Dt. Moumita Kumar Best Nutritionist in Gurgaon, Dietician in Gurgaon

Some Quick weight loss tips Thursday, 13 October 2016

Prefer less salt
Studies suggest an increased intake of salt i.e. more than 2500mg (1 tablespoon) of sodium per day can make the body retain water and lead to weight gain. Less sodium intake makes the body expel some unwanted water weight thus reduces the fluffiness.

Calorie Control
1 gram of fat contains twice the calorie as compared to one gram of protein and carbohydrate thus avoiding fatty foods helps in restricting the calorie intake to a major extent.
Choice of Food

Stock your kitchen with fruits and vegetables, lean meats like fish or chicken, whole grains instead of things like chocolates, candies, chips colas etc, also once these unhealthy foods remains out of sight they are more likely to be out of mind too.

Portion size
Eating everything is possible instead of simply avoiding the favourites by controlling the portion sizes. Try to have small quantity of things like sweets or fatty foods or make sharing the best way to control portion.
Breakfast is must

Breaking the fast after a good night sleep is crucial as body reaches a low blood sugar level and if you miss breakfast then the body goes in hibernation-state which makes the body reserve the calories by burning no or minimum calories thus making weight loss difficult.

Best exercise for weight loss
Start with cardio exercises like running, jogging etc so as to reduce good chunk of weight followed by weight training which can give proper toning to the muscles thereby giving a toned and sleek look.

Lifting some light weights along with cardio exercises makes the body produce more growth hormone which leads to release of fat which is burnt to produce more energy.

Move every 4 Hours
Studies show that sitting down for more than 4-5 hours at a continuous stretch can affect the metabolism by slows down the metabolic rate thus making weight loss difficult so be on a move after every 4-5 hours.

Proper chewing food is must
Chewing food 20 times before swallowing is the best policy as it gives body more time to activate the appetite related hormone so that you don’t end up eating more before the hormone signals the brain that the stomach is full.

Snacking is good
Snacking on fruits, salads, nuts and homemade snack several times in a day is not bad in fact it may help in reducing binging and cravings.

Plate the meal
Avoid the habit of eating straight from the container as you may end up eating more than required so plate the meal and then have.

Avoid aerated drinks
Aerated drinks and soda needs to be avoided totally since they are empty calories and does not has any health benefit instead quench the thirst with water which is a 0 calorie substitute, lemon water. Drinking water not only quenches thirst but also drives away toxin out of the body for proper functioning of the liver.

Be practical
Patience is the key to weight loss as it is pointless to expect weight loss overnight. Weight loss is more about striking a balance between the diet and exercise and surely some modifications in day to day life is needed.
  Moumita kumar

Nutrition Consultant

Weightloss During Menopause Monday, 3 October 2016

Menopause brings about many changes in a female’s body and one of the major change is in the body weight. An average weight gain of 1 to 2 kgs can be expected during the menopausal phase. The reason behind this change is the decline of estrogen levels in the body. Localised weight gain in the hip, thigh and buttock areas can be expected because of the presence of estrogen receptors. Estrogen, in most women, drives most fat storage to the lower part of the body. As estrogen levels decline as a result fat % increases the risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Though fat gain is inevitable during menopause but taking care of the diet can help in maintaining and shedding off the extra weight gained.

Cut back on Sugar
Studies show that women who reduced the intake of sugar were able to gradually control the weight gain.

Some ways to curb sugar craving:

Try to include fruits to satisfy the sweet tooth like fruit smoothies etc.
Try not to store sweets like cakes,cookies,tarts etc which can make sugar craving worse and may make end up eating them.
Try to limit the sweets intake once or twice a week so that tastebuds can be made happy but without major guilt and disadvantages, also try having the sweet after full meal so that the room for sweets is less.

Include more of fiber foods:

Fiber in a diet not only keeps the system healthy but also lead to less craving as it provides satiety so the problem of binging is controlled thus we may also say food plays crucial role in beating menopausal weight gain.

Drinking water is must:

Make a habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of water. Water has the potential to make the sluggish system active as it hydrates the system that can give feeling of being tired and lethargic, which can make us feel inactive thereby hindering the daily physical activity. Also a fiber rich diet definitely requires more water.

Sleep for 8 hours:

Giving body proper rest is essential and also high intensity workouts helps boost metabolism and also improves sleep. Researches show that staying up late can increase the levels of a hormone known as ghrelin, which is responsible for triggering the carbohydrates cravings which is just not needed when we are trying to reduce the excess weight gain.

Some of the behavioural changes that may help in controlling weight loss:

Less sugary foods and carbonated beverages.
Reduce the fried foods intake.
Include lean meats like fish and chicken.
Eat out less often in restaurants.
Focus on more fruits and vegetables than meats and cheeses.
Control the portion sizes and do not over eat.
Share the food with friends and family so as to cut back the extra calories during get-togethers and parties.
Choose healthy cooking practises like baking, grilling, steaming than frying.

Weightloss during menopause is easily attainable if we follow all the above discussed points.

Moumita kumar
Nutrition Consultant