Metabolic stress in Diabetes Mellitus

It is a well known fact that Diabetes Mellitus otherwise known as DM is a metabolic disorder caused due to the inadequacy of insulin hormone. Metabolic disorders like this one brings in metabolic stress along with it needless to say. However it takes a real long time before the body starts giving out symptoms of this built up stress. What we need to understand is what are the implications of this metabolic stress caused due to DM and how does it all begin? This dual question takes us back to the previous posts of understanding Diabetes Mellitus.


Now lets understand the stress caused in our metabolism due to DM. Stress is caused due to accumulation of reactive oxygen molecules or free radicals in the body. In diabetes this is usually caused by the metabolic impairment of fat and protein metabolism. Due to the resistance to insulin especially in the muscles, liver and fat cells or adipocytes there is increase in free fatty acid deposition in the skeletal muscle cells, this impairs the cellular or mitochondrial energy molecule formation in muscles leading to anaerobic energy formation. Due to the release of free fatty acids on improper fat metabolism to generate energy, there is increase in reactive oxygen molecules forming reactive lipoproteins in the blood or oxidated VLDL or LDL (low density lipoprotein a.k.a bad cholestrol). Oxidated LDL and is the key to the formation of arterial plaques leading to the much infamous atherosclerosis or blockage in the coronary arteries.

Free radicals aren't so easily removed from the body as they tend to engage other molecules with them to cause major damage to the tissues in a matter of time. Fat metabolism impairment due to resistance to insulin and lack of readily available glucose molecules to enter the Kreb's Cycle which eventually generates energy in our body leads to the overall metabolic stress caused by the reactive oxygen molecules attached to fatty acids or even protein molecules. Now there is another metabolic stress built up on the side while the free fatty acids and protein molecules are on play and this is due to ketoacidosis. I had earlier mentioned about diabetic ketoacidsis when due to the incomplete breakdown of fats to generate energy there is a formation of ketone bodies or molecules which are the end products of the incomplete fat decomposition cycle. This cycle palys fatal to the liver, kidneys and brain as the level of ketone directly harmful to kidney and brain rises. Primarily this cycle comes to play if the body is thoroughly malnourished and is left with no option but to enter the fat decomposition cycle. Now I have witnessed people fall prey to this and with adequate insulin therapy and nourishment being monitored on an hourly basis this can be reversed. However the danger of this stage is something you don't want to see. The metabolic stress developed with ketone bodies causes disorientation, high acidity in the blood and kidney failure too which inturn is sufficient for the entire body collapse including heart and lungs.

Metabolic stress in DM has major and direct implications on vital organs like kidney, liver, heart and the lungs too. Due to the increasing free radical formation there is an obvious enagagement of visceral or central organs and tissues causing them regular and consistent damage. If the levels of these free radicals isn't controlled physically and biochemically there is no doubt that a major secondary complication will arise soon. I will discuss about the acute complications of Diabetes in my next post. Till then if you have anything about diabetes you want me to write on please leave a comment.
Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D
Related links - Diabetes

Basic metabolic changes in Diabetes Mellitus

Previously on Wellness and I the disorder of Diabetes Mellitus or DM was explained. But as mentioned earlier DM is the metabolic disorder and it largely determines how your body will function there after. Today I will share how to understand DM by knowing about its metabolic changes in the body.
DM as mentioned earlier occurs due to inadequate or complete lack of insulin hormone from the pancreas. This in turn leads to accumulation of glucose molecules in the blood as duely explained previously. This alone changes the original metabolism of our body, but forcing the cells to look out for other sources of energy already stored or easily available in the blood. There are 3 major energy producing biomolecules our body can utilize, viz carbohydrates or sugars, protein or protein molecules and fats. So now due to the unavailability of glucose for the cell it is forced to burn either the fat or the protein whichever is easier. Our body is also a smart piece of engineering designed to save itself first and burn out for the last and that is why it will go for fat deposits in the body before it can burn protein molecules as they are vital for basic functioning of the organs and tissues. However burning up fats doesn't seem to happen completely in the body and it leaves behind at the end of the metabolic cycle keto acids or by products that are not metabolised properly to be ridden from the body. If they start accumulating it can go on to be fatal for the brain and liver. There comes this time where the body can choose to metabolise protein molecules if there isn't enough fatty deposits in the body, this causes rapid increase in the blood acidity and muscle wasting which then weakens the already energy depleted body. As muscle and bone protein form the basic structure of the body if they get utilised to run the body energy station can you imagine how weak our basic structre would become?

You must now wonder if all this is a natural option chosen by our body if it becomes diabetic or doesn't secrete insulin enough how is it that people suffering from it before being diagnosed appear and live so normally without having problems? Let me throw some light on that one again as I mentioned earlier the body doesn't let it all go untill it can't handle the situation anymore, so its obvious why the symptoms aren't out there for all to see at first. But yes if ignored all hell can easily break loose to the outside. Another part of the metabolic change is the blood content that changes with the growing sugar content and rapid increase in the acidity. The requirement for the water content due to increased solutes in blood shoots up leading to increase in thirst constantly. Due to the breakdown of fats and some protein in the body with the lack of sugar content the body constantly craves for nutrients and hunger pangs increase in rapid succession. The depletion of energy deposits lead to loss of body weight. The idea to keep the metabolism in control is to first get a calculated diet plan and follow it to the TEE as there isn't any other choice and get your medication on time. Controlling the hunger and the wastage of the body can go a long way in dealing with the basics of metabolic changes in diabetes.
There is more on metabolism that we need to understand in diabetes which will follow in the next post.

Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D

Diabetes Mellitus : Bitter sweet tale

This new series of my blog is dedicated to the reason of my being, my grandma who passed away yesterday due to heart failure secondary to diabetes.

Everybody in this world has a story to tell with the subject of Diabetes in one way or the other. We all somehow have been intertwined into this bitter sweet symphony of life called Diabetes whether its in a childhood form or adult form. Some more unlucky of us have lost the dearest parts of our life to it and some are awaiting to face that dreadful moment. I have unfortunately lived through it recently. I am about to share with you through this new series on Diabetes the various obvious things to prevent if A) you or your dear one is diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) or B) you would want to prevent lifestyle developed DM.

Diabetes Mellitus or DM as I would refer to it often ahead is an adult onset metabolic disorder of the hormone insulin secreted by the endocrine cells of the pancreas. Insulin to put it in simplest of metaphorical terms acts as a visa for every glucose molecule in our blood to enter any cell. The passport being the sodium molecule which acts as active transporter of the glucose into the cells of the body from the blood stream. To understand how it all occurs or even how it all goes wrong in the case of DM imagine our body cells to be a foreign land and the blood stream to be the airports, glucose molecules as people and sodium channels being airplanes while sodium being the passport carried while boarding the plane, insulin is the visa that needs to be validated before entering the airplane to go abroad. Now imagine what happens if you have the passport but don't get your visa validated at the immigration desk? What happens if there is no visa validation at all for anybody at the airports across the country? What happens to the airports' premises if people are stamping over the other but get no visa to board the plane? Can you see the chaos at all airports bursting out at the seams with people? This is what happens outside every cell in our body when there is lack of insulin secreted or too inadequate to help glucose enter the cell. The glucose molecules start accumulating outside in the blood stream unable to enter the cells to generate energy and hence fuel for the body. This increases the viscosity of the blood and hence the blood pressure over a period of time. Due to the increased pressure there is an increased demand on the heart. Our body is engineered to absorb as much stress to a certain extent without disturbing the outside environment of the body and it is this ability of the body that prevents the diagnosis of DM too soon untill of course the body starts letting out symptoms.

DM like AIDS is not the threatening reason people die but because these disorders easily bring in the diseases that cause death. It is never the immediate cause of death but it sure is the easiest way to introduce it to the body. DM is known to have secondary complications the primary being ophthalmic, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, skin disease, diabetic foot. All these secondary to DM ailments are the reason for death due to DM not DM alone. Its only when the body goes into ketoacidosis due to extreme acidity of the blood raised by the incomplete breakdown of fat instead of glucose in the body, does it lead to death.

Diabetes alone can be easily kept under control with lifestyle adaptation however it is the general myth that it can be ridden out of our body that needs to be clarified. Insulin secretion stops from pancreas naturally or due to obesity where the fat deposition exceeds on the cells making them resistant to insulin uptake. If insulin secretion stops or is inadequate it will result into diabetes mellitus and that is permanent. However, if that is the diagnosis it should not be necessarily taken as if you were handed your death certificate but instead as a chance to survive keeping your life as normal as it were with some mandatory changes in lifestyle. In the next part I shall reveal more obvious truths about DM and busts some myths too.

Wish you wellness,

Neha Wasnik
R.D

Osteoporosis : Detection and thereafter

I have taken you through physiological, pathological and the exercise therapy side of the bone story that has been running on this blog. Today I will tell you what are the methods you should use or atleast be aware of to detect and identify any osteoporotic signs in your bones.

Now osteoporosis can cause secondary problems and it also can be caused by other diseases or disorders already existing in your body that are asymptomatic or silent. So what you should look out for are obvious signs, signs that can't otherwise be communicated by your body if it were normal. Osteoporosis is primarily detected by dual energy x ray absorptiometry (DXA) or by single energy x ray absorptiometry (SXA), although DXA is more accurate. DXA tests show T - score and Z - score, you have to keep in mind the T- score as it is the determining factor in Bone Mineral Density. The normal bone mineral density T - score is - 2.5 a standard deviation of more than or equal to 2.5 from the normal is considered to be red signal for osteoporosis. DXA test is like the final frontier of sorts in the detection process as it clearly showcases the structure of the bone and its density. Before we arrive at DXA there are certain serological tests that need to be run to zero down on bone mineral density (BMD)test. The blood test that is essential is serum calcium, serum alkaline phosphatase (Alk Phos), serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), Vitamin D, thyroid profile and for women above the age of 45 years Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Leutinising Hormone (LH) to check for onset of menopausal symptoms. The relevance of these tests are as follows :

1. Serum calcium - As I have explained in my previous posts that the reason for loss of bone density is the loss of bone calcium into the blood. Therefore serum calcium levels can be a good indicator for BMD. Normal levels of serum calcium are 8.5 - 10.5 mg/ dL. Elevated serum calcium show hyperparathyroidism or malignancy and decreased levels of calcium show malnutrition and osteomalacia. Hyperparathyroidism as we know is due to the reactivity of the lack of calcium in the blood and imbalance in the remodelling and modelling of the bone. However if the levels show decline in calcium it means that there isn't enough calcium in the body to be mineralised in the bone and hence high PTH would again try to remove calcium from bones to level blood calcium. Malnutrition is the major reason for a drop in blood calcium levels. Malnutrition could be lack of dietary calcium or Vitamin D or due to asymptomatic intestinal disease like celiac sprue, chronic intestinal irritability,intestinal cancer etc.

2. Serum Vit D - Vit D as we all know by now is a factor important in the absorption of calcium in the gut but also for its mineralization in the bones. Serum Vit D of > 32 ng / ml is considered normal. Vit D levels need to be adjusted by supplementation through oral vials or injection.

3. Serum PTH - Parathyroid hormone is the most crucial factor to determine the onset of osteoporotic activity in the bones. The serum elevated levels of PTH signify the loss of bone mineral density and aggrevation of remodelling sites in the bones cells, also the elevation of calcium in the blood and alkaline phosphatase. Normal levels of serum ALP is 20 - 140 IU/ L. Bone alkaline phosphatase levels elevate as it is a byproduct of the bone activity. Imbalance in the ratio of remodelling to modelling sites can lead to elevation of ALP levels. PTH levels when found declined can mean malignancy (cancerous) of the bone. Further biopsy will be required to indentify malignancy. PTH levels can also be elevated if TSH levels are imbalanced therefore a proper TSH, T3, T4 levels of the thyroid activity should be checked.

4. FSH and LH - In women who are in their perimenopausal stage around the age of 45 - 50 years and in given recent scenario even lesser age group have lower estrogen levels in their blood which only means their stimulating hormones will have elevated levels in the blood. Lower estrogen only means that there is certainly going to be imbalance in the bone mineral ratio, PTH will be elevated as estrogen brings about more bone reodelling sites and could also navigate into the inner (trabeculae) bone cells to weaken the structure.
Now you know your tests and you know what the test results translate into, but be sure to know that detecting osteoporosis can also mean detecting an underlying disorder which has been laying there silent all this while. Most of the times treating the primary cause of osteoporosis takes care of the bone disorder itself. Be sure of any such disorder priotise to treat it first and follow the therapy I have earlier explained for osteoporosis.
I will soon be writing on the diet therapy for osteoporosis and busting many myths too. So keep reading and see you here soon.

Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D
Related articles - http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/08/osteoporosis-metabolic-cause-and.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/09/exercise-for-osteoporosis.html

Exercise for Osteoporosis

I mentioned about the the physical therapy for osteoporosis includes weight bearing exercises in my previous post. Now you obviously want to know which exercise is weight bearing and which isn't, this post will speak all about it.

Weight bearing exercise literally means the activity that puts your bones to bear your body weight. Although our bones always bear it the activity induces positive stress which helps the bone mineralisation and lowers bone loss. I will also enlist the kind of exercise you should stay far away from if you have low bone density.

Weight Bearing Exercises for Osteoporsis prevention and cure:
1. Strength Training - If you have read this blog from the begining you must have noticed my emphasis on strength training exercise. I am pro strength training not because it gives you a chiseled look but because metabolically you couldn't have asked for a better gift. Strength training exercises that bear weight are low - medium intensity squats (with or without add on weights), same goes for lunges however please make sure you are accompanied by a trainer inorder to correct your form during the exercise as squats and lunges if done in incorrect posture can do you harm than good. Leg extension and hamstring curl are another form of strength training exercise that allow weight bearing also good for building strength in the muscles around your knee and why is that so good for osteoporosis? Well matter of factly the knees bear the weight partially of the lower body next to the lower spine, so if your knees are strong they can afford to bear weight better. Hyperextension of the back can also be good for the spinal bones strengthing the back muscles too, wrist flexion is also a good strength training exercise. The focus of these exercises I just mentioned is to firstly impact your hip, femur, tibia, wrist bones and spinal bones where osteoporosis is majorly seen. Strength training can also be done without any add on weights and that is what I personally practise too. You can do all the above exercises with the help of your own body weight with a little more intensity added to it. The use of terra bands, tubes, physio ball, water workouts for these exercises has turned out extremely beneficial. My mother started out with weights and then slowly moved towards resistance tube and it has shown remarkable impact on her osteopenia.

Cardio exercises - Walking is the best of all the options and it is absolutely possible wherever in the world you are with a good pair of shoes of course. Walking puts adequate weight on the bones to impact on the reduction of bone loss. Similarly medium intensity elliptical trainer is also good as is climbing the stairwell to your apartment instead of the elevator. Infact climbing stairwell has proved to be a very good alternative in times when you cannot go out for a walk but need to continue exercising just keep your posture erect. Like wise swimming and water aerobics have benefits however these are more helpfull during immediate rehabilitation after a fracture secondary to osteoporosis.

Yoga - The good old yoga proves to be a good weight bearing alternative but there are some asanas where you bend forward your turn your spine which would go against the idea of preventing osteoporosis, so don't attempt those positions.

Stretching - Sometime back I had given 9 stretching exercises to attain flexibility well it also is beneficial for osteoporosis. What you need to lower bone loss is have good weight impact on your spine and lower body bones with an erect posture. Joints where osteoporosis is frequent are hip, wrist, spine and if these are not flexible enough or lets just say are stiff your core muscles (abdominal and lower back) will pull you forward giving a hunch back look and thats no good news for your spine bones which are already under stress of low bone mineral density and compression fractures. Stretching will free the joints and help attain a good posture and balance to the body keeping the add on stress on these bones at bay.

DO NOT ATTEMPT THESE EXERCISES FOR OSTEOPOROSIS :
These are red alerts as far as osteoporosis is concerned, running, jogging, skipping, bowling, playing sport that bends your spine diagonally or impacts directly on knees and lower back. Why and How are your immdiate questions so lets answer them one at a time.

Why? - Visualise the running or jogging activity in slow motion and concentrate on the leg movements. Do you see when the foot hits the ground the weight shifts first on the knee and then on the lower back with high impact? Well that is not what we want to achieve the high impact.
How ? - We do not want these impacts because they cause compression of the spine bones, knee joint and hip joint. Compression of the bones is what will speed the fractures rather than avoid them. So do not attempt these.

Wish you wellness,
Neha
R.D
Related articles - http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/09/osteoporosis-benefits-of-physical.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/08/osteoporosis-metabolic-cause-and.html

Osteoporosis: Benefits of Physical Therapy

After we have seen all the pathophysiological evidence as to how osteoporosis begins and develops we arrive at a point to discover what are the options we have, to reverse it. Well honestly reversal or not depends how bad the situation is. If the bone is depleted completely its difficult physically for the person to do except therapy and of course nutrition and hormonal therapy. How does physical therapy help?
Medical researches all over the world across genetic pools, age, gender have given significant evidence of weight bearing exercises reducing bone resorption or bone remodelling. The major problem we face in osteoporosis is as we now know the continuous battle between bone mineral deposition and its removal to balance the calcium in the blood. Exercise that bear our weight or any tolerant weight with correct posture and body form helps tremendously in reversing the bone resorption effects. Its no wonder that when NASA sends astronauts to zero gravity they face a challenge to maintain bone mineral density if exposed to weightlessness for a long period of time continuously. No amount of good nutrition, hormonal balance is good enough if the proper exercise or physical stimulus to the bone isn't available to develop it.
I know you want to know how does gravity or bearing your own weight help osteoporosis when obesity can also threaten it? Well, remember that a child in his/ her growing years shoots up like an unkept lawn grass before you even realise it, just like grandma always says to grow up you must go out and play. The primary reason bones develop on a stimulus of the growth hormone in childhood is because it is complemented by physical stimulus to the bone cells to deposit more calcium to develop it inorder to sustain the physical demand on it. Unless there is a demand in the body there will never be a supply and that's a GIVEN. So the body or lets say the bone cells respond to the stimulus (hormonal and physical) of exercise that puts a demand over bearing weight. The stimulus is a message to our body for strength demand so the bones quickly respond in slowing the resorption or remodelling of the bones and work towards bone mineral deposition or modelling. If you ask a simple question as how on earth would the bones know if they need to grow or not ? the answer would be as simple as the baby that cries gets his milk. Our body would cry for strength and therby our bones would fulfill it. Now this fulfillment of bone modelling on a stimulus upon exercise can be met if the nutrition is fine otherwise the body ends up in a viscious cycle of malnourishment.
What are the actual benefits of weight bearing exercises on osteoporosis other than a mere stimulus you may ask? well it builds good strength in the musculation which enhances the overall strength of our body and also our agility and body posture and that is what we need ultimately to avoid a trip and fall fracture.
In my next post I will write on the various exercise you can do that will send your bones the stimulus to slow your bone remodelling.

Wish you wellness,
Neha
R.D
Related articles -
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/08/osteoporosis-from-where-does-this.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/08/osteoporosis-metabolic-cause-and.html

OSTEOPOROSIS: Metabolic Cause and Effects on Metabolism

Last I wrote about how our bone development takes place and how does bone resorption or calcium loss from bone occur. Today I will explain exact physiology of the Silent Killer due to harm almost all of us regardless of gender, age or community bias.
So we know that the process will take place post 35 years of age when the bone turnover begins i.e. bone - calcium deposition and bone - calcium resorption. We also know that the determining factor in whether the calcium deposition to calcium resorption is high or low will give the final bone density and structure stability. In a normal metabolic state the body will balance this ration of bone turnover; its the imbalance that kicks in the osteoporotic state. How is this imbalance in metablism caused? Lets find out.
For the bone to lose its hard earned calcium over 35 years of its life it better get a valid reason to give it away. Our body is much smarter and better in taking calculated risks than the brightest of us are. If the blood calcium level or serum calcium level falls to an alarming low level the body sends out through the brain a hormonal signal to the 'Parathyroid Gland' situated next to the thyroid gland to release 'Parathyroid Hormone' and the same signal is directed towards the skin to release 1,25 - D Cholecalciferol or Vitamin D after being activated by solar radiation. Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) will act upon the bone calcium deposition and stimulate the bone calcium resorption to release more calcium in the calcium deffecient blood, similarly it will also have effect to stop calcium loss through urine and facilitate calcium reuptake by the kidney. Vit D will have direct impact on calcium absorption from the instestinal tract into the blood to increase the calcium levels in the body. This is actually homeostasis that the body performs when in sudden imbalance or persitent imbalance. If this was just a one time situation the bone turnover wouldn't change majorly but when this occurance becomes habitual to the body the bones face a constant high resorption and low deposition rate leading to very low bone mineral density. The lower the bone mineral density the more porous the bones become as we last learned about the meshwork of protein being left behind making it soft.
Obvious question to the mind is how does this affect the rest of the metabolism? Well, to balance one mineral other minerals are also respectively adjusted or balanced. If there is an imbalance in calcium in the body there is going to be an imbalance in phosphorous too and so is flourine and the other minerals. Calcium is utmost essential for the normal beating of the cardiac muscle which can also go into harm if not balanced. There are other factors that take precedence like oxalic acid which form crystals with calcium. If calcium is low in the body as compared to oxalic acid it can be even reduced by formation of calcium oxalate crystals which may cause kidney stones or even joint dysfunction. Hormonal imbalance due to sudden PTH release or even a constant one changes the body's hormonal metabolism.
Once the bones are porous due to constant resorption, major joint fractures or long bone fractures are most likely to disable the person onto a bed forever causing lifestyle changing occurance. Imobility is the worst enemy of anybody and because of fraility there is no other option. There is no external infection, no cancer like disease, no major organ disorder, or major surgery to make you imobile and yet there is one and only one mineral imbalance or hormonal imbalance that has lead people like you and me to lay in their bed awaiting bone recovery. But unlike other debilatating disorders bone density can go through reversible effects, so you can work towards recovering back your bone mineral density by sheer hardwork.
There is a lot more to discover about this disorder so watch out for the next post, untill then...
Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D

OSTEOPOROSIS - From where does this silent killer creep in?

First of all I apologise for this long over due sabatical from the blog. I was working on bringing you something very close to my heart and I have now compiled a series of article topics which will be including my friend's request to write on menstrual body pain and also about fitness for sit at home people who just don't want to go to the gym.
So about this series of blog articles I am going to write everyday will be on Women's Health (of all ages). Before al my male readers turn away let me tell you some of the things I unravel to you is applicable to today's man too. If you are close to any female kind and I hardly doubt if you're not then this series is for you.
Osteoporosis has long been considered as a bone disorder of the elderly. Frankly not everyone knows what it factually is. All they can tell you is something to do with the bone and perhaps as far as a fracture in women. Well people guess what times have changed and we are solely responsible for it. In 2005 my mother was experiencing excruciating pain in one of her hip joint, she just neglected for a while thinking it was fatigue. It got to a point where she couldn't sit down or bend to pick things up from the floor. Needless to say she almost faced immobility, as I clearly recall that day when I came home from my health club to find my Mom struggling to get up from the bed. She then (somehow) got an MRI, Bone Density test, Serum calcium, Vit D, hormonal tests done. We found she wasn't osteoporotic, yet. She was osteopenic, which only meant that it will be sometime soon when she would be categorically under OSTEOPOROTIC status. That day when she found out she knew what I meant when I told her deliberatly deafened ears to start working out and stop comfort food as an excuse to feeling exhausted. In one year's time she not only lost 30 Lbs of dead weight but reversed her bone deterioration, of course with diet and apt exercise module along with Vit D supplementation. You have to really coax her today to give up one day of workout. So the question still remains what is it that we do to end up being susceptible to osteoporosis and that apart why do medical sciences tag it a 'SILENT KILLER'? I can understand your dilemma coupled with curiosity, but osteoporosis does more harm to our body than just bone frailty. This is what I will write about in this series.
To understand the pathophysiology (its effects) of osteoporosis we need to understand what is our bone structure made of. Simply it is nothing but a meshwork of protein molecules which have mineral fixations into it making it look like a wholesome sturdy structure. Protein forms the major support for the actual bone, while minerals like calcium, phosphorous, give it its sturdy tough body. Without the adequate mineral deposition in the protein meshwork the bone is just a croche of protein with big holes in it. Remember how you grow taller upto certain age and then just stop growing no matter how tall you want to be? Thats called growth of the epiphysis simply explained when we're young as in really small babies our bones aren't completely formed to what they are now. There are spaces between the firm bone structure that awaits development so we grow taller into adulthood. This process takes place along with the growth hormone by constant mineral deposition in the protein structure of the bone. At some point the growth hormone release is inhibited and the bone growth eventually stops. Our bones go through a process called as absorption and this continues upto the age of 35. After 35 however bones go through a turnover process i.e. absorption and resorption. The bone turnover determines the actual net bone density, which only translates into whether your bone is absorbing more calcium or giving away more calcium. This turnover is initiated by the overall process called ageing. Secondary to natural stimulus for bone resorption are factors that accelerate bone calcium resorption like obesity (too much weight on the ones), calcium defeciency(not enough calcium in the blood), Vit D defeciency, thyroid hormone abnormality, malnutrition overall, oestrogen imbalance. if you manage to do all the above mentioned activities you'll be succesfull in depleting your bones from calcium thus inviting with warm arms a permanent guest called OSTEOPOROSIS to your humble body. What osteoporosis will do after it starts developing is frailty in your physical self. Frailty leads to accidents, or immobilisation like in the case of my mom. Frailty of the bones also means your nervous plexi which were protected by adequate bone space is now facing muscular pressure as the body structure is weak and cannot hold major muscles in their original way. If the nerves are pressed there is neural damage symptomatic as dysfuntional part of the body the nerves are supplying brain impulses to. Now you can multiply all this into why this silent unwanted guest is a killer, a silent killer. Watch out for more on this topic as I unravel more about Osteoporosis and general health.

Get your food fortification know how

Every now and then my friend from Nederlands, Liliane asks me a health related question which invariably turns out to be the topic of my article. Liliane wanted to know about the various brands of fortified waters available in the U.S.A with vitamins, minerals and what have you, do I consume such waters and what should be the ideal way to go around these products? Lots of great questions and the answers are all coming your way. Joel from Brisbane too wanted more information on rehydration so Joel, read along this one can help you too...

To begin with the question everyone asks me what water I drink or food I eat? Well I do not consume fortified waters for a simple reason that I fortify my food and fluids adequately in their natural or acquired form. I rely for my body hydration on mineral water or hygienic water of atleast 60 - 70 fl oz apart from another 30 fl oz of soups, juices, broths, yogurt, smoothies that I would choose from at random. However having said that fortified waters especially with minerals and Vitamin C can be beneficial if they do not alter the water composition and chemical properties to an extent that is harmfull for the body. But these are beneficial for those who are either debilitated with disease or have a tremendous nutrient requirement like the athletes competeing in championships. For regular lifestyle always rely on basics like plain water, fruit juices, fruit waters of citrus fruits, thin yoghurt/ buttermilk, vegetable/ lentil/ millet broths (non cream). What one needs to understand about such fortified waters is the reason it is needed. To compensate on heavy losses of minerals and vitamins after workouts, competition, under nourished body these fluids with RDA (recommended dietary allowances) approved fortification can be consumed. The pH of the fluid shouldn't be altered after fortification to an extent that it alters its chemical properties (too acidic or too alkaline). Remember our blood has a pH of 7.4 (pH 7.0 is neutral) so we need to be hovering around it.

Foods can be fortified and one need not have specific requirements to consume them. I fortify my breakfast a lot for e.g if I have an iron rich food I always couple it with citrus or Vitamin C rich natural food or fortified product, as Vit C plays crucial role in iron's preferred uptake in the intestine. My bread is always whole wheat but sometimes mix grain helps in giving additional nutrients missing or less in wheat alone. Egg white are never without skim milk or even my cooked millets for that matter. Sometimes I may add milk to flour or milk powder to flour to fortify it with protein, calcium and other minerals. The home made yoghurt when being cultured is fortified with an extra spoon of skim milk powder so as to increase nutrient content in the same amount as well as enhance the body of the yoghurt. Vegetable soups can also be fortified by adding chunks of bran coutons non fried of course or fruit soups with vegetable soups can be quite a stirr in your diet. Fortified food products are so easily available in every mall or store but not every product is applicable to your needs so don't be a blind shopper. Always read the label on the product and verify how much of the nutrient has been fortified. Its always the higher amount of fortification as the body's absorption preferrences are factored in while producing the product. Lets say Product X has been fortified with N amount of Zinc its because the actual absorption of Zinc would have been factored as N-2, so on and so forth. There is a lot that will be shared with you on this one topic so login or send me an email by clicking on http://www.blogger.com/profile/04806964576282909106%20andand ask me if you want a specific answer pertaining to your needs.

Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D

How to 'stretch' your stress out?

They say to every complicated problem the solution is propotionately simple yet we entangle ourselves in reaching out to resolve the problem. Such is the case with our stress related physical worries. I don't have to explain how the pressures of our self imposed lifestyle takes toll on the body especially the muscles, joints, eyes, head and the bigger picture of course our general wellness that the peace of mind which has now become as extinct as dinosaurs. If stress is inevitable then there should be a regular regime to destress as well. A few things to destress can take you a long way. Here I will focus on the muscular stress and how to destress by just stretching our body every 3- 4 hours a daily. Stretching has always been undermined but its benefits go beyond enhancing flexibility, it relieves our body's stiffness caused due to muscular pain, injury, or strain, it also helps circulation and allows regulation of inhalation and exhalation.
A few basic stretches you could practise even at your work place could be:

1. Arm stretch (Biceps) - With an erect posture elevate one arm perpendicular to the body (like when you ask for candy with your arm out ) with your palm facing the sky. With the other hand hold your palm by your fingers and give it a stretch outwards and count upto 10. You will feel a stretch in your biceps. Repeat the same for the other arm.

2. Arm Stretch (Triceps) - With an erect posture raise one arm upwards with your palm open and pointing to the sky. Bring your fore arm down behind your head near the opposite shoulder and with your other hand hold the fingers pulling them down. The stretch would be felt in your triceps count upto 10. Repeat with the other arm.

3. Shoulder Stretch - Stand erect or sit uprite. Join your hands to pray. Now bring out your arms perpendicular to the body(elbows stretched) and open out your palms still joined to eachother by just fingers and give it a push as though your moving a cupboard. The stretch would be on your shoulders count upto 10 and repeat it 3 times.

4. Cat Stretch - Kneel down and at an arm's length face downwards with your palms on the ground. You should be on your four limbs like cats. Now breathe in slowly and take your spine upwards forming a small arch of your back count upto 10 and slowly bring your position back by exhaling. Repeat it 3 times.

5. Dog Stretch - Kneel down and at an arm's length face downwards with your palms on the ground. You should be on your four limbs like dogs. Now breathe in slowly and bring your butt to touch your heels by lowering your shoulders and forehead touching the ground, keeping the palms in their same position. When you touch your forehead to the ground count upto 10 while exhale slowly. Repeat it thrice.

6. Lower Back Stretch - Lay on your back. Fold both your legs by bringing your knees closer to your chest and hold it with your hands. Count upto 10 and release going back to the same lying down position. Breathe in while folding your legs and exhale while releasing them. Repeat it thrice.
7. Hamstring Stretch - Take a step forward and lower the opposite knee pressing both your palms on the stretched out thigh and count upto 10. Release and repeat for opposite leg.

8. Quadraceps Stretch - Stand erect and take support with one hand of a pillar, chair, table etc. Bend the opposite leg upwards with the heel touching the behind and hold the foot with your hand and count upto 10. Release and repeat it thrice. This stretch would be on your outer thigh.

9. Relaxing your eyes - Regularly every couple of hours take exactly 60 seconds to relax your eye muscles. Simply close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. This would soothe the eye muscles not stressing them through the day.

By following these simple stretches you can avoid many side effects of stress on your muscles regularly giving flexibility to your joints as well as relieving your major muscle groups of strainous pressure being built up.

Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D
Related Articles -
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/06/endorphin-chocoholic-effect-of-exercise.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/05/5-summer-workout-must-haves.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/04/no-resistance-to-resistance.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/03/fat-loss-or-weight-loss.html

Wellness : Love yourself and avoid what Michael Jackson could have

Michael Jackson is one person who didn't deserve what he gave himself, disillusion, cynicism about his looks and his image, his health during his last years to be specific and more so his last days untill his last hour. For having adored his talent and genius to move the entire world with sheer energy of his music and his dance; I on a personal level am extremely disappointed by his death and professionally am motivated to responsibly educate who ever follows my blog or work about the harshest realities about not loving yourself for who you are. It has taken me almost a week to gather myself to write this article. I have been following his history through personal interviews, excerpts, documentary, making of his videos and the ongoing coverage post his passing by and one clear indication comes back to a single point troubled upbringing and low self esteem. We all are humans in the same right, having our weak moments in life one or more too often. Yes we all are equally vulnerable to criticism, ridicule, possible low confidence by self doubt and an unquenchable desire to be better than who we are in the present scenario - we are all that. But what we must remember in that weak moment while on verge to faulter that there is a bigger and valid reason why we are who we are. I was extremely lucky like many to be born healthy and to have grown into a presentable personality, although it would not be possible had it not been for the influx of positivity of my parents and family members all through my impressionable age. Like Michael's father once teased him about being ugly (to a boy who was the cutest and most handsome young man in his adolscence) because of his skin blemishes that made him cry and reclusive all the while, I too had one of my loved ones (not my family) say to my face that I should perhaps go for rhinoplasty. If you're already not aware of how good looking you are this comment can harm your menatality tremendously, it can lead you into extreme self doubt and contemplate procedures that you don't require to begin with. Of course I was deeply hurt and had my saddest moment there when I heard it but very soon the person was unceremoniously jutted out of my life for good. If god forbid I wasn't a strong individual and didnt have a family and a fleet of supportive friends can you imagine what that one statement could have ended me into ? I also thank my own intellect which is again a god given gift that I was sensible as a health professional to be responsible towards myself first.
Michael could have avoided all that lead him so far into his darkest moment had he refuted like his younger sister about such comments decades ago. We as his admirers could have had our Michael for a lot more years dancing to his music along with him if only he had loved himself for who he was just the way we didn't care about how he looked, it never mattered anyways. Infact I have over the years have guaged that people whether liked or disliked him unanimously agreed upon the fact that he was far better looking when hadn't gone under the knife. Wellness comes from within your soul, mind and into your body. Wellness needs positive energy, good food to run a healthy body, positive people surrounding you. Well its understandable that you can't always do much with who are surrounding you although your positivity will attract only positive people and that I have experienced. I have constantly written about the food that determines how our life behaves and yes food can also determine how we think as it influences neurotransimissions and has proven to have influence on mood regulation. When we dont eat the food that will allow us to think positively and love ourselves we automatically engage into a negative frame of mind and therby tending towards options like artificial parts of our body allowing us to be pseudo happy. Do you really think a perky or straight nose is the source of your happiness ? You ought to get a new dictionary for the word happiness in that case. I speak from my very traumatic experience of skin problems. I have a hyper reactive skin that leaves blemishes, scars, pigment with the change of climatic conditions, stress, physical interactions like holding an arm, clothing, carrying a heavy bag; I know its frivolous but true. I adore myself to no end all I need is my skin the way it originally has been so I need to take extreme care with its reactions. Being a averse to cosmetics its very difficult for me to slather sunscreen, disinfectant and non allergic products day in and day out all over my body but if thats what it takes to keep my skin healthy and safe I am all for hard work. Recently I panicked after having a therapy for my skin which had its temporary effects of marks but with immediate effect of 72 hours all was fine infact my skin was glowing and had done away with the blotchyness. Of course I have to take care with what I eat too but an external harm to your body can lead to procedures you wouldn't think of otherwise. Burn marks are one of them, please understand the reason plastic surgery is required to help people acquire a normal life out of their disformity not too become obessesively self destructive. The key to be happy is to primarily love what God or nature (who ever you believe in) created on this earth and that includes you. If you doubt your imperfect looks to get into a glamourous world let me shed some light on that aspect as well. There is no "glamour" once you're in the industry and again I speak from my experience. Its sheer perception that we in the glam world project out. On the contrary we have much hard work than anyone can imagine and I mean physical work. In the history of show business or any business a perfect nose has not raked in popularity and money and to prove it there can't be a bigger lesson than Michael Jackson. Love yourself to the fullest, share your joy wellness in its purest form will be where you are....
Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D

ENDORPHIN – the chocoholic effect of exercise in your body

Lets start with the word ENDORPHIN and what does it translate into physicality?
ENDORPHIN – is a neurotransmitter acting like a hormone released from your brain which blocks the P substance that indicates sense of pain to the brain thus acting as natural pain killer. But more importantly what it stimulates in the body is a ‘feel good factor’ or happiness or mood regulation also seen as a relief in mental illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and types of depression. There is a red alert to this though too much of it is not healthy.
So how does this endorphin get triggered in the body to be released by our brain? And how long does its effect last?

Endorphin release can be stimulated by various factors such as adequate exercise, eating foods that release endorphin in restricted quantity like chocolate, walnuts, cocoa products, herbs. The safest way is to get your workout shoes on and get going for anywhere between 20 – 45 min daily for not more than 6 days a week. Remember your body is not a robot that’s on autopilot it needs rest for a good 24 hour break from exercise. The effect of endorphin released by exercise can last for at least 18 hours post workout if done regularly in a periodic manner. What our body and brain requires is the effect of exercise not to be confused with the daily routine exertion that we put ourselves through. I have been asked this question almost every time I recommend or prescribe a fitness regime ‘ I HAVE A VERY ACTIVE LIFE AS I MY WORK INCLUDES A LOT OF PHYSICAL RUNNING AROUND SO WHY DON’T I LOOSE EXTRA POUNDS OR FEEL ENERGISED AT THE END OF THE DAY?’. Let me put this as simply as possible, energy and endorphin release to effect our mood regulation and body functions around almost 18 hours a day need a trigger of 45 minute workout. Anything beyond that mark will be addressed by the body as exertion and not effective utilization of the built up energy. Exertion leaves our body in a state of fatigue and there’s no ‘feel good factor’ about that. I will be addressing the topic of fatigue later on.
Endorphin has also been seen to affect the sexual drive, memory, learning and body temperature. So now that we know we can last our manually triggered mood regulator for at least 18 hours what do we eat to trigger it?

A little piece of dark chocolate a day has also the effect on endorphin release, similarly resvetrol in red wine after consuming 60 ml or 2 fl oz a day can benefit in endorphin release, aromas in food with infused herbs like rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme etc and spices have also shown some effect in release of the neurotransmitter. I always go for something that’s natural and controllable and that for sure is exercise regime. That’s my endorphin boost for the day.

Wish you wellness.

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5 Summer Workout Must Have's

Every summer dons upon us with an escalating energy to get out, workout so that you look good to be envied for your beach body. That time of the year is on its anvil now and I can understand your rush of excitement to look good. But just for a moment let me warn you about spur of the moment enthusiasm in us, making many of us become oblivious to the harshness of the summer on our exercise schedule and thereby our coveted chiseled body. Here are 5 things you should keep at the back of your hand while working out in summer season.

1. Rehydration – Although 66% of your body is water rehydration in a continuous manner is mandatory. The first factor to take you down is being dehydrated during summer. Well your immediate reaction to this being drinking lots of water is not completely wrong. A study done to see the effect of drinking plain water on hydration of the body during workout was concluded that it is like filling up a bucket with a hole at the bottom. The rate at which water rehydrates the body is the same as it causes diuretic effect on it. Sweating coupled with humidity only adds to the problem. While rehydrating the body remember to add in sodium of about 50 – 60 mmols or 100 ml of water will have 1 gm of salt and 5 to 10 gms. of simple sugar or glucose added. The sugar source needs to easily absorbed in the circulatory system so it should be glucose. Always remember to drink at least 3 times of the fluid that has quenched your thirst e.g. If 200 ml of fluid has quenched your thirst then 600 ml of the same fluid should be ideally consumed to rehydrate the entire body. Drink at least 2 -3 glasses of 250 ml each of the fluid at least an hour before the exercise and about 200 – 250 ml during the workout. Post workout rehydrate with the same fluid at least 3 – 4 such glasses.

2 . Carbohydrate Loading – Your muscles are the major functional tissue to be utilized while working out. Major muscle groups like that of arms and legs and liver store in them a carbohydrate or chained glucose called glycogen. Glycogen is the emergency supply of glucose if the blood glucose gets replete. This means that in order to be ready for supplying glucose to the muscles the glycogen store should be adequate. Insufficient glycogen in the muscles is one of the major reasons of post workout pain, soreness for longer period, cramps while working out. A simple way to ensure this problem is taken care of is by loading your muscles with enough carbs pre workout. Ensure to consume as per your recommended diet plan a 3 hourly complex – simple carbs cycle. Complex carbs – whole wheat products, rye, red rice, millets, etc, simple sugars stick to seasonal fruits chose from all possible colors, dry fruits. Glycogen loading goes over for 18 hours so be sure you have had enough before workout. Make sure you consume 100 gm of carbs within the first hour post exercise this helps in the immediate carb loading in the worked muscle group instead of being distributed throughout the body.

3. Protein rebuild – Protein becomes essential for tissue wear and tear while workout as well as the insulin influencer in the body. Pre workout (around an hour) protein controls the sudden jump in the insulin secretion after consuming the carbs and regulates fat metabolism or breakdown. Protein also rebuilds lost muscle fibres post workout and supplies enough amino acids for tissue loss other than muscular.
10 – 15 % of your carb intake should be of high biological value proteins like low fat milk, casein products, whey products, egg white, soy milk. These have to be zero fat.

4. Suppressants – Caffeine is usually consumed pre workout but it harms the body completely to benefit from the workout. It acts as a dehydrant leaving the body far from rehydrating even with the fluid intake, it suppresses muscular pain hence not allowing the body’s natural indication for fatigue or exercise threshold making you workout for longer duration and stripping the body of its resources including excessive tissue loss. Fat is another such suppressant. Its intake pre workout slows gastric emptying leaving absorption of carbs and protein at a slower rate in the body and even slower replenishing of the required nutrients. It also causes sluggish effect on the brain.

5. Vitamin – Energy and metabolism influencing vitamins like B1, B2, B3, B12, are an essential lot that needs to be replenished through natural sources like carb and protein source. Vitamin A and E playing pivotal roles as antioxidants in curbing the free radicals stimulated by intense workout.

Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D
Related article -
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/04/no-resistance-to-resistance.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/03/fat-loss-or-weight-loss.html

Antioxidants : Lycopene up your heart

We all have heard and read a lot about antioxidants and their wonder effects on our body and stress. Medical researches over recent years have been talking a lot about one such antioxidant called Lycopene. What do we know about this stress buster other than its origin lies in tomatoes?

Lycopene like many antioxidants is a pigment present in the skin of fruits and vegetables rendering them their red color. Being a plant pigment it is not produced by the human body and needs to be consumed by eating the fruits and vegetable source of Lycopene.
Tomato, watermelon, red grape fruit are a few common sources of the antioxidant.

Research has time and again shown us that consuming Lycopene has taken to protecting from cardiac disease and prostate cancer. So exactly how does it help? Well the exact physiology of the wonder pigment remains to be understood however research has demonstrated that men who suffered from cardiac diseases or prostate cancer showed low amounts of Lycopene in their body fat whereas those who didn’t had more Lycopene in their body fat.

I know what your thinking if this antioxidant is suppose to protect us from heart disease and cancer how has it been seen in body fat ? Well the answer to that is simple Lycopene like many fat soluble pigments such as Vitamin A and D are absorbed in our intestinal tract with the help of fat. But this does not imply that excess of fat is needed for absorption of Lycopene. Lycopene helps in reducing the stress stimulating free radicals which breakdown fatty acids incompletely leaving them to form plaques on the arterial walls, causing artherosclerosis. Artherosclerosis is the deposition of LDL and other molecules in the blood on the plaques formed on the walls of the arteries leading to a block as we commonly know called cholesterol blockage.

Now the real fundamental information is how do you make sure you get your heart and organs Lycopene packed and plaque proofed? Well it is seen that fresh tomatoes and fruits possessing Lycopene aren’t best absorbed as compared to their cooked versions.
Tomato sauce, soup, ketchup, puree are enriched sources of Lycopene as the pigment is easily available from the crushed and cooked skin of the fruit. A red grape sauce has better chances of absorbing Lycopene in our body than just the mere fresh fruit. A tea spoon or half of olive oil or any vegetable oil helps enhancing the absorption in the body.
To help you understand better below are enlisted Lycopene amounts in fruits and tomatoes.

FOOD SOURCES OF LYCOPENE
Food Item - Lycopene in milligrams
Tomato Soup, 1 cup - 24.8 mg
Tomato or Spaghetti Sauce, ½ cup - 19.4 mg
Canned Tomatoes, ½ cup - 11.8 mg
Watermelon, 1 cup - 7.8 mg
Ketchup, 2 tablespoons - 5.1 mg
Fresh Tomato, 1 medium - 3.7 mg
Pink or Red Grapefruit, ½ cup - 1.8 mg
Source: USDA/NCC Carotenoid Database for U.S. Foods -- 1998 & Tomato Research Council
Wish you wellness,
Neha
R.D
Related articles -
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html

Wellness : Are you twittering with it ???

This post comes as a dedication to my tweetfriend Liliane as a voracious twitterer like me to enlighten our readers the benefits and ill effects of social networking on wellness.

Ever since the world has shrunk into a web of broadband, cable and data network it's almost a ritual to be a pius member of some social network portal. It has given us an oppurtunity to connect, explore and create possibilities we wouldn't have imagined more than a decade ago. While some have used the network to their immense benefit the rest have merely reduced to become its victims. Some may ask how has it influenced our wellbeing? Well here is a perspective to look into and wonder.

We all are well aware of how people struggle to lose weight, attain fitness, fight their illness, and worse try endlessly to look like their idols. The correct solution to every problem lays in the correct information. This has become very easy since people started networking throughout the globe on social sites like twitter, facebook, mysace, orkut, you name it and they were on it. These networks opened access to information from quacks as well as professionals and thus the road to health was embarked. In the meanwhile the social networking also helped in easing out loneliness and depression secondary to obesity and other lifestyle related illnesses. Sure enough chatting with people in support groups and online friends helps to motivate while on a regime. Wellness after all begins and ends with one's happiness. Defeating depression and finding a new way to living a healthy life at the same time was never as easy as click of a key. The social networks offer online consults with fitness trainers, dietitians, doctors, pharmacists and so on and so forth expanding your reach everytime you click on the right link. Although information acquisition isn't enough the guidance to a healthy lifestyle has been offered here too.

So one wonders where do people go wrong while networking on social sites? Its the differentiating information from a professional to that of a quack is the key. A professional would not try to sell to hard and fast his/ her services but would first educate you on health and its benefits. Winning the confidence of your client is more important than selling a service. Besides the wrong information going around people further took to extending their sedentary lifestyle a step ahead by constantly being glued to their computers or mobile phones leaving no time to actually get up eat right and exercise right. So the ill effects on wellness skipped a step and went straight to where it started - A Sedentary Life. As we say anything in excess is toxic and so is the case in relation with social networking and wellness.
Where you have a domain full of accurate information please use it don't abuse it. After all it helps to see someone benefit out of the information I as a professional have put out on the web rather than see the ill effects.

Wish you wellness,
Neha Wasnik
R.D
Related link - The Ultimate Self Blog http://www.the-ultimate-self.com/Blog/

3 Ways To Make Mother's Day A Success

All mothers have one thing in common their thankless job as a mother. To tell you the truth it’s the most difficult job on the planet so far and the most satisfying too. We are always dwarfed by our mom’s effortless ways to make our lives easy, but how can we make her day priceless? The other thing common amongst mothers is lack of health, I mean sure they are extremists when it comes to our health but they don’t pay that much of a heed to their own health. So there! its their health that you need to gift them to make it a priceless Mother’s Day. Trust me its something you ought to do for your mom anyway but give it a little more zing to it by these 3 ways and notice the happiness on her face instantly.

1. Healthy home cooked breakfast – There no better way to start any day than to have a nourishing breakfast. To top it all making a healthy breakfast for your mom and having it with her on Mother’s Day… isn’t that just sweet? Here’s what is the express way to cook a healthy breakfast :
Mom’s Day breakfast – Begin with 1 cup herbal green tea with sugar substitute (sucralose derivative only). 1 glass of fresh grapefruit juice / cranberry juice / orange juice (no added sugar) and Egg white and bell peppers and spring onion and herbs frittata with 1 tsp of olive oil and 2 slices of toasted whole wheat bread or rye bread and ½ oz feta cheese. Finish it with 2 whole fresh figs or peaches.

2. Wellness treatments – Gift your mother a few hours at a near by spa or wellness clinic where she could get herself a full body massage, a face and neck treatment for rejuvenation and skin tone, hair moisturizing and shampoo treatment, manicure and pedicure. Most importantly it should have a comprehensive body analysis other than blood test to avoid fasting period. These could be fitness assessment, heart check up, skin analysis etc. Include a yearly membership to a fitness centre where she can spend sometime of her day engaged in her health.

3. Shopping for future – Go shopping with your Mom to gift her a supply of health foods like fresh produce, low fat, sugar free and low sodium food items, year round gift certificate for health food restaurants in her neighborhood, coupons for buying health food from the mall or store, do not forget to add to your shopping cart with a health insurance policy just for her. Basically anything that takes her mind away from everything other than herself. Shopping is just another excuse for spending quality time with her and results into release of endorphins from the brain giving the both of you a feeling of happiness and fulfillment.

All of the above ways are not expensive things to afford given the cash crunch days that we all are facing. However no amount of money is enough to buy your mom the happiness she deserves, and she deserves only the best from you. Giving these gifts is actually a supplementary thing; what you will be giving her is a day with you and no gift is comparable to that, considering she has given her life to you.
Wish you wellness,
Neha
R.D
Related articles -
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-women-want.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/03/fat-loss-or-weight-loss.html

Meal Plan according to my diet

This one is for those who asked for my diet and meal plan. Please do not follow all you read as I always say this is a customised meal plan for my requirements. However you can have the early morning nuts and fruits as I do.
Breakfast – 3 walnuts + 2 almonds
1 cup tea with 1 tsp sugar with
3 egg whites + ½ bowl whole wheat pasta or 2 whole wheat bread
or 1 bowl oats in 1 cup of skim milk with 1 tsp honey and nuts.
and 1 fruit
11. 00 am – 1 seasonal fruit
1.30 pm – 1 bowl Rice
1 bowl Thick lentil soup (Dal) / 1 breast peiece & 1 leg piece Chicken from
Gravy /Grilled Chicken
1 cup vegetable / spiced sprouts
1 cup salad (sometimes beans/ sprouts)

4 pm – 1 cup tea with whole wheat cracker
6 pm – 2 seasonal fruit or seasonal fruit juice without sugar or honey
9.15 pm – 2 Whole Wheat Indian bread (Roti) non greased
1 cup Thick lentil soup non spiced no oil (Dal )
1 cup vegetable
Almost to bed - 1 glass of water to hydrate for the next 8 hours

Water and fluids - 2.5 litres a day
Fat intake - not more than 4 tsp vegetable oil only

Wish you wellness,
Neha
R.D

Health By Request only...

Dear followers,
I have really loved writing Wellness and I for the past quarter. In just 3 months I have had such great comments from all your emails and I can't thank you enough. I am working on really good topics you would want to know and practice but you might have to wait just a wee bit more.
Since I am doing an appreciation round for you with this post I thought I might get to know what would you want me to write about? It could be a real life battle of someone you know or it could be some fun stuff for the upcoming summer round the corner or even spring season must do's or something special for Mother's Day to gift your mom. I promise no matter how many requests I recieve I will write about it and let you know exactly how to go around your curiosity.
So let those mails keep coming with request. You could make it easy for yourself by sending me a tweet on @nehawworldwide or leave a comment.
Wish you wellness,
Neha
R.D
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http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/04/swine-flu-how-to-combat-mutated-virus.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/04/10-fitness-faux-pas.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/04/no-resistance-to-resistance.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-transpires-beneath-part-2.html

Swine Flu - How to combat the mutated virus pandemic ?

Immunity is all about what you have been eating in the past that builds up to molecules recognizing & fighting deadly bacteria, fungi, amoeba, and virus. The current villain of course is the Swine Influenza Virus or SIV. Now how can you build resistance to a mutated virus as your immunity system has no recognition of it what so ever? Well you can't really fight it without being immunised and thats a fact especially when the virus mutates developing a vaccine is challenging. However your body can fight over to stabalise the trauma of the flu internally. There are a few basics to keep a checklist of to make sure you have got the immunity build up under control when the time comes like this one.
Checklist 1 Fat - Well we all know there is the bad fat and good fat but the quantity of this good or essential fatty acids in the food we eat is crucial. You need to select and eat the amount required every single day inorder to keep a constant biomolecules of immunity system to be available to maintain resistance and the strength of the body internally. Essential fatty acids are from Unsaturated Fat and are of two kinds Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 3 being the most crucial one in protection of our body. Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids have food sources like sardines, mackrel, herring, salmon, bluefish, pompano florida, tuna, trout, blackberry seeds, walnuts, almonds, soy, flax seeds, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, almond oil, cod liver oil. Around 4 - 6 oz of the fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids twice or thrice a week or 1 oz of nuts in a week or 3 oz of the vegetable oil in a week is a necessary dietary intake. It should be well remembered that all these foods already have a sufficient fat content and they shouldn't be eaten fried but baked or grilled or raw which ever suits the foods edible quality. Essential fatty acids like DHA & EPA which are one of the omega 3 fatty acids are the precursors or initiation points of immune molecules, hormones, blood vessel permiability, bone health, cardiovascular function, cerebral function, . Research has shown that excess of omega 6 over omega 3 can saturate the enzymes that inturn desaturate and elongate both the fatty acids. The ratio of O- 6 to O - 3 can inflence neurotransmission and thus brain activity. The ideal ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids in a diet is 2:1 to 3:1. It is easy to have that balance when you buy food that has the ratio mentioned on the nutrition label. Essential fat is also necessary for the adequate absorption of antioxidants like Vitamin A, D, E, lycopene from cooked tomatoes, phytophenols, flavonoids, as these ultimately help the immune system to desaturate the stress caused by the free radicals in the body.
Checklist 2 Protein - Now fat isn't independently present in nature nor the body. It is always linked or attached to another molecule. Proteins like globulins, which are a part of the antibodies fighting against a foreign body are derived from high biological value (HBV) protein like caesin from dairy, fish, poultry muscles, lean meat. Because these sources have in them the essential amino acids that the body cannot produce and also as they are bioavailable, they are most essential sources of protein. Without HBV protein the body doesn't recieve repair & strength from structural protein ( bone , muscle, skin, organ tissue), protection (immune molecules like antibodies and enzymes), function (hormones, enzymes, neurotransmission, tissue). Basically we are structureless without protein.
Checklist 3 Antioxidants - I know this word makes more appearances than any other in any health related literature but that is only because it is the most crucial molecule for our survival and thriving in this environment. What exactly do we mean by 'ANTIOXIDANTS' ? Vitamins all of them (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E and K ), yes each one of them has some role to play in the other's function. Minerals like zinc, calcium, chemicals from plant sources like flavonoids from soyabean, pigments like anthocyanin,cyanidins, quercetin, zeaxanthin, alacinin, elagic acid, lycopene, lutein and many more derived from again the fruits and vegetables and condiments. Resveratrol from the skin of grapes present in grape juices and red wine or blueberries.
Well as mentioned earlier all this is to be ready when the disease is somewhere around in your vicinity or in today's scenario on the way to your vicinity. As it is rightly said prevention is always tastier than cure. Happy eating. Be safe of SIV, be clean and avoid crowds.

Wish you wellness,
Neha
Related Articles -
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-transpires-beneath-part-2.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/03/there-is-no-i-in-team.html
http://wellnessandi.blogspot.com/2009/04/under-apocalyptic-sun.html
R.D

No Resistance to Resistance

Whenever people talk about losing extra weight or getting into shape or just choosing a healthy lifestyle the words ‘ weight training’ don’t even remotely feature into the conversation. If at all they do its only discussed in a cynical manner completely omitting its positive effects. Its been quite some time now since we have been getting educated through newspapers, magazines and the internet about health but these still persists a resistance to resistance training or more commonly known as weight training.

While people dwell in this common notion that if one takes to weight training then

(A) They’re going to develop bulging biceps.

(B) They’re going to injure themselves or if they are injured they absolutely cannot even look at weights

(C) Weights = Heavy weights and nothing from light to moderate a weight training is only meant for those body building competitions.

Its time to wake up and smell the coffee and also differentiate from tea. To begin with if you are a woman you’ll need to be reborn as a man to develop bulging biceps as a result of weight training, as females do not possess the hormone responsible for the bicep’s bulge and that is TESTOSTERONE. So those females who have been misled by their peers or by their own common sense that muscle development due to weight training equals to biceps bulge get it out of the system NOW!! Then there are a few men and women who shy from weight training out of fear of injuring themselves. Let me take this oppurtunity to enlighten all the readers, one could very well injure oneself without weight training as well and if not pursuing exercise scientifically injury is just around the corner anyways. Most of the people who do get injured while weight training is only the outcome of faulty handling of the weight and it could very well be your own body weight. One need not resort to heavy weight training to result into injury infact most of the injuries incurred are because of ill- handling of the lightest weight possible and secondly due to incorrect form or body posture while working out.

Now that two categories of resistance to resistance training have been nullified the third most prevalent one is the very picture of weights in the mind is being drawn very negatively. The moment someone consults for getting into shape the look on the face is worth a kodak moment when I dare to utter the two magical words, ‘ Weight Training’. When one says go for weight training how can the mind take these words and convert them into the picture of a heavily muscular man lifting pounds that is equal to the weigt of a human ? I could never know !!! For once let the picture be that of a healthy and fit young bloke or young teenage girl who run to college or a senior citizen who has prevented or cured his/ her bone disease because they took to weight training or a woman in her mid 30’s who continues to live a fit lifestyle.

Wish you wellness,

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10 Fitness Faux Pas

This is a wake up call for all those who want to get up every morning and see themselves thinner in the mirror. Yes if it were only with the help of a magic wand that Cinderella or Harry Potter got what they wanted, but we live in reality that few want to embrace. Looking thin is not only about what the mirror tells us but also what we feel within. It is what our heart, mind , body and soul that make or break us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The combination of heart, mind, body and soul is what is called our Wellness. People always make a lot of mistakes or buy into the short cuts to gain fitness or lose weight and finally end up frustrated and having a misconception about diet , weight loss, working out and health in totality. Here are 10 fitness faux pas most of us have made unaware that its like stepping into a trap.

FITNESS FAUX PAS: FITNESS BLUNDERS

1) DIET. The very mention of the word makes people cringe. This could be easily slated as the most misused and therfore misinterpreted. Diet is nothing but what one eats in everyday life. It could be right or wrong but it does not imply or equate to starvation. Infact skipping meals big or small is the biggest blunder people make to lose weight. I’ve had people say that they want to lose weight without dieting. As a Dietitian it only meant that one wants to lose weight without eating food, how is that ever going to sustain for life? A healthy diet whether to lose or gain or maintain weight is all about a well calculated meal plan customised for an individual’s lifestyle, fat percentage, weight and height. It could be less in calories, fat and have a low glycemic index but would be high on frequency through the day. A diet could also be dense in protein, calories and carbohydrates but less in portion size of the meal. So next time when anyone asks you whether you diet, don’t hesitate to say YES !! Doesn’t matter if you are gaining your losing weight, the answer is still YES.

2) Weight Loss on Scale. If you have lost a good amount of weight in the first 2 months of your weight loss regime don’t be too excited. As the scale is not your friend but can be a cheater at times. During the first 2 months of working out our body loses water as its not used to so much energy expenditure in a day. Therefore most of the weight lost initially is water rather than fat. So when the scale doesn’t show much difference from 2nd month to 3rd month its because our body starts retaining water making it prepared for the dehydration that takes place while burning fat. Good amount of water content in the body also indicates good lean mass free of fat that is muscle, bone, and other body tissues. Rely on your outfit or inch loss that’s the real indicator of fat loss not the scale. The scale does serve as a motivator but towards the middle it plays a mind game and helps nothing but frustration.

3) LOW CARB. Yet another gimick, but how many can go on for life on a low carb diet. At what cost? Your kidney, brain, liver or heart. Your brain needs glucose as its source of energy to just help you think. How can it survive your low carb game if its defficient of glucose most of the time? Low carb also means extremely high protein so as your kidneys to go into a failure and ketoacidosis in the blood leading to high acidity in the blood. High acidity int he blood points its finger directly to the brain and heart. The goal of losing weight has lead to that of taking one’s life instead. Why open the doors to a hospital unnecessarily?

4) DIET FALLOUTS. Many people discontinue to maintain a healthy diet after losing the excess weight. They mistake the weight loss to be a vaccine which once taken prevents the disease. Obesity is a disease that one needs to keep in check consistently. Agreed that a little fun here and there is natural and should be recommended ut to continue beyond ones control is the biggest faux pas and most people do it. This only leads to gaing all the lost weight back into your kitty. The amount of hardwork taken was not at all taken into consideration. A sheer waste of time and energy which is more valuable than money.

5) EXERCISE. The next thing people ward off from their weight loss regime is a good workout. We all know that its not possible for our body to lose those extra pounds without physically doing anything about it, yet some buy into the idea that some tonic, pill, powder or belt can help lose the extra weight. Health and wealth are both connected in terms of a balance sheet. Our body stores those excess calories in the form of fat that’s one bad income. The body only shells out excess fat if one exercises and that is the kind of expenditure our body is waiting for us to do. So to balance the income one has to spend.

6) GYM WORKOUT. There have been many a squables about this one major misconception. If I could get a rupee for every person who thinks that working out in the gym leads to weight gain after one stops it then I’d be a millionairess. Well the truth is related to what has been mentioned about energy expenditure. People fail to see exercise as a part of one’s lifestyle; healthy lifestyle that is. One can be assured that after ceasing any form of exercise be it the gym, just a walk in your garden or jogging one has to gain the excess weight that he/ she could have burnt had they continued exercising. This goes to show again that if one was burning 500 Kcals everyday while working out in the gym and has come down to burning just 150 Kcals per day after stopping it, then its a visible difference of 350 Kcals that are stored instead of being burnt. Why wont one put on? Why blame the gym? After all its the physical workout that has stopped the consequence is obvious. Accept fitness as a part of your lifestyle and if its not then blame yourself not those who help people achieve it.

7) CARDIO IS THE ONLY WAY OUT. When you read of people (celebs) who’ve lost great amount of weight they usually refer to 1 hour on the treadmill. Little do they realise how many people are being misled. If you ask any fitness related professional the answer would be a strict NO NO to 1 hour on the treadmill. Those who are doing it please stop it right away as it leads to injuring your knees. Plus the point is cardio work out is meant for building up your stamina of heart and lungs, and to a certain limit burning fat. But its certainly not the only way to burn fat and good amount of excess fat is burnt by weight training combined with cardio. Research has shown that people who’ve resorted only to cardiovascular workout have had fat loss upto a limited time period after which the exercise has only helped to build the stamina of the body. Those who have taken to weight training alternatively to cardio have seen not only inch loss but also prevented bone erosion or calcium depletion from the bones thus preventing the silent killer called OSTEOPOROSIS. Effects of weight training have also shown some degree of increase in immunity of the body thus preventing from minor infections.

8) FITNESS LEVELS UNKNOWN. People do this mistake repeatedly may be due to denial or unawareness. Most of the people who want to just kip fit as they put it are unaware of the fact that they are no where close to being fit but think that by reducing their tummy inches they’d gain fitness. Abdominal inch loss does play a major role in preventing heart disease, diabetes but cannot claim to fitness on the whole. Fitness is all about strength of the body , stamina of the heart and lungs, stamina of each body part arms, legs , abdomen, back, flexibility, and above all total fat percentage.

9) LACK OF COMMITMENT. This ones about committing to your own wellness. It’s like lying to yourself. People who don’t commit themselves to a better fitness usually give reasons that have no two ways to it. Work being the world number 1 in ranking, travel or family matters, education, self admitting to lack of commitment is also a reason to not workout or control on the diet. Health is a decision one needs to take to excel in life. If not taken correctly the repercussions are visible first to everybody else but you. You’re always the last one to find out.

10) MORE WORKOUT MORE WEIGHT LOSS. Remember how you used to spend hours exercising for 7 days a week and after a while nothing good came out of it, instead you felt tired and seemed to gain more weight than ever because you couldn’t live up to it. Don’t worry your not alone you have atleast a thousand good friends around the world. People have the wrong idea that the more time they spend workingout the more weight they’d lose. Would you believe it to be other way round? The time you work out doesn’t determine the energy burnt but the intensity put in. If one works out for 30 - 45 min for 5 days a week with low to moderate intensity they would easily burn more fat out of their body compared to those who do not take a day’s rest and workout for more than an hour. Remember to take atleast one-day break in between your regime and give your body
complete rest no matter what. People have exhausted themselves into fatigue, when exercise is meant to enliven you and make you feel energized.

To all of you who have felt like going down bad memory lane while reading these 10 blunders its never too late to be fit and become healthy by shedding that excess baggage you don’t deserve to carry in the first place. So take a decision stick to it. Eat well, Workout well and your wellness will help you to live well.

Wish you wellness,

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Under the Apocalyptic Sun

Its now our reality which we are haplessly bound to live and there is no turning back to our self created weather discomfort. What with the abrupt, uncalled for changes in our climate and worse the harsh effects of the blazing sun rays on our skin, eyes, hair, internal organ functionality and in totality our homeostasis. Welcome to the Apocalypse !!!
There is no point in fusing and throwing tantrums about the change, all we can do is combat it, prevent it from worsening. How??? Well we don't possess the human brain for nothing do we ? Lets start from inside out.
1. Internal homeostasis (equillibrium of environment) - When in doubt or in trouble always rely on the basics and our basics began with water and oxygen, so lets get more of it inside our body. Remember the blog on What transpires beneath? Water in its plain identity or as a concoction or juice as long as its healthy and fresh is just what keeps the body equillibrium intact. So it guzzle it down as much as you can. Always remember to take in water in normal temperature and not freezing cold as it is fluid that runs down faster giving your system a cold shock every now and then. Of course drinking fresh fruit or vegetable juices with good amount of water content also helps in keeping the circulatory and gastroenteric as less of free radicals causing stress in the body over all. It goes without saying that these juices ought to be sugar free as they already contain sourse of sugar which is natural and sufficient if taken in good amount. However never try to replace your mini meals or big meals of the day with these fluids as that is exactly opposite of burning energy. As you dont allow the body to burn energy while digesting solid food instead give it a continuous flow of energy conserving easily absorptive source. This water therapy or fluid therapy helps in cleansing, moisturising, restoring balance of temperature and content and combating any harm to the body from the inside out.
2. Functional resistance - Its not just the antioxidants in fruits and vegies that are helpfull in fighting free radicals but the one's that can be obtained from a protein source is a dual combating strategy. A non - fat source of protein like feta or cottage cheese, yoghurt non- sweetened, de-fat soy flour, processed soy bean tofu or soy bean, lentils, kidney beans, brussel sprouts, rye, lentil flour, whole bulgar wheat, mackerel, tuna, salmon, cod fish, deskinned chicken or duck can be good source for high biological value protein as well as antioxidants like essential omega 3 fatty acids, phytophenols, Vitamin E, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin D, apart from the micronutrient minerals that they resource in them like calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium etc. This turns out to be an all in one package. It helps in restoring strength, building the necessary immune power for future, curbing ongoing stress inside the body, and a good energy source. If you might have noticed some of the enlisted food items are also good source of complex or simple carbs and that only accentuates its position as a complete food store as a whole meal. The ability to give functional resistance and strength to our ever so hurt body under the tormenting heat of the sun and climatic changes that inervate the hormones to react accordingly building up stressfull reactions that can surface on the outside by predisposing themselves as skin disease, mental distress, gastric problems, bone and joint disorder, insulin resistance leading to early signs of diabetes, fatty depositions in the circulatory system causing cerebral and cardiac disorders, liver disorder, kidney failure etc... Not intending to scare you but this is the scorching truth.
3. Nutcracker guard - Being nuts about nuts can go a long way in moderation. A mix trix each morning before breakfast which comprises of 3 roasted almonds and 2 roasted walnuts with a cashew or apricot coated in a super thin layer of organic jaggery or organic honey, is like a wonder pill you can pop in for all the distress in your body. Works wonders with under eye skin, hair texture and shine, nails, skin tone and of course the immunity system.
4. Fruit pulp - While eating whole fruit or squeezing juice out of them save some skin and pulp to apply over the skin not just the facial but in general. The fruit pulp rich in its nutrients works wonders on the skin on external application as much as its intake. They work as a great tan remover, dead cell removal, controlling oil secretion on the surface, and the even supple tone. Fruits rich in Vitamin C like berries, oranges, tangerine, etc can be your best bet for a good complexion, fine lines and acne.

More to come on the combat of the apocalyptic sun in my next post.... Till then,

Wish you Wellness,

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