~ HEALTH BLOG

By Payal Banka

Extra weight in a person is always a cause for concern, whether it is in the context of his health or his looks. The first thing that comes to our mind at the sight of any well shaped person is that, we too want to become like them, and like any other human would do, we start digging our own brain for what we know about the Big D of diet. As long as the diet is connected to the word weight loss, we blindly start following them. And many people lose weight. But how effective is that weight loss? We obviously regain the lost weight and sometimes even more than what was originally lost. The ill effects these diets have on our health is all together a different story. Some diets plans like atkins diet,the south-beach diet, GM diet, the cabbage soup diet, low GI diet, no carb diet are amongst the most practiced one, but are these diets beneficial for indian on the long run? The answer is no. This is because all of these are based on the US food plan system where as the Indian food pyramid is very different to their food plan system.

Why Western diet plans are not suitable for Indians?

In the west, carbs are often eaten stripped of fiber: processed flour is used in their bread, cakes, pasta, etc. The western diets lack the great Indian concept of dal (lentils), sabji ,roti (chapati), as the major meal, which incorporates a lot of fiber. In the west, vegetables come mostly in the form of salads camouflaged with croutons and fattening dressings. So the good carb content in their diet is negligible, hence atkins and south beach diets, which promoted low carb, were such huge hits. Following these diets meant going off bagels, pizzas, pastas, muffins, which are majorly foods which do not provide any nutrient to our body. Such low carb diets leads to depletion of serotonin, a neuro transmitter in the brain responsible for the feeling of happiness, satisfaction and well-being. Hence irritability, restlessness, depression and anxiety are the common results in Indians following such diets. The worst part is that after going through this entire circuit, the weight still comes right back to us and at the end all that we lose is our self confidence and self worth. Instead of looking like Hollywood stars, we end up looking like deflated pizzas.

We all know that the weight loss diets are based on number of factors like the metabolic rate, age, gender, physical activity level, medical conditions and various other factors. But did you know that a diet is also based on our geographical location and nationality. Well yes this is true. The geographical location decides the availability of various food items and moreover the need of the body. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) of a person is influenced by the climatic conditions, and hence the caloric needs. Nutritional requirement of people living in colder region is different than those living in meditterian countries. This is one reason why many of the set diet plans mentioned above do not work on Indian or leaves us unfit.

What can Indians do?

In India, avoiding carbs on such high levels is not needed. If you look at the Indian foods like poha (flattened rice), upma, veg stuffed paratha, idlis, dosas, dhoklas, dal, roti, sabji, rajma (kidney beans), etc, you'll notice that most of our carbs aren't processed, and they retain their fiber, vitamins and minerals. The primary foods that we use in India, our cooking methods and our food combinations all work together at increasing the fiber and the nutrient content of the food. Hence restriction of carbs which are high in glycemic index and zero on nutrient is alone enough. For example - cakes, pasteries, sugar, alcohol, desserts, chocolates, aerated beverages, cookies and other deep fried items like samosa, pakoras, bhujias and vadas.

The best way to know that we are losing weight in the right way is to ensure that the weight loss is slow and gradual. Also, the weight loss diet should comprise of right food items from all the food groups mentioned in the Indian food pyramid.

Eating right is the first step toward long-term successful weight loss. Dieting definitely means cutting down on the extra calories. But it is not synonymous with cutting down on nutrients as well. Hence the main step involves choosing food items which are low in calories and high on their nutrient content.

Diet Tips for Weight Loss in Indians

Some of the dietary tips for weight loss in Indians include:

Eating in moderation is very important, this helps to keep the body in balance, and nutritionally satisfied hence aiding in healthy weight loss.
Cutting down on empty calorie food items. i.e. the items which are high in calorie but zero in nutritional value like soft drinks, alcohol.
Incorporating plenty of green leafy vegetables and fruits in the diet will give vitamins and minerals in abundance and all this with plenty of fiber. Hence providing bulk to our meal and aiding weight loss.
It takes 20 minutes for the brain to realize that our stomach is full. So if we simply extend the time of a meal, we will end up eating food in the right quantity according to the requirement of the body. Or else we can simply add salads and soups to every meal, and start the meal with these two items, finish them and then jump on the actual meal.
Drinking 2-3 glasses of water just before the meal curbs appetite is a commonly followed myth. This is entirely wrong. Water has high mobility inside the body, it quickly moves to the intestine leaving the stomach empty again. Hence this practice should be stopped.
Proteins play a very vital role in weight loss. If protein is restricted from the diet, our muscle mass will be lost, where in the fat mass will be as it is. Hence incorporating protein through food items that are low in calorie is very imporant (example: skimmed milk).
Fats should be restricted to minimum allowance but should not be completely stopped as they form an integral part of our hormones and their deficiency may alter the body causing hormonal imbalance, further leading to gain in weight.
Plenty of fluids in the form of soups, fruit juices, milk, dals etc should be taken in between the meals , this will help in keeping the hunger pangs away.
Simple changes in our cooking methods can do wonders in keeping the caloric content to the minimum. Baking, grilling, steaming and other healthier methods should be used instead of deep frying.
For the best effect and healthy weight loss, you should always seek the help of a professional instead of blindly following someone else's diet or other diet myths.