10 most common myths about dieting

Being physically fit and having toned and good figure is the dream of everybody but the modern lifestyle doesn’t allow everyone to have the same. Not everybody has the time to go to gym and workout so an option of dieting is what we are left with so as to reduce body weight. Don’t eat after 8 pm, stop eating rice, avoid bananas and potatoes, no tea and coffee! How many times you have been advised to make these changes in your diet by your friends and relatives when you said you wish to lose weight? Almost all the time! Right?  And you end up following the advice without realizing that it may not do any good to you.

In reality, we are surrounded by many misconceptions when it comes to dieting and that’s the reason many dieters fail to achieve their goal even if they are highly motivated. Let’s look at 10 such myths associated with dieting and the impact they have on you.

     1.       Low fat does not necessarily mean less calories

                                                    Low-fat diet simply doesn’t mean low-calorie diet and so it’s not like that you can have as much of it as you want. If you pile up your plate with low-fat, you may end up eating more calories than if you had a one serving of chips. In order to make products low in fat, manufacturers add substituting ingredients like flour, sugar, starch, etc. to improve taste and this adds calories. Therefore the best way to know about how healthy your food product is check the nutritional label, and know how many calories, fat, sugar you are getting.

      2.      Skip potatoes, rice and bananas

                                                    Learn to make smart choices and include these foods in your diet without letting them hamper your calorie count. For example, banana in the morning will not only provide you with a dose of potassium, fibre, vitamin C, etc.  but will also provide you with energy which will help you keep going throughout the day.

Rice contains methionine which helps mobilise fat from the liver. Where you need to be careful is stop mindless eating and control portion size when it comes to eating rice based preparations.

Potatoes are loaded with nutrients too but we make it unhealthy by using faulty cooking treatments like deep frying (chips, cutlet, French fries, etc). If included sensibly in diet it can protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer due to high potassium and Vitamin B6.

      3.       Late night meals result in overweight

                                                 Your weight is a result of what you eat throughout the day and not just at night. This might be true for people who keep skipping meals at day time and binge at night. The idea is keep a gap of at least an hour before hitting bed and eat something light as you don’t need too many calories in the night.  

      4.       Do not eat junk food while dieting

                                                 Most fast foods are unhealthy but not all, and if you choose your options carefully you can include them in your healthy diet. Tips you can follow:

·         Avoid high-calorie toppings like cheese, butter, mayonnaise; instead you can go for salsa, garlic dip, etc.

·         Pick fresh fruit juice or milkshake rather than aerated drinks.

·         Choose salad based wraps and burgers.

·         Ask for steamed, baked or grilled items rather than deep fried.

      5.       Skipping meals or reducing intake of diet

                                                 If you eat less or skip meals you will end up binging later on when you feel extremely hungry. And therefore you gain more weight and your efforts get wasted. Moreover, if you keep yourself on extremely low-calorie diet for longer period of time, your metabolism gets altered and restricting yourself from essential nutrients also poses great health threats.

      6.      Bye bye snacks?    

                                                While mindless snacking can gift you with several extra kilos, thoughtful snacking can help you reduce several kilos. People who have small, frequent meals with snacks are more likely to get better weight loss results. Choose snacks which are low in calorie and high in protein so that they can curb your hunger pangs in a healthy way.  

      7.      Vegetarians are devoid of good protein sources

                                                False, there are plenty options for vegans too. Include at least three servings of milk and milk products (one glass milk, one cup curd, 40g paneer), two servings of pulses especially soybean, one serving of nuts to meet your protein requirement.

      8.      Fasting regularly

                                                 It’s an absurd idea to compensate your feast with fast. When you eat larger portions than required, your body stores the extra calories in the form of fat and when you skip meals there is an urgent need of energy by the body and that is served by breaking muscle tissue because breaking down fat for energy is a long process and it doesn’t come into circulation that easily. Therefore all your effort goes waste.  

9.      Eggs are unhealthy

                                                When had for breakfast, eggs help limit your calorie intake all day. Eggs are a well-known rich source of protein along with several vitamins and minerals essential to your health like B2, B12, Vitamin A, E, iron, zinc and phosphorus. Boiling an egg is one of the healthiest ways you can consume it and is the perfect option for those watching their weight. You can include one egg in your daily diet without bothering about the cholesterol content as one egg will not do any harm. 

     10.  Fruits are the best breakfast option

                                              No doubt fruits are rich in many vitamins and minerals and carbohydrates. But cereal is a better option when it comes to refuelling your body after a long gap because it contains complex carbohydrate and protein and a fibre. Ideal breakfast should contain a serving of cereal, milk or milk product, and a fruit.

Indian dieting approach is surrounded by number of myths and gimmicks. Adopt an approach of eating a balanced diet, and keeping yourself active throughout the day for long term results.

Zika virus - 5 things people need to know about

What is Zika virus?

                                Zika virus is closely related to dengue fever and yellow fever. This virus spreads to humans mainly through the bites of infected Aedes Mosquito. It was first isolated from rhesus macaque monkey kept in cage in Zika forests of Uganda in 1947 that is why the virus is named Zika virus.  It was then in the year of 1952 that first outbreak of this virus in humans were identified.

Zika fever and symptoms:

                        The vector of this disease is Aedes mosquito which is also responsible for Dengue fever so most of the symptoms of Zika fever is like Dengue fever and are quite mild symptoms. Although the symptoms are very mild and disappears by themselves in about a week in most of the cases but in pregnant women it passes to next generation causing damage to the brain in several babies and also a disease called microcephaly. 

In adults although it is responsible for Guillain-Barré syndrome an uncommon disease of nervous system.

Diagnosis is generally done by testing of blood, urine or even saliva for presence of Zika virus RNA. Infection of Zika virus may also be suspected considering recent travel history of the patient

Mode of transmission:

                         The primary mode of transmission is bite by Aedes mosquito which bites primarily during early morning or late evening. This is the same mosquito which is responsible for dengue fever, chikungunya or yellow fever.

This disease may also be transmitted during sexual contacts from one infected partner to another. Primarily it is transferred from an infected male to a normal female but it hasn’t been confirmed yet that whether an infected female can act as mode of transmission for a normal male.

This disease can also be transmitted during blood transfusion. An infected person’s blood if donated may result in Zika fever in recipients. Two such case have been identified as of April, 2016.

Vaccine:

                             The patients affected from this virus generally show no symptoms or mild symptoms. However if tests show infection with Zika virus, the patient should take a lot of fluids, complete rest and may have common pain killers. If the problem persists, patient should seek medical care. Although there is no vaccine for Zika virus till date.

Prevention:

                           Protection against mosquito bites is a key measure to prevent Zika virus infection. This can be done by wearing clothes (preferably light-colored) that cover as much of the body as possible; using physical barriers such as window screens or closing doors and windows; sleeping under mosquito nets; and using insect repellent.  Special attention and help should be given to those who may not be able to protect themselves adequately, such as young children, the sick or elderly. Travelers and those living in affected areas should take the basic precautions described above to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

It is important to cover, empty or clean potential mosquito breeding sites in and around houses such as buckets, drums, pots, gutters, and used tyres. Communities should support local government efforts to reduce mosquitoes in their locality.