Weight Loss Diets

Type II diabetes makes up to 95 percent of patients having diabetes. In this type, the pancreas produce insulin, but the body is unable to use it properly. Type II diabetes typically has a gradual onset, appearing in adults around the age of 30, and sometimes in younger person. It is usually not utmost necessary to take insulin injections (unlike Type I where it is imperative as pancreas do not produce any insulin in this type). Type II diabetes can often be managed through a proper diet and exercise alone. Very often, a prescription drug is taken to help the body properly manage sugar levels.
Warning signs include blurred vision, drowsiness, excessive weight gain, numbness in the hands or feet and slow healing of cuts/wounds.

Salient features of a diabetic diet planning

• The diabetic diet planning relies upon the proper proportion of carbohydrates to proteins and fats.
• The diet needs to provide some dietary fat to help prevent post-meal spikes in blood sugar levels. However, saturated fats should be limited to reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Protein should be kept to 20% or less of daily calories in order to prevent or delay the onset of diabetic kidney disease
• The target of a diabetic diet is to achieve and maintain recommended blood glucose levels (70-140 mg/dl), cholesterol levels (200 mg/dl or less), and blood pressure (120/80 mm Hg).
• Weight loss is often beneficial for people with type II diabetes. Mild to moderate weight loss is known to help control this type of diabetes significantly, even if the desirable body weight is not achieved. Losing 7 to 15 kgs of excess weight results in significant improvement in respect to the goals listed above. Weight loss may even help to reduce the dosage of anti diabetic medication.

Diabetes diets

Type II diabetes makes up to 95 percent of patients having diabetes. In this type, the pancreas produce insulin, but the body is unable to use it properly. Type II diabetes typically has a gradual onset, appearing in adults around the age of 30, and sometimes in younger person. It is usually not utmost necessary to take insulin injections (unlike Type I where it is imperative as pancreas do not produce any insulin in this type). Type II diabetes can often be managed through a proper diet and exercise alone. Very often, a prescription drug is taken to help the body properly manage sugar levels.
Warning signs include blurred vision, drowsiness, excessive weight gain, numbness in the hands or feet and slow healing of cuts/wounds.

Salient features of a diabetic diet planning

• The diabetic diet planning relies upon the proper proportion of carbohydrates to proteins and fats.
• The diet needs to provide some dietary fat to help prevent post-meal spikes in blood sugar levels. However, saturated fats should be limited to reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Protein should be kept to 20% or less of daily calories in order to prevent or delay the onset of diabetic kidney disease
• The target of a diabetic diet is to achieve and maintain recommended blood glucose levels (70-140 mg/dl), cholesterol levels (200 mg/dl or less), and blood pressure (120/80 mm Hg).
• Weight loss is often beneficial for people with type II diabetes. Mild to moderate weight loss is known to help control this type of diabetes significantly, even if the desirable body weight is not achieved. Losing 7 to 15 kgs of excess weight results in significant improvement in respect to the goals listed above. Weight loss may even help to reduce the dosage of anti diabetic medication.

Diets for cholesterol

Though high total and LDL cholesterol levels, along with low HDL cholesterol, can increase heart disease risk, they are among several other risk factors. These include cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity. If any of these is present in addition to high blood cholesterol, the risk of heart disease is even greater. The good news is that all these can be brought under control either by changes in lifestyle–such as diet, losing weight, a regular exercise program, and quitting a tobacco habit. Medicines also may be necessary in some people. Sometimes one change can help bring several risk factors under control. For example, weight loss can reduce blood cholesterol levels, help control diabetes, and lower high blood pressure.

Why should you care about cholesterol?
Heart disease is one of the biggest killers worldwide. It is affecting more people at younger ages than ever before. And one of the major risk factors leading to heart attacks and strokes is quite simply, too much cholesterol in the blood. In fact, clinical tests prove that high cholesterol levels dramatically increase your chances of heart disease. What is more, unlike any other disorder, high cholesterol almost always takes you by surprise. No warning signs. No visible symptoms- just a sudden attack.

Since a high blood cholesterol level is closely related to your lifestyle, and diet, so eat and live smart for your heart!

Discover the benefits of the ‘cholesterol management plan’ from our wellness clinic. We prescribe a complete plan along with a practical diet designed exclusively for you.

In short, you continue to eat whatever you are used to. No strange menu or exotic foods. Just a more balanced, healthier selection that helps you to manage your cholesterol levels naturally!

Diets for hypertension

Hypertension is often known as a silent killer. Hypertension is the increase in blood pressure inside the arteries, caused due to high pressure exerted by the heart to pump the blood into the system. The higher your blood pressure, the higher your risk of stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and even, new research has found dementia. Hypertension contributes to heart attacks and strokes by damaging the inner walls of the arteries and by speeding up the inflammatory process. Hypertension is the number one risk factor for strokes.

Causes of hypertension: In 90 percent to 95 percent of high blood pressure cases, there\\\’s no identifiable cause. This type of high blood pressure, called essential hypertension or primary hypertension, tends to develop gradually over many years.

The other 5 percent to 10 percent of high blood pressure cases are caused by an underlying condition. This type of high blood pressure, called secondary hypertension, tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension. Various conditions can lead to secondary hypertension, including kidney abnormalities, tumors of the adrenal gland or certain congenital heart defects.

Certain medications — including birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs — also may cause secondary hypertension.

Alcohol intake, smoking and cocaine intake can cause hypertension through varied mechanisms.

In addition to the appropriate medications, with correct lifestyle interventions (the right diet, losing weight, regular exercise, stress management and yoga), one can get hypertension under control and significantly lower one’s risk of developing life-threatening diseases.

Tips to maintain healthy blood pressure:

• Maintain a healthy weight; if you are overweight, lose some. Being overweight increases your risk of high blood pressure by six to eight times.
• Be more physically active. Fit some light activity into your daily routine like taking a walk at lunchtime or dinner, using the stairs instead of the elevator etc.
• Choose foodstuffs lower in salt and sodium.
• Check food labels for information of sodium in the food. Look for products with “unsalted” or “sodium free” labels.
• Buy fresh poultry, fish and lean meat, and fresh, or canned with “no salt added”, vegetables.
• Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, canned soups, broths and salad dressings, which are high in sodium.
• If you drink alcohol, do it in moderation (maximum 1-2drinks per day). If you have no more than 2 drinks a day, your risk of high blood pressure is low.
• Stop smoking.
• There is evidence that inclusion of few of the foods rich in calcium, potassium, omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium etc , may help prevent hypertension.

Diets for stress

Stress is the “wear and tear” our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action; it can result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

Discover the novel way of combating stress through our self help tips, a tailor made diet and lifestyle change program as per your individual body type (which also determines your response to stress) to help your body to combat stress and repair the damage done.

Tips by Lifecentury to manage stress on your own:

• Learn to Relax throughout the day – take mini-breaks. Sit down and get comfortable. Slowly take a deep breath in, hold it, and then exhale very slowly.

• Practice Acceptance- Many people get distressed over things they feel they can’t accept. Often these are things that are not under their control, like someone else’s feelings, beliefs, or behavior.

• Get Organized - Develop a realistic schedule of daily activities that includes time for work, sleep, relationships, and recreation.

• Try Physical Activity – Physical activity has been proven to provide relief from stress. Develop a regular exercise program to help reduce the effects of stress before it becomes distress. Try walking, aerobics, jogging, dancing, and swimming.

• Balance Work and Fun – Balance school and work demands with some fun and private time. Hobbies are good antidotes for daily pressures. Unwind by taking a quiet stroll, watching a sunset, enjoying time spent with friends or simple activities.

• Watch your eating habits – Eat sensibly a balanced diet suitable to yourbody type. Avoid non-prescription drugs and minimize your alcohol use.

• Add wonderful anti-oxidants in your daily diet – Anti-oxidants are easily available in dark color fruits and vegetables. Basically anti-oxidants lower blood pressure and also detoxify the body, which in turn helps in stress management.

Diets for arthritis

Arthritis is an inflammation of one or more joints, which results in pain, swelling and limited movement. Arthritis is a common problem seen in middle age group and more in case of overweight or obese people. Arthritis involves the breakdown of cartilage. Cartilage normally protects the joint, allowing for smooth movement. Cartilage also absorbs shock when pressure is put on the joint, like jumping, jogging etc. Without the usual amount of cartilage, the bones rub together, causing pain, swelling (inflammation), and stiffness. There are different forms of arthritis, each of which has a different cause. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs due to an auto immmune reaction in our body which damages the cartilage, gouty arthritis is caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint that results in subsequent inflammation and the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis occurs following trauma to the joint, following an infection of the joint, being sedentary, or simply as a result of aging.

A correct diet and exercise helps to manage the symptoms of arthritis and reduce excessive weight.

Tips to be followed for arthritis management:

• Foods which are easily digestible and do not make wind or gas are good. Vegetable juices and soups are good. Juices of carrot, beat root and cucumber, fruits like apples, oranges, grapes and papaya can be taken. Cooked vegetables like squash, zucchini and pumpkin are good. Cooking with spices like cumin, coriander, ginger, asafetida, garlic and turmeric also helps a lot.
• Avoid eating hot, spicy and fried foods, sweets, and wind forming foods like cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, okra and potatoes should be prohibited. Avoid taking too much tea, coffee, alcohol, white sugar, yogurt, chocolate and cocoa. Avoid smoking.
• Sleeping during daytime, staying up late in the night and mental tensions like worry, anxiety, fear, stress and grief etc, should be given up.
• Regular physical exercise, special exercises for the supporting musculature, and every day massage with oil, should form an important part of life style.
• Lose weight and get close to your ideal body weight. If you weigh less, then there is less weight on your joints and therefore less pain.

Diets for Heartburn

Heartburn, also called acid indigestion, is the most common symptom of GERD and usually feels like a burning chest pain beginning behind the breastbone and moving upward to the neck and throat. Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the return of the stomach\’s contents into the esophagus. This usually causes heartburn.

In normal digestion, the valve in the lower esophagus (lower esophageal sphincter: LES) opens to allow food to pass into the stomach and closes to prevent food and acidic stomach juices from flowing back into the esophagus. Gastro-esophageal reflux occurs when the LES is weak or relaxes inappropriately allowing the stomach\’s contents to flow up into the esophagus. Many people say it feels like food is coming back into the mouth leaving an acid or bitter taste.

The burning pressure or pain of heartburn can last as long as 2 hours and is often worse after eating. Lying down or bending over can also result in heartburn. Many people obtain relief by standing upright or by taking an antacid that neutralizes acid in the esophagus.

Heartburn pain can be mistaken for the pain associated with heart disease or a heart attack, but there are differences. Exercise may aggravate pain resulting from heart disease, and rest may relieve the pain. Heartburn pain is less likely to be associated with physical activity.

The diet for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is designed to decrease symptoms associated with the reflux of gastric (stomach) fluid into the esophagus and control excessive production of acid.

Tips to make necessary dietary modifications:

• Decrease total fat intake – High fat meals tend to decrease LES pressure and delay stomach emptying thereby increasing the risk of reflux.
• Avoid large meals – Large meals increase the likelihood of increased gastric (stomach) pressure and reflux.
• Decrease total caloric intake if weight loss is desired – Since obesity can promote reflux, weight loss may be suggested by your healthcare provider to control reflux. Reducing both total fat and caloric intake will aid in weight loss.
• Avoid chocolate – Chocolate contains methylxanthine, which has been shown to reduce LES pressure by causing relaxation of smooth muscle.
• Avoid coffee depending on individual tolerance – Coffee, with or without caffeine, may promote gastroesophageal reflux. Coffee may be consumed if it is well tolerated.
• Avoid other known irritants – Alcohol, mint, carbonated beverages, citrus juices, and tomato products all may aggravate GERD. These products may be consumed depending on individual tolerance.

Tips to make lifestyle changes for GERD treatment:

• Maintain upright posture during and after eating.
• Stop smoking.
• Avoid clothing that is tight in the abdominal area.
• Avoid eating within 3 hours before bedtime.
• Lose weight if you are overweight.
• Sleep on your left side.
• Chew non-mint gum, which will increase saliva production and decrease acid in the esophagus.
• Yogic breathing exercises can help to relieve symptoms
• Stomach douching (Kunjal Kriya) under guidance can be curative.

Menopausal diets

Menopause is a stage of the human female’s
reproductive cycle that occurs as the ovaries stop producing estrogen,
causing the reproductive system to gradually shut down. As the body
adapts to the changing levels of natural hormones, vasomotor symptoms
such as hot flashes and palpitations, psychological symptoms such as
increased depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings and lack of
concentration, and atrophic symptoms such as vaginal dryness and
urgency of urination appear. Together with these symptoms, the woman
may also have increasingly scanty and erratic menstrual cycles. Eating right can definitely ease the various discomforts of menopause including hot flashes, bloating and mood swings.
The menopause diet is all about achieving a balance by eating certain
types of food while foregoing others. The right balance can alleviate
most symptoms and make the individual simply feel better. Remember the
beneficial effects of healthy diet and regular exercise. Women who
exercise and follow a healthy diet cope better with
menopausal changes and also help protect themselves against other
diseases such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Use this time in your
life to start living a better healthier life.

Weight gain diets

Most of the people find being overweight as a problem and struggle to keep the kilos off, others find it just as challenging to put the weight on. It is improper diet and unhealthy life style practices that make it difficult for these people to gain weight, if any underlying illness is ruled out. Under weight person is more prone to illnesses and have a longer recovery period after the same. However, having proper diet that makes one put on weight can reverse it. The energy density of foods is an important factor to gain weight.

Though some people are just naturally thin no matter how much they eat (and the envy of those who gain weight easily!) but one can gain weight and get bigger by following these simple tips:

• To gain weight, eat food having high caloric value. Try to increase your food intake without consuming too much fat and sugar.
• Regular meals, especially breakfast, are important if you find it difficult to gain weight. Have some fixed timings and avoid eating in between so as to increase the hunger for food.
• Protein is essential to the body, for repair, to enable the immune system to function and for recovery from illness. If you are recovering from illness, it is important to include adequate protein in your diet. Good vegetarian sources of protein include: cereals, nuts & seeds, Soya products (Soya milk, tofu, tempeh etc) and pulses. Milk, yogurt, cheese, and free-range eggs are also excellent protein sources for the non-vegetarians.
• Avoid Caffeine and Nicotine, as they are good stimulants and help to increase the metabolism of our body. Avoid having these stimulants in excess quantity to help your body retain maximum nutritional value from what you eat.
• Having snacks at bedtime helps to gain weight, as long as it does not interfere with sleep. To gain optimal nutritional value from the food you have eaten you must relax after having meal.
• If you have food just for one or two times than it slows down the weight gain since it makes you feel that your stomach is full. Go for smaller meals and snacks throughout the day since it increases the food intake of our body.
• While doing exercise, one should work out the muscles. Gradually with each workout, you should put a little stress on the body over your normal limit in order to grow muscle and to gain weight.

Diets for optimum health

We all have a hidden wish to achieve an optimum health. For the same reason, we try   keeping our knowledge updated regarding various modalities available through different media sources. In spite of it, we lag in maintaining good health. A poor diet and inactivity can lead to health problems, but by taking on board our healthy eating advice and physical activity tips you can soon see yourself on the way to a healthier lifestyle.

Find out about healthy eating and physical activity, and how small changes can lead to big benefits:

• Just as good food and health go hand-in-hand, you also need to have optimum physical activity to improve your overall health.
• It is also very important to enjoy your healthier eating pattern, as this way you are more likely to stick to the changes you make to your food.
• Make sure that what you eat boosts your energy – a healthy balanced diet will do this!
• Each person thrives for a healthy body and sound mind. A healthy diet plays a crucial role in achieving such a goal. It would be really great if everyone could be slim and maintain a sleek figure. However, genetically some people are more susceptible to obesity than others, not to mention that each person has a different metabolic capacity. Still, a little discretion in food habits along with physical activity and exercise can help us to achieve and maintain a good body weight without being obese.
• A healthy diet also paves the way to a healthy lifestyle and may help avoid chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease etc