10,000 STEPS TO A NARROWER WAIST
Parvathy R Krishnan
Walking is the safest exercise. Beginners, diabetics, those with anaemia or high blood pressure can
set their own comfortable pace so as not to hike blood pressure and heart rate alarmingly. Walking
can be accomplished anywhere anytime too and if you have company, it gets interesting. Benefits of
walking are numerous, from weight loss to preventing cancer. Since abdominal obesity is a definite
risk for diseases like diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases,
certain types of cancer and possibly dementia, then walk you should, to stay healthy.
How much should we walk a day? How many steps are there in a walking session? If you are looking
at reducing your weight or a prosperous abdomen, then I suggest you take 10,000 steps a day!!
Sounds like a lot? This equals 5 miles or 8 kilometres. Actually it is not so bad at all if you take into
account all the footsteps you take in a day, including climbing stairs, walking inside or outside your
home, walking to shop, etc.
About 40 years ago, a Japanese researcher Dr Yoshiro Hatanocalculated that the physical activity of
walking 10,000 steps a day would burn 20 % of the calories we intake. It took nearly 3 decades
before Western countries took note of this simple philosophy of staying healthy.
On an average we take about 3000 steps a day. Increasing it to 10,000 is not so difficult if we do an
hour’s walking session daily. If you are enthusiastic about following Hatano’s recommendation, then
do the following:
• Buy a pedometer to measure how many steps you normally take in a day.
• Increase the number of steps every day. This means you will start to walk more for your
daily activities
• Once you have reached 3000 steps as routine activities, then, start walking as an exercise
program.
• Drink a glass of water and eat a fruit before you start. Carry a bottle of water with you while
you walk.
• You may do one session of walking 6 kilometres a day which equals one hour of walk or 2 or
3 sessions of 30 or 20 minute walk respectively.
• Pull in your tummy as much as possible when you take your steps. Let go. Then pull in again.
This strengthens the back muscles, and reduces your tummy.
There is a whole bunch of muscles that are involved in the act of walking.Since we swing our arms
and move our shoulders too while walking, it is a whole body therapy. Thus, the calf muscles, thigh
muscles, arms and shoulder muscles, buttocks, hips and of course abdominal muscles get shaped
and toned in the whole experience of walking 10,000 steps a day.
The effects of walking or any exercise is cumulative, which means you need to keep at it for months
or years and keep doing it to get results.
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CAN ALZHEIMER’S BE PREVENTED?
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and the incidence is on the
rise globally.Can this be prevented?While researches are study possibilities of delaying or
even preventing Alzheimer’s with a new vaccine, let us look to alternative possibilities like
life style changes and naturally occurring dietary componentsthat may prevent the onset of
Alzheimer’s disease.
Although as of now there is no proof that specific something can prevent Alzheimer’s,good
eating habits and physical exercise that is mandatory for preventing an array of illnesses may
help prevent Alzheimer’s disease too.
Heart health - It is strongly suggested by researchers that the risk factors for heart diseases
like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol also risk the incidence of
Alzheimer’s.People who have cardiac illness are at a higher risk for Alzheimer’s. If so, what
behaviours are good for the heart may be good for the brains too!
A Mediterranean type diet - that emphasises on fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds,
legumes, olive oil, unrefined grains and avoid sugars, refined grains and red meat - and is
cardio protective may also protect the brain cells.Researchers at Columbia University
studying close to 2000 people averaging 76 years found that those whose eating pattern were
closer to Mediterranean diet seemed at the lowest risk for AD. The components of such a diet
that may prevent Alzheimer’s are omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants Vit C, E, A and folic acid.
Indian diet scenario– If it is monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, turmeric, B and C
vitamins that protect against Alzheimer’s then perhaps shunning a modern eating style of
sugars and red meats and returning to our age old eating habits of fresh fruits,
vegetables,whole grains, various legumes and oilseeds, fish, herbs and all the spices and
condiments we use more than any other cuisine on earth is worth taking note of, especially
given the rising incidence of Alzheimer’s in India.
Foods that are mooted to prevent Alzheimer’s disease are
Turmeric – use it as much as possible in cooking
Green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits –Indian foods that are rich in Vit C, A and folateare
in plentitude and easily available like guavas, oranges, moosambis, amla, papaya, lemons,
melons, mangoes, carrots, pumpkin. Couple of amlas alone give the desired Vitamin C for the
day. Indians traditionally eat a variety of leafy vegetables and herbs in every State and any
season, from basil to amaranth. Eat a cup of greens daily.
Legumes, nuts and seeds –Eat an ounce of nuts or seeds daily to give you the required omega
3 fatty acids. If you are a meat- eater, then opt for fatty fish rather than red meat.
Exercise: Being physically active even as one climbs up the age ladder helps enhance or
maintain cognitive functioning and delays neurodegenerative diseases. Given its proven track
of keeping at bay cardiac related illnesses, exercise gives the added advantage of delaying
age related illnesses.
By
Parvathy R Krishnan
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FROM AMYGDALA TO ABDOMINAL FAT
The Nobel prize for chemistry this time was given to Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka for
discovering and isolating molecular sensors called G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs are
what gives human beings their fight or flight response to environmental threats, something that has
been so crucial to the survival of man since prehistoric times.
The simplistic theory of fight or flight as a response to stress was conceptualized and made famous
by an American physiologist, Walter Cannon over a century ago. He extensively researched the
physiology of emotion and found evidence that when aroused by stress animals were physiologically
prepared for an emergency situation to fight back or to run for safety (flight) by the sympathetic
nervous system and its attendant epinephrine. The amazing networking of the brain with the bodily
senses, effectively executing a series of impulses leading to split second reaction to external threat
or stimulus, has helped mankind withstand the harsh environment of the early years on earth and
survive up until present day.
Has anything changed since those early years? Our body’s response to stress has not. In today’s life
where stress looms large in the everyday rat races that we call living, provisions of stressful
situations anticipated or real, small or big, from the irksome traffic jam to worry over losing a job,
from the distaste of a loud argument with one’s spouse to the stress of working on deadlines,we put
our mind and body through several tests of social and emotional behaviours repeatedly, that
eventuallycompromise our health.
Stress is the single most cause, irrespective of the presence of other health risks that lead to a heart
attack.
This is because, body’s mechanism to fight or flee is put up with even silly provokes of stressful
situations. This mode is a carefully synchronised sequences starting at the amygdala in the brain.
When a threat is perceived, amygdala which acts as an emotion processing centre sends SOS signals
of appending dangerto the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus stimulates the sympathetic nervous
system to a fight or flight response, causing the adrenal glands to pump adrenaline or epinephrine
into the blood stream. Subsequently a whole series of physiological events follow like increased
blood pressure and heart rate, sharpened sensory perceptions, and release of fats and sugars into
our blood for extra energy in case we need to put up a physical fight or run for our sweet life! At the
same time functions like digestion that are irrelevant to the immediate situation are suppressed.
Prolonged or repetitive stress causesfrequent epinephrine release, leading to damaged blood
vessels, hypertension, hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Further to the above, if the hypothalamus sees continued distress or hopelessness, it loops in
pituitary gland as well that orders the release of cortisol from adrenal glands, in order tokeep the
tempo of the fight or flight mode going. Someone who is under chronic stress always has this system
switched on.Now the functions of cortisol being to regulate and mobilize energy, it helps the body
regain energyto supposedly fight or flee by increasing appetite.Thus cortisol causes fat storage and
weight gain in people under persistent stress. Chronic secretion of Cortisol promotes overeating,
relocating fats from other parts of the body to the deep internal abdomen (viscera) and behaviours
of craving for high fat and sugary foods (comfort foods) while under stress.
A specific enzyme responsible for controlling concentrations of cortisol in tissues is found four times
more in visceral fat cells than subcutaneous fat cells. Therefore, fat stored due to increased stress
induced cortisol is preferentially in the abdominal or visceral area and we end up having what we
call abdominal fat.Abdominal obesity brings with it an infamous list of serious illnesses like
cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, high blood
pressure, etc.
From amygdala to abdominal fat, we have come a long way.A little stress is inevitable and good as it
keeps us alert to our environment. Tomaintain eustress or learning to prevent chronic
distressbecomes imperative to the stress induced eaters. Manage stress first. Applying the dieting
theorem energy intake equals energy output without learning to handle stress fails miserably. Here
are multiple ways to subdue stress.
Physical activity: Expending that extra energy will ward off fat deposition. This is why exercise is one
of the best stress busters. Aerobic and anaerobic exercising or any physical activity like gardening
post a stress situation relieves muscle and mental tensions.
Mindful eating: If we can practise mindful eating, consciously choosing good protein and fibre foods
over fatty, sugary temptations, we can avoid weight gain around the girth.Healthy eating can also
prevent severe consequences of the illnesses associated with a stressful life.
Breath control: Deep abdominal breathing as taught in yoga or as in the chanting of OM, helps one
relax and cope with a potentially stress causing event by calming our breathing, blood pressure and
heart rate even at the advent of it. Tai Chi, meditation, chanting as in prayers, visualization of a
peaceful scenery or positive situationare effective ways to counterthe symptoms of stress.
Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep indirectly increases weight. A good night’s sleep can relax both mind
and body preparing us to face the next day refreshed.
Socialize: Read a feel good book or watch a funny movie that helps relax as against sensational or
nerve wrecking nail biting news and theatricals.Take time to relax in the company of close family or
friends, versus a room of business associates.
A changed attitude towards occasions of surprises or shocks that are part and parcel of living, an
understanding that sometimes things need to take its own pace or making a plan B ahead of
situations can greatly support our mental capacity to face life’s situations.
By
Parvathy R Krishnan
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GHEE AND OTHER GOODNESS IN DIWALI SWEETS
Every year, at Diwali, no one wants a dietician at their party telling them what not to eat! She is
subjected to comments like “Oh! She is watching me” or “how many calories is this? Can I eat?” And
at the table laden with sweet dishes laboriously prepared by the beaming hostess is the last place
where anyone needs to hear calorie counts!!
So this year let’s talk about the goodness of Diwali sweets and how much you can eat.There are
some main ingredients that go into making several Diwali sweets. In fact excluding the sugar and
maida, several others are healthy like nuts, saffron, besan, milk and desighee.
Did I say ghee? Ghee has been used in every household in India for ages, in Vedic rituals and
Ayurveda preparations. Not the kind one buys off the shelf from supermarkets, but yes fresh ghee
made from cow’s milk, unadulterated, without additives and made at home. Ghee is both saturated
fat and cholesterol, but some studies show that in limited amounts is healthy. As with all saturated
fats, ghee should be kept to less than 10% of the total fat intake. This means about 6gm of ghee in a
day for someone on 2000 kcal diet. Due to its intense flavour, small amount is enough to get the
taste and feel of texture.
Nuts and seeds are so part of the Indian sweet making and we have made an art out of that too!
Potential calories, protein, good fats, minerals, antioxidants, fibre all packed into these small
delicious things, literally in a nutshell!
Saffron, the quintessentially exotic flavouring ingredient all over the world that we inherited from as
old as 500 BC, one of the most expensive spices in the world, a natural for our kesaris andrasa malai,
and also effective as a remedy for sleeplessness, indigestion, flatulence, asthma, whooping cough,
menstrual cramps, vomiting and gets mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts as anti‐ venom.
Besan, what would we do without this multi usage ingredient that we turn into curries, savouries
and sweets! The protein content and fibre in besan controls blood sugar and cholesterol. Bengal
gram has one of the lowest glycaemic index among all foods.
Milk based sweets are the best loved, healthy for all, wholesome and part of our cuisine and culture.
Those who have a health reason to avoid fats and sugars but still want to enjoy the luxury of eating
during Diwali should
• opt for sweets made with artificial sugar, use skimmed milk and reduce amount of pure ghee
• Eat singular portions and not handful or plateful of sweets and savouries.
• Space out the sweet eating at times after a main meal,should you eat at all and not as a
snack between meals.
• Avoid sweets that arecommercial or have maida in them. Go for sweets that have healthier
ingredients like the ones mentioned above.
And above all, remember the saying that “even ambrosia (or nectar of life) in large quantities is
poisonous. Everything in its right proportions is good and healthy! Happy Diwali!!
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PLEASE DO NOT EAT FAT FREE!
Parvathy R Krishnan
Fats are feared by the health conscious, favoured by the gourmet lover and ferociously penned by
medical bodies on its vices or virtues. Fat is let us say, less temperamental unlike carbohydrates that
can instantly spike one’s blood sugar or proteins that can give you a sudden allergic reactionand
remain unobtrusiveuntil a blood test or heart attack alerts you to take note of it in your diet.
When nutritioniststalk about eating low fat the message gets misunderstood, because what they
mean is to lower one’s bad fat intake or a presently unhealthy fat diet. They certainly do not mean
eating fat free! There are several people who, on being diagnosed with high cholesterol or
triglycerides eat without fat and then complain that despite eating no fat, blood lipids do not
improve on a long term. A totally fat free diet is unhealthy. It serves no good to the purpose behind
it which may be to reduce weight or decrease total or LDL cholesterol.
Why we need fats
Fats are essential to the body just as are proteins and carbohydrates.Apart from being the denser
source of energy than carbohydrate or proteins, fat also protects proteins from being broken down
for energy. Most of our muscles require fatty acids for energy. The adipose tissue (fat) under our skin
(subcutaneous fat) insulates the body, maintaining the body heat and temperature. Fat in our
adipose tissue is what keeps our vital organs in place and protects them from external trauma. Fat in
food is essential to transport and absorb fat soluble vitamins like A, D and E. Fat in food also delays
gastric emptying and buffers gastric juices. Fat brings out the flavour of foods and lends satiety to
the meal.
So what is right and how much is good?
There is a basic rule of eating fat which is undisputedly agreed upon by scientists everywhere and
that is to “eat the right kind of fats in the right amount”.There are the good – the mono and poly
unsaturated, bad – saturated, and very bad fats – trans fatty acids. Going into the composition of
these is beyond the scope of this article, nor its purpose. But what is necessary here is learning how
to eat fat ‐ the right ones.
Eat your fat and stay healthy
Numerous researches point to the fact thatto control cholesterol changing from saturated to
monounsaturated fats help irrespective of the quantity of fat consumed as versus reducing fat and
instead turning to more carbohydrates.
Nutritionists recommend that calories from fat constitute 30 to 35% of total calories. This means for
an adult moderately active, say on 2400 kcal/day, 80grams of fat in a day. Now, note that this
includes both added fats like ghee, butter, oils in cooking, and those naturally found in nuts, seeds,
avocadoes, olives,beans, grated coconut, whole milk or curds, egg, fish, poultry, meat.
Some interesting findings are that
• more important than the total 30 % is the kind of fats you consume. This means if the 20 or
30% calories comes from SFA or trans fatty acids, you still risk coronary heart diseases.
• getting all of you fats from unsaturated fats especially MUFAs is cardio protective
• the heady combo of refined carbohydrates and fats is as bad as SFA itself
• trans fats are worse than SFA in raising blood cholesterol
• even a little trans fats on a daily basis may be bad for your heart
• refined carbohydrates and simple sugars increase triglycerides more than fats per se
• afat free meal tends to cause hunger later in the day leading to over eating as compared to a
meal with moderate fat.
Thereforepresent recommendations are zero TFA and restricting SFA to about 7% of fat calories in a
day. Majority of the remaining should come ideally from monounsaturated fats. We can only classify
oils as predominantly MUFA or PUFA or SFA because all oils contain a certain percentage of
unsaturated and saturated fats.
Since we do not eat by percentages, how can a good proportion be achieved?
• Avoid trans fatty acids or hydrogenated fats that are found in commercial foods, fast foods,
processed foods
• Keep saturated fats to a minimum. This is achieved by not eating red meat, using low fat or
skimmed milk and curds and using ghee and butter sparingly. Sources of SFA are ghee,
butter, mayonnaise, animal fats, fat in milk, curds, tropical oils like coconut and palm oils.
• Use more of oils like canola, sesame, peanut, soybean, olive, corn, safflower for cooking. Use
two or three kinds in a day. For example, use sesame oil to make breakfast, Sunflower for
preparing lunch and olive for dinner. Keep changing the oils frequently.
• Use seeds and nuts especially flaxseeds and sesame seeds frequently.
• Skip red meat and eat fish. Cook fatty fish in its own fat, or make sure you use up the fat
from the fish.
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SHAPING UP BEFORE AND AFTERFESTIVE EATING
We had Navaratri and Bakridover a few weeks ago and now come Diwali. In a month’s time we have
Christmas and New Year with Pongal close at its heels and so on the year long, there are so many
festivities and tempting food to savour as part of the celebrations! It is so easy to get caught in roller
coaster ride of overeating and subsequent dieting (out of guilt)ending up with the yoyo effect.
It is like falling down and then picking yourself up. Every time you fall, you get up. The same way,
going back to eating healthy after a bout of festive eating is mandatory for the weight loser.
But the best way to achieve this is by what I would call taking a pre‐emptive or defensive approach.
That is to start taking a conscious note of your eating much before a scheduled festival or
celebration and immediately after it too. Do this by keeping a list of things of dos and don’ts. It
should be something like the below:
• No foods that have been fried or greasy to touch.
• Nothing bought from restaurants or bakeries. Only homemade foods. No eating out.
• Your home is stocked only with fruits and salads and whole grains foodstuffs. No maida, no
sweets, no savouries.
• You will eat only high fibre grains and snack on fruits, raw vegetables, nuts between meals.
Before and after each meal you will drink a glass of water.
• Apart from water, coconut water, clear soups, tea and coffee are the only beverages you will
drink.
• An extra 30 minutes of exercise for anyone who is already working out and one hour for
those who are sedentary
• Milk, buttermilk or curds is fat free. Meat is lean and grilled.
• No matter what the quantity, you will take 20 minutes to finish a meal. So chew, chew and
chew again.
Ask yourself what your weaknesses are and which of your habits you need to monitor particularly
and include that too in the above list. Now you achieve three things with the above system.
• You get into shape for the occasion which is good because you need to wear well and look
healthy and radiant.
• Prepares you to control eating during the festive season, because eating high fibre on a daily
basis can actually make you averse to eating refined foods. The same way that diabeticsonce
used to drinking tea without sugar, say adding sugar to the tea gives a bitter taste.
• Gives you an already running diet plan to get back on track after the festive eating is over.
And it should start as soon as the event is over.
You may not lose weight during the festive season with this approach, but may not gain any
weight. And this is what thosewatching weightshould aim for during this Diwali – no weight
gain.
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THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF OILS
Parvathy R Krishnan
An understanding of fats and oils in our daily life is important to maintain a good general health. Just
as choosing the right kind of carbohydrates and proteins to eat, we need to keep a big check on the
medium of fats we use for cooking.
From the nutrition aspect, fats may be segregated as healthy and unhealthy fats. We have
monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) which are the healthy fats and
which we should use more of daily. Of these two, we should consume more of MUFA.
Of the unhealthy fats, which are of two kinds, trans fats and saturated (SFA), trans are the worst kind
and that which should be totally avoided. We may totally avoid or restrict saturated fats as we
choose.
The ratio of SFA, MUFA and PUFA should ideally be 1:1.5:1. No oil is fully saturated or unsaturated.
All oils contain a certain amount of all fatty acids. Thus olive oil though predominantly MUFA, will
have small amounts of SFA. And sunflower though more of PUFA, will contain MUFA also. This is why
we need to use different oils at least 2 kinds in our cooking. And as the ratio suggests, use more of
oils with MUFA.
Oils high in MUFA are olive, canola, peanut, mustard, rice bran. Perhaps our equivalent to olive oil is
peanut oil. Rice bran oil is something new but possibly one of the best oils to use.MUFAs are known
to improve blood cholesterol levels, reduce risk of heart attacks, and possibly improve glycaemic
control in type 2 diabetes. They are also found to improve brain function in people with Alzheimer’s.
MUFA is also found in seeds, nuts, avocadoes, flaxseeds.
Oils high in PUFA are safflower, soyabean, sunflower, corn and sesame. These should be used in
combination with oils high in MUFA to get the healthy ratio right.
SFA is found in animal fats, butter, ghee, vanaspati, cheese, milk, curds, coconut oil and palm oil.
Coconut oil contains saturated fats different and less unhealthy than animal fats. But since coconut
oil is over 90% saturated, limit its use to a minimum, in combination with MUFA and PUFA. Ghee and
butter should be used very sparingly. Keeping away from sweets or snacks made in these will help
reduce SFA intake.
Now, a word about oil found in fish. Fish is the best animal food to consume. Although chicken, fish
and meat contain almost the same amounts of cholesterol, the predominantly omega 3 fatty acids in
fish makes it a very healthy non vegetarian food to have.
Trans fatty acids are found in partially hydrogenated fats – usually found in commercial snacks,
foods. Even foods labelled free from trans fats may contain small amounts of TFA. The medical
community advices that no trans fats be consumed, and that even small amounts eaten regularly will
risk cardiovascular illness.
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