Diet food making you fat

DIET ICE CREAM

THE idea of an ice cream that is lighter, sugar free or has low/ no fat was every dieters dream, which ice cream manufacturers didn’t take long to translate into reality. Amul's Slim Scoop, Diet Scoop, Dairy Den, Havmor's Vanilla, or Vadilal’s or Mother Diary's Dietz are some of the ice creams marketed as diet products.

DIET CHOCOLATES

FAT and sugar free chocolates are a dream come true for chocoholics on a weight loss regime. There are also fat free chocolate pudding cups, which claim to have only 35 calories compared to 80 calories in the regular pudding. However, experts have a different take on this.

"Don't get into the trap of no-fat chocolates. When manufacturers remove the sweet stuff, they add fat. These might also contain the element, sorbitol, which can cause health problems like bloating and diarrhea.

LOW FAT BUTTER

CONSUMPTION of low fat butter is of course any day a better choice than the regular stuff but too much of that can make you fat too. Nutralite and Amul Lite, the low calorie bread spreads are a popular choice among the health conscious. These are cholesterol free, low in saturated fats.

DIET SNACKS

GO TO any of the urban supermarkets, and you won’t miss those ubiquitous fat free sweets, jams, muffins and bhujias . All these, promising you to take on guilt free trip! But beware, as most of these snacks are also sugar and fat bombs in disguise.

Gorge on them, yes, but not with false hopes, warn experts.

Food Types for Healthy Hair

When your hair starts falling off like dry straws, what can you do?

First, it would help to locate the various reasons for hair loss. Studies have revealed that men lose hair for some common reasons, like:

• Improper diet,


• Lack of proper vitamins,


• Genetic factors,


• Excessive stress, anxiety and worries,


• Prolonged illnesses like typhoid, anemia, dysentery, jaundice etc,


• Poor blood circulation, and


• Unclean scalps.

1. Your scalp needs nutrition. So get plenty of fluids like buttermilk, lime juice and coconut water. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day!


2. One bowl of sprouted pulses for would be great.


3. Proteins. Eat chicken and egg each day.


4. Reduce you daily intake of tea and coffee.


5. When you are washing hair, use a teaspoon of lime juice for the last rinse. That make your hair lustrous while protecting it from dandruff.


6. You are never too old for milk. Drink two glasses of skimmed milk for maximum benefits.


7. Apply a paste of methi seeds on your scalp for half an hour once every week, and drink methi water on empty stomachs.


8. Remember how the age old sadhus survived on fruits? No wonder that they had such long hair! Eat at least 2 or 3 fruits every day like strawberries, bananas, apples, mangoes, chikoos, and grapes.


9. Go green- eat a lot of vegetables, munch away on that iron laden spinach.


10. It is better to have more faith in white meat. Fish, chicken and egg can do wonders for your hair! Try to stay away from red meat.

Five Healthy Foods to Eat at your Workstation

Fruits
Not only they help you conquer that “false hunger”, they are also brimming with nutrients which are needed to keep you going all day. You can choose between apples, bananas, mangoes, oranges, papayas etc. but make sure you carry some fruits to the office on a daily basis.

Cup of Green Tea

Polyphenols, one of the major ingredients of green tea, is known to help repair the damaged DNA and stimulate the immune system. Besides, research shows that green tea also helps in reducing the risk of cancers, including skin cancer and prostate cancer.

Walnuts

Some new researches have pointed out that walnuts have more (and better quality) antioxidants than almonds, peanuts, pistachios and many other nuts. All nuts have been found to improve lipids and can reduce the risk of heart diseases. Walnuts have also been found to enhance cognitive and motor function in animals with Alzheimer's. Experts recommend seven walnuts a day.

Popcorn

If there ever was a list of healthy snacks, this is definitely going to be on the list. In fact, many say that popcorn is the healthiest snack available. It is 100 percent whole grain and is big on fiber and antioxidants. If you can air-pop your popcorn and add a minimal quantity of salt, you'd have the best popcorn, say experts. If your office has a microwave, just make sure you bring a pack of low sodium popcorn to work.

Dark Chocolate

This, too, contains those powerful antioxidants called Polyphenols which combat the risk factors (like oxidation of LDL cholesterol) for heart diseases and also inhibit clotting. Studies have also indicated that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate daily can reduce blood pressure in people with mild hypertension. Caffeine, another active ingredient of dark chocolate, can give you that much-required kick and a boost in concentration levels.