Alcohol< Good or Bad?

Firstly, thanks to all the readers of my Blog….and especially for your encouragement!! At least this makes my otherwise scorching and lazy summers real interesting 😛

Source:Guardian.co.uk

I was just reading an article about moderate alcohol consumption good for health. What caught my attention, which I have never read in such articles before, is that “it is not the imbibing that makes you healthy, instead the alcohol as an indicator of the social level that actually affects”. To read more click here. Well I can agree on this viewpoint.
But what intrigued me is how do these researchers put one in categories such as ‘Moderate’, ‘Low’ or ‘High’ drinking as per the amount of alcoholic drinks. The mentioned article highlighted that consumption of 7-21 glasses/ week comes under ‘Moderate’ category. And I always thought that more than 2 glasses/day definitely is a high consumption of alcohol because, as far as my knowledge goes, at this rate of consumption the benefits will far outweigh the risks. To enumerate, risks are:

1. Obesity (due to increased energy intake. 1 g of alcohol provides 7 calories),
2. Liver cirrhosis and dysfunction (because most of the time the exact alcohol (in ml)/ glass is not mentioned in such healthful articles, which may leave the liberty on the drinker),
3. Carcinogenesis (increased risk of various types of cancer),
4. Cardiovascular diseases (albeit the benefits have also been highlighted in various researches in treating CVDs),
5. Gastro-intestinal disorders (such as peptic ulcer disease),
6. Foetal abnormalities (for drinkers, who are pregnant),
7. Distorted coordination and emotional reactions (and perhaps, thus, to dementia as well), etc.

Alas, all this confusion was making my head spin 😦 Hence I did a little review and found out the following facts:

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have defined moderate drinking as no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men.
• Heart disease risk, while lower amongst moderate drinkers, is substantially higher among people who drink to excess, even occasionally.
• What doctors usually consider a drink is basically a medium glass of wine, a 1.5 oz shot of spirits, or a can or bottle of beer. All of those have roughly similar amounts of pure alcohol in them.
• A standard drink is an alcoholic beverage that contains 14 grams, 0.6 fluid ounces, 1.2 tablespoons, or 18 ml of pure ethanol alcohol.
• The role of alcohol consumption in heart disease varies strongly by gender. The reason for that is twofold. On the one hand, women at any given age tend to have lower risks of heart disease than men do. As a result, the benefits of moderate drinking accrue disproportionately to men. At the same time, there are some particular risks of drinking for women that don’t exist for men.
• There is fairly consistent evidence that breast cancer rates are higher among women who drink moderately.
• Moderate alcohol consumption may lower your risk of gall stones.
• It takes the adult body about 2 hours to break down a single drink.
• Low-dose, daily alcohol consumption has also been linked to better health than less frequent use.
• If you have high blood pressure, it is wise not to drink alcohol at all, even in moderate amounts. Check this out.
• Guidelines from the United Kingdom suggest that middle-aged or elderly men and postmenopausal women who drink seldom or never might consider the possibility that light drinking would benefit their health.
• Moderate drinking is not recommended for women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, or for people who are under 21.
• Also, alcohol interacts with many common prescription and over-the-counter medications. Check with your doctor if you take antibiotics, pain relievers, antidepressants, anticoagulants, etc. For example, if you combine alcohol with aspirin, you face an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. 😦 So please be cautious.

Volume of Standard Drink

For fact sheets about how to read wine, malt beverage, and distilled spirits labels, visit the consumer corner of the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. If you want to estimate the alcohol content of a cocktail, try this calculator. To read more about the health benefits and risks related to alcoholic drinks, you can probe this article.

I wished to garner more information regarding “Moderation is the key” phrase, which has become a cliché with alcohol, and gain more clarity about consuming alcohols because I am an occasional drinker, so does that mean that I am on the lower side of health? And here is the gist outlined by me: Light drinking of alcohol, i.e. about 7 drinks/week can exert the beneficial effects of alcohol consumption, depending upon the age, sex, person’s medical and family history. Of course, there are many caveats associated with alcohol use in foods, and thus I do not suggest that teetotalers should take up drinking or that infrequent drinkers should start drinking more. Beyond that, I don’t think currently there is enough evidence to say that anybody should take up drinking just for any particular benefit unless their doctors recommend them. Apropos the cardioprotective benefits, it is only for those folks, who wish to feel good about themselves 🙂 having a drink. Rest of you should rethink drinking. Follow exercises on a regular basis, preferentially a cross-training schedule, and include healthy foods in your diet to have a healthy heart, healthy body and a healthy mind. Above all, don’t feel pressured to drink!

VEGS & FRUITS v/s WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

What do you eat for breakfast? Whole fruits? Fresh vegetables? You probably find them disgusting 😦

Extensive researches have been conducted on the effect of eating fruits and veggies on human body. Consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with lower risks for numerous chronic diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Fruit and vegetable-enriched diets have also been linked with improving blood lipids level, especially in Indian diets. Such diets have been found rich in cardioprotective agents. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of various anti-oxidants and they thus help to boost our immune system by protecting our cells from being invaded by free radicals. They also are rich in fibers, and hence improve gut motility and prevent constipation. Higher fruit and vegetable consumption has also been linked with lower body mass index (BMI). They have beneficial impact on glucose homeostasis and satiety. Their consumption has thus been linked with weight management in some of the researches. Here I am presenting some of the facts that are highlighted in the intervention studies about the relationship between veggies and fruits consumption and weight loss.

Losing weight can be very difficult, even for the highly motivated. In addition, maintaining an appropriate weight is difficult, particularly as a person ages. Replacing foods of high energy density (high calories per weight of food) with foods of lower energy density, such as fruits and vegetables, can be an important part of a weight management strategy. Energy density is the relationship of calories to the weight of food (calories per gram). For the same number of calories, you can eat foods with low energy density in greater volume than foods with high energy density. This will help you feel full and yet consume fewer calories.
Foods high in energy density have a large number of calories relative to their weight or volume (4 to 9 calories per gram of weight). Foods high in energy density include low-moisture foods like crackers and cookies or high-fat foods like butter and bacon. Foods with medium energy density range from 1.5 to 4 calories per gram of weight. Examples include hard-boiled eggs, dried fruits, bagels, hummus, whole wheat bread, and part-skim mozzarella. Foods low in energy density have 0.7 to 1.5 calories per gram; those very low in energy density range from 0 to 0.6 calories per gram. Examples of foods in these two groups include tomatoes, cantaloupe, broth-based soups, fat free cottage cheese, fat free yogurt, strawberries, broccoli, and turkey breast roasted with no skin. Most fresh fruits and vegetables fall into one of these two categories.
Fat increases the energy density of foods, while water and fiber decrease energy density. Water has the greatest impact on energy density because it adds weight to food without increasing calories, thus decreasing energy density. Most fruits and vegetables are low in energy density because of their high water and fiber content and their low fat content. Some studies have found that an increase of 14 g of fiber a day is associated with an average weight loss of 1.9 kg (4.2 lb) over 3.8 months. These analyses highlight the importance of fiber-rich foods, such as fruit and vegetables, in weight regulation.
Eating low energy-dense foods promote feelings of being full, reduce hunger, and decrease energy intake regardless of how the food is changed to lower the energy density (such as reducing fat). Fruits can enhance satiety, especially when consumed whole. Similarly, vegetables also increase satiety when eaten along with skins. The high fiber content of such foods is provides that “fullness” feeling to us. Bearing this in mind, thus, the form of fruits or vegetables play an important role in satiety. Whole fruits and veggies are associated with higher satiety ratings than the purée or fiber-free juices. Pulp-free fruit juices lose their fiber content in the process of juicing. For weight control purposes, the whole fruit contains added fiber that helps make one feel full.

Here are some practical tips of inclusion of vegetables and fruits in diet as a part of weight management strategy:

• Vegetables tend to be lower in calories than fruit; thus substituting more vegetables than fruit for foods of higher energy density can be helpful in weight management.
• Fruits and vegetables should be substituted (and not added 😛 ) for foods high in energy density in an existing eating plan.
• To lower the energy density of foods, such as soups, sandwiches, and casseroles, substitute fruits and vegetables for some of the ingredients that have higher energy density, such as high-fat meat, cheese, and pasta. Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and other sliced vegetables can be added to sandwiches while decreasing the amount of high-fat meat or cheese.
• Techniques such as breading and frying, adding high-fat dressings and sauces, and as part of a high-calorie dessert greatly increase the calorie and fat content of the dish even if it includes fruits and vegetables.
• Whole fruit is lower in energy density and more satiating than fruit juices.
• Are canned and frozen fruits and vegetables just as good as fresh? Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are good options when fresh produce is not available. You must be careful, however, to choose those without added sugar, syrup, cream sauces, or other ingredients that will increase calories, thereby raising the energy density.

Hope this brief provides you insight into the health aspects of eating fruits and vegetables and encourages you to relish them more in your food 🙂

TRIM THAT FAT-III

Balance Your Calories

Hey Guys!!
I hope the past days were good for your health and you were able to cash on the tips I gave to you all earlier in working towards a more trimmer you. 🙂 Keep it going!!! Want a recall? Click here for Part I and Part II.
Sorry to keep you waiting longer this time 😦 Here is the last part of this series, where I will talk about the calories balancing act.
Creating and sticking to a balanced diet is difficult enough. Turns out the best way to live healthy and control appetite is to bring a little balance to your day. Simply put, you can achieve that balance by increasing your caloric expenditure through various activities than caloric intake through food. The food we eat enriches us with calories, and everything we do uses calories. This includes sleeping, breathing, digesting food, and moving around. Eat too many calories without burning them off and they will get converted to fat (stored in adipose tissue) and leave you overweight. So how many calories do you need to keep yourself going?

The numbers vary based on height, weight, age, and activity level. You can use the Mifflin & Jeor Equation to determine your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), and the closely related resting metabolic rate (RMR), that is the amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment, in the post-absorptive state (meaning that the digestive system is inactive, which requires about twelve hours of fasting in humans). Basal metabolism is usually by far the largest component of total caloric expenditure. The measures of basal metabolic rate and resting metabolic rate are becoming essential tools for maintaining a healthy body weight.

BMR calculation formula:

where s is +5 for males and −161 for females.

Here P is total heat production at complete rest, m is the weight, h is the height, and a is the age, and with the difference in BMR for men and women being mainly due to differences in body weight.
The number you get is the minimum number of calories you should be eating daily. Remember: this is only an estimate of the calories needed just to function; you must exceed this number to live an active lifestyle healthfully.

So now that you are aware about your body’s caloric requirements in the normal physiologic state, let us move forward to caloric expenditure. About 70% of a human’s total energy expenditure is due to the basal life processes within the organs of the body (see table). About 20% of one’s energy expenditure comes from physical activity and another 10% from digestion of food. Knowing what the body burns at rest or through exercise yields (via heart rate monitoring) a targeted program of energy utilization based on metabolic performance.

Energy expenditure breakdown
liver	27%
brain	19%
heart	7%
kidneys	10%
skeletal muscle	18%
other organs	19%

Physical activity is as vital as consumption of “healthy” foods to maintain a fit body. Physical activity is important for physical health, emotional well-being, and achieving a healthy weight. Exercise is physical activity that is intentional and purposefully designed to improve some aspect(s) of fitness or health. Physical activity may help you control your weight by using excess calories that would otherwise be stored as fat.

Calories in Food > Calories Used = Weight Gain
Calories in Food < Calories Used = Weight Loss
Calories in Food = Calories Used = Weight Control

Keep Moving!

So how much physical activity do you need for general health? Experts recommend at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week. This amount of physical activity may reduce your risk for some chronic diseases. Aerobic physical activities make your heart beat faster for a sustained period of time. They also require your body to use more oxygen (and thus more calories). Physical activity may include structured activities such as walking, running, basketball, or other sports. It may also include daily activities such as household chores, yard work, or walking the dog. Pick a combination of structured and daily activities that fit your schedule.

Workout For Better Health

You do not need to do all of your exercise at once to be physically active. In fact, experts recommend spreading physical activity throughout the week.

• I recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week.
• To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, particularly after you have lost a large amount of weight, you may need to do 60 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity each day.
• If you have been inactive for a while, start slowly and work up to 30 minutes a day at a pace that is comfortable for you.
• If you are unable to be active for 30 minutes at one time, accumulate activity over the course of the day in 10- to 15-minute sessions. Moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activities that last for at least 10 minutes count toward meeting the weekly recommendation.
• Strength training is another way for you to meet the recommended minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each day. Strength training will also help you burn extra calories and build strong muscles, bones, and joints.

Will physical activity help you shed those extra Kilos? The perspective is: when exercise is combined with dietary restriction the proportion of weight lost as fat is greater than dieting alone. This is because exercise conserves or even develops muscle tissue, particularly if strength (weight) training is used. Maintenance of muscle mass by exercise helps to preserve or increase metabolic rate and in turn consumption of more calories. In addition, exercise helps the individual who is losing weight feel firmer and more toned than if the weight loss is through diet alone, when the body is more likely to feel saggy and baggy. This can have a positive effect on motivation and body image and perhaps improve long-term outcomes. There are clear benefits of regular exercise for people trying to lose weight. But here I would like to point out one thing that muscle tissue has more mass than fat tissues and hence for physically active persons, exercise may not result in initial weight loss 😦 (as weight = muscle mass + fat tissues + bones) instead a firmer and more toned you! But this should not put you off; keep going, get strong. 🙂 In order to maintain a healthy weight after weight loss, you may need to further increase your physical activity.

Regular physical activity will help you feel, move, and look better. Whether your goal is to achieve and maintain a healthy weight or improve your health, becoming physically active is a step in the right direction. Take advantage of the health benefits of physical activity and make it a part of your life.

Count Calories!

The number of calories you eat is important. In addition to being physically active, you ought to follow a healthy eating plan. Try to consume fewer calories than you burn each day. Remember that your weight may be affected by the balance of “calories-in” and “calories-out.” Choose a variety of “Healthy” and nutritious foods every day, such as whole-grain breads and cereals, lean meats, low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products, and a variety of fruits and vegetables, like apples, berries, carrots, and kale. Healthful foods will give you the energy you need to be active. Technically speaking, a “healthy” food is any food item that delivers a dose of macronutrients, vitamins, and/or minerals, and fibers without delivering an imbalanced proportion of empty calories (energy delivered without other vital nutrients) or toxins to the body. These are foods that when consumed regularly offer physiological or psychological benefits beyond simply providing nutrients to the individual, i.e. foods that have been shown to fight/prevent chronic illness. By definition, almost any food can be considered healthy when it is consumed in proper proportion to other foods. Click here to know how to make a food health enriched. Contrary to popular belief, no one nutrient makes you fat. Too much of any nutrient leads to weight gain and obesity the same way too little leads to illness and death. Sugar, despite lo-carb claims to the contrary, is only converted into fat when excesses are not burned off; the same is true for fats or proteins. All are essential to maintain healthy function within the body.
The recommended daily intakes for macronutrients are as follows:

• 50-65 percent from carbohydrates
• 15-25 percent from proteins
• 15-25 percent from fats (no more than 10% in the form of saturated fats)

I believe, all these guidelines can now help you customize your caloric requirements taking in account your weight, activity levels, BMR and dietary needs and help you TRIM THAT FAT!!! 😛

See you next time, bie!!