Shameem Akthar
Shameem Akthar, yogacharya trained
with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center and author of three books, enlightens
you on some simple tricks to cut calories.
People struggle with weight-loss or
diet management. It is rather simple really, though the rules may not make
sense in the conventional sense. For instance, people on a diet-management
spree may gulp down glasses of fruit juice, thinking it is healthy, and
therefore it may help them lose weight, yet maintain a healthy glow.
On the contrary, fruit juices are
higher in calorie intensity than cut fruit pieces. So, though healthy, they
have a higher sugar content, which means after a while you will suffer a drop
in blood sugar, making you more hungry in just a short time.
On the other hand, fruit pieces,
taking longer to digest and with less sugar content, will not create this
dangerous sugar spike.
Eating less is not always the way to
cutting calories. Eating the right foods that help manage calories or fat
absorption are far better.
But favouring only one type of eating
(only fiber which helps by positively affecting fat absorption) can be outright
dangerous: eating too much fiber actually tends to remove food faster out of
the intestine, preventing absorption of nutrient (which is the sole purpose of
eating food!) and can cause skin problems and hair loss.
Similarly, it can also thin the
mucuous lining of the large intestine, occasionally causing bleeding through
the anus.
In these contemporary times, we rely
too much on diet management fads that can be dangerous. It is best to be
educated and informed before trying one or the other diet fads. Interestingly
the traditional system of eating was far wiser and thus, even today, easier to
follow.
1.
Chew your food
It may seem silly, but in yoga you are
advised to sit down calmly (ideally on the ground because this locks the
restless movements of the leg, letting more blood flow to the digestive system)
and eat in a silent manner, so the focus is only on the food.
Once this focus is established, you
must chew each mouthful well (some people who like to give numbers to every
formula, say each mouthful must be chewed at least 20 times).
Chewing food well allows for the right
release of salivary enzymes required to digest certain starches. Also, when we
eat slowly and steadily, our brain hits the satiety signal more effectively.
The brain has to give a signal that we have eaten enough, and then we will not
have the craving for more.
This signal is askew in those who are
obese either because they are not focusing on their food or are gulping it down
too fast. Try this. It never fails.
2.
Eat a heavy breakfast
This is very difficult in the current
scenario, of rushed mornings, eating on the go, and/or skipping breakfast
altogether. Several researches have shown that more than cutting calories, a
heavy breakfast could be the answer you were seeking for all problems dealing
with heart health, memory power, depression, attention deficit issues, acidity,
ulcers, chronic fatigue, even fertility.
This is easy to understand why: the
maximum nutrient absorption happens later in the day, after the food you'd
consumed for breakfast passes through the various departments of a system, that
end-to-end, is longer than 32-feet.
The rest of the food and its impact is
only cosmetic. The main impact on your health and energy levels comes from your
breakfast. If it is complete, and eaten by 11 am latest, you will find that
food cravings or energy lows -- which make you reach out for unhealthy
food—will disappear.
3.
Eat a light dinner
Keep the dinner early and light. This
is because the digestive system begins to shut down early in the evening.
Anything you eat overloads a system that needs a rest.
A light dinner will give you a chance
to wake up feeling energetic, lighter and even more flexible. When you wake up
feeling light and energetic, you will find the rest of your day flows more
smoothly around it, and with greater discipline. If you are fatigued or have
suffered nutrient malabsorption, as happens when you overeat, your body will
try to compensate desperately by seeking more food, since its nutrient needs
have still been left unattended.
Eat the dinner wisely, lightly, so the
digestive system stops its habit of craving. Also, when you eat less, the
stomach's elastic muscular walls learn to shrink. It is when the stomach
becomes larger and larger, through regular overload and lack of digestion from
sleeping immediately after eating, that it starts to need more food.
The stomach will tone up from inside,
thus shrinking its volume and your need for overeating will be controlled in
the best possible manner.
4.
Low glycemic index foods
Choose foods with low glycemic index.
These are foods which release energy more slowly, which means they help
maintain your sugar levels at a consistent level.
For instance, brown rice or whole
wheat has lower glycemic index, while maida, as refined starch, has a higher
glycemic index. This means, the same quantity of food of either will have
different impact on your hunger levels.
The first one will keep you feel
fuller longer, while the latter will cause a sugar dip, making you hungry
sooner.
Initially, it may seem like a big
effort to calculate or get an awareness of such food index. But soon it will
become a natural way of choosing foods, either at the market or at the diner's.
This will also go a long way in helping you maintain your weight, prevent
depression, control diabetes and high/or low blood pressure.
5.
Cook it right
Choosing the right way of cooking is
also a simple way towards controlling calories. Obviously boiled foods have
less calories than deep fried food. However, since some food items need the
texture of frying, you may have to fry them.
But even here, you can parboil the
food item before frying it, thus reducing the use of oil and the duration of
the frying.
The humble ragda pattice for instance
is a good example: pattices made of boiled potatoes are lightly fried to get
the crunchy texture of fried potatoes satisfy our craving for certain food
textures without bulking up on calories.
Baking, boiling, microwaving, tandoor
are the less-cal route towards eating.
6.
Drink a lot of water
Drinking water during the day keep our
body hydrated and cool. It also helps control hunger pangs. Often, too, we
mistake thirst for hunger and try to satiate both by drinking some fuel-loaded
energy drink or a canned fruit juice. Instead sipping water will help sort this
problem.
It is also a good way to flush out
food faster out of the gut, if you have overeaten!
No comments:
Post a Comment