What do You do, When You are feeling Blue?

 Clouds hugging the earth- Protective?

No matter who we are, we all have those days. Those days, when the whole world seems to be conspiring against us, we wonder what we  have done and where our lives are heading and we just feel like a total wreck!

We also tend to compare our lives with other people, with those around us, with the people on the social media, with that girl on the news who has got "everything".  Something which always leads to feelings of low self-confidence and ingratitude with what we have been blessed with. My husband had once told me: 'Everybody is writing an examination from God and everybody is trying to copy each other. But, they do not realize that everyone has been given a different question paper! So live your life as you want to and not as anybody else. And in doing so, you might be an inspiration to someone!' Strange! How one motivational sentence from a loved one, can change your entire thought process! I never found myself comparing myself to someone else, since then!

Some people adapt to stress easily, some people find ways to deal with it and some people get crushed by stress simply because they do not know where to channel the negative energy.

Here are a few ways I use to Detox my Mind:

1. Prayer: Leave everything aside, go and pray. You can say anything you want and ask anything you want from your Creator. You will suddenly feel so light and relaxed as you know your troubles are being taken care of, by the Almighty. Spiritual Bliss!
2. Spend time with your loved ones. Go to your mom's. Date night with husband. Call a friend for tea.
3. Clean your home and your workplace. There is something therapeutic in this. It's like you are sweeping away your troubles and putting them in the thrash can for good! 
4. Refresh yourself, with a warm long bath!
5. Dress- Up, (add a dash of Mascara if you can ;) )! Nothing can boost your confidence more than this : Looking Good = Feeling Good!
6. Exercise! Whether you choose to go for a walk or to the gym for a good hard work out, it is going to release those  feel-good-chemicals in your brain- endorphins and you suddenly realize that you feel light and happy!
7. Chamomile Tea instead of your regular Coffee- Caffeine tends to trigger or worsen anxiety, so choose herbal infusions instead. Chamomile has shown to be a relaxant and Immune -booster. It  relieves muscle and nerve tension and is effective against menstrual cramps. It also has mild sedative properties- great for people suffering from insomnia.
8. Indulge in any activity that interests you. It can be anything from reading a book, painting, going for a movie, shopping, walking in the park, photography, cooking or baking!
9. Help-Somebody-Today attitude: It does not have to be something big, even small things can make a big difference to someone else. Giving way to the rushing lady behind you at the shopping counter, allowing someone else to get onto your lane while driving in traffic, giving up your seat to a pregnant/elderly lady at the clinics/airports, buying a bottle of water for the poor construction worker, old clothes to any nearby orphanage, etc. Kindness begets Kindness, so you never know when Karma can hit you!
10. Smile! No matter what mood you are in, Smile even if you cant. The gentle curve of your lips breaks down that negative energy and those stiff frowning facial muscles and make you feel good in an instant! Remember, your smile can do wonders for that person at the receiving end too!

 Lovely Roses in my Garden! Aren't they pretty!

So, What do you do, when you are feeling Blue? Let us know in the comment section below :)

Until Next time,
Take care Ladies!
-Zara

Super-Sweet Super-Spice Aids in Weightloss!

 Obesity is on the rise and holding on to our current weight or probably getting rid of those extra pounds may seem daunting at the beginning. The biggest challenge we face at the very beginning of any weight- loss program, is how to stay away from those mouth watering cakes, chocolates and sweets!
Somehow our sweet cravings kick in and off goes the diet! *snob*

This is when Cinnamon comes into the picture. It is naturally very sweet,  adds lots of flavor to food and can be used as a replacement in place of sugar.

 What is it?

It is derived from the dried bark of the Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) or Cinnamomum cassia (Chinese cinnamon) tree.

How cinnamon works in controlling Blood Sugar Levels?

1.  High-carbohydrate meals increase blood sugar quickly because they are emptied rapidly by the stomach. Cinnamon reduces the rise in blood sugar after eating because it slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)- This makes us feel full for a longer period of time- eat less, lose weight!

2.  Cinnamon may work in another way to help lower glucose levels. It affects the way blood sugar is processed in the body, thereby preventing the conversion of excess blood sugar to fat. This occurs due to the ability of compounds in cinnamon to stimulate insulin receptors. In addition, these compounds inhibit an enzyme that inactivates insulin receptors, so cells are better able to use glucose effectively. (Insulin converts sugars-->fat!)

3.  Certain studies find that abdominal fats react more to cinnamon than other fats and this also promotes weight loss.


Other Benefits: (US. National Library of Medicine)

• "consuming up to 6 grams of cinnamon per day "reduces serum glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes." and that "the inclusion of cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. " Diabetic Care Journal
• aid in digestion and relieve bloating
• cinnamaldehyde - a chemical found in Cassia cinnamon - can help fight against bacterial and fungal infections
• prevent Alzheimers Disease, help reduce the destructive process of Multiple Sclerosis
• Cinnamon is also surprisingly high in the nutrients- iron, manganese and vitamin K.

How Cinnamon can be Used:

• Mixture of cinnamon (stick or ground) and honey in warm water before breakfast and before sleeping at night.
• Cinnamon can be sprinkled on oatmeal, toast, breakfast cereal or even added to a cup of morning coffee.
• Low- Fat Cinnamon Rolls (Recipe Coming soon!)
• Cinnamon Ginger Detox Tea : 1 red tea bag/powder, 2sticks of cinnamon , 1/4tsp grated ginger, 3crushed mint leaves, 1/4 tsp lemon juice, honey (optional). Brew this mixture for 5 minutes and have it early in the morning. Detoxes and cleanses your bowels!

Nutritional Profile (from Medical news today)

 According to US Department of Agriculture, 10g of ground Cinnamon contains:
- Energy: 24 kcal
-Fat: 0.12g
-Carbohydrates: 8.06g
- Protein :0.4g

Dose:

Natural - no established dose. 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon /day is said to have a dramatic effect on the Blood sugar levels.
 Very high doses may be toxic. 

Precautions:

• Usually no side effects.
• Sensitive people can have mild irritation of the mouth or even allergic reactions.
• Skin irritation on contact with skin. Irritation is caused by cinnamaldehyde.
• Avoid in pregnant and breast-feeding women.
• Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin could cause liver problems. 
• Hormone- dependent Cancers patients e.g. Breast Cancer should not take cinnamon.
• Drug interaction with antibiotics, diabetes drugs, blood thinners, heart medicines, and others. Consult your doctor before using high- dose Cinnamon. 

What are your thoughts on this amazing Spice? How have you guys used this/ incorporated this into your diet?

*First Image is from Google images, can be removed upon request! *

Look at those LABELS!

By Labels, I do not mean the Brand Labels of High-end Fashion wear/accessories.
 Here I am going to talk purely about FOOD labels. How many of us actually see the food label before we pick up something at the grocery store? Do we actually understand what they really mean even if we spot them at the edge of our visual fields? How much of these nutrients do we really need in a day? Are we eating too much of something or too less of something?

Food labels have a great deal of information on the calorific and nutritional contents of foods as well as any additives they may have.

As a Nutritionist, I will try my best to explain these food labels. For Example, lets look at the label of my Favorite Breakfast cereal (Random pick for food-label preview) 

Product description:
Food Type: Breakfast cereal
Name: Nestle Fitness Wholegrain Cereal
Net Wt: 375g
Description: Low fat, 53% wholegrain
 Number of portions: 13
"Guideline Daily Amounts of an average adult (2000kcal)"

• Total weight: 375g of cereal with 13 portion sizes. So if you consume 30g of cereal /day- this box should last you for 13 days. 
• GDA: Guideline Daily Amount

• This Food Label is based on 2000kcal diet of an average adult (as specified on the box). As we all know that the recommended calorie intake for females is 1600-2200kcal/day and for males it is 2000-2800kcal/day.  So you can adjust your portion size depending on your calorie intake.

• One portion size is given to be 30g with 125ml of skimmed milk. Calories: 154kcal which is 8% of the total calories you can consume in a day according to the 2000kcal diet. 

• Recommended daily allowance (RDA) of proteins is around 50gm (depends on the situation, for males and body-builders it is higher) . One portion has 6.9g which is 14% of 50g (approx).

• Carbohydrate count is important, particularly for diabetics. The RDA of carbohydrates is around 300g. One portion contains 29.7g of carbohydrates of which simple sugars is 11.2g. Simple sugars don't add much to a healthy diet and must be avoided especially by those who want to lose weight and diabetics.

• Look for the unhealthy fats especially the amount of saturated fat and Cholesterol levels. One portion contains only 0.2g of saturates! RDA of fat <65g. RDA of saturated fat <20g. Total Cholesterol/day <300mg

• Watch for high fiber content foods since they are insoluble , pass through the bowels, so eating foods high in fiber content aids in weight loss as they make you feel full without adding calories! RDA of fibers is 25g at least.

•  Sodium levels are important especially when you are dealing with high blood pressure. The sodium is 0.2g. The salt level is 0.2 x 2.5 = 0.5g/portion only. The RDA (salt) is 6g approx and for sodium 2400mg.

 

 Scan through the ingredients to see if there is something which you are allergic to (e.g peanuts), or something you want to avoid (Gluten in Celiac Disease). 

This product was used just as a sample. You can apply the same information and RDA values to practically any food label you see in the market.

 You must be thinking "Oh My! this is going to take me hours at the grocery store!!" 
But Remember: Practice not only makes you perfect, but also Quicker! ;)

After seeing this label, I think I did make a good choice in selecting my breakfast cereal. Good amount of Carbs for the morning-kickstart, decent proteins and fiber amount, low fat, almost no saturates, low sodium and ONLY 154 calories total! Win- Win :)






**RDA values are close approximates, Guidelines are subject to change with future research in the field of Nutrition.**