Dr Minakshi Dutta

Do you know.... the difference between margarine and butter?
Both have the same amount of Calories.
Butter is good fat.
Eating butter has many nutritional benefits.
Eating butter increases absorption of many other nutrients in other foods- especially VitA, C, and E.
Butter tastes much better and enhances flavours of other foods.
And now gor Margarine-
Very high in transfat.
Triple risk of Coronary Heart Disease.
Increases Total Cholesterol, increasedLDL-bad cholesterol, and decreases HDL- good cholesterol
Decreases Immunity.
Decreases Insulin response, hence greater risk of Diabetes.
Increases risk of Cancer upto 5 times.
So, choice is YOURS.

Include 2 Fruit meals in your daily diet.
Clean whole fruits by soaking them in warm water for 15 min to remove wax and insecticides. Then wash well in running water.
Always have Seasonal, locally grown fruits to have maximum nutritional advantage. Less the time involved in transportation, less the use of preservatives.
Do not remove the peel whenever possible to get advantage of colouring pigments as they help in boosting immunity.
Try to have 2-3 different fruits per day to get maximum vitamins and minerals.
Cut the fruits just before consumption as important antioxidant vitamins like Vit C are destroyed when in contact with air.
Always have whole fruits instead of fruit juice as you loose out on important fibre. Fruit juice is also high in calories.
Have fruits as a separate meal and not just after main meal as it adds on to the calories. A watch out for Weight Loss.

Elixir of life-Water.
Have 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, depending on the climate and physical activity.
1 or 2 glasses of water first thing in the morning literally washes your inside out, ie cleanses you of toxins.
Drink a glass of water 30 min before a meal.
Do not drink water during the meals as it dilutes the digestive juices and hampers digestion.
Drink a glass of water before going out during daytime to avoid mild dehydration.
SIGNS of less WATER Intake- mild Dehydration
1.Fatigue or tiredness.
2. Dark coloured Urine.
3. Constipation.
4.Acidity.
Water intake and Weight Loss-
Lean individuals have higher percentage of water content than Obese individuals.
Drinking water frequently relieves hunger pangs.
Drinking a glass of water 15 min before a meal gives a feeling of fullness, thus reducing the appetite.

Importance of water in our daily Diet.
Water forms 70% of our total body weight.
Water acts as a solvent in our blood to carry nutrients that we eat to individual cells. It also brings out toxins(waste products) from the cells to skin & kidney for elimination. It also carries Oxygen to the cells and brings out Carbon dioxide from the cells to the lungs which we breath out.
Water is the most natural way of preventing friction between the bones in the form of Synovial fluid found in joints, thus preventing pain.
Water also regulates body temperature, thus keeping us cool in summer and warm in winters.
Normally body needs 2-3 litres of water everyday.

Healthy Eating checklist-2.
How healthy are your present eating habits?
Do you eat a healthy breakfast?
Do you eat more than 3 regular meals per day?
Do you drink more than 5 glasses of water per day?
Do you eat enough vegetable( dal& pulses) or animal protein(egg, fish meat) per day?
Do you include enough fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal?
Do you drink less than 4 cups of tea or coffee per day?
Do you limit consumption of alcohol to one occasion per week?
Do you limit your consumption of foods high in sugar?
Do you limit your consumption of foods high in fat?
Do you read labels of prepared foods carefully before buying those?
If you have ticked more YES's in the above list, you are already aware of your nutritional needs. But there is still some room for improvement.

Healthy Eating Check List
Do you eat red meat once or twice a week.
Do you eat less than 3 meals per day
Do you miss breakfast
Do you eat a large meal at night
Do you eat extra salt to your food
Do you eat high sugary or high fat snacks between meals
Do you drink more than 4 cups of tea or coffee per day
Do you prefer fizzy drink or fruit juice to a glass of water
Do you eat when you are bored or depressed
Do you drink alcohol most days or in large quantity
Do you eat out more than once a week
If your answers are more YES's in the check list, you immediately need to change your eating habits in favour of a healthier eating programme.

Is it possible to include all the required nutrients in your daily diet?
Yes, it is. But then how do you do it?
Divide your daily food intake into 5-6 small meals.
Early morning- a glass of water with some sprouts or seeds.
Breakfast- milk product with cereal.
Midmorning- fruits.
Lunch- with low carb, lots of veggies and protein (dal/pulses/ nonveg).
Mid evening- nuts .
Dinner-low carb with vegetables in any form.
Bedtime- a cup of milk.
This is a generalised plan only. Specific diet plans are very personalised.