Eating Etiquettes

As we all know, weight loss occurs when we spend more calories than we consume. Let’s chew on the “consume” part of the equation before we get to the “spend” part of the equation. Even my 4 year old will say, just eat less to create the deficit. It is kind of arrogance to say I have got something to blog. But, here is what I will say - there is no need to punish our tummies, there is a better way!

Of so many theories out there on fat gain, the foremost according to me is the role of blood glucose spikes. After we eat a meal high in simple carbohydrates (mmm… briyani, yummy huh?) -> Intestine very quickly converts them into blood sugar -> Pancreas works overtime to create insulin to carry the sugar to the cells -> Insulin sends signal to brain that there is a lot of energy in the body -> Brain orders to stop burning fat and store the excess sugar as fat. Bummer!

Did not mean to get techni(medi)cal, but what did I tell you - “know the facts”. The knee jerk reaction to this fact probably is - diet, right? Hold that thought - let’s talk about dietary fiber.

All of us know fiber is good. Some of you know fiber is not absorbed by the body. So, the question is - why is it good, then? The inability of the fiber to get absorbed by the body is what makes it good. It stays in the stomach for a long time and slows down digestion. This prevents the blood glucose spike after that big meal. Winner!

So, instead of staying away from the big meals on those special occasions, let’s prepare the tummy for it. What I do is eat fiber, lot of them (cucumber, lettuce, nuts) before the meal. This not only decreases my appetite, but also prevents the blood glucose spike. We all have one life, so harsh dieting is probably not the solution. Agree? My rule is simple, if the dieting approach cannot be sustained (over time), it’s not worth it. It's time to get smart.

However, when it is not so special an occasion, let’s cut down on the carbs. Instead of punishing our tummies by filling half tank, substitute the remaining portion with fiber. As we learnt to say “please” after “yes” and “thank you” after “no”, here is more etiquette to learn when you order food:

Coffee/Decaf - with skim milk and NO sugar
Iced tea - unsweetened or even better I am good with water
Mexican food - NO rice, NO tortilla, substitute with avocado
American food - NO fries substitute with veggies
Burger - throw the bun, just the patty

I know this one turned out to be a lengthy one, there is still more left to be said though. Until then, stay healthy!

Weight Loss: The Number One Thing to Know

The number one thing before I write the series on Healthy Living is to get the disclaimer out. I am not a doctor / nutritionist / therapist / what not. All the opinions expressed here are from my own reading and experience. Please take it with a grain of salt and use them at your own risk :)

My curiosity for healthy living got intense in the fall of 2009. Why? I call it the "three O" syndrome. Ever since I turned thirty, the thought of growing old was bothering me. Well, nobody has the power to stop the chronological age, but one has the ability to slow down the biological age. Having said that, all I intend to do here is share my journey in the pursuit of healthy living; with the hope that it will help inspire others do the same.

Back to the topic, the first and most important thing is to learn the facts of how weight loss works viz. blood glucose spikes, dietary fiber, low carb-high protein diet methods, metabolism, heart rate zones, VO2 max, DOMS, subcutaneous fat, visceral fat. Beleive me, just knowing the facts will help in a big way.

Let's cover these topics as we go. This is just an introductory blog and not intended to bombard with facts. Let me just state one for starters - for every 3500 excess calories consumed, we gain 1 pound! The good news is - the converse is true as well!! After all, we are what we eat.

Let's discuss eating habits in the next blog. Until then, stay healthy!