Monday, June 23, 2008

Are You Eating Healthy!




Eat Healthy!


Men - Should have about 1,600 to 2,000 calories a day


Women: Should have about 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day


Choose this many servings from these food groups:


6 starches; 2 milks; 4 vegetables; 4 to 6 ounces of meat, preferaby white meat (Chicken fish) and meat substitutes; 3 fruits maximum up to 4 fats Starches Starches are bread, grains, cereal, pasta, and starchy vegetables like corn and potatoes. They provide carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Whole grain starches are healthier because they have more vitamins, minerals and fiber. Examples of starches are:


* bread * pasta * corn * pretzels * potatoes * rice * crackers * cereal * tortillas *beans * yams * lentils.


What are healthy ways to eat starches?


* Buy whole grain breads and cereals.


* Eat fewer fried and high-fat starches such as regular tortilla chips and potato chips, french fries, pastries or biscuits. Try pretzels, fat-free popcorn, baked tortilla chips or potato chips, baked potatoes, or low-fat muffins.


* Use low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt or fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream on a baked potato.


* Use mustard instead of mayonnaise on a sandwich.


* Use low-fat or fat-free substitutes such as low-fat mayonnaise or light margarine on bread, rolls or toast.


* Eat cereal with fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk.


* Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber and they are low in carbohydrate.


Examples of vegetables are * lettuce * broccoli * vegetable juice * spinach * peppers


* carrots * green beans * tomatoes * celery * chilies * greens * cabbage


What are healthy ways to eat vegetables?


Eat raw and cooked vegetables with little or no fat, sauces or dressings:


* Try low-fat or fat-free salad dressing on raw vegetables or salads. * Steam vegetables using water or low-fat broth. * Mix in some chopped onion or garlic. * Use a little vinegar or some lemon or lime juice. * Add a small piece of lean ham or smoked turkey instead of fat tovegetables when cooking. * Sprinkle with herbs and spices. * If you do use a small amount of fat, use canola oil, olive oil or soft margarines (liquid or tub types) instead of fat from meat, butter, or shortening.


Fruits provide carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Examples of fruit include: apples * fruit juice * strawberries * dried fruit * grapefruit * bananas * raisins oranges * watermelon * peaches * mango * guava * papaya * berries * canned fruitWhat are healthy ways to eat fruits? * Eat fruits raw or cooked, as juice with no sugar added, canned in their own juice, or dried. * Buy smaller pieces of fruit. * Choose pieces of fruit more often than fruit juice. Whole fruit ismore filling and has more fiber. * Save high-sugar and high-fat fruit desserts such as peach cobbler orcherry pie for special occasions.


Milk provides carbohydrate, protein, calcium, vitamins, and minerals.


What are healthy ways to have milk? * Drink fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk. * Eat low-fat or fat-free fruit yogurt sweetened with a low-caloriesweetener. * Use low-fat plain yogurt as a substitute for sour cream.


Meat and Meat Substitutes


The meat and meat substitutes group includes meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, fish and tofu. Eat small amounts of some of these foods each day. Meat and meat substitutes provide protein, vitamins, and minerals. Examples of meat and meat substitutes includes:


* chicken * fish * canned tuna or other fish * eggs * tofu * cottage cheese * cheese * lamb * turkey


What are healthy ways to eat meat or meat substitutes?


* Buy cuts of ham, and lamb that have only a little fat on them. Trim off the extra fat.


* Eat chicken or turkey without the skin. * Cook meat or meat substitutes in low-fat ways: o broil o grill o stir-fry o roast o steam o stew o microwave


* To add more flavor, use vinegars, lemon juice, soy sauce, salsa, ketchup, barbecue sauce, herbs, and spices. * Cook eggs using a non-stick pan or with cooking spray. * Limit the amounts of nuts, peanut butter and fried foods that you eat. They are high in fat. * Check food labels.


Choose low-fat or fat-free cheese Fats and Sweets


Limit the amount of fats and sweets you eat. Fats and sweets are not asnutritious as other foods. Fats have a lot of calories. Sweets can be highin carbohydrate and fat. Some contain saturated fats, trans fats, andcholesterol that increase your risk of heart disease. Limiting these foodswill help you lose weight and keep your blood glucose and blood fats under control.Examples of fats include * salad dressing * oil * cream cheese * butter * margarine * mayonnaise avocado * olives. Examples of sweets include * cake * ice cream * pie * syrup * cookies and doughnuts. It’s okay to have sweets once in a while. Try having sugar-free popsicles, diet soda, fat-free ice cream or frozen yogurt, or sugar-free hot cocoa mix.


Other tips include: * Share desserts in restaurants. * Order small or child-size servings of ice cream or frozen yogurt. * Divide homemade desserts into small servings and wrap eachindividually. Freeze extra servings. Remember, fat-free and low-sugar foods still have calories.


Eat Healthy and Lose Weight!

Losing weight means cutting down on your calorie intake, which means cutting
back on the total amount of food that you eat. How do you deal with the
hunger pangs?

The best approach is to fill up on high-volume, low-calorie foods.
Vegetables and Fruits are great not only because they are packed with
nutrients but because they are mostly water—which means, ounce for ounce,
they are lower in calories. Vegetable soups are a particularly effective way
to fill up with fewer calories.

Fiber will also help keep you full, so choose legumes and whole grains. Be
sure to include some fat and protein with each meal, as this increases
satiety.
Finally, when you first feel hunger pangs, have a tall glass of water before
you reach for food; since our bodies often mistake thirst for hunger, this
may be just what you need.

The Best Beans
Beans should be a staple in your diet if they are not already. They are high
in protein and fiber, relatively low in calories, inexpensive, and versatile
But which beans are best? As a rule of thumb, the darker the bean, the more antioxidants it will provide. Black beans are the richest source of antioxidants, followed by red, brown, yellow, and white beans.
Yet any type of bean can be added to soups, salads, chili, or even pasta dishes. If you buy canned beans, rinse them first before you add.

Don't Smoke- Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes.

Don't Eat Fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after mealswill cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hours aftermeal or 1 hour before meal.



Q&A with Reema Sarin, Fitness Consultant, BOLLYWOOD AEROBICS PROGRAM, www.reemafitness.com; Cell No. 984 964 7772


Q Is it good what websites are doing (urging teenagers to starve)?
“This is not good at all. Yes, there are many internet sites that are ‘promoting starvation’ as short-cuts methods to effective weight loss, which is extremely dangerous as it can lead to serious eating disorder called ‘anorexia’. Anorexia is an eating disorder where people starve themselves. It usually begins in young people around the onset of puberty. Individuals suffering from anorexia have extreme weight loss, usually 15% below the person's normal body weight. People suffering from anorexia are very skinny but are convinced that they are overweight. Weight loss is obtained by many ways like by doing excessive exercise, intake of laxatives and not eating. Anorexics (mainly affects adolescent girls) have an intense fear of becoming fat. Their dieting habits develop from this fear.
People with anorexia continue to think they are overweight even after they become extremely thin, are very ill or near death. Often they will develop strange eating habits such as refusing to eat in front of other people. The disorder is thought to be most common among people of higher socioeconomic classes and people involved in activities where thinness is especially looked upon.
Some of the ill-effects of Anorexia or ‘starvation diets’ include:
Body mass index less than 17.5 in adults, or 85% of expected weight in children; Stunted growth; Endocrine disorder, leading to cessation of periods in girls; Decreased libido; impotence in males; Reduced metabolism, slow heart rate, hypertension and anemia; Thinning of the hair; Constantly feeling ‘cold’; Zinc deficiency; Reduced immune system function; Pallid complexion and sunken eyes; Tooth decay; Constipation; Dry skin; Headaches, amongst others.
Some emotional ‘ill-effects’ include:
Low self-esteem; Intense fear about becoming overweight; Mood swings; Deterioration in relationships with the family; Excessive exercise, food restriction; Secretive about eating or exercise behavior, suicide attempts, amongst others.
Hence, internet sites promoting starvation can have fatal repercussions and hence are proving to be extremely harmful.
Q What are the various ways by which a teenager can become fit without starving to death?
First of all, there is absolutely no connection in being ‘fit’ and ‘starving to death’. As described above, people who go on starvation diets are far from being healthy or ‘fit’, and instead, they are extremely weak with all sorts of muscular and basic body ailments and deficiencies.
To keep ‘fit’, teenagers need to do to keep ‘fit’ is to:
a) Follow a moderate exercise routine – any type of ‘aerobic’ or cardio workout 3 – 4 times a week. For e.g Swimming, jogging, power walking, aerobics, cycling, etc
b) Supplement the above cardio exercise with ‘body conditioning’ and strength training exercises like ‘calesthenics’, light weight training, etc
c) Have a well balanced healthy diet, with intake of normal meals everyday. Recommendations here to have a high protein diet, with moderate carbohydrate and low fat and sugar intake. Vegetables, fruits (for natural sugar), cereals, ‘white meats’ like chicken and fish, eggs, lentils, dairy like milk and yoghurt.
d) Adequate regular sleep patterns – 7 hours minimum daily
e) As much as possible, avoid intake of alcohol, high caffeine (tea and coffee) and stamina killing consumes like cigarettes, drugs etc.
f) Healthy mind leads to a healthy body, so indulge in relaxation giving activities like mediation, listening to soft music, deep breathing and YOGA exercises atleast thrice a week.
g) Last but certainly not the least – drink atleast 8 glasses of water a day.
Q Can you elaborate on some exercises to be fit?
1. A complete fitness program must include aerobic exercise, muscular strength and endurance conditioning, and flexibility exercise. Aerobic exercise does good things for your cardiovascular system and is an important part of weight management. Muscular conditioning can improve strength and posture, reduce the risk of lower back injury, and is also an important component of a weight management program. Flexibility exercise is needed to maintain joint range of motion and reduce the risk of injury and muscle soreness.
2. Walking is a weight-bearing aerobic exercise. So are jogging, rope skipping and dance-exercise. Aerobic exercise is any activity that uses large muscle groups in a continuous, rhythmic fashion for sustained periods of time. There are also non-weight-bearing aerobic exercises, such as bicycling, stationary cycling, swimming and rowing.
3. Keep the pace comfortable. A very important aspect of your exercise program is the intensity. You should exercise at a comfortable pace. You can measure your exercise heart rate to check the intensity of your exercising, or you can take the 'talk test.'
To measure your heart rate, take your pulse as soon as you stop exercising. Count your heartbeat for 10 seconds, then multiply that by six to convert it to a one-minute heart rate. If you keep your exercise heart rate within a range of 55 percent to 80 percent of an estimated maximum heart rate (220 minus your age), you're doing well.
4. How long should you exercise? Work up to 20 or more minutes per session for general health maintenance. For weight loss, gradually work up to 45 minutes or longer at low to moderate intensities in a low- or no-impact activity.
5. Strength conditioning gives you a choice. Pick calisthenics, free weights or machines. Just be sure that your strength training includes exercises for every major muscle group, including the muscles of the arms, chest, back, stomach, hips and legs.
Start with a weight that's comfortable to handle and keep it up for eight repetitions. Gradually add more repetitions until you can complete 12 repetitions. For greater strength conditioning, add more weight and/or more repetitions, in sets of eight to 12, when the exercise becomes easy. 6. Stretch for flexibility. Proper stretching involves holding a mild stretch of 10 to 30 seconds while you breathe normally. Always warm up before you stretch. Like strength conditioning, flexibility exercises should include stretching for all the major muscle groups.


Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Three Things Every Exercise Program Should Have


1. What you should know to design a safe and effective exercise program - A complete fitness program must include aerobic exercise, muscular strength and endurance conditioning, and flexibility exercise. Aerobic exercise does good things for your cardiovascular system and is an important part of weight management. Muscular conditioning can improve strength and posture, reduce the risk of lower back injury, and is also an important component of a weight management program. Flexibility exercise is needed to maintain joint range of motion and reduce the risk of injury and muscle soreness.
2. Aerobic exercise can be as simple as walking - Walking is a weight-bearing aerobic exercise. So are jogging, rope skipping and dance-exercise. Aerobic exercise is any activity that uses large muscle groups in a continuous, rhythmic fashion for sustained periods of time. There are also non-weight-bearing aerobic exercises, such as bicycling, stationary cycling, swimming and rowing.

Keep the pace comfortable - A very important aspect of your exercise program is the intensity. You should exercise at a comfortable pace. You can measure your exercise heart rate to check the intensity of your exercising, or you can take the 'talk test.'
To measure your heart rate, take your pulse as soon as you stop exercising. Count your heartbeat for 10 seconds, then multiply that by six to convert it to a one-minute heart rate. If you keep your exercise heart rate within a range of 55 percent to 80 percent of an estimated maximum heart rate (220 minus your age), you're doing well.

How often should you exercise?Three to four days of aerobic activity is fine for general health maintenance. If you're trying to lose weight, aim for four or more days a week, being sure you take off at least one day a week.

How long should you exercise? Work up to 20 or more minutes per session for general health maintenance. For weight loss, gradually work up to 45 minutes or longer at low to moderate intensities in a low- or no-impact activity.

3. Strength conditioning gives you a choice - Pick calisthenics, free weights or machines. Just be sure that your strength training includes exercises for every major muscle group, including the muscles of the arms, chest, back, stomach, hips and legs.
Start with a weight that's comfortable to handle and keep it up for eight repetitions. Gradually add more repetitions until you can complete 12 repetitions. For greater strength conditioning, add more weight and/or more repetitions, in sets of eight to 12, when the exercise becomes easy.
Stretch for flexibility - Proper stretching involves holding a mild stretch of 10 to 30 seconds while you breathe normally. Always warm up before you stretch. Like strength conditioning, flexibility exercises should include stretching for all the major muscle groups.
One last thing to remember . . . Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program, especially if you're over 40, or have cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of heart disease.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Bollywood Aerobics


Today, the term ‘Bollywood’ is one of the most popular terms, used for marketing almost anything to the masses. However, who would have thought that ‘Fitness’ to would be associated with it!

Well that’s right! Conceptualized and choreographed by me, ‘Bollywood Aerobics’ was fitst launched in Mumbai. More popularly known as the ‘Bollyfit Program’, this vigorous exercise routine consists of scintillating and sophisticated dance aerobics steps, which are carefully synchronized to popular bollywood remix numbers.
However, not all bollywood songs are used for these classes, as it is required for them to be increased considerably in speed to be suitable for the fast American aerobic moves!

This was further explained by Reema, who said that “My classes are high energy and fast paced. Hence, each song that I use for my classes, is carefully, chosen and tested at increased speeds of 120 -130 beats per minute (bpms), which is the average speed of my fun Aerobic classes. For my Step Aerobic classes, I use songs remixed at 100 bpms, as this exercise routine requires songs at slightly slower beats per minutes.

And where are these special ‘Bollyfit classes’ being taught currently? Well, only in Hyderabad, as that is where Reema is currently based. Over the past couple of years, Reema has many organized Fitness Dance Shows, including a performance at the ‘Youth Nexus Festival’, sponsored by HT City in Delhi, where she did an amazing Step Aerobics dance choreography to the popular number ‘Mahi Ve’! Subsequently, Reema made a ‘Bollyfit’ music video, which is available for your viewing on
www.reemafitness.com

And has all this been easy we asked her!
“Oh its never easy’ confesses Reema, who added that “It always takes many days and hours of practice to match the right moves to the right song, and to ensure that one gets a good workout, by teaching a well balanced exercise routine, consisting both of high impact and as well low impact aerobic moves.”

“Well, let’s face it”, she smiles and says, “This is the next big innovative thing in fitness that is already helping to popularize dance aerobic classes, and hence encouraging people to exercise. Reema says the moves are easily followed by both men and women, as these are classic aerobic moves, with a slight dance twist to them, making them distinct from all other aerobic classes. “Moreover, this whole concept have made my classes fun, different and ofcourse, they come at a premium price.”
And where do we go from here? “Well, all I can say is that, Aerobics has certainly come a long way. From being taught to the predetermined aerobic music, to ‘bollywood remixes’ and other popular kinds of music. Today, I teach ‘Rock Aerobic’, ‘Pop Aerobic’ and marathon advanced ‘Trance Aerobic classes’, which are all very addictive, as you just de-stress and unwind as you workout.”

Oh and to answer your question on ‘Where do we go from here?’ “Who knows” says Reema. With my high energy level and flexibility, maybe the next big thing for me could be performing in a ‘music video’! Again, who knows, but for now, it’s Long Live Bollywood Aerobics!