Health

HOW TO MANAGE DIET WHILE SOCIALISING? By Dietitian Sonam Balasaria We all love get-togethers & socializing. Love to spend some quality time with our loved ones. Take a break from work and travel. With the increasing trend and changes in lifestyle, we all are part of the ’N’ number of different groups. We like to plan a lunch with office colleagues, we like to meet our college friends over a drink, those mandatory family get-togethers, and of course, how can I forget the new trend of “Kitty Party’s”. These are the most common ones, and the list is never-ending.  Remember these outings and meetings are for fun. It is good and very much required for our mental health. But don’t let your physical health being compromised over it. Food is only a part of what makes gatherings a pleasure. If you truly engage yourself in socializing and in conversations, no one will notice if you put your fork down.  Don’t forget why were you there, Was it for food? Remem...

OLD AGE AND HEALTHY LIVING by Dietitian Sonam Balasaria Age is just a number. However, with advancing age, there are a lot of changes happening in a person's metabolism and physiological conditions. It is common that the elderly start to lose muscle mass with their age and tend to put on more body fat. Ageing is linked to thinner skin, less stomach acid, low muscle strength, low aerobic capacity and low bone mass density with all these together lead to the general sense of reduced stamina, reduced strength in well being. Some of these changes can make you prone to nutrient deficiency while others can affect your sense and quality of life. AGE-RELATED HEALTH ISSUES: # HYPERTENSION # DEPRESSION # CONSTIPATION # DECREASE in APPETITE # SLEEPING DISORDERS # UNINTENTIONAL WEIGHT LOSS/ WEIGHT GAIN # OSTEOARTHRITIS ( damage occurs to the joints at the end of the bones)  # OSTEPROSOSIS (causes bones to become fragile and prone to fracture)  # SARCO...

POT BELLY / BEER BELLY / BIG TUMMY  by Dietitian Sonam Balasaria Beer belly, keg, spare tire, love handles, "big-boned," bowl full of jelly -- there are so many endearing terms for the extra blubber packed around your midsection, it's tough to choose a favorite. While the most popular, "beer belly," is a catchy, alliterative term, storing fat in your stomach area is a little bit more complicated than drinking too much beer. Though that doesn't help, obviously. I ts a lifestyle disorder that often hits men and women of any age group.   It is not a hereditary transmission, but a lifestyle problem.  It's affected by genetics, age, stress, hormones, health conditions, medications and many more factors like surplus calorie intake, unbalanced food habits, lack of protein in the diet, etc. Most of the men, fall under this category. They look fine top to bottom, but the middle isn’t that good.  Belly fat is the most dangerous and risky f...

PCOS / PCOD POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME by Dietitian Sonam Balasaria PCOD /PCOS Polycystic ovary syndrome is one of the most common lifestyle diseases/disorders in females today.  Every 1:10 female is diagnosed with PCOD.  What is PCOD?  It is a problem  in which women’s hormones are out of balance. Women produce higher than normal amounts of male hormones in body, this imbalance causes them to skip menstrual periods and makes it harder for them to get pregnant. The periods become irregular and very unpredictable.  Usually, obese females are diagnosed with PCOS. Obesity can aggravate PCOD because fatty tissues are hormonally active and they produce estrogen which disrupts ovulation.  PCOD can last for years or can be there inside life long if not treated and diagnosed timely. It can also cause fibroids or cysts in women.  Along with menstrual irregularity, PCOD is a major hindrance to family planning. SOME COMMON SYMPTOMS OF PCOD...

METABOLISM by Dietitian Sonam Balasaria We often hear people saying “I don’t eat much, still I am not losing weight”,  “ I eat so little still I am fat”. “ My metabolism is slow” and etc.  You may even notice an obese person, but whose diet is less than a child. In all the above cases, its the Metabolism which is always blamed.  First, let us understand  What is Metabolism? Metabolism also is known as (BMR) Basal Metabolic rate in simple terms is the rate at which our body burns the consumed food & drinks, in energy.  Surely, Metabolism plays a very important role in a weight loss or weight gain program.  But it is not always Metabolism, which can be blamed. Its just an excuse! Your metabolism depends on your genetics, the environment, your lifestyle, your food habits. And so is your weight loss.  Being on a low-calorie diet, or doing crash dieting, or starving your self for weight loss does slow down, or damage t...