Just Health: To Lose More Weight, Love Your Body

Just Health: To Lose More Weight, Love Your Body: "By Gunter Jameson {Guest Blogger} Everyone wants to be healthier. Even people who are already in great shape are looking for ways to be eve..."

Nutri-loaded Moringa

Hurray! I have added another wonder food plant to my list of Nutritional heroes. With such an amazing nutrient content, it deserves to be on this list. Scientific research confirms that this tree is a powerhouse of nutritional value. Gram for gram, the leaves contain: 7 times the vitamin C in oranges, 4 times the calcium in milk, 4 times the vitamin A in carrots, 2 times the protein in milk, 3 times the potassium in bananas, and 3 times the iron in spinach.

This hero can be used in variety of ways and its nutritional promises still remain very high.  You can brew a delicious tea powder with the leaves, add it to your salads, or add it to your favorite sauce to give it a nutritional boost. Interestingly, this plant is used in making natural and body friendly cosmetic products like facial mask, deodorant and lip balm. The oil from the tree pods is clear, sweet and odorless, and never becomes rancid. This hero is MORINGA (Moringa Oleifera)

Picture having this tree in your garden that will meet all your nutritional needs, take care of you medicinally and purify your water for you. In developing tropical countries, Moringa trees have been used to combat malnutrition especially among infants and nursing mothers. The tree is in full leaf at the end of the dry season when other foods are usually scarce. This tree is truly a ‘miracle’ tree offering a lot of hope nutritionally.

GO THE WHOLE FOODS WAY!

Eating foods as close to their natural form as possible, with minimal processing and refinement is usually hard to find in many homes, yet, it is the easiest way to improve health and prevent diseases.

Whole foods have more of the nutrients that our bodies needs and less of the added ingredients like sugar, sodium, saturated fat etc. that we don’t need. Whole foods can be cooked without being processed and examples include fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, unprocessed fish, lean meat, oats, corn and other whole grains.

Some of the benefits of eating whole foods include;

a)  Gaining a strong combination of important vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and antioxidants.

b)  Increasing on the fiber which helps to bring about faster sense of fullness when we eat, help fight heart disease and diabetes and enhance bowel movement.

c)  Reduction in the intake of the bad fats which are often added to processed foods and fast foods.

d)  Contribute omega 3 fatty acid and monounsaturated fat from plants.

e)  Making it easier to cut down on extra amounts of calories, sugar, sodium, trans and saturated fat.

Let’s breed a healthy world by my eating more whole foods. Do you feel this way too? 

WATER: Where would we be without it?

Ask any three people you know to name as many essential nutrients as they can, if they mention water, give them a price. 

Our body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and our muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water.  Our body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all our organs. Water also transports oxygen to our cells, removes waste, and protects our joints and organs.

Our need for water is so obvious yet it is often taken for granted. Without it our days are limited to about six. If the value of a nutrient is judged by how long we can do without it, water will rank as the most important. A person can only survive only seven to ten days without water, whereas it takes weeks to die from a lack of food.

In general, we need enough water each day to replace the water lost through urination, respiration, and by sweating.  You lose more water when you are active than when you are sedentary.  Symptoms of mild dehydration include chronic pains in joints and muscles, lower back pain, headaches and constipation. A strong smell to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color indicates that you may not be getting enough water. 

HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED TO DRINK- Although  a good percentage of your water need will come from the foods you eat,  the rest of your water need should come from the beverages and juices you drink. Water is the best choice. A good guess is to take your body weight in pounds and divide the number in half. That will give you the number of ounces of water that you need to drink per day.  If you have a high activity level, exercise or drink alcohol you will need to drink more because your daily need for water will be more. The same applies to individuals in dry or hot environments. 

Drinking enough water on busy days may be difficult, an easy way to ensure that you drink enough water on such days is to have water handy at all times.  Spice up the water drinking habit with a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavor. This way, you will not get fed up with plain water or get dehydrated.

Finally, let thirst be your best indicator. The truth is that you need water long before you feel thirsty. So get your cup and start drinking!

I exercise yet my Scale keep reading high!

A client expressed disappointment that she seemed to be adding more weight even though she is on a controlled diet and constant exercise regime.

She is having her worst nightmare! (Whisper)

But if you’ve seen an increase in your weight, and you are working out regularly, there are some key reasons and possible solutions for correcting them. 

First, a reality check: You may not have gained as much weight as you thought. It is normal for the body weight to fluctuate by several kilograms a day depending on fluid shifts in your body, and the time at which you weigh yourself. Stepping on the scale first thing in the morning when you have not eaten in 12 or more hours will give you a slight different number than in the day when you may have had plenty fluids and several meals.

If you did gain weight, let us explore the possible reasons and solutions.

1. Water Retention

Preventing dehydration is important during exercise. The body can go into survival mode and start retaining water when you are slightly dehydrated. Once this happens, it is difficult to reverse that process. The solution is to monitor your hydration by weighing yourself before and after exercise. Observe how frequently you urinate and the color. Dark, frequent urination is another sign of dehydration. Slow down your workout and pump up the fluids.

2. Appetite may increase with Exercise.

With increased exercise, the body will need more energy to burn fat and stay active. Your appetite may increase to answer to those needs. The solution is to eat nutritious foods that are high in lean protein, low in fat and sugar. Rewarding yourself with extra food will be a wrong move; a good workout is not a license to eat.

3. Muscle weighs more than Fat

A problem some people may experience when they start exercising is building muscles faster than they loose body fat. With strength training exercises, it is possible to lower body fat and lose inches, yet still see your weight increase. Since muscle mass weighs more than fat, you could be producing muscle faster than you are losing fat, causing you to gain weight. The solution is to stay focused, do not be discouraged by the numbers on the scale.

Genetics could also be playing a role here. Some people put on muscle more easily than others, if that is the reason in your own case, do not stop exercising, and adjust your programme to ensure that you are getting enough Aerobic exercise(biking, brisk walking, jogging, climbing) to promote weight loss.

4. Eating more or less.

If you have measured yourself in different ways and realized that you are gaining fat, take some time and go through the following possibilities. You may need to make changes in your diet to see improved outcome. Many who are doing only short workouts for only a few days per week easily eat more calories than they are burning, and gain weight as a result. If you exercise long and often enough, eating extra is necessary to replace energy stores.

Eating more calories than you burn causes weight gain. After you start exercising, you may start eating more without being aware of it. Keeping a journal and monitoring portion size can help. When you are about to eat or snack, pause and ask yourself whether you are really hungry. Sometimes, people mistake thirst for hunger and eat when their body is really longing for more fluid.

On the other hand, if there is a severe restriction in calories, the body may fight this reduction by slowing down its metabolism. The solution is to eat enough calories to sustain your body if you’ve increased your activity. Eat regular meals so that you do not get too hungry, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables so as to have enough fiber and bulk to feel full.

5. Give your body time to adjust

Increased activity and new eating habits require the body to make adjustments. The body will not respond immediately and will require weeks and sometimes months adjusting to the new change. Give your body time to make adjustment.

Consuming too much energy or sports drinks and fruit juices can keep you hydrated and will contribute to weight gain. Choose water whenever possible. Pay a visit to your Doctor and rule out any medical condition that may be contributing to your weight gain. Some medical conditions and medications can interfere with normal body processes. Thyroid problems and some medications can make weight loss difficult.

Whatever the cause of your weight gain, do not give up on exercise. It is not only your ticket to weight loss, it is also important for your health.

Two hours at the Gym yesterday got me feeling slow and drained this morning. I expected so because I skipped my workout for two weeks. I got my reward. I guess!

Food Wise Nutrition: Sugar: The Bitter Truth

Food Wise Nutrition: Sugar: The Bitter Truth: "Are you interested in sugar and fructose metabolism and what it does to your body on a cellular level? Check out this amazing video lectu..."

Just Health: Tips for Dry Skin

Just Health: Tips for Dry Skin: "Dry skin has numerous causes. Some people are born with it and it persists throughout life. It can be uncomfortable, incessantly irritable ..."

When will the WAR end?

Strategies for Improving Maternal and Child Nutrition!!!  That was the theme of the just concluded AGM of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria.

Recent statistics showed that Nigeria accounts for 10% global Maternal and Child mortality rate. Presently, the rate of maternal deaths is 540 deaths out of 100,000 births, and 276 children out of the live births die before their 5^th birthday. 53% of deaths are traceable to poor nutrition. 

This is very! Very! Very! depressing. When I was a child, I was told stories of how a lot of children suffered from severe malnutrition during the Nigerian civil war by my father. Pictures from television documentaries on the Nigerian civil war and that of some warring African nations depict kwashiorkor and marasmus as war conditions. When ever I hear of war, I see hungry people, and people who got sick due to hunger and poor nutrition. It is very unfortunate to know that even when dear Nigeria is not at war, this picture of war condition still lives with us.

We are still at war, and this war is one that we have to win. It is a war against maternal and child mortality, opposing malnutrition is the best strategy.

Which is better for you: Butter or Margarine?

I was taking a client on a healthy shopping session when we ran into a couple, maybe newly weds , arguing whether or not to include butter in their shopping basket. Very impressive, I thought. At least people are getting health conscious more than before.

First we were told to steer clear of the saturated fats in butter and switch to margarine. Then we discover the dangers of trans-saturated fats in margarine, resulting in many of us switching back to good old butter. So which one really is better for us?

Butter
Many people prefer the taste of butter over margarine and are drawn to the idea that it is a more natural product.  However, it is high in saturated fat.  Saturated fat not only raises total cholesterol but it also significantly increases the LDL (bad) cholesterol – the type that clogs the arteries and can lead to heart disease.  Healthy eating guidelines advise that we should consume no more than 10% of total calories as saturated fat. 

Margarine 

Margarine usually contain fewer saturated fats than butter as they are predominantly made from plant rather than animal derived oils.  However, plant oils tend to be liquid at room temperature.  Therefore, in order to make them more solid and spreadable, manufacturers have traditionally used a process called hydrogenation.  During this process trans fats may be formed - a type of fat known to be even more harmful to health than saturated fat as they raise  LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce HDL (good) cholesterol.

Increased awareness of the harmful effects of hydrogenated fats has resulted in a questioning of the real health benefits of margarine. However, margarine is still recommended as the healthier option. This is partly because changes in processing techniques have greatly reduced the amount of Trans fatty acids likely to be found in most margarine, but also because margarine is generally much lower in saturated fat than butter.  They are also a good source of heart friendly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. 

Monounsaturated fats are particularly effective at helping to protect against heart disease as they not only reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, but also increase HDL (good) cholesterol.  Polyunsaturated fats are a good source of immune strengthening omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids and will also help to lower LDL cholesterol. 

On whole, margarine really does seem to be the healthier choice but have different types. H ere is a guide to choosing a healthy option.

 1. Choose a spread that has a low total fat content.  Ideally, look for a spread that has less than 55g of fat per 100g.

2. Look for one with low saturated fat content.  Less than 10g per 100 grams.

3. Choose one with low Trans fatty acid content.   0.5 grams or less per 100 grams.

4. Go for a spread made from olive, rapeseed or groundnut oil as these are likely to have the highest monounsaturated fat content. 

Many of the cholesterol-lowering spreads contain stanols and sterols.  These are ingredients derived from plants that can actually reduce the amount of cholesterol that the body absorbs.  These spreads can be effective at lowering cholesterol, but they should be used as part of a healthy, balanced diet and not as a substitute for other.  Well established ways of reducing the risk of heart disease, such as increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables, quitting smoking, eating less saturated fat and taking more exercise.