Lose Weight after Pregnancy

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At the risk of sounding too cautious let me inform you that it isn't feasible by people who have no nanny, chef, housekeeper, hair & make up staff and personal trainer to lose weight gained during pregnancy in just 3 weeks post delivery as claimed courtesy our celebs in 90210 zip code. However it is unwise to immediately hop on to the weight loss band wagon because Heidi Klum has done it thrice by now. Understand that your body has gone through well realistically almost a day long trauma in labor and if not then surgery in C section give it a breather for once. Here are some must knows every girl should keep in mind while entering this phase and yes the husband is going to do whatever it takes to stop you from losing weight asap post pregnancy so never tell him about it and yet get your hot body scientifically healthy way.

#1. The Natural Weight loss is Breast feeding - If you haven't already read my post on lactation diet I had mentioned how breast feeding is nature's way of shedding the excess weight gained. While producing milk the body utilizes its fat stores and carbohydrates to form the composite of breast milk mobilizing excess body fat. Do not over eat during lactation you only need 500 Kcals in excess to your non pregnancy dietary recommendation as compared to the 300 Kcals during pregnancy. The rest will be taken care by your body's hyper metabolism during the first 3-4 months of lactation. 

#2. What really gets you fat post pregnancy - Apart from the hormonal changes that occur so as to allow your body some breather from the physical exhaustion that can affect metabolism too. It is sheer tiredness while keeping the baby safe and sound not to mention the overnights. Your metabolism will sloppy down once it gets too comfy with the tiredness causing you to sleep whenever you can and have no energy to workout later on. Agreed that the baby really gets the biological clock topsy turvy and plus the noise, the clothes, the baby food, the diapers list goes on, but take a moment to keep your goal intact. You must give your body high fiber food and more hydration with fruits and veggies along with fluids to keep the metabolism kicked up during this phase. Sleep deprivation can be accustomed within 3 months of back up time that you have immediately after delivery. You must get your back up with food, fluids, sleep and energy on the ready by the first 3 months after delivery. Use the next 3 months to get your body stablized with enough energy, nutrition, metabolic regulation. You are totally ready after 6 months to lose that fat that no longer is required by you nor your baby, get started with a healthy yet leaner custom made diet plan that keeps in mind you and your baby's nutrition & of course the fitness regime that will obviously start out slow and go on to a steady moderate until your ready for an intense workout. 

#3. Maintain a good diet - I am going to come clean with this fact you have only the first year to lose tat baby weight and anything more than that is more excess baggage than you can handle. If you are a C section mom or a natural birth mom give your body a good protein rich, essential fat, moderate carb high fiber diet. Fiber will regulate the gastrointestinal system allowing slower gastric emptying therefore regulating insulin secretion and fat absorption as well as metabolism. Considering the body has a lot of damage control to do since the birth be it abdominally, internal tissues, muscle strength, blood volume, immune system precursors, bone strength a diet that will provide enough essential amino acids as well as antioxidants inherently in the protein food is a deal maker. Similarly to kick the metabolism a diet rich in good fats, and protein with antioxidant rich complex carbs makes sure you are prepared to lose that weight in the healthiest way possible. If you can keep up with the nutrient richness in your diet along with not gorging on excess fat "for the baby" food you and your baby will be well taken care of. Breast milk will surely depend on your diet but nobody said your diet is going to harm its nutrient content because you can provide rich breast milk and keep your fat and sugar intake in check simultaneously. We are not in the 1950's anymore so be fully aware of what works and what doesn't and trust me loading your diet with fat for the sake of breast milk is not either of the solution. 

#4. Fitness Or Fun - You have so much on your plate after a child is born you travel time for all intensive purposes. Your body and mind however cannot live up to it for long and they both need a time out. When you start out to lose the weight after pregnancy take it easy especially if you have had a C section delivery its always best to take it easy and then gear up. One needs a good stretching, lighter cardio and functional training to work the exercise into the body's functioning. Its also important you opt for more fun activities that benefit you in exercise as much like a sport or biking, exotic dancing, lighter pilates, power yoga, ice skating, roller skating, swimming, aqua sports, aqua resistance training. Stress is the first thing that needs to leave your body and mind if you intend to be a happy mother and a sexy woman again. 

#5. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise - Do not and I repeat this do not let anybody's opinion of you and your body get to you. There will be many who will ridicule you, tell you that you cannot look great post delivery or that its natural for women to look out of shape after child birth and that you're crazy for trying to lose the excess baggage after 6 months of your child's birth. You deserve to feel and look exactly the way YOU and only you desire. So if your desire is to be desire and envied by everyone including your partner you must get on the plan after the first 6 months of postpartum. Every women of any age has the capability, passion, and the right to look as beautiful and sexy as she wants to don't let anyone tell you any different. All you need is a moment of decision to go for the kill (read kill excess fat). Once that decision is made dive right in and come out a dazzling and gorgeous woman you were born to be. 

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Why is functional training essential for your career?

Functional training is a very vague concept in everybody's minds and yet has given the health & fitness industry a whiff of fresh air and a tremendous boost. Today I bring you a more functional explanation of this jargon of the fitness world so as to help you make your individual informed decisions about exercise routine.

What is it exactly? As the name suggests functional training is making your fitness regime as similar to your daily routine movements or activities. Now if I have to train a person whose job is being glued to his laptop or tablet for 9 hours working on the internet or a desk work I will aim at making his core muscles (abs & lower back) strong, stable and flexible also give him/her movements of the arms & shoulders as these tend to get stiff during the course of everyday work. So in other words with this form of regime functional training is just a type of exercise that trains our body to better adapt & be ready for activities of daily life without having any injuries. It originated as a rehabilitation program for people who suffered injuries, ailments of joints & bones or nerves, sportsman etc. From injuries to daily routine training functional training has come a long way piercing successfully into our average man's life.

What is the significance to your life? Well to say the least our average lives are equally stressful as any athlete or hi profile personality we just don't pay heed to our needs and thats what differentiates us from them. Be it a desk job, a chef, sales & marketing professional, computer engineer, web designer, hedge fund investor, project mangers, angel broker, housekeeper, wedding planner, fashion designer, hair stylists, housewife, nurses, doctor, lab attendants, teachers or a CEO each one of us has our own functional training requirements and like it or not we never pay attention to ourselves for the jobs we offer to others. To cut to the chase and hit the nail on its head your job and progress in the career depends not only on your talent to get the job done right but the ability to do the job in the first place. What is the difference between the two? Well lets just say I am a terrific chef, I have all the ingredients of creativity, budgeting skills, man power management, innovation, cultural diversity in culinary art and good communication skills but one thing I lack is doing my basic job cause of my inability to work physically or mentally due to some redundant ache, pain, flexibility issues or minor illness here and there occasionally. Occasional health problems aggregate to become a huge problem especially when you reach that critical point in your career when you're in line for the big pay day or promotion you've worked so many years for. Functional incapability is a core problem in most organizations as well as individual small businesses due to lack of awareness and forth right attitude towards the most important thing in our life that keeps us going - our life. Imagine being a little bit more functionally apt for the job, for the promotion, for your kids, for your family on vacations, for your group of friends over that weekend, for that corporate competition in a sport or a run. It takes 30 minutes every other day of the week to make that bridge between us and our success professionally as much personally. An inadequate fitness does no good to our work nor love life or family life. Thrusting that endorphin through your blood lines everyday keeps you going for at least 18 hours a day until.

Equipments & Exercise - The equipment used in the training is very easy to use, portable to carry wherever in a small bag and can be used at home, office and even outdoors. The equipment is mostly cable pulley, physio ball, resistant tubes, terra bands, dumbbells, medicine ball, balance discs. However you can do all the workouts focused on your daily functions with 2-3 things from the above mentioned. The most important aspect is the functional training exercises and they need to adhere to the individual's daily life. If the individual is a sales person on the field the exercises need to keep focus on the lower body stability, strength, power and flexibility not to mention the core stability. A computer engineer needs focus on the entire spine area apart from shoulders and upper body the same would go for banking tellers and BPO employees. In the hospitality industry including airlines and spas the focus in more on joints, spine and major muscle groups surrounding it including core muscles and endurance. The exercises need to be stabilizing at first, strengthening and progressive in the second stage and then giving it power with endurance depending on the tasks of real life. Exercises should literally mimic the daily chores or actions or responsibilities. This has two benefits firstly it trains the body exactly in the actions that take over in day to day pattern which gives the muscle tone more habitual actions and secondly the person can practice the exercises even at work as per suitability if it is mimics the work actions.

Difference between fixed equipment & functional training - In a research conducted by Spennewyn in 2009 that was later published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research which showed 58% better conditioning and strength of subjects that were functional training as against those who were doing the conventional fixed equipment weight training.

In order to get individual diet & fitness regime that adapts you to function & improve your daily activities visit our wellness programs for further information or sign up for free wellness consultation. For organization/ institutional wellness programs please write to contact@wellnessandi.com

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Health effects of Cola drinks

Pop, fizz, shhzzzzz.... Isn't that a familiar sound on a dry hot day when you've opened a can of your soft drink say coke, pepsi, Dr. pepper, mountain dew, 7up etc. I must admit when I was a kid these were very addictive territories and I had a bad experience drinking them. However my education while becoming a registered dietitian and common sense prevailed and then of course years later here I am writing to you this post about the health effects of cola soft drinks we are used to consuming as good as or in some cases even more than water.
Composition in a can - Most cola drinks lately have dropped the ever so flavored Kola Nut that not only was the reason why we call it cola but also it was the original flavor of the soft drinks. Now however better sophisticated flavoring agents like vanilla, cinnamon, lime, tamarind are used to differentiate between each brand of drink. The most dreaded ingredients in the drink of course are caffeine, phosphoric acid, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame/ sucralose (if diet soda), salts, citric acid, carbon dioxide (fizz).

Physiological effects - Most commonly heard, talked and written about is the one with removal of rust. Agreed that the human body physiology doesn't have any such rust problems but the key point of discussion is if what you drink can remove rust what could it do to your tender tissues inside? Steel rust removal, tooth dissolver and lavatory cleaners all are recent attributes given to Cola drinks especially coca cola. Is it really that bad? Yes, it is. How? Phosphoric acid present in the cola drinks is the prime suspect and guilty. Phosphoric acid does have a calcium depleting effect on the bones. Many a studies have been showing that the lowered bone mineral density has a lot to do with phosphoric acid as higher the phosphorus levels in the blood than calcium the bones will have to remove their calcium stored to the blood for balancing the act. Addiction to soft drinks and especially cola drinks has shown a directly proportionate relation to Osteoporosis. Caffeine content makes it possible to get addicted in the first place having anywhere from 30 -60 mg per serving (350ml) add to that the excess sugar content to worsen matters. Caffeine makes it possible to become more dependent on the drink and gives the same effects as regular coffee addicts face with heart, nervous problems and concentration. The sugar content obviously adds on to the obesity issues but even the artificial sweeteners like aspartame don't work well with the body as their metabolism down to the methyl group they come from harms the brain in the long run. Caffeine known for its diuretic qualities as much as ergogenic ones plays a vital role when the levels go down with anxiety, nervousness, a constant need to replenish more and ending up doing an overdose of cola. The acidic nature of he drink adds to the woes of the drinker for its constant lowered pH levels into the blood stream as much as the intestine and the tissues and also it is this acidic nature of colas that makes for a great cleaner of the utilities such as rusted steel, or a lavatory. The cumulutive effect could harm not only the bones but also the heart, gastrointestinal functioning, nervous system and metabolism in general affecting the hormonal function.

Food Interactions - Caffeine interferes with calcium absorption and thus mineralization of the bone leaving the bone porous aiding osteoporosis. Excess sugar also causes a lot of fat deposition in the body creating insulin resistance and therefore not allowing the body to metabolize glucose for energy generation. Many such antioxidants and minerals do not get their bio availability while combined with cola drinks. These are essential nutrients for the body as they fight and protect it from free radical attack. Phosphoric acid as mentioned above hampers the calcium as well. The flavoring artificial agents cause toxicity in the body and deplete it from the valued added nutrients it needs for regulation, immunity and repair. Even Diet Soda do no good by just a sugar content minus as the aspartame present in Diet Soda causes metabolic harm to the body as well. Sucralose is a better sweetener to aspartame but any addiction and overdose is bad no matter how good the substance.

Cola drinks are a definite no no for more than occasional especially on a regular weekly/ daily consumption. For more insights on your diet and fitness regime visit Wellness & I Programs or submit your information for a free wellness consult.

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Effects of Caffeine on Health

Waking up to a cuppa is more like brushing your teeth or taking a shower every morning. Some take it more of an excuse to spend time with each other or just sit back, cozy up in a chilly weather under a warm quilt with a cup of creamy hot coffee and then there are those who have taken to it like a drug addiction that has grown to degrade them from within. Caffeine is definitely one of the most addictive chemicals that exists in nature and is no less harmful to the human body in large dosage than nicotine or alcohol or even narcotics sometimes. It is a very well known fact that caffeine addiction is bad for you but does everybody know where all is this caffeine present in our food or drink? Do we still dwell under the myth that caffeine = coffee and not otherwise? More importantly can we use caffeine for our benefit and to become more healthy rather than enslaving to it? Let the caffeine world tour begin...

Splitting the coffee bean - Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid found in over 60 plants including coffee, tea, kola nut, cocoa. It is known to be a natural pesticide that kills and paralyzes certain insects. Caffeine is in highest concentrations in seedlings and also it prevents other seedlings around it to germinate making the survival of the seed it is present more possible. The soil around coffee and tea plantations also contains caffeine due to this reason. It is a naturally occurring psychoactive substance which is legal and unregulated. Caffeine has no other derivatives as thought to be mateine and guaranine since chemically speaking its a 'achiral' molecule which means its positioning is such within itself that no other atom can combine with it to form another derivative (isomer). However the effects of caffeine are different depending upon the sources it comes from and that is solely due to the fact that these sources also possess other xanthine alkaloids in varied proportions having relative effect like cardiac stimulants as well as central nervous stimulant. Caffeine is primarily a central nervous stimulant but it also acts as a diuretic. There have been studies not standing by the fact of its diuretic effect on regular drinkers however specific diuretic effect can be seen if taken in concentrations. Passing out drinking coffee is one of these effects since the brain is highly stimulated and the water content in the cells is dehydrated.

Wake up and smell the caffeine everywhere - Caffeine content in foods and drugs is a very important factor to select what food you buy or what drugs especially non prescription ones. Caffeine is found in soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolates, tea leaves, coffee beans, gums, or any food product containing one of these as its ingredients. But what you must know is choosing the most common of the caffeinated products, your coffee. Caffeine varies a lot even amongst coffee beans depending upon how its grown and processed. Roasting is the process that reduces the caffeine content and that is why you will find lesser caffeine in a light roast than a dark roast coffee bean. A shot of arabica espresso (30 ml) varies between 80 - 100 mg of caffeine. There is another variation in caffeine content amongst coffee beans like arabica variety has less amount than robusta. Arabica variety is grown in Latin America, East Africa, Arabia and some parts of Asia whereas robusta comes from West Africa, South East Asia & India. Tea by sheer dry weight has more caffeine content than coffee but since teas are processed and brewed differently than coffee it ends up serving lesser caffeine than coffee in a cup. Soft drinks and energy drinks are lately more in the limelight for their caffeine content. A cola drink can start from anywhere between 30 - 50 mg per serving (12 fl oz / 350 ml) where as energy drinks like red bull or four loco can also begin from 80 - 100 mg per serving (250 ml) whereas a cup of coffee (120ml) gives you 125 mg of caffeine. A decaf typically contains 5 - 15 mg for 200 ml which is the same as a milk chocolate bar with 11% cocoa but dark chocolates with 45% cocoa have 160mg for every 100 gm. Then again knowing which ingredient can give you caffeine is important like drugs that help migraines, psychoactive stimulant drugs, anti depressants. One must always read the content of any product that has to be ingested or taken in the blood stream before consuming or buying it.

Caffeine for good health - It has been administered to new borns to cure apnea as well as improve alertness for those who need better mind focus and body coordination in very low amounts. Caffeine does not cause lack of need to sleep but merely reduces the general fatigue and stress as it stimulates the central nervous system causing temporary alertness. In moderate dosages it is taken for relief from migraine. Caffeine can be used as a performance enhancer however in young healthy adult men half the total amount ingested is eliminated from the body in almost 5 hours which means after 5 hours the effect of caffeine is reduced by half. Metabolites of caffeine like theophylline also help in bronchi dilation and thus help in asthma therapy. Caffeine has shown in studies that it can act as a protector from liver injury especially for those with alcoholism, obesity however caffeine is accumulated in large amounts in such cases which further prolongs its half life and that is no good news. Topically caffeine is a miracle for hair care and skin care. The dehydrating effect of caffeine is the best seen on baggy puffy eyes as it effectively works on it, hair growth suppression seen due to testosterone in men can be reduced with topical application of caffeine. Caffeine is also used in shampoos and conditioners for same reason as it is absorbed by the skin effectively.

How much is too much - What and how much of caffeine is adequate depends on the individual body's metabolism and half life of caffeine in it. For pregnant ladies, older population, infants, new born baby, diseased individuals the half life of caffeine can go upto 30 hours which is very bad for the nervous system. As caffeine easily passes the blood brain barrier it is effective within 45 min of ingestion as its easily absorbed by the intestine. It basically stimulates the adenosine receptors of the CNS and regular drinkers as an adaptive mechanism have more such receptors and grow indifferent over a period of time to the stimulation. However sudden decrease in hte intake will increase the receptors function and will give immediate withdrawal symptoms. Adenosine is a blood pressure regulator and increase in its activity due to reduction in caffeine can cause dilation of the blood vessels and hence lead to increased blood flow to the brain causing nausea and headache, the serotonin levels are also plumetted causing fatigue and inability to focus causing irritation and lack of enthusiasm, anxiety and some cases can also cause depression. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms may also lead to abdominal cramps and insomnia at extreme cases.

Down the caffeine hole - Addiction and tolerance to caffeine comes from consuming over 400 mg of caffeine per day. Caffeine intoxication can happen if 100 mg / kg of body weight of an individual or 100 cups of coffee are taken within a short period of time depending on the person's half life time. Remember that caffeine is primarily a central nervous system stimulant which also includes vital stats like breathing, heart beat and alertness. Adenosine and catecholamines receptors that are stimulated with caffeine control blood pressure, nervous response to muscle tone, locomotion, mental orientation, bronchi regulation, and serotonin levels too. Intoxication or extreme addiction to caffeine can cause mental disorientation, fuzziness, fidgetiness, restlessness, nausea, severe massive headaches continuously, difficulty in breathing, high blood pressure, pupil constriction, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), also palpitation since theobromine is a cardiac stimulant, muscle twitching, tremors, gastric disturbance, mania, major depression, irrelevant flow of thought with speech, dehydration due to increased urination, lack of appetite. Hallucinations, psychosis and dellusions are also symptoms and in extreme cases death can occur. To reach the intoxication level regular coffee is not good enough and there have been cases of caffeine pills or over the counter drugs responsible for this event. Fluvoxine is a drug that inhibits liver enzymes to metabolize caffeine thus making it last for longer period in the body and this together with a lethal dose of caffeine causes detrimental harm. Some energy drinks can play a role in this scenario as they contain higher levels of caffeine in them.

Caffeine just like any other substance present naturally can be used for betterment of our health and our lifestyle. Making sure we are aware of our consumption is of importance as it also influences how our younger generation model themselves after our actions. Visit the wellness programs for consult on lifestyle management customized diet plans and fitness regime that helps you understand your body and life better.

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How to get curvy hips this new year ?

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Curvy hips have always been what every girl/ guy wants and not just for themselves but also in their partners. Its been a rage since Hollywood went beserk with the J Lo's, Beyonce's, Kim K's of the world jutted their derrières around at every photo op they could get. A curvy 'C' shaped hip also means your full body is in perspective the way it should be healthwise and of course attracting the opposite sex goes without saying. Although many people including boys as much as girls go in for a synthetic or should I say invasive methods of getting a perfect C grade on their behind which is not only a waste of money but also the process doesn't give you the high the way I'd recommend. Let us see what all and how all can you get your C shaped hip and have fun while doing it. Yes if its physical its gotta be fun....
What are they made of - The gluteals as the hip muscles are called anatomically are of three types gluteas maximus, gluteas medius and gluteas minimus. As their respective suffix suggests the three muscles have a size correspondingly maximus being the largest in the group and minimus being the smallest. Although thats not the only thing that contributes to the shape of the hips, panniculus adiposus. Panniculus Adiposus is where the fat deposition takes place and thus giving it a fuller look.

Why do you have a flat hip? - The gluteal muscles redue in form or as we call it anatomically go through atrophy by consistent sitting or lack of movement due to pressure of he body weight on them. Lack of group movement of the muscles as well as fat loss due to excessive loss in weight can deplete the fat storage in the hips making it look unshapely.

How to get the perfect curvy hips -
#1. Whip it out hard - Squats were my way to a perfect C shaped hips and yes add lunges to that if you will. Squats, Lunges, climbing stairwell, and leg press workout the gluteaus maximus muscle and strengthen them of course it also works out the leg area that is the thigh which tones up to make the hips more prominently shaped. Resistance exercises with terra bands, tubes, medicine ball and weight trainign machines are a great way to push your body to hte limit and boost up your bone mineral deposition as much as your metabolism would kick off. An intensive leg workout and core strength that also shapes up your abdominals and back makes your hips curvy as a 'C' just like you'd want it.

#2. Go biking, hiking - Want to taste a little nature for exercise go mountain biking or just plain biking over your neighborhood for a good 30 minute for 3 times a week and it will workout those hips for you. If you like to foot it out in the wild a mountain climbing or trekking on a uphill terrain would also give you the same effect as a squat or lunges and add up to the fun and excitement. Of course if you are amidst the big city a wall climbing exercise or just biking would also give you the edge on the hip.

#3. Dancing your booty - If you love dancing like I do this one will really make your workout more fun and get you the shape you want on your hips. I recommend dancing for enjoyment so go over for a latino dance with your friends or dates, try if you will belly dancing I assure you it is a great kick start to a fun evening. Both latino dances and belly dancing as much as the now famous 'Bollywood Dance' helps you firm the gluteals and shape them up.

#4. Kick off to a good start - Kick boxing is one of my favorite workout for a cardiovascular training. Kick boxing gives your legs a great workout as well as your hips. It is a great abs workout too since the punches and kicks need to use up the abdominal muscle strength including your breathing pattern. Any form of martial art that concentrates on your legs and back will do the trick too.

#5. Sporty up - If you have seen a lot of TV shows or movies that have scenes on a beach you'd probably recollect as you read this the beach volley ball game and of course the camera only focuses on the ship shape hips on the team. Yes you got it volley ball (need not be on a beach) or any sport that takes up your lower body strength seems just fine for getting a curvy hip. Go out and have more fun in the sun if you can or indoor courts.

If you need more information or a custom made diet & fitness regime visit our wellness programs that suit your needs or sign up for a free consultation to know what you need to do for a healthy lifestyle.

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Sugar free and Low Fat Fruit Custard Recipe

I usually make this dessert when I want to get a quick and lip smacking last course on a heavy meal and when I say heavy I just don't mean on the tummy I mean in the kitchen as well. Desserts are very very fat friendly and yes of course sugar friendly too, but does that mean we health watchers have to be left behind in the temptation food area ? No not on my watch you don't have to, so I bring you one of my own low fat, no sugar recipe for a lovely dessert for a lunch or a dinner. And for those who think banana is fattening seriously one doesn't harm you especially when its divided in 4 for 4 servings. 

Fruit Layered Custard - serves 4 

Ingredients : 

1 big banana 

1 apple

1 oz black grapes / strawberry

2 tbsp low fat custard powder ( optional make your own low fat custard)

500 ml skim milk

50 g or 10 tsp sucralose (sugar free )

For home made low fat custard: 

1/2 egg 

1/2 tbsp cornstarch 

2 cups skim milk 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation :

1. Slice banana into discs, slivers or halves of grapes/ strawberry, chop apple slivers. Keep them aside in  

    refrigeration. 

2. Keep 3 bowls or small glass tumblers in refrigerator for cooling of the surface. 

For ready to make boiled custard low fat - 

1. Add 2 tbsp of low fat custard powder to 25 ml of cold skim milk and make a paste without lumps. 

2. Heat 475 ml of skim milk on a low flame. While heating add 10 tsp of sugar free powder to the milk and bring it to a boil. 

3. Once the milk and sugar free mixture comes to a boil slowly add the custard paste in one stream to the heating milk and stir as you pour to avoid lumping. 

4. Keep stirring the mixture for 3 minutes until the mixture starts thicken a little.

5. Take the mixture of the flame and leave it for cooling in room temperature. 

6. While the custard is cooling, remove the tumblers from the fridge and layer it on ht bottom with banana discs. 

7. Pour custurd to the tumblers just upto the banana discs are covered. Refridgerate for 10 minutes in deep frizz till th custard sets. 

8. Layer the custard with apple slivers to form a thick layer and then pour custard on it. Leave it for 10 min to  set in freezer. 

9. Top the custard circularly with grapes or strawberry and serve. 

Make your low fat custard : 

1. Beat sugar free powder 1/2 cup with 1 tbsp of cornstrach and add half an egg to it till evenly beaten without lumps. 

2. Heat 2 cups of skim milk and bring it to a boil. Add the milk to the beaten mixture slowly in one stream and continue stirring while adding. 

3. Heat the entire mixture to bring to a boil and thicken while stirring. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract to it mix well.  

Nutritional Content and Energy Content per serving: 

Energy - 160 Kcals 

Carbohydrates - 30.5 gm,  Protein - 10.15 gm, Fat - 0.75 gm 

Calcium - 373 mg, Sodium - 154 mg, Iron - 0.4 mg 

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Why do you need professional diet & fitness advice ?

With everything that needs intervention in your life to straighten things out you seek advice be it financial, career, emotional, marital, but why is it that when it comes to the most important thing in our lives, ironically the one that our life depends on to survive - our health we hesitate to take a step forward or look out for freebies ? If it is health insurance people wonder do I need a bigger coverage? If it is a medical advice people hesitate to go to the specialist in a good hospital thinking he/ she would charge more, and if it is a nutrition or fitness advice people  think its can wait a while until the real emergency arrives. So what is it about us civilized, educated, professionally & academically sound human beings that makes us so opposite to our instincts when it comes to our own health? Self preservation is our primary instinctive response but is it becoming secondary due to our slacker of habits viz, debts, fast food, convenience, too many options, too less time, too much money making frame of mind. All these bad lifestyle habits take us farther when it comes to making sound and informed decisions about our primary goal in life - to keep us healthy in order to be happy.

What you must know? - The most essential information you can and must know about your health is that you need to be in good professional hands in the preventive side as well as curative side. Preventive is fitness coach, dietitian trained academically and worked in clinical & exercise backgrounds, health insurance advisors, diagnostics via a M.D pathologist/ radiologist. Curative has to be a combination of a specialist i.e. M.D along with dietitian and a fitness coach/ physiotherapist/ chiropracter/ therapist of that particular disorder. Every individual after 30 needs these two teams working for them and no you don't need to be wealthy or a celeb for such perks you need it because you are just a human being who thrives in hostile environment and/ or lifestyle habits. If you already didn't know this make sure you do now and spread this word to whoever is oblivious of who they need when the need is a must. You must also know that every lifestyle disorder takes 3 months in first phase of cure and 3 - 6 months in the maintainability depending on the disorder. For instance a person who shows symptoms of hepatitis A or jaundice as we normally call it needs a minimum 3 months curative intervention and another 2-3 months of sustainability post cure. He/She needs a gastroenterologists and a dietitian to owrk hand in hand together for this period. Since most lifestyle disorders like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disorders, anorexia/ bulimia, liver disease, bone disorders, gastroenteric diseases take considerable amount of time to build up into a disorder it takes at least half the same time to get it under control and maintain it.

What you must ask? - You must ask for a academically trained professional. In my experience as a registered dietitian I have seen people take advice from amateurs who haven't a degree from a college in the vocation neither have they been honed the skills of diagnosis, therapy and post prognosis counselling and these naive patients fail miserably risking their health. When seeking advice for medicine go to a doctor with M.D, when going to test or diagnostic lab see if the doctor on board is a pathologist for lab tests ad radiologist for x-ray, CT scan, MRI, Sonography etc. When you need to seek advice for diet go to a dietitian not a fitness trainer not a doctor not a physician, or physiotherapist. Similarly do not seek physical therapy advice from a doctor or any other specialist. However what you can ask the other vocational expert is to guide you towards the other expert. Ask for a specific professional it is what you deserve. I don't give advice on diagnostics reports but I ask my patients to take certain tests which I need them to do so as to understand their internal system functionality well and prescribe a plan accordingly the same is the case for other professionals.

What action you need to take? - You need to act upon the advice asap. Which means you can't keep pondering on the action instead of acting on it just because it will cost you some money. Everything will cost you and health advice costs you higher than any other, but this is your life we're talking about not which car is better than the other for you to think about over weeks. People let go of the paid advice and do what they can with free stuff like a friend's experience with same situation or read it on the internet. Being an online practioner I do write a lot of useful information about lifestyle, health and fitness but I must warn you that the things I or any professional like me write about are basic know how everybody who isn't a professional should know to take an informed decision. I or anyone else for that matter cannot help you generically with an article on a disease for a simple fact that you are an individual and your disease may be common with others but your condition could be starkly different from many and needs customized treatment be it medicine or food or exercise. So don't make the common blunder all and sundry do stick on he regime quickly to benefit yourself from long term hassles.

How you can be a success? - Maintain a open and honest relationship with your advisor it will help them offer you the best treatment under the given circumstances. Follow their advice to the T do not slack around it will worsen if not benefit your condition. Make sure you inform amongst your friends and social circles that what advice suits you may not suit them and do not follow blindly what has worked for some like medicines, diets, exercises or other forms of therapies. Being healthy and staying that way isn't a piece of cake in today's scenario but having said that it isn't something so difficult to follow either that you can't do it. This new year be happy and one sure way is to be healthy the right way with the help of the right advisors.
For Lifestyle Management & Wellness advice contact@wellnessandi.com

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How to lose holiday weight this new year?

Its that time of the year when the year begins. Firstly let me wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year from Wellness & I and hope you are filled with health  this year. The first day of the year and you wonder how on earth did you end up gaining those many Lbs and immediately resolve to lose weight this new year. The holiday season only began end of November, right? Is it humanly possible to gain so much weight in a month let alone to lose it in the coming months before Spring/ Summer rises upon us and its time to wear those light clothes that reveal how plump you really have become? No fret as I tell you how you can stick to your New Year Resolution to lose weight.

Secret #1 - Take small steps towards losing the holiday weight. Don't hop on the whole wagon out of sheer burst of New Year enthusiasm and then fail miserably. Most people do not end up losing the weight either in general if they're obese or just the holiday weight for a simple reason that they adopt a crash diet from the word GO. Later on they realize that these strict diets do help in losing weight instantly as much as gaining it once you're off them. Of course they are and why wouldn't they be? You were consuming 3000-4000 Kcals a day for over month or more and suddenly you are onto 1400 - 1500 Kcals a day, you are bound to lose weight (water and carbs) like you shed your clothes. But your objective is to lose inches and thats possible when you lose fat. So go easy with the diet and get it custom made for you.

Secret #2 - Balance a workout regime thats effective and fun. People often misconstrued that cardiovascular is the end all be all of any weight loss workout. They go running, walking, biking but forget that there can be so much more to losing weight and it can be fun too. Your daily routine could have many resistance and cardiovascular exercise combinations that could help your lose weight. Its not a hard and fast rule that you enroll into a gym on Jan 1st but yes its highly important and safe if you get a professional help to chart out your regime and guide you at first. If you live near a beach then surfing could be a new thing to learn and it shapes you up real good, or a beach volleyball game over the weekend with your friends will keep you all in ship shape, swimming is another great resistance combined with cardio workout. If you play or like sports like tennis, basketball, football (soccer), rugby, squash, water basketball you are very much in the domain of a perfect resistance + cardiovascular workout. But if you are in a big city where rush hour is more than these sports time then biking, resistance tube + medicine ball workouts in your home can be a better option too. Take up an exotic dance class you'l like it and will work for you if you keep on to it.

Secret #3 - Drop the excess baggage. I know it feels like you are full of it but what I mean is to drop the excess portions and excess food items consumed as a holiday habit. Sugar is not only a major loader but also it speeds up ageing making your skin sagging in the late 20's and 30's, same goes for hydrogenated fat and fat from red meat. Stick to healthy options and I mean stick to them like glue under all circumstances. It is easy to say I will stop sugar to lose weight trust me it takes a lot of presence of mind to act upon it when situation demands and it demands in awkward places. Drop the excess teas/coffee/drinks/soda/gum/mints and you will see the difference.

Secret #4 - Store the good stuff in advance. If you need to eat right you need to shop right. Make sure first day of the new year you have all the food stuff needed for just a week other than oil, and dry stores. Do research to find out where in your neighborhood do you get organic produce, healthy options for food with sugar, animal fat, preservatives, MSG, etc. You must also keep a hawk eye for food fortification of calcium, vitamin Bs, C, E, D, iron, selenium, zinc, magnesium as these are vital as antioxidants in our body. Do not shop for more than a week because more food in the house means more food consumed. Always make sure you have all the required food items stored on the previous weekend i.e saturday not sunday because haste makes a total waste of your diet plan.

Secret #5 - Do not be a slave to the scale. Give yourself an inch loss target rather than scaling weight loss. Weight loss can be achieved by water loss, sugar loss not just fat loss. however inch loss comes with an assurity of fat loss accompanied with adequate ancillary weight loss. Mark a target of losing 1.5 lbs per week that is all it will take to stay true and focused without being tired, bored and slacking towards the end of the first month in your NEW YEAR RESOLUTION to Lose Weight. Have fun this new year and be sure to write to me for a consult to help you with your regime at consultation@wellnessandi.com

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