Your Mom May Be Growing Shorter, As She Grows Older

Over my lifetime and also in my nutrition practice, I noticed many a grandmom or mom looking very short in comparison to their strapping children or grandchildren. Yes, height is genetic. And, yes, an average human being is taller these days in comparison to times of our grandparents. However, there is one more reason why most women appear to and actually do gradually shrink in height as they grow older and that`s primary osteoporosis.

Did you know that many women lose a couple of inches in height between 50-80 years of age because of this silent debilitator?

Osteoporosis is a condition where the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) becomes so less that the persons skeleton is unable to sustain ordinary stress and strain. Its is of two types: primary and secondary, lets explore the more common primary type for now.

Primary osteoporosis can develop in women post menopause, due to stoppage in production of the hormone estrogen. Its then called post-menopausal osteoporosis. Primary osteoporosis can also happen in women and men, due to aging, and thats when its termed age related osteoporosis.

A disorder which literally shortens you

Primary osteoporosis of any of the two types, causes loss of height due to fractures.

Example: A wedge or compression fracture of the vertebrae (spine), seen mostly in age related osteoporosis, causes actual loss of height i.e. the height loss is measurable even after one incident. Such fractures may also cause curving of the spine (kyphosis) which also add to making a person look shorter.

And, its not just lack of estrogen or advancing age which is the cause

Other causes of primary osteoporosis include excessive alcohol, cigarette and caffeine consumption, lesser than required intake of calcium and vitamin D coupled with sedentary lifestyle.

What one can do post detection

Post diagnosis treatment involves Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), use of bone conserving drugs and suitable dietary changes (including supplementation of vitamin D) and more.

Nothing works better in case of osteoporosis than prevention. Taking care of your diet starting right now, by consuming adequate calcium and vitamin D and also being physically active, will ensure that the older you walks tall.

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not, no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

What Makes For A 100% Organic Food

As I ambled along the aisles of a gourmet food store, I noticed placards saying 'Organic Food. No Pesticides'. After all, thats what organic means, right? To be grown without using pesticides? Wrong.

Stores selling organic food are not a rarity anymore. Their customers are people like you and me, who dont want to consume food exposed to chemicals and hence buy it at a premium...but is your expensive buy truly organic? Find out how exactly a plant or animal food qualifies as organic.

Organic Plant Foods- Any produce (grains, pulses, legumes, fruits or vegetables) declared as organic should not have used irradiation, sewage sludge, synthetic fertilizers, prohibited pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) while cultivation.

Organic Animal Foods- For labelling meat (mutton, lamb, beef), poultry (chicken, duck, geese, turkey incl. their eggs) and dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, butter) as organic, farmers should meet animal health and welfare standards, not use antibiotics or growth hormones on the animal or bird, use 100% organic feed and provide animals with outdoor access.

The above guidelines for terming a plant or animal food as organic, is actually law in some countries. In addition, owners of any organic food growing operation must show that they are committed to protecting and conserving-natural resources and biodiversity, and to the use of only approved substances. 

Based on what you read, how many organic fruit/vegetable stores you visit make the grade? Find out when you drop by next!

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not, no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Iron & Vegetarian And Vegan Infants

A Fistful Of Nutrition Post #7:

Infants, that is babies between 0-11 months, have enough iron reserves in their body to last them until 4-6 mths of age. After that, one has to ensure that adequate iron is being provided through their diet. This is not an issue for infants whose meals includes non-vegetarian food eg pureed chicken. Vegetarian and vegan infants however, need to be given iron fortified commercial baby food, in addition to providing iron via iron rich vegetarian food sources eg pureed spinach combined with a base like mashed rice. If your baby is vegetarian or vegan, after the age of 4-6 months, you will have to select baby food which is fortified with iron. Read the Nutrition Information Panel on the product, to see if your choice of baby food is iron fortified.

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not, no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Meet the Browns! BROWN bread, BROWN rice, BROWN egg, BROWN sugar....

Its been a week since I last blogged. But anyone who knows me will also know that very little usually comes in the way of nutrition, writing and I. And, if it ever did, it has to be really superlative. So here I am typing away furiously about the role of the word 'brown' when it comes to food. To elaborate, have you noticed that the word `brown' when prefixed to any food automatically makes the food sound healthier than its, uhhh, not-so-brown counterpart? For instance, say 'white bread' to any health conscious human and you get a conditioned disapproving look. Now say 'brown bread' and the look changes to that of approval and sometimes reverence. So is it true? Is brown better when it comes to some types of food? Lets see shall we,

Brown Bread: The term `brown bread' is meant to indicate bread made with whole wheat flour or whole grain wheat flour. Yes, brown bread is nutritionally better than white bread, but only if you get the real product (as some manufacturers add caramel to make white bread look brown).

What you can do to verify is read the ingredients listed on the bread packaging and see if the word 'caramel' is present. If you see only the word 'caramel' but no words like: whole wheat flour or whole grain wheat flour or atta (Hindi for wheat flour), then skip that brand. But, if you do see those words and listed amongst the top three ingredients by weight, then buy that brand irrespective of whether caramel is present. Remember, I am only talking about plain bread here and not multi-grain bread or bread made using a mix of different pulse/grain like soy, oat, finger millet etc.

Brown Rice: Dont confuse brown rice with parboiled rice, they are different. Brown rice is a grain of rice which has lost just one layer during milling, namely its outer husk. Whereas the rice which we commonly eat and refer to as white rice, has lost two more layers during milling, in addition to the husk. Brown rice beats white rice hands down in nutritional value (vitamin, mineral and fiber content), so go for it if the extra cost is not a bother. An option which is cheaper than brown rice but nutritionally better than white rice, is parboiled rice. Lets talk about it sometime in my future blogging sessions.

Brown (Chicken) Egg: The color of the shell in some eggs is brown/beige/cream because the breed of chicken which lays these, lays them in that color. Example of brown egg laying chicken breeds: Australorp, Brahma and quite a few more. Brown eggs are not nutritionally superior to white shelled ones, they are both nutritional equals. There is thus, no strong reason to pay more for brown shelled eggs, unless you want to spend extra for just the appealing shell color.

Brown Sugar: Not talking of the infamous drug here, but of sugar which is brown in color. How? Sugar in its early stages of refining or sugar which is semi-refined, has a residue of  mollasses (a viscous by product of the sugar manufacturing process) and mollasses are what give the sugar its brown color (at this stage). This is called natural brown sugar.

Brown sugar can also be made by mixing mollasses with regular white sugar, in which case its not `natural'. Brown sugar has great value in the culinary world, but lets stick to discussing if its nutritionally better than white sugar. Natural brown sugar does have greater mineral content than white, so yes, by that count it is better than white sugar. Natural brown sugar is however hygroscopic (attracts moisture) and may be difficult to store and use. Brown sugar may also cost more. So in the end, its better nutritional value vs practicality plus cost factor. Therefore, whether or not to buy brown sugar  is entirely the purchasers call.

As you can see, three out of four times, brown is better when it comes to some food types. But, its not really simple to tell people to choose an X food over a Y, as many factors affect individual food choices including family practice, customs, taste preference, cost factor, ease of use while cooking, easy availability in local shops and ease of storage. Ultimately, the desire to implement healthy eating habits always starts from within. Moving on...until my next blogging bout. Stay happy!

If you liked this post, you might also like,

Health Claims: When Only Mother Nature Should Get The Credit

Slack Fill: The Air In Your Potato Chip Packet Affects Your Wallet

Your Herbal Tea May Not Be Herbal

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition ©Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not, no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Are You Allergic To Foods Or Intolerant?

I have observed that when people say "This food doesnt suit me", they want to convey that eating a certain food brings about symptoms in them which range from mild (e.g. itchy eyes) to distressing (e.g. continuous sneezing bouts).

What they may be actually suffering from is either a food allergy or a food intolerance, and not something simple like mere 'unsuitability'. Sadly, few are aware of disorders like 'food allergy' and 'food intolerance' and can correctly correlate it to their present problem.

A runny nose is one of the symptoms of food allergy

Food allergies and food intolerances, are not one and the same. Let me explain the difference in a very simple manner, using two situations.

Situation 1: You eat a particular food and within minutes or an hour, you experience symptoms which can be either-

Mild e.g. runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, itchy throat, hives, swelling of lips,

or,

Life threatening e.g. swelling or closing of the windpipe, Anaphylactic Shock

Food labels should indicate allergen presence

The above two instances are that of a food allergy and occur when your body wrongly perceives a harmless food protein as dangerous and initiates immunological war against it. Common allergy causing foods or allergens include, fish, shellfish, nuts, soy or soya bean, milk, egg and wheat. Now, just because these foods are known to cause food allergy should not scare you into avoiding them, if you are not allergic. You would be losing out on some of the best proteinaceous food in the world. Yes, for someone with a proven allergy (verified by formal diagnostic tests like skin prick test, RAST test etc) to these foods, caution to prevent accidental consumption has to be exercised at all times.

Situation 2: You eat a particular food and develop symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal cramps.

This is a food intolerance and occurs when your body is unable to digest a particular component of the food you ate, for various reasons, like absence of necessary enzymes e.g. Lactose Intolerance (when you cannot digest lactose, the sugar found in milk), Gluten Intolerance (when you cannot digest gluten, a protein found in wheat). Though the symptoms of food intolerance are similar to those which occur during food poisoning, the cause is not the same. Diagnostic tests are available to confirm presence of a food intolerance.

Hopefully this post helped readers differentiate between a food allergy and food intolerance and also use this knowledge to better judge and take care of their problem food.

If you like this post, you might also like:

Food Fussy Grandparent? Not Without A Reason

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition ©Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not, no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Bariatric or Weight Loss Surgery: When Is It Alright To Go Under The Knife?

My client clears his throat, avoids eye contact and says, "Madam, I need to lose 10 kilos in one month. Please give me a diet to make me lose weight fast, or else...I will...I will go for weight loss operation".

Of course, I wasnt going to give him a diet plan to make him lose 10 kilos (20 pounds!) in one month. Diet plans inducing rapid weight loss are against my professional and personal ethics. In case you are curious, a drop in body weight in the range of 2 kilos (4.4 pounds) to a maximum of 5 kilos (11 pounds) per month is the permissible rate of weight loss. Any technique causing a faster rate of weight loss is best abandoned.

Now, what my client meant by `operation' was Bariatric Surgery (BS), a surgical procedure performed with the motive of making an individual lose weight. Bariatric surgery is of many types but lets save that discussion for a later date.

Bariatric Surgery is the last line of treatment for obesity, but is mostly marketed as a weight loss option which is effective, simple and for everyone. Why, if a layperson were to read a promotional material on bariatric surgery, it would make them believe that its just a simple nip and tuck and that the only side effect is permanent happiness!

And, this is precisely the impression this client and many other clients of mine are under. Under, until I use my 'Dietitian Voice' and elaborate on all aspects of the procedure. Here is what I tell them in form of FAQs (frequently asked questions).


Q 1. When can you consider bariatric surgery as an option for losing weight?

Bariatric surgery is your option for weight loss only if-

a) you are morbidly obese i.e. your Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than 40, or,

b) you have a BMI of 35 and above, accompanied with serious and/or life threatening comorbidities (diseases) e.g. diabetes mellitus, hypertension.

But, that still does not qualify you as a candidate for surgery...

Even if you fulfill one of the above two criteria for `eligibility', it still has to concluded by a team of specialists that the first line of treatment has failed with you. In other words, all other options of making you lose weight namely calorie restriction, lifestyle modification, exercise, medication, psychological counselling and family involvement have failed.

Q 2. What should I know before undergoing the procedure?

If its been concluded by the team that nothing but surgery will work for you, then your surgeon needs to discuss the following with you, prior to the surgery-

a) Risks of the actual procedure. However non-invasive, all surgeries carry some amount of risk.

b) Physiological and medical side effects of the procedure which are for life e.g. malabsorption of nutrients, gastric dumping syndrome and more.

c) Access to life long postoperative followups.

d) Approximate cost involved, of not just the procedure, but also the postoperative care and followups.

Q 3. How does bariatric surgery make me lose weight?

There are many types of bariatric surgery and they aim to bring about weight loss in you by decreasing the amount of either-

a) food entering your gastrointestinal tract, or,

b) food absorbed in your gastrointestinal tract.

Q 4. What happens after the surgery? The good.

Yes, you lose weight. It not surprising considering your food intake and/or absorption, has been made to drop by a big percent. This loss in weight sees improvement in the symptoms of comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia etc. 

Q 5. What happens after the surgery? The uncomfy and the bad.

There are side effects for life and no one should tell you otherwise. The only thing is these side effects will vary depending on the type of surgery performed.

Lets take some of the side effects of of a common type of bariatric surgery called Gastric Restriction (where a portion of the stomach is surgically removed or stapled)-

Side effect 1: Since the procedure has made your stomach smaller than normal, you will feel full after eating even small quantities of food, with symptoms like nausea and vomiting. You can never eat even normal amounts of food in one sitting again.

Side effect 2: Your stomach produces HCl (Hydrocholoric acid), a germicidal agent, amongst other things. Removing a portion of your stomach surgically, reduces HCl production, thus lowering your stomach and small intestines resistance to bacterial action. Result? Increased risk of gastritis and bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine.

This apart, you have to definitely go for postoperative followups which involves appointments with your specialists and consultations with a dietitian (as you cannot eat the same food you did before the surgery and you definitely cannot eat anything that you feel like).

As I finish my narration on Bariatric Surgery to my captive audience, I normally leave them with an increased determination to lose weight the way its best suited for most-by eating mindfully. And, that was the idea to begin with.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

Whats A Size Zero? How To Be A Size Zero? The Myth. The Truth. The Stupidity. 

Weight Loss Friend Or Foe? How Does Your Plate Measure Up?

Weight Related Bullying and Bullycide 

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition ©Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not, no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Health Claims: When Only Mother Nature Should Get The Credit

Many processed or packaged foods make claims of possessing a special nutritional property, which is going to make you healthier. Of these, some brands highlight a nutritional property which exists naturally in that food and by clever or ambiguous writing on the packaging, make it sound like they should get the credit*. This is nothing but stealing the limelight from Mother Nature and here are some popular instances:

Examples of tag lines used on food packaging, which take the credit away from Mother Nature:

"New! SSS brand of tea. Rich in anti-oxidants!"

Tea, Camellia sinensis, in all its available varieties (white, green, black, oolong), is naturally rich in anti-oxidants (the antioxidant amount may vary as per the variety). Thus, no company should grab the privilege of implying that only its brand of tea contains or is rich in anti-oxidants.

"TZ brand of oats are rich in heart healthy soluble fiber"

All oats, whether grown in Australia, UK, USA, India, or any patch of soil across the globe, are naturally rich in the soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which is endowed with a cholesterol lowering effect.

"Protein rich YY brand of eggs"

Again, eggs, which ever color of shell they may possess (white, cream, grey, brown) come `protein rich' right out of the poultry in question, be it a hen, duck, geese, turkey, quail...

"Protein rich X brand of pulse, legume (e.g. dal, rajma, soya bean, broad beans, peas) and so on"

Pulses and legumes have been since ages, known to be rich vegetarian sources of protein.

" ZZZ brand of milk/yogurt/curd/paneer/cheese supplies you with your daily need of protein and calcium'

Once again, this is taking credit for foods which are naturally rich in protein and calcium, and making it sound like only a ZZZ brand of the same supplies you with protein and calcium.

" Q brand presents, low Glycemic Index (GI) brown rice"

Brown rice is partly milled rice, where only the outer most layer of a rice grain, called the husk, is removed. Whereas in white rice, two more layers are removed. Brown rice is thus fiber rich and fiber rich foods are by default, low GI foods. So once again, its not 'Q brand' but Mother Nature who has to be thanked.

There are many more instances, but you get the idea.

If you are picking up a food based on its health claim, try spending a few seconds practically (read: by not being distracted by memories of its attractive advertisement) analyzing the claim. If you cant decide or get confused, put it back on the shelf. You can always pick it up later. Whats the rush?

*does not include food brands which are fortified or enriched, or, brands with a bonafide and new health innovation in their product.

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition ©Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not, no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Carbohydrate Loading: A Marathoners Must Do

The marathon season is here, what with the Delhi Half Marathon, right around the corner. Every marathoner worth his electrolytes should know about carbohydrate loading, so here is a primer.

What is carbohydrate loading?

Carbohydrate loading is a diet strategy for increasing a sports persons muscle glycogen stores, prior to a competition or event.

Basic procedure

Carbohydrate loading involves making changes in the diet, a fixed number of days prior to a sporting event. Athletes usually:

first, reduce the number of hours they train, over a span of 1-4 days, and,

second, immediately follow it up with a high carbohydrate diet pattern (supplying about 7-12 g of carbohydrate per kg body weight) for a span of 3-4 days.

How does it help?

Carbohydrate loading maximizes the athletes muscle glycogen stores, enabling him/her to perform for longer and yet maintain their optimum pace during an event.

What all sports does it help in?

Marathon apart, this practice also works very well for sports like endurance swimming, cycling, amongst others.

Planning out and following a high carbohydrate diet, which supplies carbohydrate in the range of 7-12g/kg body weight is not an easy task and is best left to a professional and more importantly a qualified dietitian (Bachelors or Masters degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, or, atleast a 2 year Post Graduate Diploma in the same).

My Detailed Profile | My Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Media

The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition ©Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not, no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Weight Loss Friend Or Foe? How Does Your Plate Measure Up?

We all have a favorite plate or thaali or khumcha. Big. Small. A robust steel or a pretty melamine. Even those who dont have a favorite, are habituated to eating out of a particular one. When it comes to controlling how much you eat, your plate can be a friend or a foe. Here`s how.

 
The Illusion

While serving ourselves food or while being served, we try to judge if the food on our plate is enough or not, visually. These visual calculations of sufficiency of plated food, or using our eyes to judge the amount of food on our plate, are always inaccurate. Our eyes can fool us. To elaborate, people tend to gauge the adequacy of the food on their plate, by how it looks in proportion to the rest of the plate. That is, if the plate size is big, they will go on serving themselves until the food amount on the plate looks adequate or proportionate, in comparison to the rest of the plate. In other words, bigger plate sizes make people over serve food and thus over eat. Which means more calories being consumed.

An Illustration

Imagine you were offered 100 g rice on two plates-one, a smaller, 10 inch diameter (width) plate and another a 12 inch diameter one. The same 100 g of rice will look more, visually, on the smaller 10 inch plate, making you feel like you have enough to eat. On the bigger 12 inch plate, the very same 100 g of rice will look less, making you feel like you need more and goading you into adding more rice, until you get a `visual-proportion match’ between your plate and the rice. Thus, your plate is powerful.

A Bit Of Mathematics

A mere increase of 2 inches in diameter between the 10 inch plate and the 12 inch plate translates into a increased area of 44% (do the math) i.e the 12 inch plate has 44% more surface area than the 10 inch one. You will thus eat 44% percent more esp if you have a tendency to completely fill your plate, with no spaces and eat it clean.

Make Your Plate, A Weight Loss Ally

So, how do you outwit your plate? Change over to a smaller one. A steel or melamine or vitrelle, round plate, 9” or 10” in diameter should be good. In the Indian market, steel plates or thaalis go upto a whopping 15” inch in diameter. Thats a lot of surface area! If you are fond of partitioned plates (plates which mimic a thaali and have partitions for putting rice, gravy and other foods), migrate to those with a smaller diameter and smaller partitions. Remember on migrating to a smaller plate, if you were to miss your fav’ big ol’ plate, dont try to make up for its absence by loading your new plate from rim to rim or by piling food high so that everything fits! If you dont want to change your plate size and yet want to exert portion control or you hate round plates, then its best you serve your food e.g. rice, dal/beans, gravy, vegetables into small bowls (or, katoris) instead of directly on your plate and then stick to the amounts you have in those bowls, by not going for a refill. This will also work if you are a man who thinks its sissy to give up your massive plate for a smaller one (but isnt compromising on ones health sissy?). So when you grab your plate today, look at it in a new light.

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition ©Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not, no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Food Fussy Grandparent? Not Without A Reason.

A Fistful Of Nutrition Post #6:




When an elderly person, say a grandparent, fusses over salt being less in the food, or the food smelling `funny', know that their concerns are genuine. The elderly (>65 years) undergo many physiological changes which affect the way they smell, taste, chew or even swallow food e.g. ageusia, is a condition in the elderly, where there is loss of sense of taste. Similarly, many also develop hyposmia or a decreased sense of smell. All these impact how food appeals to their senses. Modifying their diet (e.g. instead of increasing added salt or spices, a dash of lemon juice will heighten the taste perception of a dish) helps overcome these problems and makes life a bit more comfortable for them.

My Detailed Profile | My Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Media

The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not, no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Your Herbal Tea May Not Be....Well, Herbal!

 A Fistful Of Nutrition Post #5:

Most herbal teas are just regular tea leaves, honey or a sweetener, a significant portion of appealing flavour and a tiny amount of herbs thrown in. While buying any herbal tea, read the  "Ingredients" label provided (usually at the back) carefully. This label should  provide the name of all the herbs the tea claims to contain e.g. Mint, Rosemary, Tulsi etc. The percentage content of each herb in the tea should also be mentioned and in a descending order e.g. Mint (5%), Tulsi (2%) and so on. No information or non-specific information, means the brand is not worth buying. Skip.

My Detailed Profile | My Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Media

The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not,  no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Audrey Hepburn: Malnutrition & A Career Outcome

Audrey Hepburn would have been a prima ballerina and not an actor, had it not been for her nutritional status and her height-5'7", tad tall for a ballet dancer. Here`s what happened.

A five year old Hepburn started training in ballet in England,  in 1934. The World War II started in 1939, with Germany attacking Poland and  later, England declaring war on Germany. Audrey, then all of ten, was sent to live in a neutral nation-Holland, with her mother Ella. Peace was short lived as Germany attacked Holland in 1940 and from then on started Audrey`s and her family`s struggle to cope with meager food supplies.

Remember my post on Scorched Earth policy, where food crops are destroyed by the defending country, in an attempt to starve the attacking enemy army? Well, the enemy too can starve a country they have chosen to attack. And, this is done by laying a siege, which includes stopping movement of all essential commodities like food, into the target nation. By 1944, Germans obstructed food imports to Holland, causing it to reel under the 'Hunger Winter'. People starved to death and Hepburn and her mother were amongst those who survived eating bread made of tulip flour.

The war ended in 1945, but it left sixteen year old Hepburn anemic, asthmatic and malnourished. Hepburn quoted in an interview with Jessica Seigel of the Chicago Tribune, that when relief trucks brought in food at the end of the war, she fell sick by just putting more sugar on her oatmeal.

To continue, post-war Hepburn trained for three years in ballet, under a famous teacher in Amsterdam. She then left for London, under a dance scholarship to study under one of the worlds best ballet teachers, Marie Rambert. Audrey and her mother hoped that Rambert would be the one to give form to her dream of becoming a prima ballerina, but this was not to be. A nineteen year old Hepburn was told that she will never be a prima ballerina because of her war resulted poor state of nutrition.

Post this disappointment, Hepburn experimented with cabaret and Broadway, the latter leading to her debut as Princess Anne in Roman Holiday (1953).

Ballet is a strenuous dance form and many professional dancers fade out  at a young age owing to chronic injuries. What was it about Audreys nutritional status which was poor, is not recorded anywhere. Was it chronic anemia leading to premature fatigue while dancing? Was it poor bone health, which prevented her from maintaining en pointe for prolonged time periods. All are my non-evidence based guesses. 

The deprivation which war brings is terrible and in this case, it also affected an individuals career outcome. So what if Hepburn had an immensely successful run at Hollywood? Being an actor was not her first choice. It was an alternative career path and alternatives can never be a first choice. And, nutrition played a part in this career-destiny game of Audrey Hepburns life. Amazing. 

Till date, I have seen only two of Hepburns films and  that too in grade three. She didnt impact me as much as Julie Andrews did after watching The Sound of Music (1965). But now, I really dont care about Audrey Hepburns talent as an actor or her legendary charm. I know here was a lady who endured hunger, pain and fear, and survived, and that attracts me. Audrey Hepburn passed away on 20th Jan 1993, at a young age of sixty three, after suffering from colon cancer. A life lived gracefully.

If you liked this post, you might also like Nutrition Is A Wartime Weapon-Scorched Earth Policy

This post was chosen by Guy Kawasaki, Ex-Chief Evangelist, Apple, for his international online paper called "Guy`s Daily Paper".  Know more about it on my other blog Raksha-Media or go to Guy`s Daily Paper   

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not,  no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

What Does Nutrition Mean?

The word `nutrition' doesnt only mean `nutritious food' e.g. dal khichdi or that bowl of curd or a fruit.

Its also "the act or process of nourishing".

Example: A mother feeding her toddler a meal, is a process of nourishing, and is nutrition.

Its also "the act or process of being nourished".

Example: You drinking tea, is nutrition. Or, if you were the toddler from above example, you are being nourished. And, thats nutrition.

And, its also the "sum of the processes by which a person takes in (eats) and utilizes (within his body) food"

Example: You break that bread or chapatti, dip it into salsa or curry and eat it. This is nutrition. And, the bread or chapati undergoes myriad metabolic processes in your body, to convert itself into a form suitable for use by your body and is then put to use by your body. This is nutrition.

I personally feel, even the act of choosing and then buying food from a supermarket or the neighbourhood grocer is 'nutrition'.

Nutrition is thus omnipresent in your life, its that cake from your colleagues birthday party, that warm movie hall popcorn, that hot cup of tea which makes you happy, the gum you chewed when you were bored, the beer you guzzled during a weekend, that antacid you chewed on post a  food binge, that bottle of water in your car, that fizzy drink in your refrigerator... Speak of influence!

This omnipresent nutrition can be further bifurcated as 'good' nutrition and 'poor or bad' nutrition. This is a very important difference. Something which will make or mar your health, as knowing what qualifies as 'good nutrition' helps one chose a healthier food from amongst the many available in this world. So the word 'nutrition' doesnt automatically mean 'good nutrition'. It becomes 'good' only if you know what to eat (or feed). Until next time, see where all you can spot 'nutrition' in a typical day.

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not,  no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

 

Slack Fill: The Air In Your Potato Chip Packet Affects Your Wallet

Ripping open a fat packet of potato chips sure is fun. The fun is not only in the realization that your favorite snack is only a fingers length away, but also due to the momentary thrill of deflating the air filled packet. Kinda similar to bursting bubbles on a bubble wrap.

Have you observed that your fingers have to travel some distance before they make contact with the chips and very few chips, if I may add. Infact, bigger the packet, the more time it takes for your fingers to locate the chips. And, have you ever thought, `Gosh! that packet sure looked like it had more chips before I opened it’. Or, maybe by now you have got so accustomed to paying money to eat air, that it doesnt matter no more.

So, why is your snack packet filled with air in the first place?

The air filled into packets of processed food serves as what is known as a slack fill. Slack fill is the difference between the actual capacity of a packet and the volume of product contained in it. In other words, slack fill is the empty space.

Right from your tetra pak fruit juices, to your cans of aerated drinks, to packets of cornflakes or savouries or pouches of ready to eat meals, slack fill is everywhere. What makes slack fill good or bad in these cases, depends on just how much of it is present.

When is slack fill good (read: legal)?

The law in many countries says that manufacturers can use slack fill if its `functional’, that is, if it allows the manufacturers to protect their product (e.g. potato chips, biscuits, cookies) from damage, or, if the packaging machinery requires existence of such a space to be effective and so on.

Its bad when..

The law also says that `non-functional slack fill’ is not allowed. That is, no manufacturer should leave empty space in their packaging, if its not meant to serve any purpose. But, how many manufacturers will actually admit that the empty space in their packaging do not have a purpose? Any argument would take the proverbial packet is half full (they will say) vs the packet is half empty (you will say) route.

Best part, its routinely used in opaque food packets or packets which dont let you see the inner contents. Rather convenient, I think. Sure its needed to preserve/protect the contents and has some other genuine functions as well, but how does a layperson know whether the air he just purchased along with his food, served any purpose at all and whether all that air was needed in the first place? So you see, slack fill can and is misused.

Some manufacturers use it as an excuse to deliver small food volumes in big (air filled) packets. Apart  from giving you less food product for your money, the fat air filled packets also consume lots of space during transportation (and, guess who will bear the cost of the two freight trucks when just one was enough?) making the product more expensive. Bigger packets (to accommodate more air and give an impression of big size) also use more non-biodegradable packing material and burden the environment.

All in all, slack fill surely is one of those pins which bursts our rights as a customer and as a human being on this planet.

If you liked this post, you might also like Your Herbal Tea May Not Be...Well, Herbal!

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not,  no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

The Pee Chart

Yes, it is what it sounds. A chart about pee aka urine. Why on earth would anyone want to create, leave alone look at something like a 'Pee Chart' is what most of you are probably thinking.

Professional sportspersons not only look at it but also take it seriously, as their performance in their chosen sport depends on how hydrated they are. Optimum hydration (euhydration) means optimum performance in competitive or recreational sports, and dehydration spells disaster.

The Pee Chart is also called Urine Color Chart, and comprises of bands. Each band is numbered and is of a different color. And, each color corresponds to a particular stage in the transition between hydration and dehydration.

For instance, band numbers 1, 2 and 3 indicate optimum hydration. Bands 4, 5, 6 indicate a diminishing hydration status (you should consume fluids at this stage). And, band numbers 7 and 8 indicate a confirmed dehydration (errr...you should not have waited so long), calling for urgent corrective measures e.g. drinking water, juices, or an electrolyte based drink. Remember urine color gets affected few hours post-supplement intake.

This chart is not a hydration guide for only sportspersons. It can be used by just about anybody (you, yourself and yours) to learn to assess their hydration status. Heres to staying hydrated!

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not,  no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact nutrewise@yahoo.com

Nutrition & Children With Special Needs

A child with a special need or a special child, is someone who has a physical, mental, physiological or developmental disorder and because of this, has certain needs which are different from his peers. These needs are termed `special' as they are essential to make the child lead a normal life e.g. A child born with a dysfunctional heart may have special  medical needs through his life, which another child of the same age may not.  Similarly, a child with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) has a special need for a school environment which caters to his particular challenge.

The above two examples are just a glimpse of what a `special need' can be. Special needs is a vast field and includes conditions like Autism, Downs syndrome, mental retardation, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, deafness, visual impairments.

How does nutrition help a child with a special need?

A diet will not help cure a special need, but diet counselling by a specialist dietitian will help the parents of the special child to (amongst other things):

a) manage feeding, one of the biggest challenges with some special needs children eg children with mental retardation,

b) ensure that the childs diet is suitable for his special need eg children with phenylketonuria need low phenylalanine diets,

c) ensure that the childs special need does not interfere with him getting adequate nutrition eg children with dysphagia are unable to eat enough to meet their nutrition needs,

d) follow diets which alleviate symptoms of some special needs eg ketogenic diets help manage symptoms of drug resistant pediatric epilepsy,

In my own practice, I have helped children with dysphagia (swallowing difficulty) by modifying their diet to overcome this hurdle. Have helped parents of children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)  better manage their childs restlessness at meal times, ensuring a more peaceful eating session. Just a few examples!

Until next time, have a restful Sunday!

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not,  no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact founder@nutrewise.com

The Dessert Dilemma

A Fistful Of Nutrition Post #4:

A peril of eating out is that you are mostly likely to succumb to the waiters cajoling and order their `best' dessert. Eating out per se, makes you consume extra calories. Add a dessert to it and what you have are hundreds of calories your body doesnt require. What can you do?

1. Under eat during the main meal i.e leave some space in your belly, for that dessert which you know, you will surely have.

2. Be large hearted and share i.e order one dessert and split it with everyone on the table. Works if you have understanding meal companions. If eating alone, or with people who will brand you as a miser, implement tip 1.

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The Nutrition Omnibus and A Fistful of Nutrition © Raksha Changappa. Contents of this blog post (excluding images) are the exclusive copyright and intellectual property (IP) of Raksha Changappa. This post is solely for knowledge and information of the reader. If you want to use the post contents, kindly do so by acknowledging the source, namely this blog and the author, via hyperlinks or credits. If not,  no content will be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed, in any form or means, including print and electronic media. Copyright and IP infringements will be taken seriously. For queries contact founder@nutrewise.com