Don't want to age early? Read on....

Ageing is inevitable and so are the physiological changes that come with it! You are in a position to gauge that what you could do few years back in a jiffy has become an effort for you now. How do we handle it? 

We need to respect and accept these changes with dignity and prioritise correct and balanced nourishment to the body on day-to-day basis so that our food becomes our medicine. The key to handle any adversity, which comes with age is the internal environment which we create by eating ‘quality food’ vis-à-vis ‘junk food’.

Food can have a profound effect on the internal environment as the raw material which we put in our body on a day-to-day basis serves as a base to produce a series of biochemical regulators which determine whether the body ‘s milieu is pro or anti inflammatory. So what kind of environ are we looking at? Yes, it is the anti inflammatory one!!

What are anti-inflammatory foods?

There are a series of studies to indicate that specific nutrients known for their antioxidant effect when given as supplements may not be as effective as compared to, when used as a part of the food as a whole, in its natural form.

There are some nutrients which have an anti-inflammatory effect as they either scavenge the free radicals out of the body by acting as antioxidants or act as precursors for substances which help in decreasing the blood pressure, improving blood flow, decreasing the predisposition to form clots and preventing the bad cholesterol from becoming more damaging. Additionally some of these foods are also alkaline in nature.

No single food would give all but emphasizing on quantity and variety of some class of foods in our daily intake can definitely add on to the protective environment.

Some of the anti-ageing mantras are :

Eat vegetable and fruits king size  To maximise on the oxidative potential of the vegetables and fruits the Do’s include:

• Consume a variety of vegetables and fruits. Variety in order of priority relates to green leafy vegetables, yellow, orange and red colour vegetables .Get the rainbow in your platter.
• Among leafy vegetables explore the variety available in the local markets. Do not be satisfied with just spinach and methi. Take a step further… look for cauliflower greens, mayalu, shepu, chaulai, mannathakali, colocascia leaves, ambadi ki bhaji, raddish leaves, mustard leaves, drumstick leaves, cabbage, lettuce, etc. They are full of important vitamins like beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, Vitamin C, folate, riboflavin, good quality fat, and non nutrient components like Indole 3 Carbinol, isothiacyanates, which are all potential antioxidants and stress busters.
• Make an effort to incorporate at least three medium sized bowl of raw or cooked vegetables every day. Take precautions to wash them well before cutting. Use in combination with pulses, curds, paneer, egg to make it nutrient dense. Use it in variety of preparations as part of thepla, stuffing for roti, rolls, raita, salads.
• The other coloured vegetables like tomato, capsicum, pumpkin, carrots and beetroot add lycopene, anthocyanins, cryptoxanthins, pthalides, and poly acetylenes. To maximise the availability of carotenoids subject them to heat treatment and accompany with a dash of fat. Cook the vegetables with their skin in order to preserve Anthocyanins (red and purple colour), as they are extremely water-soluble. Consume these vegetables as soups, juices, blends etc. especially tomatoes, carrots and beetroot.
• Any seasonal vegetable like beans, peas, cauliflower, brinjal or gavar are excellent sources of soluble fibres, which in turn acts as a substrate to favour creating good environment in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Addition of  ginger, garlic, onions add phytochemicals called allyl sulphides and flavonoids, which have the highest antioxidant potential. To derive maximum benefit they should be used fresh in a crushed form to favour formation of active substance.
• Fruit consumption should begin with a minimum of two to a maximum of four units or bowls per day. Fruits  preferably should be consumed with skin. All the juicy citrus fruits should be consumed as fresh juices to maximize on Vitamin C content. The peels and white fibres (albedo) of citrus fruit are rich in glucarates which are known to have an anti inflammatory effect
• All the coloured fruits are loaded with phytochemicals but be discrete in limiting the amounts of fruits with high glycemic response, especially black grapes, pine apple, watermelon, papaya. Uncommon coloured fruits like strawberries, cranberries, cherries, raspberries are also cardio protective but should be used in limited amounts.
• Limit the intake of starchy fruits like banana, chickoo, mango to one serving (medium size) a day.

Get the Omega 3

Besides fruits and vegetables, the other foods which have a potent antioxidant effect are Omega 3 rich fat sources (flax seeds, methiseeds, cow pea, black gram, fatty fishes etc).

The Add Ons….

Oilseeds rich in lignans like flax seeds, tilseeds high in good quality fat and vitamins and minerals; Isoflavones and saponin rich soya and soya based products; Plant sterols, phytoestrogens, tocotrienols, lignan and ellagic acid rich whole grain cereals, Conjugated linoliec acid rich milk and milk products especially in fermented forms, Gamma linoleic acid rich spirulina, Curcumin rich spice turmeric, flavanoid and anthocyanin rich red wine and grape juice, Epigallo –catechin-gallate in green tea are some of the ‘ add ons’.

Say no to saturated fats and refined sugars, which add to the inflammatory state. So cut down on bakery products – puffs, pattice, rolls, doughnuts, biscuits, kharis etc.

FAT, Head to Toe truths

The effects of obesity are revealed in startling detail using a magnetic resonance imaging scanner. It highlights not only the fat lying just under the skin but fat wrapped around organs inside the body. You can see not only the strained joints but crushed lungs and a swollen heart.

When I attended autopsies as a doctor, I saw the stranglehold fat can have around internal organs - and I've stuck to a healthy diet ever since. But the good news is that we can change the picture, however, grim, with the right diet and exercise.

Three-pronged attack

When we over-eat, fat travels around the body causing internal damage in three ways:

● Old-fashioned fat - The fat that forms a layer just under the skin and makes us look and feel heavier. It affects our health by sheer weight, causing joint damage and extra pressure on internal organs.

● Artery-clogging fat - This travels to blood vessels and builds up over time, causing blockages. It can stop blood flow to vital organs such as the heart and brain, leading to strokes and heart attacks.

● Toxic fat - This internal fat, also called visceral fat, creates middle-aged spread and wraps itself around internal organs. It releases toxins that travel around the bloodstream causing chronic inflammation. Long-term, this leads to insulin resistance and a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

5 ways to target fat

As scary as the effects of fat inside your body are, it's easy to protect yourself. Here's how...

(1) Start walking every day - I believe this is the only way to make your body sensitive to insulin and stop you
over-eating. Start with 10 minutes brisk striding and build up to 30.

(2) Watch your fat intake - Switch to lean cuts of meat, skimmed milk, low-fat spreads and cook with good fats such as olive oil.

(3) Reduce your waist - It should measure no more than 32in if you're a woman and 37in if you're a man. Just shaving off a couple of inches reduces the amount of toxic fat in your body.

(4) Control portions - The average portion size has gone up 25% in the past 20 years. As a rule of thumb, fill half your plate with veg, a quarter with lean protein like chicken, and a quarter with starchy carbs such as pasta or rice.

KIDNEYS A heavy layer of fat around the kidneys forces them to work much harder. Being overweight raises kidney failure risk.

HIPS, KNEES and ANKLES The extra weight places additional pressure on joints, wearing away cartilage, increasing risk of pain and arthritis.

EYES Fatty deposits which build up in the eye's blood vessels can raise the risk of diseases that cause blindness -
age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

PELVIC FLOOR Being overweight puts pressure on pelvic floor muscles, which can cause piles and incontinence.

OVARIES AND UTERUS Body fat produces oestrogen, which can affect fertility. Obese women are nearly 70% more likely to have a miscarriage, says a US study.

BRAIN Blood flow is reduced when fatty deposits build up and narrow the arteries that supply the brain, increasing your risk of stroke. This type of blockage is also linked to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

MIND Research indicates that visceral fat can lower your mood by increasing production of stress hormone cortisol, and reducing levels of feel-good endorphins.

UPPER ARMS An excess layer of fat here puts an increased load on the shoulder joint, resulting in pain and later difficulty raising your arm.

FOR MEN An extra layer of fat around the stomach and thighs can cause testicles to overheat, resulting in poor sperm quality. Obese men are 40% more likely to have low sperm counts.

FEET Being overweight puts pressure on the ligament that runs from your heel to the ball of your foot, causing pain and inflammation.

KIDNEYS A layer of heavy fat around the kidneys forces them to work much harder. Swedish researchers found that being overweight tripled the risk of kidney failure. Obese people, especially women, are also more likely to develop cancer of the kidney.ABDOMEN Toxic fat around internal organs causes a bulge in the tummy area. Chemicals and hormones produced can trigger metabolism changes, hormone imbalances and greater risk of heart disease, diabetes and breast or colon cancer.

HEART Fat that forms around the heart produces inflammatory proteins which are linked to hardening of the arteries. A build-up of fatty deposits in arteries supplying the heart cause angina and increased risk of heart attack.

HEAD AND NECK Research shows a link between excess weight and headaches. One theory is that the extra weight puts pressure on nerves in the neck, causing pain.

THROAT Carrying excess weight in the neck area can compress the airway, causing snoring and sleep apnoea. People with sleep apnoea have a higher risk of heart attack.

LUNGS Excess body weight crushes the chest, reducing lung function, while fat in the abdomen can also push against the diaphragm when the person lies flat, causing shortness of breath.

EARS Blocked blood vessels mean decreased blood flow resulting in a lack of oxygen and failure to remove toxic waste. This may cause hearing damage.

Drinking, you may become older than you are

Wonder why people who drink too much look too old for their age? A new study shows that alcohol consumption speeds up the ageing process and raises the risk of cancer.

Italian researchers have found that drinking damages part of the cells that are linked to premature ageing and cancer.

They discovered that it causes stress and inflammation to telomeres– the ends of DNA strands that stop them unravelling much like the ends of shoelaces.

As people age, telomere length shortens progressively and eventually they are so damaged the cell dies. The study found alcohol accelerates this process.

Since telomere shortening is thought to also increase cancer risk, the researchers speculated that those with shorter telomeres due to heavy alcohol consumption would have an increased risk of cancer.

Andrea Baccarelli, the lead researcher at the University of Milan in Italy, reportedly said, "Heavy alcohol users tend to look haggard, and it is commonly thought heavy drinking leads to premature ageing and earlier onset of diseases of ageing."

The researchers looked at more than 250 volunteers some of whom drank more than four alcoholic drinks per day.

They were similar in age and other factors that might affect telomere length, such as diet, physical exercise, work-related stress and environmental exposures.

Results showed that telomere length was dramatically shortened in those who consumed heavy amounts of alcohol. In some telomere length was nearly half as long as telomere length in the non-abusers.

Twin killers: Alcohol and cancer

Nearly 50% of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx are associated with heavy drinking. Chronic heavy drinkers have a higher incidence of oesophageal cancer than does the general population. The risk appears to increase as alcohol consumption increases.

Prolonged, heavy drinking has been associated in many cases with primary liver cancer. However, it is liver cirrhosis, whether caused by alcohol or another factor, that is thought to induce the cancer. In areas of Africa and Asia, liver cancer afflicts 50 or more people per 100,000 per year, usually associated with cirrhosis caused by hepatitis viruses.

Chronic alcohol consumption has been associated with a small (averaging 10 per cent) increase in a woman's risk of breast cancer. Recent studies suggest that alcohol may play an indirect role in the development of breast cancer. These studies indicate that alcohol increases oestrogen levels in premenopausal women, which, in turn, may promote breast cancer.

Get Ready, Monsoon is around the corner

After the scorching heat in summer we long for the monsoon to arrive! But the rains also bring along with a cluster of infections, which can lead to food poisoning, diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, jaundice, dysentery, hepatitis A and E. People with an already compromised immunity such as the elderly, diabetic and those with hypertension are more prone to catching these infections. Therefore, it is extremely essential to take care of the food we eat and the water we drink. 

Don’t we feel like going out in the rains and eating something hot while it’s pouring!

Following is the list of some of the foods you can choose to satisfy your taste buds during monsoon.

Beverages: Rasam, vegetable or dal soups, hot mild coffee, tea or masala milk, lemon ginger tea and green tea (best enjoyed without milk.)

Food: Butta, idli / dosa with sambhar, jowar/ bajra/ nachni roti served with well cooked vegetable of your choice and how I can keep you away from the piping hot bajiya and wada pav (whole wheat pav, to be STRICTLY enjoyed in moderation preferably at home)

You can take following precautions for a healthy monsoon!

At home

Wash vegetables thoroughly before cooking them especially leafy vegetables like coriander, methi, mint, cauliflower which may not only contain larvae and worms but also dirt from the streets. If possible, opt for non-leafy vegetables e.g turi, tinda, parwal, gavar, karela, dudhi etc.

Wash fruits before cutting and eating. Go for seasonal fruits, as they are less likely to be infested as compared to other fruits. You can choose from variety of exotic fruits like peaches, litches, cherries and jamuns.

Chicken, fish and eggs should be cooked to a well-done stage.

Have you ever thought why certain fruits grow only during certain times of the year? Apart from their peculiar needs of the temperature and weather they are also properly packaged by the nature to survive various external factors during that season to keep them free from insects and germs. After all the ‘mother nature’ does not want you to have anything less than pure. So go ahead and indulge in theseasonal fruits.

Drink as much water as you can at regular intervals rather than waiting till you become thirsty. The sign of thirst indicates that you are already dehydrated. During monsoon due to high humidity levels and cooler temperatures, sweat does not evaporate easily form our body. This interferes with body’s ability to release heat and you may not feel the desperate need to have water like in the summers. That does not mean your body does not need water. So remember to have water at regular intervals in monsoons even when you do not feel really thirsty.

Pasteurized and boiled milk should be preferred.

While eating outside…

During monsoon, bacteria easily breeds on cold foods due to high moisture content in air. Also in India most of our vegetable markets are on roadside with no proper storage facilities for the vegetables. Cars and people splash dirty water from puddles onto the vegetables of roadside vendors.

Caterers, restaurants and especially roadside food stalls may not wash them properly before using them. Therefore avoid eating the street-side foods like fruits slices, cold cut sandwiches and foods that have been cooked and stored for hours before they are dished out to you. Also avoid eating raw salads at parties and gatherings that have been kept in open for long. Have light and freshly cooked home meals or at hygienic places outside.

Exercise The cool weather outside during monsoon may derail your early morning exercise plans or it might be pouring when you are planning an evening walk. You can do the following to beat the lazy and relaxing weather to keep your fitness regime on track: Take your buddy along with you to gym. See to it that none of you drop out. Pick up an indoor activity like badminton or squash. Go to the beach for jogging. An early morning jog by the choppy sea under the cloudy skies is an experience worth getting up early for. The best thing to do might be for you and your friends to have a nice game of cricket or soccer on the beach. Nothing can beat a good game with your old buddies! Don’t forget to warm up and cool down before and after your exercise especially when the weather is cool like during the monsoon.

Monsoon Skin & Hair Care Tips

With the summer all but gone, you might be tempted to pack away the sunscreen and moisturisers and the daily skin care that you were following. Well, hold your horses. A change in weather does not mean you put do away with your skin and hair care routine, it just means that you will need to modify it to suit the weather! The change in weather has a direct impact on the skin, which makes a good maintenance regime very important. 

Skin care tips

• Use a good soap-free cleanser. You could also use a gentle scrub (with uniform mild beads) once a day.
• Cleansing should be followed by toning using an alcohol-free toner, since increased humidity could open up your pores.
• Use a sunscreen even on a cloudy day. The clouds may obscure the sun, but the sun and its rays are still there.
• Use a light lotion-based moisturiser or serum, which will gently rehydrate your skin and also brighten it up
• Avoid heavy makeup and use waterproof make up when necessary
• Remember to nourish your skin from the inside, too – eat salads blanched in boiling water to disinfect them, vegetable soup, which will keep you warm and healthy and drink the usual 8-10 glasses of water. Your skin is always thirstier than you are!

Skin care regimen

• Cleansing: Your skin will require regular cleansing in order to keep it looking fresh and healthy. Avoid harsh soap products that strip the skin of protective oils. If you have dry skin, avoid deodorant or antibacterial soaps, since they might be drying the skin.
• Moisturising in the rains is as important as it is in summer. Monsoons can mean a de-moisturizing effect on dry skin and an over-hydrating effect on oily skin. The skin gets wet often and with the constant wetting and drying, a lot of dehydration (yes, in the rains!) takes place. That explains the itchy feeling one gets during monsoons. Use a non-water-based moisturiser, if you happen to get wet often. Otherwise a water-based moisturiser will do. 
• For dull skin: Exfoliation of the skin is very important. This not only helps to keep the pores free of hardened oil, but also clears the skin of dead cells.

Foot care

Given the state of our cities, your feet will invariably be exposed to a lot of grime and muck, and so an effective cleansing of feet is very important as well.

• Dry your feet completely to prevent fungal infections
• Avoid wearing boots as these can hold water for a longer duration, creating a soggy environment for your feet.
• A home pedicure should be done once a week: Soak feet in warm water, which has 3-4 drops of an antiseptic agent (Savlon or Dettol) for 15-20 minutes. Follow this by cleaning your nails and scrubbing your feet with a foot scraper. Complete the pedicure by applying a light moisturiser
• When you go for pedicure to a beautician, ensure that the instruments used are sterilised / cleansed with disinfectants, or if possible use your personal instruments. Also instruct your aesthetician to avoid pushing the cuticles, as toenail fungal infections are very common in monsoons

Hair care 

• Use a good ‘volume-enhancing’ shampoo, twice or thrice a week for washing your hair. It also helps since hair tends to go limp in this season
• Post-shampoo use a volumising conditioner, once a week or as required
• If you need to blow dry your hair, apply a leave-on conditioner prior to it
• Avoid excess application of styling products, as this could make your hair very greasy due to increased humidity
• Do not tie-up wet hair
• Oiling once a week helps
• Make sure your diet has these hair-friendly foods: milk and milk products, nuts, soya products