vit c and immunity health

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Vit C to

the rescue

Immune yourself to cold viruses

with the help of vitamin C and enjoy a healthy winter.

-Sonali Shah 27 th June 2011

With New Year fitness resolutions in place and winter finally descending upon

India, it’s time to take a stock of our health. The cold winter air will envelop us

during the next few months to come and force us to alter our diet. Winter bringswith itself a unique set of health-related issues but with conscious effort, you canbe prepared to win the battle. And vitamin C is pretty much your best armour.

Virus attack

Your immune system takes the hit during coldmonths, making you susceptible toillnesses. Cold and cough are the most common problems that affect a whole lot of people. “Apart from a runny nose and other common illnesses, our body is prone tosuffer from flu, bronchitis, sinusitis and sore throat in cold months,” informsMunira Kawad, Head of Nutrition, Gold’s Gym. “Though vitamin C may not protectyou against the virus, it certainly helps in alleviating the symptoms of a cold.” It isan immune system strengthener and hence indispensable to the body duringwinters.



Veggie defence

In vegetarian foods, vit C is amply found. Citrus fruits, without a doubt are thebest sources. “We are talking oranges, lemons, sweet limes and grapefruit here,”Kawad adds. “Amla, green and red peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, leafy greens,cantaloupes, berries, pineapples and cabbage are also on the list.” Prepare freshjuices and drink a glass every day. To avoid boredom, make different juices eachday. You can also chop the fruits and veggies to make salads, with sauces of various kinds for dressing. Another option is the easiest – just wash them well andeat them raw.

About non-vegetarian food preparations,Kawad says, “They contain negligible amounts of vit C. That is because thevitamin is depleted in the process of cooking. And as non-vegetarian foods cannotbe consumed raw, they aren’t considered as good sources of vit C.”

Stocking up on vitamin C by including foods rich with it is the easiest way toimmune yourself this season and enjoy the cold weather.

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RED EATING

- Munira Jawadwala Kawad



AGM – Training & Sports Nutritionist

PGSSN

28 th June 2011

When it comes to healthy eating, many of us think about eating enough protein

or fibre and avoiding sodium and saturated fat. But, how many of us attempt toeat colorfully? In this article, we’ll explore the nutritional value of red foods.

The more colorful our diet is, the better. We know all green foods are good for usand provide a wide variety of health benefits, but we tend to overlook red foodsand their health benefits, and relegate the red foods to mere color garnishes.Bring the red foods front and centre on your plates and reap these health benefits.

What’s in the red color food?

Most of the nutrients we’ll talk in this article are antioxidants. That means theyprotect our bodies’ cells from damage caused by normal body reactions, smoking,sun damage, pollution, ageing etc. By doing so, they provide protection fromcancers and age-related diseases.

1) The most talked about red nutrient is lycopene. Lycopene is especially high in

tomato products. In fact, cooked tomato foods like tomato sauce and ketchupcontain the highest amounts of lycopene. It’s also found in other red foods suchas watermelon. The biggest benefit of lycopene is that it can dramatically loweryour risk of developing prostate cancer. In addition, eating lycopene-rich foodsregularly may also help people who have prostate cancer by preventing it fromspreading, as well as keeping tumors small. For women, it may also lower yourchances of developing lung, breast, and stomach cancers.

Tomatoes also contain about 20 vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C andK, which help maintain body functions like eyesight, immune defense and skinregeneration. Other essential nutrients also include copper, folate, potassium andmanganese, necessary for nerve protection, bone health and maintainingnormalblood sugar. Tomatoes also contain vitamin B2 which has been used to treatmigraines.

2) Apples are a super food, adding low fat, nutrition and fiber to our diets. Chooseto eat red skinned apples (eat the apple peel too) and you will be getting theantioxidant, quercetin, that has been shown to slow the growth of cancer cells.They also contain a healthy dose of vitamin C, needed for immunity defense andthe absorption of iron.

3) Red onions also contain quercetin. A simple change from using yellow onions tousing red onions will offer more dietary protection from cancer.



4) Red foods that improve heart health are red grapes, red cabbage, beets andcherries. All these red foods contain anthocyanin, apigment that helps keeps ourhearts healthy. The anthocyan inpigment found in these red foods also helpscertain skin conditions, like eczema, to heal. Foods like beet are also a very richsource of Beta carotene – which is a coulr pigment similar tochlorophyll. Beta

carotene is converted to Vitamin A in the body. Thus helpful for skin, reproductivehormones as well, eyesight.

5) Red radishes contain glucosinolates, which are substances that produce thestrong spicy flavor in radishes. Glucosinolates have been shown in studies todramatically slow the growth of coloncancer cells.

6) Guava is one of the most nutritious fruits; it is high in fiber,vitamins A, C, B3and G4, needed for eye, heart and immunity health. Guava also containspotassium, magnesium and polyunsaturated fatty acids, important for digestivehealth and regulation of metabolism.

7) Strawberries - Besides tasting good and being an ideal dessert, strawberriescontain vitamins C and K as well as manganese, potassium, folate and fibre. Theseall aid in calcium absorption and regulation of blood sugar.

8) Raspberries have the highest amounts of antioxidants of any fruit, which arebeneficial in treating inflammation, pain, cancer, heart disease and allergies. Theyalso contain vitamin C, fibre andmanganese.

9) Cherries are sweet and tangy and contain several photochemical andantioxidants, including melatonin, which helps regulate sleep, wards off jet lag

and reduces memory loss.

10) Watermelon contains vitamins C, B1 and B6, as well as potassium andmagnesium, needed for immune and cardiovascular health. This juicy fruit alsocontains lycopene, an antioxidant known to prevent certain types of cancer. It alsocontains iron needed much for keeping one active and increase ones haemoglobin.

11) Pink Grapefruit is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants and fibre which help preventcancer and lower cholesterol.

12) Red Peppers, including bell and chili peppers, contain vitamins A, C and B6,

needed for immunity defense, brain development and function, and skin, eye andmuscle strength. Peppers are also good sources of fiber, potassium, manganeseand folate, which are important for maintaining a healthy weight andlowering cholesterol.

13) Red Kidney Beans contain protein, antioxidants and fiber important for ahealthy diet. Protein helps repair and rebuild damaged cells and tissues. Fiber,omega 3 and antioxidants help prevent disease, lower cholesterol levels, andrelieve constipation

Ways to boost your red food intake



o Sprinkle some raspberries into yogurt for a breakfast or snack. o Mix dried cranberries with almonds for an on-the-go snack.

o Sauté red onion and add to chili or soups.

Always remember that every color in the food has some nutrients.Therefore the

more colorful is the diet; the more balanced is the meal.

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Women and Osteoporosis

By - Munira Jawadwala Kawad

PG – Sports Nutritionist

Manager – Training

GOLD’S GYM INDIA

29th June 2011

What exactly is osteoporosis?

Throughout your life, your skeleton loses old bone and forms newbone. Osteoporosis occurs when you lose too much bone, make too little of it, orboth. As your bones become less dense, they get weaker and easier tobreak. Fractures from osteoporosis can occur in any bone, but you are most likelyto break bones in your wrist, spine, and hip. Children and teenagers form newbone faster than they lose the old bone. In fact, even after they stop growingtaller, young people continue to make more bone than they lose. This meanstheir bones get denser and denser until they reach what experts call peak bonemass.



This is the point when you have the greatest amount of bone you will ever have. Itusually occurs when you are a young adult, sometime between the ages of 18 and25.

After you achieve peak bone mass, the balance between bone loss and bone

formation might start to shift. In other words, you may slowly start to lose morebone than you form. In midlife, bone loss usually speeds up in men and women. Formost women, the pace really picks up after menopause, when your body'sproduction of oestrogen drops sharply. Because oestrogen protects bone,not producing as much can cause rapid bone loss.

Taking good care of your bones before menopause is wise. It can make you lesslikely to develop osteoporosis after menopause. And don't be discouraged aboutbone you might have already lost.

You can always take steps to strengthen your bones. But take action now. Once

you start to lose bone density, it's hard to reverse. Keep in mind that:

Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

There are certain characteristics that increase the chances of developingosteoporosis. Among them a diet that is low in calcium and vitamin D and a lack of weight bearing exercise are three of the easiest to change. Other factors include:

Lower body weight (under 58Kgs)

Rheumatoid arthritis

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia, early menopause, and surgical menopause can allincrease your risk of osteoporosis.

Advanced age

Female gender

Family history of osteoporosis: Young women whose mothers have a history of

spinal fractures

are also at risk for weak bones.

Thin or small frame

Early menopause or amenorrhea

Use of corticosteroid medications

Use of anticonvulsant drugs



Diet low in calcium: Calcium is critical for healthy bones, but many womenconsume less than half of what they need each day.

Lack of exercise

Cigarette smoking

Excessive use of alcohol of caffeine

Preventing Osteoporosis

Building and maintaining bone mass requires a combination of nutrients andexercise. Building bone density early in life is the best way to prevent osteoporosislater. After adulthood, the best way to maintain the bone mass is the same wayyou build it -- getting adequate calcium in your diet and doing weight bearingexercise.

Diet

Eat your veggies and fruit.

Consume low fat Dairy products since it contains Phosphorous, Vitamin D, andlactose all needed for better calcium absorption.

Get some daily sunshine for vitamin D

Another easy way to increase the amount of calcium in your diet is to makestock for soup from bones and calcium rich vegetables.

Think twice about dieting: Diets low in calories is often low in calcium and othernutrients required for calcium absorption. Secondly a low body weight could leadto weak bones.

Eat enough protein

Avoid Calcium foods and coco or coffee in the same meal, as they hampercalcium absorption.

Exercise

Evidence shows that exercise may help build and maintain bone density at any age.Studies have seen bone density increase by doing regular resistance exercises, suchas lifting weights, two or three times a week. This type of weight bearing exerciseappears to stimulate bone formation, and the retention of calcium, in the bonesthat are bearing the load. The force of muscles pulling against bones stimulatesthis bone building process. So any exercise that places force on a bone willstrengthen that bone.



Weight-bearing exercises are the most effective to build bones. These includeactivities such as walking, stair climbing, running, hiking, and weight lifting.Swimming and bicycling are not considered weight-bearing exercises.

A survey of 350 middle-aged women found that those who were most active in

their daily lives had significantly greater bone density in their spines, femurs andforearms than less active women. Another study from found that runningstrengthens the leg bones of both older and younger women.

Exercise also increases muscle strength, coordination, and balance and decreasesthe likelihood of falls in the elderly.

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FAT DEPOSITS in WOMEN

Munira Jawadwala Kawad

AGM – Training & Sports Nutrition

GOLD’S GYM INDIA

PGSSN

30th June 2011

Fat is essential for healthy people to function normally. Fat not only providesenergy in the body but also insulates the body from extreme temperatures,protects the organs, surrounds and insulates the nerve fibers and also helps asbuilding blocks for various hormones in the body. One of the main morphologicaldifferences between a male and a female is the amount of fat that women carry.

The reason for this difference is that women at some point in their lives maynourish a fetus and then a baby from their own reserves, so women have to stockenergy in the form of fat in anticipation of future pregnancies (and must stockeven more energy during the last two trimesters of pregnancy).

Fat in a normal male represents 15-20% of body weight, whereas a female is 20-25%. Females carry fat in distinct areas that males do not.

Primary Fat Deposits in a women:

Fat reserves accumulate in very specific areas on the body. Generally they avoid

the joints in order not to interfere with movement



1. Lower Back: The fat merges with the buttocks region making the buttockstaller in height and possibly protruding up into the waist.

2.Thighs (Inner / Outer Thigh): The fat concentration on thighs can be quitebulky. There could be fatty tissue deposits that look like pitted fat or cottage

cheese like appearance forming bumps or bulges on the thighs. Also the area onthe back of the thigh where the buttocks end and thighs begin can accumulate alot of fat this forming a huge bulge. The concentration of fat in the outer thigh canbulk up and thus sneak up towards the love handles.

3. Knee: In women, the knee is often a location of fat concentration, especiallyon the medial (inner) region, it plays an aesthetic role of filing in the space.

4.The Upper Arm: The posterior area, back of the arm, is specially developed inwomen, this concentration, besides its energetic role, protects the superficialnerves and arteries in the medial (inner) and superior (upper) area of the arm. This

fat if accumulates beyond the capacity can lead to sagging arms.

5. Around the Navel: Some women can have rare fat deposits around theperiumbilical or navel region.

It has been scientifically proven that increased body fat may affect health and maylead to medical complications. The way the fat is distributed in the bodyinfluences the state of health of specific organs.

According to the location, fat can be subcutaneous (under the skin) or visceral(around the organs). Visceral fat may interfere with the proper functioning of

vital organs like the heart, pancreas, etc. There is a relationship between overallfat deposits and specific fat deposits. Fat around the middle-body section (gut /abdominal area) is associated with visceral fat. Abdominal fat is the most serioushealth risk. The waist-hip ratio is a method of determining whether there areexcessive amounts of upper body fat. It is obtained by dividing the waistmeasurement by the hip measurement.

The body structures could be classified in 2 types :

-> Apple Shaped

-> Pear Shaped



Apple-shaped fat individuals are at a greater risk of developing obesity-relateddiseases, as the fat is inside the abdomen and distributed around the stomach andchest. Most of the men have an apple shaped body structure. The medical risk of

the same could be:

Cardiovascular diseases (heart disease) and hypertension (blood pressure)

Type 2 diabetes

Respiratory diseases (sleep apnea syndrome)

Bone or joint aches - Osteoarthritis

Pear-shaped overweight persons are at greater risk of mechanical problems, asmost of the body fat is distributed around the hips, thighs and bottom. Mostwomen have a pear shaped body structure.

In either of the conditions, the fact remains that extra weight can only createproblems.

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BURNING FAT

First of all, you can't expect to lose butt fat, or fat anywhere on the body for thatmatter, if you don't reduce your calorie intake and get more exercise. Fat burningrequires eating properly and engaging in physical activity. Cardiovascular exercise ishighly effective in fat burning, in particular. Make sure that you are doing both of these things for maximum fat loss results.

Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise – helps you to increase your heart rate thus increasing

the blood circulation. This helps to provide more oxygen and fat to the workingmuscle. It is very crucial to provide enough oxygen to the muscles for the fat to beburned (oxidised). To make sure that one is providing enough oxygen the followingcalculations can be done

MHR (HR max) – 220 – Age

RHR (HR rest) – count the heart rate when completely relaxed for 1 min.

HRR (HR reserve) –

MHR –

RHR



THR (HR target) – HRR x 65% + RHR (also calculate the same manner for 75%)

E.g. a person with age 25yrs and a RHR of 72bpm

MHR = 220 – 25 = 195

RHR = 72

HRR = 195 – 72 = 123

THR = 123 x 65% + 72 = 152

THR = 123 x 75% + 72 = 164

The two calculations e.g. in this case – 152 - 164 is suggestive of the heart rate oneneeds to be in to burn fat.

Types of exercise could be running / biking / swimming / spinning / cross trainer /kick boxing / aerobics, etc.

Food

Increase your METABOLISM:

1) Eat small frequent meals:

Eating small frequent meals boosts the metabolism; this is because the breakdownof food itself requires a good number of calories. Also by choosing to have five to sixsmall meals each day, we teach the body to never be hungry. We avoid the bloodsugar fluctuations and will not experience the cravings that can derail even the mostcarefully planned diet. Eating more frequent meals also spaces out caloric intake

over the course of the day. Skipping a meal sends the body into a preservationmode that slows down burning the excess fat stores of the body

2) Foods high in Protein:

The thermic effect of food refers to the body's expenditure of energy to chew,swallow and process foods. Protein rich foods create a thermic effect, meaning burn loads of calories whilegetting digested. Foods like milk and milk products, chicken, turkey, tuna, andsalmon are burned simply by digesting them.

3) Foods rich in FIBER: Fibrous carbohydrates burn about 20% of their caloriesthrough digestion (thermic effect). They also increase the satiety value thus



controlling the hunger pangs. The fiber holds water and in turn helps clear bowelmovement and reduces the chances of constipation. Fibrous carbs include all thevegetables, salads and fruits along with whole grains, pulses and sprouts.

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