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Written By: Agencies | Updated : November 11, 2014 6:55 PM IST
Women often have various notions about some foods which should or shouldn't be eaten when they are pregnant. And and when it is about shedding kilos after pregnancy, it becomes even more crucial to lose weight in a safe manner without depriving your body of the essential nutrients. After all, you need to breastfeed your baby and manage other tasks as well and not eating right will only harm your body. Karisma Kapoor, in her book 'My Yummy Mummy Guide', busts some diet myths associated with post pregnancy weight loss, advising new mums where they are going wrong in their food choices and how to eat right. Here's an excerpt from the book.
Dairy Dilemma: Milk products are excellent for your system. Rustle up a fruit yogurt when you have sweet cravings. Add a spoonful of honey to dahi if you feel peckish between meals. Have cold coffee without sugar or a mango/strawberry shake with half a teaspoon of sugar. Blend skimmed milk, crushed ice and vanilla essence to make a superb summer shake.
Sugar Shun: Two spoons of sugar in a day are fine. Avoid having more than that. I never use sweeteners in my tea or coffee. If you examine your food's sugar content, you'll be surprised to know how many hidden sugars it has. Battle your sweet craving and watch the kilos slide off. Here is how sugar affects your beauty.
Soupy Saga: I would not advise a soup-and-salad diet unless you need to shed a few stubborn kilos right before an important event. It cannot be a way of life. You'll soon put the weight back on because your body needs regular food.
Detox Drama: Again, a short-term measure, good for undoing holiday excesses. But you cannot live on detox. If I need to cleanse my system, I go on a detox diet but only for a day at the most. And I eat a little less food rather than no food at all. Here is a step-by-step guide to ayurvedic detox diet.
Carb Critique: Everything has carbs rice, bread, biscuits, cakes, sugar, dry fruit, crackers, low-fat munchies, jams, pickles, potatoes, lentils, pasta . . . There is no point in giving up carbs, because carbs give us energy. They are lighter on the kidneys than proteins. Good non-fatty sources of carbs are vegetables, oatmeal, brown rice, whole-grain breads, and lentils. If you want to have white rice and pasta, have small bowlfuls rather than giving them up altogether.
Coffee Conflict: I love coffee but I have only one or two cups a day. People think green tea breaks down fat but I'm not a believer. I'm not too fond of the taste either! A couple of glasses of hot water with lemon after every meal really cuts the fat though. Camomile tea relaxes me (during intense shoots) but I prefer drinking water over that or a fizzy drink or coffee. I don't drink black coffee as it dries the skin but, with a squeeze of lemon, it can counter diarrhoea!
Meaty Matters: I love fish and chicken. White meat is rich in protein, which helps our muscles develop. Avoid red meat, as it stresses the kidneys and raises cholesterol levels. It's a myth that you can eat either meat or carbs in one meal. I eat fish curry with rice almost every day. Your body needs a little of everything.
Egg Endeavour: An egg is the healthiest snack for children and mothers everywhere. It's nutritious, low-cal, versatile and great for the heart. If you want to lose weight, avoid the yolk. Take a few egg whites, throw in some veggies and bingo you have your low-cal meal.
Juice Justice: Having a glass of fruit juice instead of a cola may not be the best strategy! Fruit juices may have higher sugar content than regular colas. If you really want to lose weight, avoid both and sip on chilled water. Squeeze in some lemon and muddle in some mint leaves for a refreshing change.
Choco Charm: Think chocolate gives you acne? You are mistaken. Too much of anything gives you acne. A piece of dark chocolate every alternate day can actually keep your craving for an entire brownie away for far longer than you think. Four pieces of Lindt Dark Chocolate (70 per cent cocoa) have 250 calories and 19 gm of fat. Decide when you really need it and indulge yourself. If you shun all chocolate all week, you are bound to binge on an entire cake over the weekend! Here are top eight foods that instantly life one's mood.
Raw Reserves: Raw food can contain harmful salmonella. If salads are not washed properly, you can fall very ill. Sushi and sashimi (raw fish) can be harmful for pregnant women. Raw protein of any kind chicken, fish, meat may have enzymes that you can react badly to. If you're eating a salad, make sure it's fresh and cleaned well. Foods cooked in minimum oil at a low temperature actually retain all the nutrients and are healthy. Here is a diet chart and tips for non-vegetarians.
Lo-Cal Loss: Diet chips, chiwda, cookies are all myths, whether processed in a different oil or even baked. They still have carbs, sugars, fats! Because they contain negligible calories, you tend to eat far more because you're tricked into thinking they are healthy! I learnt this from my dietician, Rujuta, when I was gorging on diet wafers. If you really want fried food, have a few bites to satisfy your craving.
Alcohol Alert: Alcohol raises the level of good cholesterol, which prevents plaque build-up in the arteries and reduces clotting factors that contribute to heart attacks/strokes. Any alcoholic beverage consumed in moderation (one to two drinks a day) reduces the risk of heart disease. But, remember, alcohol also contains calories, as do the crunchy munchies that taste so good along with it!
Salt Surprise: I can't believe that people give up salt to lose weight. It doesn't help. If there is no taste in your diet food, you will soon start hating your diet. A teaspoonful of salt while you're blanching your vegetables actually helps retain the nutrients and in cooking them faster. You don't need to add extra salt on top of all the food to make it tastier but the average bit of salt that goes into daily cooking is essential to stay on a healthy diet. Here are six diet tips to lose belly fat soon.
Salad Story: So you've gone out for dinner. You've ordered a salad, as you think it's healthy. Then you get on the scales the next day and realize that you've put on a few hundred grams. Want to know what you did wrong? You put dressing in that salad. A heavy dressing makes the calorie count go up. Take a light vinaigrette dressing on the side and dip your fork into it if you must. That cheesy dip you had with cucumber also adds to the calories. The best option is a low-fat hummus with whole-wheat pita.
Broth Brouhaha: I love people who say they have soups every day but have not seen the kilos roll off. When I ask them what type of soup they have, they say cream of mushroom and cream of chicken. Well, there's your problem. Anything with cream in it will have 200 calories more than clear soups. Soups are also made in oil and when you add butter on top with a few deep-fried croutons, they are very yummy. Don't think you're going to lose weight by having them though. They are great fillers for children who need to have something with vegetables in it but are tired of eating vegetables for real.
Sandwiches Self-Help: 'I had a light lunch a sandwich and a cappuccino,' said a dear friend, just the other day. And I burst out laughing. There's nothing light about it! A sandwich has bread, mayonnaise, processed meat and a salad leaf. You're fooling yourself if you think it's less than 300 calories. And a cappuccino, which is made with foam and heavy milk, is another 300 calories. Add them up and you'll see that having two chapatis, two pieces of chicken and some vegetables is lighter! If you want to eat a really light sandwich, get some whole-wheat bread and add your own grilled chicken and fresh veggies. That way you can monitor how much you're eating and how good it really is.
Excerpted with permissions from Penguin Books India from the book 'My Yummy Mummy Guide' by Karisma Kapoor with Madhuri Banerjee, Rs 399/ Shobhaa De Books. Buy it here.
Image Courtesy: www.bollywoodlife.com
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