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Obesity
  • Image: How to lose weight without hunger. Image of a nice healthy sandwich
    How to lose weight without staying hungry
    Have you tried to lose weight many times, tried multiple diets and given up because you don't feel good while dieting? Have you tripped off your weight loss diet because you felt hungry all the time? If you don't believe in crash diets and fad diets but want to lose weight the healthy way, we have just the right starter e-book for you with recipes designed by nutritionist Kohila Govindaraju Want to find out if you are overweight:https://www.patientsengage.com/healthy-living/do-i-look-fat Why…
  • Are Snacks Sabotaging Your Diet?
    What to do when the munchies strike and you feel like snacking? Hear it from Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator Ujjwala Baxi. One of the questions I ask my clients is: How often do you snack and what do you choose to snack on? A client, Mrs. Juneja (name changed) complained of weight gain of 5 kg in 2 months since starting her job. On interviewing her, it became clear that more than her main meals, her snacks, along with her sedentary desk job, were contributing to her weight problem.…
  • Foods To Avoid If I Have Hypothyroidism
    Can I eat cabbage or broccoli? Can I eat miller? Nutritionist Kohila Govindaraju brings you up to speed on ‘goitrogenic foods’ and answers diet questions for persons with hypothyroidism.   What is hypothyroidism: This is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped gland situated at the base of the front of your neck. Its major function is to produce thyroid hormones, which play many roles…
  • Lack of exercise 'twice as deadly' as obesity
    Just 20 minutes of brisk walking a day may be all it takes to lessen a sedentary person's risk of early death, says a new study. The researchers also found the risk of early death due to lack of exercise is double that posed by obesity and does not necessarily depend on being obese or overweight. Prof. Ekelund says the study delivers a simple message: "just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits for people who are physically inactive." However,…
  • Gong Xi Gong Xi...
    Enjoy the Lunar New Year festivities without compromising your health. By Nutritionist Kohila Govindaraju. It’s that time of the year again, the most significant few days in the Chinese calendar – the Lunar New Year. It’s a time to get together with friends and family and eat, drink and be merry... in a health-conscious way.  First up, the Reunion Dinner on New Year’s Eve, when families gather around a sumptuous meal. A part of the meal is Lo Hei, when everyone gathers…
  • 9 reasons to get off that couch NOW
    Think you know all the reasons? Prepare to be surprised. By family practitioner and marathoner Dr Gita Mathai. Plus, how much to exercise to get its real benefits. We all want to look good, be slim and healthy. There’s one magic pill for this and it’s called exercise. Even if you’re ‘too tired’ or ‘too busy’, you need to get off that couch now.  Benefits of regular exercise Exercise helps to achieve ideal body weight if also combined with calorie restriction.…
  • Mediterranean diet is best way to tackle obesity, say doctors
    A Mediterranean diet may be a better way of tackling obesity than calorie counting, leading doctors have said. Writing in the Postgraduate Medical Journal (PMJ), the doctors said a Mediterranean diet quickly reduced the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The PMJ editorial argues a focus on food intake is the best approach, but it warns crash dieting is harmful. They criticise the weight-loss industry for focusing on calorie restriction rather than "good nutrition". And they make the case…
  • Do I look fat?
    Your size is not a matter of perception but a mathematical fact that you can calculate, says Dr Gita Mathai. What are the commonly used parameters? The BMI (Body Mass Index) is easily measured. It is weight (in kg) divided by height (in meters) squared. BMI Weight Status Below 18.5 Underweight 18.5 – 23.9 Normal 24.0 – 29.9 Overweight 30.0 and Above Obese BMI has some limitations. If it is calculated for adults who are very muscular, or very thin, they may fall erroneously into…
  • Menus good for the waist and the wallet
    - By nutritionist Kohila Govindaraju Breakfast Fried beehoon (plain) with bean sprouts, stir-fried vegetables (cabbage/string beans/French beans/ okra) - 2 servings  Tip: One serving is 3⁄4 of a coffee mug (glass mug/cup served at hawker coffee stall)  Or  Wholegrain sandwich with egg, lettuce, tomato and cheese or light mayonnaise Kopi O or Teh O Mid-morning snack Have any one of the following: An apple or banana or bowl of chopped carrots or celery or jicama (…