Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The oily gossip.




“Frying your food is never healthy…period”.

Lot of people tell amazing stories to me when it comes to fat consumption.
I notice that at any social gathering there are always people giving wrong information to other people.
Here is some genuine information based on recent published research papers for my patients and anyone who reads this blog.

Saturated fats usually are not advised to have since they contribute to plaque deposition on your arteries and make your blood vessels very stiff and you are at risk for heart attacks and stroke.

Examples:

Refined and hydrogenated oils also called trans fats
Trans fat like margarine is made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation, which makes the oil less likely to spoil: It increases your cholesterol and LDL which is directly related to heart attacks.
I suggest you read labels on food for trans fat.
Examples: lard, butter, coconut and mar

Ghee is an Indian clarified butter and is made from animal milk- its therapeutic qualities have been in Ayurveda for a long time, but unfortunately people over consume it and it gets a bad name. Ghee is great for flavoring any diet but just use it for flavoring. It’s a saturated fat and can have deleterious effect on your arteries if consumed more than 5-10% daily based on 2000 calorie diet.

Coconut oil: is a saturated fat but do have a polyunsaturated component, they have Medium chain triglycerides which are accepted well by the body.
Again since its saturated it should be consumed in moderation to about 10% of daily need based on 2000 calorie diet.

Poly unsaturated fatty acid or PUFA
PUFA: should be consumed as 20% based on your 2000 calorie diet.
Examples: Safflower, peanut, corn oil and fatty fish.
PUFA n-3 include alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while PUFA n-6 include linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA)
Tyrosol, a main phenol present in extra virgin olive oil, increases lifespan and stress resistance.
Phenolic compounds comprising simple phenols, flavonoids, secoiridoids, and lignans.
Polyphenols from extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a main component of the Mediterranean diet, have demonstrated repeatedly anti-tumor activity in several in vitro and in vivo studies solidifying its role in breast cancer.

MUFA: are protective to heart should be consumed as 20% based on 2000 cal diet.
Examples are :Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocado






Friday, July 13, 2012

Hormones & inches on your waist

Adiponectin: Its a protein of 244 amino acids.
Deficiency of adiponectin is associated with insulin resistance and diabetes type 2.
The more weight you have the less adiponectin you have.
Exercise in bouts increases its levels.
There are ayurvedic supplements available also which I cannot mention at this point.

Insulin: Insulin imbalance can be a big hurdle in your weight loss program, so get yourself tested for insulin resistance if you have weight issues and don't seem to lose it even when doing enough exercise and diet control.
Exercise and medications by your doctor can really help.

Ghrelin excess can make you run for the snack bar again and again. Its the hunger hormone.
supressit by the following:

1.Big breakfast
2.Complex carbs:my favourite is oat bran
3.Eating on schedule
4.Volumetrics(many low calorie items in the plate) and soup
5.Protein:whey smoothie



Cortisol: high is bad
Stress increases the cortisol also culprits are :
alcohol
excessive caffeine
gluten

Cortisol reducers are

1.fibre
2.plant sterols in vegetables
3.vitamin c
4.whey protein
5.capsacin rich cayenne
6.Gluten free

Key points: exercising and vegetable in take should be a priority.