Month: June 2016

“Never step out without a sunscreen” – Delna Pooniwala.

The human skin is the outer covering of the body. It is considered the largest organ. Our skin is made up of multiple layers that guard our muscles, bones and internal organs.

We constantly require guarding our skin against sun damage or else, it starts to look dry, wrinkled, discolored and in certain cases could cause skin cancer.

A simple habit of applying a sunscreen would definitely help. Try using a product with a minimum of SPF 30. SPF stands for sun protection factor & the SPF number tells you how well the product will protect you from UVB rays. Studies show that constant use of SPF products reduces skin cancers drastically.

So ladies don’t forget to apply a sunscreen below your makeup on a daily basis.

“Be the type of person you want to meet” – Delna Pooniwala.

Wouldn’t we love meeting a person who is pleasant, well mannered, well groomed, fit, calm, good natured and positive and above all a great soul? So why not become all of it yourself.

We humans usually seek in others, whatever would please us. We expect others to be perfect and overlook all those flaws in ourselves.

But we need to rethink and create and mold ourselves to perfection in every way. Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

It’s never late to start this journey so start off right away and transform yourself into a better being.

“If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good meals”- Delna Pooniwala.

The moment we consciously deny ourselves something, the more we’re likely to end up craving it. So, it is often when we resolve to be on a great diet that we crave for sweets, French fries and all those things that our brain knows we aren’t supposed to have.

Convenience tends to play an important part at the same thing. If it’s really convenient to reach out for chocolates and ice creams, there’s nothing to stop us from grabbing and consuming them.

So store your fridge with fruits, low fat milk, fat free cheese & yogurts, salads & loads of fruits. So the next time you open your fridge, all your eyes see is a variety of healthy stuff to select from.

Make healthy living a lifestyle to have a healthy and slimmer you!!

Never Skip a meal – Delna Pooniwala.

When it comes to weight loss, diet plays a more efficient role than exercise. We are all aware that when on a weight loss program, we require to create a calorie deficit in our daily intake.

However, this requires to be planned carefully by creating smaller meal portions and never skipping a meal. When we skip a meal, we may tend to feel even hungrier and end up eating junk.

If we observe people who start their day with a good healthy breakfast, we would observe that they are leaner than the ones who start their day on an empty stomach.

Make it a point to set a calorie target not only for the day, but for every meal by planning your menu for the entire day and analysing it at the start of day.

“ Foods that cure Acne” – Delna Pooniwala.

Although most of us may be blessed with beautiful skin, with seasonal changes and lifestyles, some people may suffer from acne.
Running pillar to post finding various creams and treatments, may help very little.

When you want a healthy skin, it’s not what you put on your skin that matters as much as what you put in your body. After all, the construction of your skin is just like constructing a house. You use good selection and quality materials and your skin would be glowing, strong and youthful.

Acne is a common skin disorder, characterized by blemishes and skin inflammations in the form of pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. These skin disruptions can manifest on the face, back, chest, and shoulders. It is definitely important to keep the area clean and dry and use a constant skin toner.

However, ‘Acne’ is usually aggravated by difficult to digest foods such as red meats, fatty dairy products, fried, and sugary foods that finally lead to poor skin. People suffering from acne need to go slow on caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, butter and cheese and instead, consume raw fruits and vegetables could go a long way in giving you a smooth shining skin. Always remember that eating natural food acts as a healing agent for the skin.

What we need to understand is that ‘Lycopene’ and other ‘carotenoids’ found in orange to reddish-coloured fruits and vegetables can help improve the skin’s antioxidant status. The Lycopene present in red fruits and vegetables also help clear up acne if consumed either raw or as an ingredient of your daily meals so consuming tomatoes on a daily basis preferably raw or even as a base for cooked food could help fight acne.

Antioxidants combat free radicals produced from excessive sun exposure. Strawberries, Mulberries, Apples and cherries are loaded with antioxidants, which help your body fight off acne blemishes that are caused by oxidative stress.

Vitamin A prevents the overproduction in the skin’s outer layer cells hence Carrots, spinach, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, and cantaloupe are quite helpful.

Foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids may help keep inflammation under control so consuming salmon, walnuts, and flax seed may work wonders.

Sunflower seeds, play an important role in preventing acne development. Since they are rich in vitamin E, that prevents and lowers acne development and can also help heal acne-scarred skin.
Whole grains like brown rice, oats, and other whole grains or aromatic vegetables like onion and garlic are rich in selenium, which helps preserve skin’s elasticity. But that’s not all — selenium can also reduce inflammatory damage to the skin.

Green tea lowers dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an acne-producing hormone in our body. However, you would require brewing about five to six cups with green tea leaves, to gain a complete benefit for your skin. Green Tea is also rich in antioxidants, which will help your skin look younger and healthier.

Consuming these skin foods would definitely reveal a remarkable improvement in your skin.

“Foods you can have while on a weight loss program” – Delna Pooniwala.

We usually hear about the things to be avoided while on a weight loss program and that seems to leave us with the big question as to what do we actually eat?

For a diet plan to be successful, it is absolutely necessary for it to be result oriented. Once a diet proves a drop of up-to a kilo in 24 hours, that itself would motivate a person and would ensure that the person stays on track and away from indulgences. A well planned diet would also take care of various nutrition components like proteins, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water.

‘High quality protein’ such as eggs & meat offer more muscle building amino acids than other protein foods and hence are extremely valuable to people who train with heavy weights, specially while on a weight loss program. However, while selecting a protein source; one needs to be extremely careful that they are not consuming fats and cholesterol along with the proteins.

One of the best high quality protein sources is egg whites. This is something you just cannot go wrong with since you are consuming pure protein without fats, cholesterol or carbohydrates. You could make various things like ‘oil free egg white bhurji’, ‘egg white omelettes’ made in a non stick lightly greased pan, ‘egg whites baked on a bed of veggies or tomatoes’, or then just the good old traditional English poached or boiled.

Consume a good amount of lean fat free chicken breast or a fillet of fish, cooked in any preparation with negligible oil.
Tofu, low fat Cottage cheese, slim cheese slices, slim 98% fat free milk, slim dahi( plain or flavored) are great as a dairy intake that should not be neglected.

For those who want to opt for a vegetarian meal, Lentils, beans, sprouts, Pulse and Vegetables such as Broccoli, Peas, Spinach, boiled potato in jacket and almonds are also known to be protein dense foods.
To curb food urges, it is always recommended to eat small meals when you are not hungry.

You could also consume whole grain and fiber rich foods to feel satiated. Fiber rich foods would not only help you with your diet but should also reduce your triglycerides and ‘bad’ cholesterol.
Apples, oranges, Guava, pears, Kiwi, spinach, broccoli, chickpeas, corn and Dates make great fiber rich snacks that would satisfy your hunger urges for a longer duration.

Carbohydrates are important even when on a weight loss program. However, a few changes would surely help during this phase. So get introduced to brown rice, wheat bran and muesli and all this would definitely lead you to a healthier slimmer you.

“A nutrition guide to lose fat without losing Muscle” – Delna Pooniwala.

A lot of young girls and men who are interested in fitness would agree that it takes serious hard work and dedication over weeks to gain muscle. At times there may be a phase where a cut down in fat percentage may be required. This is the crucial moment and the right routine has to be carefully designed.

We all know that to achieve overall weight loss, it would be required to burn more calories and intake less calories. However, we need to be aware that it’s only when we have a physical activity routine along with a planned diet, would it achieve a satisfactory fat loss.
Try and plan a moderate calorie loss at a gradual pace. Although a larger calorie deficit plan works as a great short term program. However, when they are prolonged, muscle is lost and low energy sets in with a feeling of fatigued and weakness.

Plan a perfect meal schedule and include loads of fresh fruits, salads, almonds & walnuts at the right time of day, depending on your lifestyle.
High fiber snacks that are low in starch also make you feel full, satiated and energized.
Consume enough proteins from various sources & very few fats to maintain your muscles mass.

I come across a lot of Parsi clients, who are fond of our traditional ‘Bhonu’. I advice them that we needn’t leave it altogether. However, using negligible oil while cooking or opting for oil free cooking would truly make a big difference.
Consuming the traditional ‘Masoor ma gosh’ with a salad or plain ‘Dhansak ni dar’ with a piece of chicken & ‘kachumbar’ or a ‘Patra ni macchi’ are actually a great variety of high protein meals, provided they are made with negligible oil and the meat too is completely fat free.
We need to remember, that when you are on a fat loss/weight loss diet, your consumption of carbohydrates may also require to be reduced and hence, it would be best recommended to consume these with reduced quantities (as per an individuals’ daily dietary requirements).

Last and most important is to drink loads of water as this is a great way to detoxify the system and it aids in weight loss. Always try and avoid sweetened drinks & coolers as the sugar loads up in the body as fats.

So get started with a great ‘low fat high protein diet’ this season and start looking Fab this summer.

“An exercise guide to lose Fat without losing muscle”- Delna Pooniwala.

With the new fitness awareness in the new generation and the gym facilities, increasing number of men & women want to look even more attractive and many aim for “Fab Abs” besides their God gifted beautiful looks. The current fitness talk is not about weight but about strength, a tough body that is high on muscle and low in fat percentage.
To achieve this, beside a well planned nutrition regime, a perfect exercise routine requires to be planned to compliment a fat loss program.

What most people do is, increase their cardio activity and cut down on their weight training sessions. This would definitely bring about a weight loss. However, when the focus is to lose fat without losing muscle, I recommend an increase in cardio activity, while maintaining the same weight training regime you have been following.

Some people feel that they would aid fat loss; if they drop their weights and increase reps. which is not true. Use the same basic principles you were using when you were gaining muscle and use the same weights, or else, you may weaken the overall stimulus of the training. Always maintain muscle and strive for progressive overload too, where you stay in your hypertrophy range of 6-8 reps.

The amount of cardio one should be doing depends on an individual’s lifestyle. So plan it out keeping multiple factors in mind.
Weight training should always take preference over cardio to maximise muscle retention. Hence, split your cardio and weight training sessions. However, if you have a constraint of time and you plan doing both in the same session, then cardio should be done post a weight training session.

Hope these little fitness tips help you lose fat while maintaining muscle.

Dear friends, followers & readers, I want you to look forward to reading about “A nutrition guide to lose fat without losing Muscle” tomorrow morning.