5, 2018 11

I love milk.

Specially cold milk.

I like the milky chai and the nice cup of coffee with milk.

But to keep healthy I had switch to green tea.I still have my cup of midmorning coffee and the ginger chai on weekends.

Cows milk pros:

1 cup milk has ;

Eight grams of protein12 grams of carbohydrates

300 milligrams of calcium, which is 30 percent of the recommended daily allowance for most adults.

It’s easily available

Cheap

High quality protein.

Soya milkis in no way better.It’s the evil cousin.

The Cons of cow milk:

The main problem with milk is not just the calories .

That you can beat with the skimmed variety.

But the milk protein itself has a few of its own issues .

Cow's Milk to have or not to have is a topic of great debate..Choose after knowing your facts — Cow’s Milk to have or not to have is a topic of great debate..Choose after knowing your facts

It’s a grey zone.

It is digested quickly .Absorption occurs fast and cause rapid increase in plasma amino acids .

This causes faster release of insulin .

This is dangerous .

Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinaemia are both factors of insulin resistance.

This insulinotropic role of milk products is a cause of concern for health.

What is Insulin?

Insulin is a peptide hormone secreted by the β cells pancreatic islets of Langerhans

What does Insulin do for you ?

It maintains normal blood glucose levels.

It helps in cellular glucose uptake, regulating carbohydrate metabolism .

Helps inlipid and protein metabolism .

Insulin stimulates glucose uptake.Promotes lipogenesis while suppressing lipolysis .

Promotes cell division and growth through its mitogenic effects.

What happens when you have insulin resistance ?

Diabetes
Obesity

Problems with obesity

Coronary heart disease
Hypertension
Stroke,
Certain types of cancer
non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
gallbladder disease
dyslipidaemia
Osteoarthritis and gout,
Pulmonary diseases, including sleep apnoea

Other scary facts about milk include issues with prostatic and ovarian cancer.

High dairy levels in diet is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis
D-galactose in milk is a pro -inflammatory agent.Molecules causing inflammation are responsible for acne ,ageing and other age related disorders.
Lactose intolerance is very common.
Milk protein is a common food allergen

At the end of the day ,diet is supposed to be balanced.

See what works for you .

Day 19 NaBloPoMo .

Linking this up with Honest mum

References :

1)Nilsson M, Stenberg M, Frid AH, Holst JJ, Bjorck IME. Glycemia and insulinemia in healthy subjects after lactose-equivalent meals of milk and other food proteins: the role of plasma amino acids and incretins. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;80:1246–53.[PubMed]

2) Calbet JAL, MacLean DA. Plasma Glucagon and Insulin Responses Depend on the Rate of Appearance of Amino Acids after Ingestion of Different Protein Solutions in Humans. J Nutr. 2002;132:2174–82.[PubMed]

3)Nilsson M, Stenberg M, Frid AH, Holst JJ, Bjorck IME. Glycemia and insulinemia in healthy subjects after lactose-equivalent meals of milk and other food proteins: the role of plasma amino acids and incretins. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;80:1246–53.[PubMed]

4) von Post-Skagegård M, Vessby B, Karlström B. Glucose and insulin responses in healthy women after intake of composite meals containing cod-, milk-, and soy protein. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006;60:949–54. [PubMed]

5)Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO consultation.

World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2000;894:i-xii, 1-253.

6)Insulin and Insulin Resistance

7)Childhood obesity :The control is in your hand(part 3)
8)Childhood obesity healthy eating habits

Hoarseness ,Home care tips to try before visiting the doctor

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 5, 2018 28

Season changing .

The wind is turning cooler.

I love fall and winter.

Love the winter clothes,the food and the cold crisp air.Life is perfect.

Only one hitch.

This is also cold and cough season!

You can suddenly have hoarseness ,sore throat ,Allergic Rhinitis.

You may find your voice lost, after a bout of shouting over the music at the party.

Biggest myth about hoarseness?

You should gargle a lot with warm water .

Truth :

Gargling will make your vocal cords even more tired and you hoarser.

When should you gargle ?

When you have throat pain and no hoarseness.

Can you have hoarseness without a cold?

Yes you can be hoarse ,without sore throat.

Hoarseness may be due to:

Excessive smoking
Shouting
Improper use of voice
Excessive singing
Reflux

Hoarseness :Home care tips before you visit the doctor

What can you do to help your voice?

*No speaking at all over the next 36 hours.

*Use sign language, written words.The more disciplined you are about this ,better it is.

*Plain water steam inhalation 3 to 4 times a day through mouth. Be careful while taking Steam.Don’t burn yourself.

*Have soft warm food.

*Take multivitamin tablets for a few days.

*Chicken soup if you are non vegetarian can be included in your meals.

*Avoid spicy oily food.

Nutrition tips to fight cold:Eat right to feel great

Related

Ultimate Nutrition tips to fight cold

*Fruits and veggies are a must too.

All this together will help you get better.But the first two are most important.

When you should consider visiting a doctor?

Difficulty breathing or swallowing
Severe pain in throat .
If your voice has been hoarse for more than three weeks.Especially if you haven’t had a cold or the flu.
If you are coughing up blood.
If you feel a lump in your neck
If you have pain when speaking or swallowing,
Lose your voice completely for more than a few days.

Disclaimer :This is meant as health information and should not be confused for professional advice.