Nutrients & more...

Mr.R. is a jolly guy with a love of all things delicious and sweet. Of medium build, he considers his health as generally good. He drinks moderately, except on special occasions like weddings. He has been feeling tired and low for some time (maybe due to work stress). He has had dry and itchy skin lately (probably because of all the pollution in the city). He feels hungrier and thirstier (maybe because he is working so hard). He sometimes feels numbness in his leg (maybe because of sitting at a desk for too long...or maybe a bout of outdoor work). Recently, his eye has been giving him trouble. He vowed to reduce his screen exposure.  He visits the doctor and after some tests, is diagnosed with diabetes aka high blood sugar.  Very unsettling.  Regrettably, this narrative involves active people in their 30s and 40s rather than elderly, retired people. Young adults are increasingly falling prey to a host of metabolic disorders. The risk factors include not only stress and ch...

image Do you know that if we flip the word "desserts" it reads as "stressed"?!  While we may reach out to sweet foods in need of comfort, it has detrimental effects on our bodies. New studies have found that sugar affects not only our body, but also our minds.  Sugar is more addictive than drugs. And just like drug consumption a person may not have much control over it. But why is it so? The reward response In humans, sweet foods activate regions of the brain associated with the reward response and provoke more intense feelings of hunger than other foods. Foods that cause a higher elevation in blood glucose (aka sweets, fizzy drinks, energy bars, etc.) produce a larger addictive drive in the brain. A typical sweet eater's anxiety, despair, and irritability may increase if they abruptly cut out sweets from their diet. The symptoms of sugar and sweets withdrawal can be similar to those of withdrawal from other stimulants. Mood regulation Sugar makes dopamine(happy...

When I was a kid, we had different sweets for every season. Whether it be  Rasgulla  and  kulfi  (ice cream) in summer or  gajar halwa  (carrot pudding),  til laddoo, gajak, etc.  in winter, or  Ghevars and choorma in monsoons,  every season had its own special sweet.  We were allowed to overindulge in these seasonal delicacies as kids until our excesses sent us straight to the dentist's waiting rooms. While growing up, I saw most people in my family struggling with Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity, Heart disease, and even cancer. I wondered how to prevent or delay them as they tend to run in families. I came across a staple that is kept in every kitchen worldwide and is used at alarming levels in the food processing industry. Sugar Sugar comprises two molecules of sucrose. Sucrose is an easily assimilated macronutrient that provides a quick source of energy to the body, provoking a rapid rise in blood glucose upon ingestion. Its exc...

Who doesn't likes sugar? We are genetically  programmed  to love all things sweet! When we go out for dinner and fill ourselves with all that we can with no space to breathe, somehow, we still manage to gulp down that soft Gulab Jamun or a piece of apple pie.  Every mother knows that her child can finish an ice cream tub just after he or she finish eating lunch.  We accept sweets even when we are not hungry at all. How does a magic section open in our tummies just for desserts? Our ancestors were scavengers with rare access to sweets. The sweet foods, like fruits and some tubers, provided quick energy and were favored over others. The foods that were bitter could be toxic and hence disregarded in favor of the sweet ones. Today we have no need to scavenge food, but the brain's mesolimbic dopamine system functions the same way it did with our ancestors. The brain is a glucose hungry organ and releases a  happy hormone  called  Dopamine  whenever we ...

1. Fizzy drinks - They have been repeatedly proven to be unhealthy . They are linked to diabetes, obesity, loss of bone density, dental decay and heart diseases. Read more about them here and here Pic 1 , Substitutes: Lemonade, coconut water, sparkling water, plain tap water, buttermilk 2. Alcohol - Apart from being a social nuisance, it can get very addictive and come in the way of your life. It does not incur any major health benefit , in fact it dehydrates the body and affects the liver adversely when overly used. Pic 3. French fries - Usually found in fast food joints are loaded with trans-fat (the BAD fat) barely have any nutritional value; one can definitely live without them. If you are addicted then try healthier substitutes like this one . Pic 4. Refined flour - It is practically devoid of all the B-complex vitamins and minerals. Whole wheat flour will work in most of the recipes demanding white flour/ maida . Refined flour produce is only good for clinical co...