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Juice fasting has become extremely popular these days and is both a weight-loss and body cleanse diet. Juice fast is a diet where one only drinks fruit and vegetable juices, sans the fibre, and other clean liquids like water and tea. (msnTarGet.CoM)

Juice fasting is believed to help manage weight as it gives the digestive system a break, and makes it easier to absorb the nutrients present in the juices. Fruit and vegetable juices are rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, which are considered essential for the body and helpful in the process of weight loss.

Like mentioned, juices contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients which are essential for the body. These help in building better immunity in the body, remove toxins and cleanse the body, and also better digestion. Apart from these functions, juice fasting is also beneficial in weight loss as it helps to keep the body light, hydrated, and nourished. Some people also believe that juice fasting can prevent cancer, though there is no study that has proven this yet.

Though your plan of juice fasting will determine exactly how you go about it, here is a basic structure for practising juice fasting. You can pick organic vegetables and fruits, since they are believed to have fewer chemicals and pesticides on them, or just the regular ones according to availability, prices, and the length of the period for which you plan to fast. MsnTarGet.CoM Try including more vegetable juices in your diet than fruit juices, to ensure that your body is provided with all the nutrients you require.

Juice fasting, just like any other diet, will have consequences on your body. Since you go absolutely off solid or even semi-solid food, your body is likely to experience fatigue and tiredness in the initial days since your body is not used to functioning on such little diet. In extreme cases, it can lead to severe diarrhoea, low blood pressure, and extreme dizziness.

Juice fasting is not one of the best diets as recommended by doctors and there seem to be reasons for the same. Juice fasting is not considered the safest diet as only juices can lead to problems of undernutrition in the body. Another health risk that is very likely to be faced is that of weight gain, instead of loss as juices contain a lot of natural sugar. You should be very specific about which juice you incorporate in your diet to ensure that you do not gain weight. This sugar can also lead to disturbance in the blood sugar levels of the body. Young children, pregnant women, older people and people with weak immune systems should avoid juice fasting.

Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

Juice fasting has become extremely popular these days and is both a weight-loss and body cleanse diet. Juice fast is a diet where one only drinks fruit and vegetable juices, sans the fibre, and other clean liquids like water and tea.

Juice fasting is believed to help manage weight as it gives the digestive system a break, and makes it easier to absorb the nutrients present in the juices. Fruit and vegetable juices are rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, which are considered essential for the body and helpful in the process of weight loss.

Like mentioned, juices contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients which are essential for the body. These help in building better immunity in the body, remove toxins and cleanse the body, and also better digestion. Apart from these functions, juice fasting is also beneficial in weight loss as it helps to keep the body light, hydrated, and nourished. Some people also believe that juice fasting can prevent cancer, though there is no study that has proven this yet.

Though your plan of juice fasting will determine exactly how you go about it, here is a basic structure for practising juice fasting. You can pick organic vegetables and fruits, since they are believed to have fewer chemicals and pesticides on them, or just the regular ones according to availability, prices, and the length of the period for which you plan to fast. Try including more vegetable juices in your diet than fruit juices, to ensure that your body is provided with all the nutrients you require.

Juice fasting, just like any other diet, will have consequences on your body. Since you go absolutely off solid or even semi-solid food, your body is likely to experience fatigue and tiredness in the initial days since your body is not used to functioning on such little diet. In extreme cases, it can lead to severe diarrhoea, low blood pressure, and extreme dizziness.

Juice fasting is not one of the best diets as recommended by doctors and there seem to be reasons for the same. Juice fasting is not considered the safest diet as only juices can lead to problems of undernutrition in the body. Another health risk that is very likely to be faced is that of weight gain, instead of loss as juices contain a lot of natural sugar. You should be very specific about which juice you incorporate in your diet to ensure that you do not gain weight. This sugar can also lead to disturbance in the blood sugar levels of the body. Young children, pregnant women, older people and people with weak immune systems should avoid juice fasting.

Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

As we step into the New Year, we are all looking for that one wonder diet that can take care of our weight woes. There are various fad diets in the market that claim quick weight loss and we quite often end up trying them all in the hope that something may work. However, the efficacy of these diets still remains debatable as various diets may work for some people and not for others.

This diet program encourages you to eat whole fresh foods while avoiding some common food items. It is described as a clean eating program. Whole 30 diet was co-created by Melissa Hartwig, who explains that certain food groups may be causing health problems. In her words, "Eliminate the most common craving-inducing, blood sugar-disrupting, gut-damaging, inflammatory food groups for a full 30 days." In whole 30 diet, one has to eat meat, fish, and eggs in moderation, lots of vegetables, a little amount of fruits and plenty of natural fats along with all-fresh spices and seasonings. It tells you to delete added sugars, alcohol, grains (even the whole ones), legumes, dairy, junk food, and baked products from your diet for 30 days. Another rule is to stay away from the weighing scale for 30 days. Yes, you read that right.  Do not step on weighing scale for 30 days as this diet claims that following this will help you lose weight but more importantly improve health conditions like digestion. Apart from this, it may boost your energy levels, improve your skin and sleep quality. After 30 days, it is recommended that you reintroduce all the banned food groups one at a time and use them only once or twice a week. 

My Take: The diet does describe a detox diet and it will deliver what it says. It uses fresh food, so will do your body good. It seems to be a variant of the FODMAP diet, not very original. Nutritionally, I have a problem with diets that eliminate whole food groups; each has amazing health benefits and unless proven, should not be omitted. Whole grains are a treasure trove of health benefits and cannot be clubbed with refined grains and sugars. Saturated fats in abundance are not recommended and there is conclusive evidence for the same. Another point is that with both dairy and legumes out, what do vegetarians eat?

Recommendation: It is okay for a detox occasionally, but cannot be followed for a lifetime.

FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols, which are basically sugars that are poorly absorbed by the intestines and hence lead to abdominal discomfort like gas, distention, and constipation etc., further leading to irritable bowel syndrome. IBS is not an inflammatory disorder but a functional disorder, which is not caused by FODMAP foods but symptoms are relieved by this diet. This is a diet which has been developed by MONASH University for diagnosed cases of IBS and is meant to be administered under strict professional guidance. A three-step program, it involves a 2-6 week swap for high FODMAP foods with low FODMAPs, which include all food groups. Step 2 involves reintroduction of FODMAPs, one at a time, over a three-day period and gradually increasing the serving size according to tolerance; this phase lasts from 8-12 weeks. The third step is personalisation, which means that you now understand which FODMAPs suit you and which ones aggravate your symptoms.

My Take: This is a research-based diet for a diagnosed medical problem and was never meant as a weight management program. People on FODMAPs may lose weight as a result of better digestion and gut health, but some may even put on weight. Somewhere along the way it became a popular diet for weight management which is incorrect. Just a few symptoms do not indicate that you may be suffering from IBS, your doctor will take you through specific tests to diagnose it and rule out some other serious condition.

Recommendation: FODMAP is to be administered only under the care of a trained Nutritionist/Dietician after proper medical workup and is not for weight management.

As the name suggests, it is a flexible and a vegetarian diet combination developed by Dietician Dawn Jackson Blatner. It is based on including all the benefits of eating vegetarian food and using animal products in moderation. It is a 5-week plan, which provides recipes for all major meals. Breakfast is of 300Kcal, lunch is of 400Kcal and dinner is of 500Kcal with two snacks of 150Kcal each totalling to 1500Kcal. This is a diet all about changing your lifestyle. This diet limits the intake of sugar and processed foods emphasising on fresh whole foods. In this diet, you will have to minimise consumption of processed meats, refined carbs, added sugar and sweets, fast foods etc. This diet recommends eating mostly vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes and limiting meat intakes to specific amounts per week. It also recommends at least 30 minutes of workout daily.

My Take: It sounds healthy and doable because it doesn't restrict your choices; it just teaches you how to make better ones. All foods are natural and easy-to-procure. This is the healthy way to eat anyways; fresh, wholesome with lots of vegetables and whole fruits, nuts and seeds added for additional health benefits. All healthcare providers have always recommended a low-processed food, low-added sugar diet. Vegetarian food has been scientifically linked to a lowered incidence of diabetes, cancers and cardiac diseases, so this diet is a well-balanced healthy way of eating. It is credited with weight loss, probably because of a change for the better. For an avid non-vegetarian who doesn't normally include vegetables and fruits in the diet, this would definitely help get a better lifestyle and also lose weight.

Recommendations: If you are a non-vegetarian with no concept of eating vegetables, whole grains and fruits, get on to this immediately, and you will lose weight. Only problem is that I haven't seen an Indian food version of the menus. For the other half, you will learn how to eat healthy and it would be an important part of better health with moderate weight loss.

It is basically fasting for a number of hours and eating for a certain number of hours a day. There are different variants of this plan, like 16/8 diet, wherein you choose the 8 hours you wish to eat in and then don't eat anything for the next 16 hours. So if you choose to eat between 12pm and 8pm, you get to eat your lunch, snack and an early dinner. Intermittent fasting lets you choose the duration and frequency of fasting. You can choose 2-3 days a week of complete fasting or 12 hours eating and 12 fasting, whatever suits you. It is recommended that you start slow and then build on it as your body allows. The principle behind this is reducing insulin resistance. When our food is loaded with sugars and made up of refined grains and processed food, our insulin levels remain high forever, encouraging fat deposition and increased levels of hormones like cortisol. In a state of fasting, the insulin levels fall, giving the body rest.

My Take: We have known fasting for centuries. In our homes we have grown up with family members fasting on various days and occasions like Karvachauth, Ramzan, Navratri etc. The problem is that we have converted these to feasts; if you see each of these has very clear cut instructions for eating, which are actually healthy. So is it a good way to lose weight, provided you don't go overboard eating the wrong foods in humungous amounts. It's actually nice because you eat at fixed times and then drink only water or black tea and coffee during the fasting hours.

Recommendation: Start slow, women need to be careful. If you choose to fast for whole days, then do not do so for more than 1 day to start with. The 16/8 diet is a better deal.

As the name suggests, it is cycling carbs by eating more of them on some days and reducing the quantity on others. It is a popular strategy among athletes and has been found to be beneficial for weight management and muscle building. Calorific intake may be increased on high-carb days and reduced on low-carb days. You can tailor it to suit your needs. Carbs recommended are whole grains. Refined carbs and sugars are still a no. High-carb days may include 200-300g of carbs and low-carb days may be anywhere between 75-150g.

My Take: Carb cycling has shown a number of benefits; the most important one being that it speeds up weight loss while preserving muscle mass. It also keeps your metabolism rate intact. It encourages more of plant-based food intake, which is healthy and may reduce hormonal imbalances and blood sugar fluctuations. Carb cycling is also easy-to-follow for long periods as it is not restrictive; it doesn't deprive you. If combined correctly with adequate protein intakes, veggies and healthy fats, it is actually a good way to eat.

Recommendations: Go for it but ease into it gradually. Take the help of a professional who can help you learn how to do so right. If you feel tired, or experience constipation, bloating or are unable to work out because of weakness, then this is not for you.

There is no one size that fits all, so when you start on a new plan, go for the one that is a healthy way of eating, is sustainable and fits your lifestyle. When you choose one, stick to it for at least 3 months before knowing whether it works for you or not.

Carbs are out, fat is in. What else? Check out our top picks for the coming year.

A dollop of desi ghee into your steaming cup of coffee. This strange concoction is being touted as the "it" health drink of 2019. It improves energy, mental clarity, focus and satiety-because pure grass-fed ghee is rich in anti-inflammatory fatty acids, Omega-3s, Omega-9s and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E. It's rich in butyric acid, which supports the health and healing of cells in the small and large intestines. This high-fat, calorie-dense drink is being called a "breakfast replacement" because it can help you lose weight.

How? Our bodies aren't very efficient at metabolising carbs at breakfast, partly due to the rise in cortisol levels on waking. So when you drink this, you trick your body into thinking you are essentially fasting-although ghee in coffee means about 300-800 calories.

Beware. Adding sugar will negate the weight loss effect. And weight loss will follow only if you eat less later in the day. In fact, you may gain weight if the rest of your day doesn't consist of "clean" (read low-carb) eating.

The very low-carb diet, called keto or ketogenic diet, is coming back as the most effective plan for weight loss. It helps you lose weight effectively by switching the fuel supply of your body-burning fat and not sugar.

How: The body produces small molecules called "ketones" as an alternative energy source when blood sugar is in short supply. As the body produces ketones, it enters a metabolic state called ketosis. The fastest way to get there is by fasting. Another way is a ketogenic diet, when you eat few carbs and moderate protein.

Beware: Three categories of people should not try this diet: those who are taking medication for diabetes, for high blood pressure or are pregnant.

Move over protein-rich meat balls. Here come "good" fats for snacking- little items made of avocados, nut butters, coconut oil, or even cream-which taste good and load you up with foods you need.

The crackle of carbs and the nutrition of an omelette. Healthy eaters can take heart from high-protein, low-carb egg-white chips.

An on-the-rise trend that asks you to hold off carbohydrate consumption until dinner, when you are encouraged to work out and eat whatever you want. The plan is to time your carb-intake with optimal insulin sensitivity.

Engineers at Tufts University, US, have designed a prototype bandage that can monitor wounds from burns and diabetes to deliver drug treatments and also improve chances of healing wirelessly.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia, Canada, have developed the "smart stent". Fitted with a special micro-sensor, it can track blood flow continuously and also send out the data on artery condition wirelessly.

Intermittent fasting has become huge over the past year and 2019 has a new version of IF: with saturated fats that satiate hunger without spiking blood sugar.

This is drinking water with added health benefits, generally derived from vitamins, minerals, herbs and fruits. As more consumers switch from drinks like soda that are heavy in sugar and calories to beverages that bring more health benefits, functional water is becoming increasingly common on store shelves.

Real-time data from thermometers connected to smartphones can effectively track and predict influenza activity at national and regional levels. Designed by researchers at the University of Iowa, US.

Your muscles are made of protein, so if you’re building muscle you need to eat up. But how much protein do you really need? More than a couch potato, but less than the protein-crazy gym bros would have you believe. Here’s how to quickly calculate the real answer.

First, know that there are two factors to consider: how big you are, and how active you are. If you know you carry a lot of fat, you can calculate based on your ideal body weight instead of your actual body weight. We have the full details in our guide to protein, but here’s the short answer:

Here's How Much Protein You Really Need

Most of us will do fine on the RDA of 0.36 grams of protein per pound of total body weight—but consider that a minimum. That means:

For endurance sports, you’ll want between 0.54 and 0.63 grams of protein per pound of total body weight, per day. More is fine, but not necessary.

If you lift a lot and you’re trying to gain muscle, more protein will help you meet that goal. Gym bros who tell you to eat one gram of protein per pound of body weight are way overestimating, though. The upper end of the range, according to legit sports nutrition sources, varies from 0.76 to 0.9 grams per pound of total body weight for strength athletes. The lower end of each organization’s range is in the ballpark of 0.6. So to cover all our bases, here’s a chart based on a consensus range of 0.6 to 0.9 grams per pound:

All of these numbers are meant to be daily averages. If you prefer to eat more on days you work out, and less on rest days, that’s fine—just aim for the average.

If you eat too little protein, you may have trouble building muscle in the gym. If you’re losing weight, you can end up losing muscle as well as fat.

If you eat too much protein, nothing terrible happens, but the extra protein is just calories. In that case, you might prefer eating those calories in the form of food you really enjoy, instead of mountains of hard boiled eggs and chicken breasts.

You already know you shouldn’t sleep near your phone because doing so screws with your sleep schedule. Here’s another reason: You could text nonsense to your friends and have no memory of the conversation in the morning.

Sleep Texting Is Real, So Keep Your Phone Away From Your Bed

“Sleep texting occurs when an individual responds to or sends a text message electronically while in a sleep state,” write researchers from Villanova University in a recent study on college students’ sleep habits. The buzz of a notification can wake you up enough that you grab the phone and send a reply without being fully awake. In the study’s sample of college students, 25 percent said they had texted someone in their sleep; 72 percent of those didn’t remember it in the morning.

The authors call sleep texting “more embarrassing than dangerous,” but that all depends on who you end up texting and what you say. More concerning is the fact that text notifications are waking people up at all, interrupting their sleep. So if you must text before bed, set it to charge where you can’t reach it from your bed. Or, at the very least, put it in do-not-disturb mode.

December can be a stressful time of the year, so we’ve saved our most relaxing, grounded, honor-yourself challenge for last.

You can get a serious workout with yoga, so don’t think we’re slacking off. You decide if you want to take this month easy or push yourself to try challenging poses or sweaty vinyasa flows.

December's Fitness Challenge Is: Yoga

Most yoga teachers will tell you that everything starts with the breath: If you can be aware of your breathing and your body, then pretty much anything you’re doing (even sitting in place) is yoga. Add poses to give your body and mind more to do. Advanced poses may require lots of flexibility, strength, and careful technique, but plenty of poses are accessible to absolute beginners.

So, for this week, make time to do some yoga. You might decide to take a class, or if you’re an experienced yogi, just pull out your mat and work on whatever you need to work on. But for most of us, the easiest way to get started is to find a good routine or video we can follow along with. A few to consider:

We’ll be back on Friday with some more ideas for developing your own yoga practice and making the most of it. In the meantime, leave your questions and comments below. What do you want to work on this month? What obstacles do you anticipate?

The beauty of running sans headphones is that you get to finally be alone with your thoughts. This is also the horror of running without headphones: what if you don’t want to be alone with your thoughts?

On the other hand, if you’ve been reveling in the sounds of nature or city life every single time you go running, maybe you’d get a boost from a little pump-up music?

I need music when I’m on the treadmill or if I’m running intervals; running hard hurts, more mentally than physically, and music helps to keep me in the groove when I’d otherwise start talking myself into quitting. On the other hand, if I’m running easy in a place with great scenery, it’s nice to soak it in without any phone-based distractions.

When do you run with, or without, music?

In birth month clubs, a modern phenomenon in which pregnant strangers convene in online groups based on the month of their due dates, something always happens. After nearly a year of commiserating through posts about baby name quandaries and clueless partners and weird shit that happens to your body, you’ll start to see a smattering of birth announcements, accompanied by photos of scrunchy, red-faced newborns. It’s exciting! New moms are showered with congrats and well wishes. Then, as the weeks go by, you’ll see more announcements. And more photos. Soon, the buzz wears off. Those left standing (or more likely, whimpering in fetal position) start wondering when it’s their turn. Posts take a turn for the desperate. I’m so jealous. I’m so uncomfortable. WHEN WILL I GIVE BIRTH?! 

Now 38 weeks pregnant myself, I’m almost at that point. I’m not racing toward the big moment (because, um, all tiny humans are slightly terrifying), but I am wondering when it’s all going to happen. Are there any scientific predictions at all? Any information I can cling to?

Yes, actually.

It turns out, as The Boston Globe reported, the most likely birthdate is seven days before your due date. Interesting. This number is based on “a huge sample of birth information” put together by Brookings Institute researcher and WhenToExpect.com co-creator Matt Chingos. Check out the interactive chart on the site. The calculations include spontaneous deliveries (when a woman goes into labor without any induction interventions) as well as planned C-sections and planned inductions.

There’s a slight caveat. As the The Globe notes: “It’s possible that these procedures, which are commonly performed in the week before the actual due date, account for some of the early births. Nevertheless, other researchers who have screened out planned births and looked just at spontaneous births have found a similar pattern, which suggests that babies still like to show up early, even when they’re uncoaxed.”

The exact date will vary from woman to woman, of course, with many different variables playing a role. According to the report, 1) the older you are, the more likely you are to give birth early, 2) first children typically arrive slightly later than subsequent children, and 3) boys and girls roughly arrive at the same time. If you’re expecting, you can get your own birthdate prediction stats at WhenToExpect.com. (I entered my info, and apparently, I have the highest chance of giving birth a week from today! Whoa!)

As for the time you’ll give birth, a 10-year study from City, University of London has found that babies are most likely to be born at 4 a.m. and the majority of births happen between 1 and 7 a.m. These times are for births after spontaneous labors, and would be different for C-sections and planned inductions.

Why the middle of the night? Peter Martin, the lead author of the study, explains that it may have to do with human evolution. He writes: “For animals that live in groups that are mostly active and often dispersed during the day, and come together to rest at night, a night-time onset of labour and birth in the early hours of the morning mean that the mother and newborn baby can expect to receive some protection from predators.”

While these predictions may or not not apply to you as an individual, they give you a bit of fair warning: Get that hospital bag ready earlier than later. Try to nap during the day if you can. And maybe take a break from birth month clubs if they’re stressing you out. Your baby will be here—maybe even sooner than you expect.

If you have been trying hard to shed those extra kilos, you must try eating slow. According to the researchers from Kyushu University in Japan, chewing slowly and refraining from eating for two hours before bedtime may help cut down on weight. Changes in eating habits were strongly associated with lower obesity and weight, and smaller weight circumference.

The findings were based on health insurance data for nearly 60,000 people with diabetes in Japan who submitted claims and had regular health check-ups between 2008 and 2013. The data used in the research included information on the dates of consultations and treatments, while the check-ups included measurements of weight (BMI) and waist circumference and the results of tests for blood chemistry, urine and liver function. During the check-ups, the participants were asked about their lifestyle, including their eating and sleep habits as well as alcohol and tobacco consumption. They were also asked about their eating speed, which was categorized as fast, normal or slow. Moreover, they were quizzed about whether they did any of the following three or more times in a week-

Eat dinner within two hours of going to sleep,

Snack after dinner

And skip breakfast

More than a third of participants had one check-up over six years, while under a third had two. One in five had three. The results suggested that the slow-eaters tended to be healthier and to have a healthier lifestyle than either the fast or normal speed eaters. Around half of the total sample changed their eating speed over the course of the six years.

All the aspects of eating and sleeping habits studied, as well as alcohol consumption and previous obesity-defined as a BMI of 25 kilograms per square meters were significantly associated with obesity. Although absolute reductions in waist circumference, an indicator of a potentially harmful midriff bulge-were small, they were greater among the slow and normal speed eaters. Snacking after dinner and eating within two hours of going to sleep three or more times a week were also strongly linked to changes in BMI. However, skipping breakfast was not.

With summer knocking on our doors, it is time to taste some succulent mangoes. It turns out that mangoes are not only tasty, but that the “king of fruits” can help you. They have some serious health benefits. Here are 10 health benefits of mangoes:
Prevents Cancer: Research has shown antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. Mango contains quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes.
Lowers Cholesterol: The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C help to lower serum cholesterol levels, specifically Low-Density Lipoprotein (the bad stuff)
Clears skin: Mangoes clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples.
Eye health: One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight.
Alkalizes body: Tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in mangoes help to maintain the alkali reserve of body.
Helps in diabetes: Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood. The traditional home remedy involves boiling leaves in water, soaking through the night and then consuming the filtered decoction in the morning.
Improved sex: They are great source of vitamin E. Even though the popular connection between sex drive and vitamin E was originally created by a mistaken generalization on rat studies, further research has shown balanced proper amounts (as from whole food) does help in this area.
Improves digestion: The fiber in mangos also helps digestion and elimination.
Heat stroke remedy: Juicing the fruit from green mango and mixing with water and a sweetener helps to cool down the body and prevent harm to the body.
Boosts immune system: The generous amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A in mangoes, plus 25 different kinds of carotenoids keep immune system healthy.

Your pregnancy diet may not work for you after the delivery. Here’s what you should be eating, according to doctors. Shortly after delivering a baby, it may be tempting to begin a diet to lose off those extra kilos. But resist the urge. You need the nutrition, and so does your little bundle of joy. Moreover, you’ll need all the extra energy you can muster to take care of your newborn. Remember, your child is going to take all his/her nutritional requirement from you. Dr Aruna Kalra, gynecologist and obstetrics surgeon, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, says, “A woman’s need for calories, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water increases after delivery.
Nutrition is not only important for the baby but is also important for the mother’s current and future health status.” So, what should you eat? Dr Madhu Goel, senior gynecologist, infertility specialist and associate director, Fortis La Femme, New Delhi, recommends loading up on low-fat dairy products. You can go for milk, cheese, yogurt or even a delicious milk smoothie with fruits. “Dairy products are rich in protein, Vitamin B and D and have plenty of calcium. The best plan is to have three servings of dairy products every day,” she says. She also advises new mothers to consume legumes. If you are a vegetarian, pulses form an important source of protein. “Make sure to have them both at lunch and dinner.
You can add taste to your dals with lemon and coriander and make it just a wee bit spicy,” Dr Goel says. Dr Kalra advocates for foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, protein and fibre, such as salmon, sardines, tuna, lean meat, chicken, eggs, beans and whole grain foods. “Oats are an excellent source of iron, calcium, fiber, carbohydrates and proteins. As they are high in fiber, they can also help keep constipation at bay. You can add chopped fruits like bananas and apples to increase its nutritional value,” she shares. New moms are, understandably, super busy. Citrus fruits then become a handy source of the much-needed Vitamin C. “It is interesting to note that a breastfeeding mother needs more vitamin C than a pregnant woman. So, it makes perfect sense to have citrus fruits at this time. In fact, you can sip on fruit juices at any time of the day,” says Dr Goel. Other fruits you can go for are blueberries, apples, kiwi, mangoes, banana and avocadoes.
Eggs should also ideally be a part of your diet plan. Have it as scrambled egg or hard boiled one or salad at your lunch time. “Egg yolk is a natural source of Vitamin D. It is also a great source of protein,” says Dr Goel. Include both healthy and delicious food items in your snack menu – your options are nuts, whole grains, roasted sweet potatoes, walnuts, dates, figs, mix seeds and so on. Dr Kalra says, “Almonds are rich in carbohydrates, fiber and vitamin B12, and contain minerals like magnesium, copper, potassium, calcium and zinc. As there are so many nutrients in an almond, it’s an ideal food to have after delivery.” Power packed green leafy vegetables are recommended for the new moms. They are rich sources of iron, folic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium as well as fiber and plant antioxidants. “Consider eating lotus stem, fenugreek leaves, apple gourd (tinda), pointed gourd (parwal) or other such green seasonal vegetables,” says Dr Kalra.
Drinking plenty of water and fluids will help prevent dehydration and improve your metabolism, which is also effective in managing weight. “You can include different types of liquids in your daily diet such as milkshakes, lassi, soups, coconut water, and fresh fruit juices. But avoid cold drinks as it can produce gas,” cautions Dr Kalra. Junk food should obviously not figure in your diet plan. Apart from processed food, Dr Kalra recommends restricting your intake of bread, biscuits and products which feature maida (refined wheat flour). She adds, “Try and bring up your dinner time to late evening instead of night. If you have to stay awake till late, go for a glass of milk or a cup of green tea.” According to Dr Goel, caffeine is not good for your newborn, so coffee too is out of the picture.

People who are planning to get pregnant face difficulties in doing so, for numerous reasons. A sedentary lifestyle which includes unhealthy eating habits, smoking, drinking and no exercising, can come in your way of planning a pregnancy. According to a recent study, women who aspire to start a family should exercise for minimum of 4 hours in a week. Scientists have recently made this discovery that 240 minutes of intense and vigorous physical activity can improve fertility levels in women who have a history of miscarriages. The research further found that overweight women need only 10 minutes of strolling in order to boost their fertility.
Researchers found that only 10 minutes of regular strolling or walking in a leisurely way can increase their chances of becoming pregnant by almost 80% within six cycles. And they needn't take part in vigorous exercise, reported IANS. However, University of Massachusetts Amherst experts say that the results might be such because they have an effect at the molecular level. They stress on the fact that the results of the study is in fact, testimony to how beneficial exercising is for women planning a pregnancy. The study shows that walking can specifically help women with higher Body Mass Index (BMI). Where physical activity and exercising regularly were recommended only generally, experts now feel happy about the fact that the same has been backed by research.
The study shows how walking, even for limited periods of time, can benefit your body in a healthy way. Because of its low cost and availability, walking has a great potential as a form of exercise. The study, published in Human Reproduction, was conducted over 1,200 participants, all of whom were followed by the researchers through their 6 menstrual cycles while they were trying to get pregnant. The participants included women between the ages 18 and 40, who had gone through at least one miscarriage in their lifetime. The researchers were basically looking into how exercising can improve women's ability to get pregnant within a certain frame of time - also known as their fecundability.
It was found that the link between exercising and fecundability varied significantly by BMI. Overweight women were specifically found to be at 82% increased chance of getting pregnant. The findings can be considered to be groundbreaking, especially because overweight women experience grave difficulties in getting pregnant. The secondary analysis of the study found that women who exercised for a minimum of 4 hours had 69% higher success rate of getting pregnant. Over and above the benefits of exercising, importance has to be paid to living a healthy lifestyle as this too can affect chances of a woman getting pregnant at the molecular level. There was no overall relationship between most types of physical activity and the likelihood of becoming pregnant for any other types of exercise. However, the study says nothing about the effects of vigorous exercising on women who are planning to get pregnant. A physical activity of higher intensity can have different biological effect.
Besides, women who are planning pregnancy after miscarriage can have healthy pregnancy. Few routine tests can help you know about your health condition and how healthy/unhealthy you are for getting pregnant. If you have had 1 miscarriage, there is actually no need to wait to conceive again. Research says that women who got pregnant within 6 months of miscarriage experienced few complications as compared to those who waited longer to conceive. For women who have had 2 or more miscarriages, seeking medical advice before planning another pregnancy can be helpful. Your doctor will help you know the reasons for repeated miscarriages and possible treatments for the same.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

Are you having trouble losing post-pregnancy weight? Experts say the key lies in eating a balanced diet and including workouts like Kegel and aerobics. Previous studies have shown that breastfeeding the newborn also helps you lose weight faster. Another study showed that factors like sleep deprivation, food cravings and not being able to take out sufficient time to work out causes most new mothers to put on weight even if they follow a healthy diet. Nutritionist Ria Wahi lists some foods to include in your diet, while fitness expert Tarvin Dedha shares a few workouts:

* Your diet must include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein like fish, soy foods and lean meats. Choose skim or low-fat milk. Leafy greens containing iron are also good.
* Vitamin C can help with wound healing for mothers who delivered via C-section.
* Wholegrain crackers with hummus or nuts are healthy too. Stash some in your purse in case you get a craving on the go.
* Have a cup of wholegrain cereal with low-fat milk. A hard-boiled egg with some fresh sauteed mushrooms, low-fat cheese with a piece of fruit and plain greek yogurt are good options too. Workouts:
* Kegel or pelvic floor exercises: Kegel helps in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, which support the pelvic organs. It gets weakened by the birth process and should be exercised right after birth. It may seem a little tough to do this just after giving birth. However, try doing only as many as you can and later increase the duration as per your choice.
* Pelvic tilt will tone and strengthen your abdominal muscles and relieve backache. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your stomach and hip muscles to tilt your pelvis, flatten your back against the floor and hold for a count of two to three seconds. Do not arch your back, stick out your abdomen or push with your feet to do this motion.
* Ankle circles to enhance circulation: Make 10 circles with your ankles clockwise, then repeat counter-clockwise. Do it in different positions such as sitting or lying down. Repeat the pattern three to five times.
* Leg sliding/stretches: Lie on your back with one knee bent. Keep your back flat while sliding the heel of the straight leg up and down the surface on which you are lying. Work only within the range where you can keep your back flat.
* Aerobics: You can begin with gentle aerobic activity. You can begin as soon as you think you can handle it. Consult your healthcare provider before resuming.
* Walking: Follow the instructions of the nursing staff to get out of bed and start walking as soon as possible.

Beer belly, also commonly called belly fat can increase your risks of heart disease, reveals a study. The study says that belly fat is bad for your cardiovascular health, even if you are not overweight. Having belly fat will make you more prone to risk of heart disease as compared to people who are obese as per their body mass index but don't have belly fat.
The latter kind of body shape is known as central obesity, which is defined by a person who is living a sedentary lifestyle, eating too many carbs and has low muscle mass.
A person with body mass index of 30 or more is defined as obese. But it has to be noted that body mass index does not differentiate between excess fat, muscle or bone mass. Neither does it inform about distribution of fat among individuals. Body mass index (BMI) is defined by weight in relation to height in kg/metre square. BMI is used to categorise people as overweight, underweight, normal weight or obese. A person's BMI does not tell about the distribution and amount of fat and muscle.
Belly fat or any kind of abnormal fat distribution in the body will not be accounted by the BMI. Also read: 8 Best Foods To Lower Your Risk Of Getting A Heart Attack From 1997 to 2000, around 1,700 people of the age of 45 years or older in the US participated in the study.
These participants were made to undergo a clinical examination where measurements were taken of their height, weight and waist and hip circumference. From 2000 to 2016, these participants followed up for the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases like stroke, heart attack and death from cardiovascular diseases. People with central obesity are more prone to risks of heart disease, reveals study Photo Credit: iStock The study included people with normal weight, normal fat distribution and the ones with central obesity.
It was found that people with normal weight and central obesity were more prone to risks of heart diseases as compared to people with normal weight and normal fat distribution. According to the study, People who were found with normal BMI, which ranges between 18.5 - 24.9 kg/metre square, and central obesity had two-fold higher risk of heart problems as compared to people who did not have central obesity, irrespective of their BMI.
Hence, any fat around your belly which is greater than size of your hips should be checked by a doctor for cardiovascular health. People with central obesity should focus more on waist loss than weight loss. This can be achieved by exercising regularly and maintaining an active lifestyle.
Make sure you engage in as much physical activity as possible, take the stairs instead of taking the elevator, park your vehicle away from home to walk more. People with central obesity should work on increasing muscle mass by including strength and resistance training in fitness regime. Cutting down on refined carbs is also important in order to lose waist. In order to reduce your waist size, you need to focus on changing your daily intake of calories. Consuming lesser calories forces your body to resort to fat as fuel.
Cutting down on calories can lead help in reducing inches from your waist. However, you need to be smart when it comes to the kind of food choices that you will make. Certain foods that are known to contribute to belly fat include refined carbs such as sweets and white bread, high-fat meats, and trans-fats in baked and fried foods. In order to reduce your waist circumference, you need to cut down on all of these foods. You should instead focus more on eating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy sources of protein such as poultry, lean meat, eggs and beans, etc. In order to reduce your waist line, reducing intake of salt and sodium is important. Sodium can contribute to fluid retention and bloating in the abdomen.
Also, avoid processed and canned foods as they come packed with salt and sodium. This includes packed ketchup, sauces and salty snacks such as salted nuts. This should be combined with drinking lots of water in order to flush out harmful toxins and excess sodium from the body.