Principles Of A Gluten Free Diet

Once detected with gluten intolerance, you are supposed to follow some do’s and don’t regarding your diet. It is only going to help improve your health. Instead of being hassled by the fact that your life will change, take it in the positive light. This change is for the better and you will feel more healthy than ever. Following certain things will make this transition easier for you. While opting for a gluten intolerance diet, it is good to know about some principles attached to it. Have a look and embrace this change with open arms, as it is the best interest of your health!

Develop New Habits

Moving to the new diet is tough but if you begin to change your basic habits, it will help. You have been relying on cookies and cakes for snacking but they are gluten rich foods so you will have to bid them farewell. Instead of sandwiches, you could opt for veggie wraps as your ‘on the go’ breakfast. Change the way you have your hot-dogs, have the sausage without the bun! Gradually you can mold these habits and move towards a better you.

Limit Eating Out

You may get carried away while you are eating out with friends. You may totally go off track and forget about your gluten intolerance. It would be better if you limit the times you go out to have a snack with your friends. It will give you more time with your family at the table, save you a lot of bucks and reduce the chance of gluten poisoning. Eating at home will eliminate such risks because everyone loves you and will take extra care in preparing your food, so you remain safe!

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Cook At Home

Try your best to make sure that all your meals are home cooked, even the lunches that you are having at work must be home packed. It will reduce your chances of eating at the snack bars and consuming unwanted gluten. Also if you prepare your meals on your home you know what things you have to avoid putting in the meal. You will eat healthier and stay fit!

Freeze Food

Since wheat has gluten, it goes out of your pantry. You will have to switch to gluten free flours and most of them have a shorter shelf life. To tackle this you can either buy them in small quantities or in case you are buying more of it, store it in the freezer. It increases the life of the food and enables you to eat healthy. If you are buying baked gluten free breads, you can also store them in the freezer to use them for a longer time!

Eat Whole Foods

Your gluten free diet must include natural foods like eggs, rice, meat, quinoa, fruits, veggies, corn, beans and sea food. These things are naturally gluten free and are also cheaper than processed foods. Planning a diet around these will fulfill your nutritional requirements without the risk of gluten poisoning!

Bake For Yourself

The best alternative to ready made breads that may lead to gluten poisoning is baking yourself! You can use gluten free flour to prepare breads, cookies, cakes, etc. This gives you the opportunity to explore all these tasty foods without compromising your health!

Avoid Gluten Foods

No matter how yummy they seem, but you will have to be strict about not eating pasta, cake, muesli, hot-dogs, cookies, beer and malt drinks. Apart from these you also have to be vigilant about the intake of wheat flour, cracked wheat, semolina, rye bread, graham flour, breakfast cereals and couscous!

Foods To Include

Corn, rice, wild rice, quinoa, buckwheat, potatoes will become your staple now. You can include foods like sweet potatoes, nuts, beans, fresh fruits and veggies in addition to fish and lean meat. The change in diet is for the betterment of your health, so welcome it positively!

In case you need more clarity on your diet and increasing weight, you can opt for gluten free diet plan for weight loss. The journey to a new life will ease out with time, all you need to do is follow these principles!

 

Things To Eat On The Beach

Who doesn’t like to spend a weekend relaxing on the beach after a week long labor? Beaches are always the first thing that come to mind while planning a day of rest. Why won’t they be? Golden sand, sparkling waves, volleyball, coconut water and fresh seafood, in addition to the cool breeze. Oh my my! I am already excited to get my beachwear out and run for the waters! Wait, I’ll have to sort my snacking first. Ya, feasting is one big thing for holidaying! Wanna eat all those delicacies on the beach but can’t throw your diet to the winds? Here is the solution my friends!

Wraps

Well tucked eatables are always a temptation at beaches. What could be better than a wrap itself? Hummus and grilled vegetable wrap , is a nutrition packed full fledged meal, an ideal for a beach snacking!

Tutti Fruity

Fruits are another good option. They deal with both thirst and hunger at a time! Full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, fruits are a much healthier option than lick lollies for people with a sweet tooth! Watermelon can be cut and brought to your picnic in a cooler. If you want to avoid smeared juices, go for grapes, apples and bananas.

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Skewers

The easiest no nonsense way to eat at the beach without attracting much sand. Cut bite sized tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant, roast them a bit and skew them. An easy to eat meal is ready! Its full of nutrition even. To add more taste to it, you can add mozzarella cheese balls along with basil to the skewers.

Juices

The beach sun might make you thirsty often. So what to drink? Soft drinks are an option of-course but clashes with your diet regime. Just toss your favorite fruits in the blender, add a touch of basil for the flavoring and a low calorie drink is at your service! Coconut water an attraction at the beaches is also a healthy alternative.

Pasta Salad

Woah! Already drooling over it! A perfectly cooked pasta with a bunch of broccoli, cranberries and bell peppers, a healthier alternative provided it is a whole wheat pasta. It is a fulfilling dish and together with these veggies can be healthy. You can add olive oil, pepper, salt and cheese for the taste.

Also Read: Bad Food Combinations To Avoid

Granola Bars

A load of oats, nuts (almonds or walnuts), dates, peanut butter, honey and cocoa powder is all that is needed. Rich in fiber and antioxidants, they are a good snacking option. Just spare an hour and cook these for your day out. You can roast the oats if you want or else just bind the ingredients together, lay them right and freeze, job done! A healthy, portable snack is ready to devour!

Quinoa Salad

To cooked quinoa, when a mixture of raisins and veggies (tomatoes, onions, cucumber, radish) are added, it becomes a healthy meal. A dash of mint, parsley, lime juice, salt, chili and sesame oil can be used to season it. Devour this delicacy while basking in the beach sun!

Pack your stuff and head straight to the beach for the next weekend. These nutritious recipes will provide a healthy snacking on the beach. And don’t forget to carry water, to quench your ever increasing your thirst!

Ditch low-fat diet if you want to shed kilos

People follow a low fat diet in order to loose extra chunks of fat, so as to squeeze into their old jeans. But little they know, the diet they are following does not lead to a greater fat loss in the long term as compared to the higher fat diets of similar intensity. The results are based on the studies involving around 68,000 adults.

A lead author Deirdre Tobias from the Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, said that “Behind current dietary advice to cut out the fat that contains more than twice the calories per gram of proteins and carbohydrates and , the thinking is simply reduced and fat intake will naturally lead to weight loss. But our evidence suggests otherwise.”

53 studies involving 68,128 adults showed no major difference in the average weight loss between higher and lower fat diets. In fact low fat diets only triggered greater weight loss when compared with no diet at all. And the resulted weight loss compared with low carbohydrate interventions and the difference in weight change were very small.

As there is a wide growing interest in Mediterranean diets with high level of fatty foods as fish, nuts, fruits, vegetables and olive oil. Harvard team found that to reduce fat intake was a less effective way to loose weight than by low carbohydrates and Mediterranean diets.

Tobias and team did a systematic analysis and review of all the trials and compared the effectiveness of low fat diets to all the other diets even including no diet, at improving long term weight loss in non pregnant adults up to the end of July, 2014. Tobias concluded that the science does not support low fat diets as the optimal long term weight loss strategy and to reduce the obesity problems, more research is required to identify proper approaches for long term weight loss and maintenance.

As the studies have concluded that, there is no good reason for recommending low fat diets, and following low fat diet recipes for weight loss is not the perfect way , although no proper diet plan has been confirmed that must be followed in order to loose it, for the mean time, try to indulge in high fat and low carb diet that will not only help you to loose weight but it will also help you to keep it away for a long time.

Diet DOs and DON’Ts for Diabetics

Diabetes is a life long bane. The disease brings with it a host of other health risks. It damages the blood vessels and acts dangerously on the nerves too; thus can harm any part of the body. Diabetes is a monster that can eat you up if you take it too lightly. However,  one can also save himself from such harmful effects if he is able to strongly control his blood sugar levels. And mind it, this can be done. Making relevant lifestyle and dietary changes can help exceptionally well.

In India every 5th person is at the risk of diabetes. It is therefore crucial for the patients (even those at plausible risk) to reflect upon their diet and take necessary measure. Consulting a doctor to chart out a diet for diabetic patients in India, is the best step forward. There are many food items that should be kept miles away in order to prevent the hazardous consequences of shooting blood sugar levels.

Here are some important Diet DOs and DON’Ts that must not be taken lightly by those who are in the grip of this health condition:

DOs

1. Eat at regular intervals to maintain consistent blood sugar levels.
2. Include complex carbohydrates in your meals. They help in slow release of sugar.
3. High fiber intake is recommended.
4. Low-fat dairy products and lean meat can provide healthy proteins, effective in keeping sugar controlled.
5. Pulses should be part of every meal. They give good amount of protein and fiber.
6. Carrying a sweet or two in case of sudden fall in sugar levels.

DONT’s

1. Relishing the juicy mangoes, bananas, citrus delights? Please DON’T! However, picking up these fruits once in a while is OK. Contrary to popular perception no fruit is strictly prohibited.
2. Ghee, cheese and butter. Better stay away from them.
3. High salt intake and of course sugar, are your worst enemies.
4. Potatoes, carrots, rice have high glycemic index. Best avoided
5. Eating refined breads or noodles can cause sudden rise and fall in blood sugar levels.
6. Red meat can not just aggravate the problem but even cause it.

Blood Group Diets – A New Way to Fitness

Knowing your blood type is essential for many reasons. It can help determine your vulnerability to certain diseases and also help identifying the medications most effective on you. For instance people having blood group AB are most prone to blood clotting, and knowledge of it can help take preventive measures during medical emergencies or otherwise.

Since blood types is seen to impact a person’s well-being in a way that certain blood groups can be identified to be susceptible to certain health disorders and ailments; it is logical to include blood group specific diets as a means of achieving better immunity and optimal fitness levels. Idietitian blood group diet plan is based on this very theory, and has proven to be quite effective.

Listed below are general nutritional characteristics and food requirements as associated with specific blood types:

Type 1 – Blood Group A

It has been noted that people of the group A blood type are more prone to stress. This strongly impacts their eating habits and further, their weight. Also observed is the low production of meat digesting enzymes in this particular blood type. It is thus advisable to cut down on the red meat, fish and poultry intake. However breaking down other vegetarian proteins, carbs and grains is easy. Therefore, people with A blood group should eat plenty of veggies, whole-grains, cereals and fruits.

Type 2 – Blood Group B

Dairy products are for the type B blood group. Also type B can enjoy eating everything in balanced proportions barring wheat. They are observed to not take in gluten containing food too well. Metabolic rate of people having blood group B is fast and so they can break down complex foods easily. Bringing on cheese and butter won’t be a problem as long as you are not worried of gaining excess weight.

Type 3 – Blood Group AB

If you thought blood group B is the lucky one, Ab is luckier. This blood type is but a rare one. People of the blood type AB reap the benefits of both the blood groups A & B. They can eat just about anything. However, with type B’s trait of adapting to meats and A’s lack of stomach acids, AB is vulnerable to storing fats easily. Thus, caution while eating is still required, to avoid becoming over-weight. Considering a blood group diet plan for weight loss can thus save you from such trouble.

Type 4- Blood Group O

For blood group O, dairy products are to be avoided. Also beans and legumes should not be consumed as far as possible. It has been observed that this blood type can have difficulties in digesting dairy products and the latter products can worsen the digestion. Type O blood group has a low metabolism, and are thus advised to intake animal proteins which are considered to speed up the metabolic rate.

Dietary Tips for Thyroid Patients

Thyroid is a gland present at the base of the neck. It is responsible for producing the thyroid hormones which play a key role in managing the metabolism of the body.When this gland does not function properly, it can lead to a number of health issues like hyperthyroidism (too much of thyroid hormone produced), thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland),goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland), and the most common of all hypothyroidism (when the thyroid gland produces low levels of hormones).

In India, the ratio of people suffering from hypothyroidism is quite high. One among every 10 adults is affected. It is more common in the aged population and the fairer sex.
Hypothyroidism causes the body to slow down as the metabolic rate reduces significantly. Other effects of this health condition includes:

• Weight gain
• Heart diseases
• Miscarriages in pregnant women
• Infertility
• Mental health issues

Diet and lifestyle changes can go a long way in limiting the consequences of this disease.There are many health sites which offer online thyroid diet plan in India.These, if followed with care and sincerity can prove to be highly benefiting. A thyroid Diet plan broadly consists of the following-

Iodine-rich foods:

The building block of the thyroid hormone is Iodine.Thus a thyroid diet plan will consist of food containing iodized salt and other supplements. But excess of iodine intake can affect the thyroid functioning adversely so do check with a dietitian for an informed choice.

Controlling High Carb Intake:

Foods which are high on carbohydrates need to be avoided, as they are proven to promote leptin resistance. The dysfunction of leptin (key thyroidal) hormone is one of the major causes of weight gain among thyroid patients.

Constraining Cruciferous Vegetables in Diet:

Vegetables like cabbage and broccoli, can have a negative impact on the thyroid hormone production. The thyroid gland’s ability to absorb iodine is affected in the process of digesting these foods. Therefore, they should be shunned off.

Selenium Rich Foods:

This is an important element to add in the diet of people suffering from hypothyroid. It helps protect the thyroid gland at the times of stress. Selenium-based enzymes and proteins help maintain optimal levels of thyroid hormone in the blood. Seafood, whole wheat bread, beef and lamb are some selenium rich foods.

Adding trace metals to the diet :

The metals like Zinc, Iron and Copper, though required in very less amounts, are significant for efficient thyroid functioning. Thyroid hormonal balance can lead to the deficiency of these elements or vice-versa. Thus, when suffering from thyroidal health issues dietitians will add to your diet foods like beef, oysters, sunflower seeds, lentils, white beans etc. to meet the demands of these elements.

For more details,you can go through our online special weight loss programs ,which are uniquely constructed to achieve healthy weight loss for clients who are battling with other health disorders too.

10 Foods the Healthiest People Always Stock in Their Kitchens

Healthy people are in a habit of stocking up their pantries and kitchen with healthy food items, so that they never starve or when hunger pangs strike, they do not munch on any empty calories.So for those who have been battling to make healthy dietary changes, it would be a nice idea to peek into the kitchens of such people. We bet you will find the following 10 food items stocked there:
1. Avocados

It is probably the healthiest food and so one of the permanent items you’ll find in health conscious people’s kitchens. Avocados contain Pantothenic acid, Vitamin E, C & K, are rich in anti-oxidants and fiber too.
2. Coconut oil:

Apart from lending taste to the food, coconut oil increases metabolism and is anti-inflammatory.It contains MCFAs which are healthy saturated fats in comparison to trans fat. Use of coconut oil keeps cholesterol levels in check and thus reduces cardiac health issues.
3. Walnuts

A fistful of walnuts can provide a good supply of essential omega3 fatty acids, melatonin and mineral nutrients like manganese and copper. Walnuts are known to prevent Alzheimer and the Parkinson disease also.
4. Eggs

A wholesome source of proteins, eggs are also rich in Vitamin B2, Vitamin D and mineral nutrients. Choline,a compound known to improve brain function, is abundantly found in the yolk.however, with those at a risk of heart diseases are suggested to avoid the yolk part (high in cholesterol). Even then, egg whites make up more than half of its proteins, so is still a very healthy food item.
5. Oatmeal

You will find that oatmeal is a regular part of the diet of the healthiest people around. Being a great source of soluble fiber, and other nutrients like biotin, chromium, zinc, and healthy proteins. Eating oats helps curb hunger pangs and so helpful in controlling calorie intake.
6.Steamed/boiled Carrots:

Carrots can be your key to healthy skin, bones and vision. A small bowl of cooked/boiled carrots provide good amount of vitamin A & K. Also carrots are a good source of Vitamin C.Those who eat a lot of carrots or consume carrot juice regularly are at less risk of cancer and signs of aging too show up late on their faces.
7. Tomatoes:

Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin C and is proven in improving the immune system. Tomatoes can also be used in a wide variety of of home-made packs for glowing skin. It is a staple food and healthy souls swear by its health benefits.
8. Plain Yogurt

 

Yogurt soothes the gut. The bacteria in yogurt are healthy as they help in improving are digestion and strengthens the body’s immunity.Yogurt intake can help battle conditions like lactose intolerance, constipation and diarrhea.
9.Bananas

Solid source of a host of nutrient like potassium, magnesium, vitamin C & B6, fiber and folate. With a good amount of carbohydrates bananas act as a fueling source providing energy to the body. Bananas in breakfast or after workouts will keep you full and cheerful.
10. Turmeric

Indian homes make use of turmeric a lot. It is a remedy for cold and also given to recoup from injuries(turmeric milk). Known to be an anti-septic it is a powerful anti-inflammatory food item. Thus use of turmeric is recommended to keep chronic diseases at bay.

Low Glycemic Diet : An Easy to adopt Lifestyle Habit

For diabetic patients ‘glycemic index’ is an everyday word but for others it might not sound so familiar. So while going through so many diet plan options available if you stumbled upon the low glycemic diet and decided flip over it only because it went over your head then wait, you might be missing out on something great.

Let us help you understand what is a ‘Low Glycemic Foods Diet Plan’and how it can benefit you. First of all lets define Glycemic Index – It is a system in which all foods can be ranked on a scale of 0-100 based on how they may affect the blood sugar levels. The foods that breakdown rapidly to release glucose (clearly lead to more rise in blood sugar level) are higher on the index. Foods with GI more than 70 can cause significant fluctuations in sugar levels in the blood, 55-70 moderate and those ranked 55 or less are low GI foods.

Now, which GI foods should be a part of our diet is not difficult to crack. Obviously, the ones that rank lower on the glycemic index. However, medium GI foods could also make it in your list, and surprisingly even high GI foods too (unless you are diabetic). How is that possible? This is because a small potion of a high GI food (say 25%) taken with other low GI foods will balance out the total GI of your entire meal.

Next question, which may be dancing in your head is, ‘Is this diet only for diabetic patients? If not, how will it benefit others?’
Well, partially yes. It is most recommended to diabetic patients. But not that others cannot benefit from it at all. The glycemic diet plan for weight loss is a diet approach even non-diabetic population could utilize. This plan doesn’t claim rapid weight loss, but is a proven way of shredding the extra kilos in a long run. This is because by introducing low GI foods, high carbohydrate intake is automatically limited. Moreover, no food groups are entirely discarded, only maintaining a healthy ratio of them all is aimed at. This helps in gradually coming in shape.

It is therefore, a boon for the diabetic patients, a preventive cure for those who might be at a risk of it, and an easy lifestyle change one can opt for those looking to lose weight in a healthy way.

Types of Therapeutic Diets

A therapeutic diet, as the name suggests, is a diet that is used as a therapy to treat many health conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure, heart diseases etc. It is an eating plan designed by nutritionists and doctors, in which by adding or subtracting certain food items to/from your diet the risks and consequences of certain health disorders are reduced. There are many types of therapeutic diets that can be adopted to fight various health issues.

1. Low Cholesterol Diet: It is common knowledge that for a healthy heart a low cholesterol diet is the best bet. In this diet foods which contain high amounts of saturated fats are avoided.

2. Diabetic Diets: A diet to manage diabetes looks into cutting down the consumption of foods containing sugar content. It also works on monitoring the intake of refined carbohydrates which can dangerously raise blood sugar levels.

3. Gluten-free Diet: This diet aims at treating the celiac disease which is a genetically induced disorder in which the small intestine is hyperactive to gluten. Hence, the diet introduces gluten-free foods in the meals, usually it is all about washing off all wheat products from ones diet.

4. DASH Diet: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is used for the treatment of high blood pressure. The diet focuses on reducing the consumption of sodium and balancing it with the intake of higher amounts of magnesium, calcium and potassium.

5. High-Protein Diet: This particular diet is prescribed as a prenatal or post natal diet; it is also recommended to patients with infections, or with acute burns. A high-protein diet also helps deal with the problem of hampered growth in young kids. In this foods rich in proteins is made a part of all meals.

There are many other therapeutic diets one could opt for after consulting with an expert nutritionist to manage health issues like arthritis, thyroid, PCOS etc. With your doctor’s advice and a sincere efforts in following these diets diligently can help remove many of the irksome health disorders you’ve been battling from long. So do consider them seriously.