Dieting could be dangerous for health and eating a balanced diet at the right time and some physical activity is important, writes nimrat ahuja
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ifestyle, the very word has found its synonym in the existence of fitness. Times have changed from walking to your college in the morning and back in the evening, waking up early and going to bed early, opting for healthy organic food or basically just sitting up straight while working on an electronic gadget, to a time where machines have overpowered human existence, a time when chaotic conditions have overshadowed peaceful existence. In this changed scenario there is need for eating habit changes, working changes, and basically overall living changes. And to bring about these changes various activities and workouts have come as a parcel of happiness. The time has come, when people have suddenly started taking note of the changes that their bodies demand and are now going organic and fitness freaks.
To get a peep into the prevailing scenario we spoke to various experts in and around Chandigarh to understand what has fitness to do with diet. Is the task to stay slim and starve or is it to stay healthy and fit?
As we spoke with Priya Kumar, from Leena Mogre, on increasing awareness about fitness she said candidly, “Fitness is a lifestyle. People of all ages should adopt it. It helps one look good, be healthy and feel positive. It’s more important today than it ever was before because our lifestyle is now sedentary and we are increasingly becoming dependent on technology for almost everything.”
On the same note, Sunila Sharma, a yoga expert, had a completely spiritual view on fitness, “Fitness is a feeling of happiness and satisfaction in whatever one does.”
While some feel fitness has to do with spiritual being and some with fitness as a lifestyle, we had another point of view from Gur Ashish Singh Randhawa, franchise owner, Toni&Guy, who believes in taking perfect care of one’s outer self, to exfoliate, clean and moisturize saying that these are the key factors to stay fit.
People have their own conceptions and misconceptions about how to stay fit. We asked them on how women believe in starving as a fitness mantra. Priya kumar , from Leena Mogre, thought it was absolutely ridiculous to starve yourself as starving or dieting is harmful both for the body and the mind at the same time and opined that moderation was the key and eating a balanced diet at the right time is important. Dieting not only leaves you with a temporary fix but also deprives your body of essential micronutrients which may lead to hair fall, rough skin and brittle nails among other things.
Sonia Kaushik, Centre Head, Rediscover, shared with us how by starving metabolism slows down and gradually one starts to feel low on energy, fatigue and so on. “Eating lot of healthy foods and working out in the gym keeps one fit is the biggest misconception that people blindly follow. The fact of the matter is that eating right along with light exercises can make you fitter than ever,” claimed Sunila Sharma, a yoga expert.
With work pressures increasing some people don’t even have enough time to spend in a gym or go out for any kind of physical or spiritual activity. What’s important in a case like this is to understand various ways to work out while travelling or staying home as the aim of any physical activity is to improve blood circulation, mobility of joints, better digestion, regulate functions of all body organs and to prevent weight gain irrespective of working out indoor or outdoor. So we asked our experts to advise us on various ways to stay in and stay fit.
Dimple Mirchandani, Founder, Holistic Nutrition, shared various work outs that are easy to do and could be done in the evening or morning. Brisk walking, stretching, walking up and down the stairs, chair dips, on the spot marching are a few things that she suggested. And at the same time she shared with us various workouts for people who sit all day at work, and these include stretches, neck rotations, shoulder movements, arm stretches, front bending, rotating ankles, and calf raises.
Priya Kumar gave us a very smart advice “Fill empty plastic bottles with sand and use them as free weights. You can add water to the sand to make weights heavier.” Whereas Sunila Sharma, yoga expert, said, “Yogasanas, meditation, and reading books related to positive thinking keep one fit and are easy to follow.” Sonia Kaushik feels dancing is the easiest and the happiest way to stay fit.
In a hurry to getting fit fast, some youngsters start using various artificial food supplements that can yield good results in the short term but have dismal repercussions eventually. We spoke to Priya Kumar, a gym expert, and she shared, “Supplements are advised only to those who do not or cannot intake certain foods in their natural state. The source of the supplements should also be verified. Steroid laced supplements are available aplenty in the market, but the catch is to verify and make sure the quantity of the steroid in the supplement. A way to avoid these is to take natural protein or a shot of coffee or green tea that will have an equally good and similar effect.” Centre head of Rediscover Sonia Kaushik talks about how steroids and artificial supplements have adverse effects. “They have over loading protein that directly affects your kidney functions. They increase muscular weight which hampers the female body more than men, and also causes hormonal imbalances in the body.”
Another important aspect of staying fit and healthy is to take small meals at short intervals all through the day. And these include – nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetable salads, plenty of liquids like lemonade, butter milk and green tea, roasted channas and tofu, cottage cheese and egg white, says. Sonia Kaushik, centre head, Rediscover.
Dimple Mirchandani, Founder, Holistic Nutrition, told us how juice or smoothies ,yogurt and fresh fruits parfait, eggs and salad leaves, seasonal veggies with mushrooms, beans and legumes with brown rice, avocado dip with multigrain toast, oatmeal, porridge are the right things to take to stay fit. Priya Kumar, a gym expert, recommends peanut butter and toast, masala sprouts, veggie stir fry, and grilled chicken.
An interesting side of fitness and health has been redefined by Gur Ashish Singh Randhawa franchise owner, Toni&Guy, who explains how our skin and hair play an important role in staying healthy and looking flawless. “If you are not consuming enough protein in your diet, your hair is likely to become dry, brittle and weak. Extremely low protein diets may result in hair loss. Choose chicken, turkey, fish, dairy products and eggs as excellent source of proteins along with vegetarian sources such as legumes and nuts.”
Food that keeps your hair in good shape and healthy should be rich in Iron, Vitamin C, Omega 3 and Amino acids, and Biotin, that help to maintain hair quality, strengthen, and regain hydration and natural shine. With the right diet, it’s equally important to use the right shampoo and conditioner according to the need of your scalp and hair type.
Giving us an insight on keeping the skin of one’s body light and rejuvenated Gur Ashish said that to keep skin light and rejuvenated a body spa is a good option to maintain and regain the moisture. Body spa would help detoxify, rejuvenate and restore the moisture level of the skin. It helps in improving blood circulation and brings oxygen and nutrients to the bones, and helps flushing out toxins. One should indulge in a body spa every 20-25 days.
Using the right face cleanser is of utmost importance. In winters as the skin becomes dry and flaky, it’s advisable to use the right moisturizers that are high in moisture level, and help to maintain the PH of the skin. Using a good night cream or night serum helps improve skin texture and replenish it. For healthy hair he recommends avoiding hot shower, and use of a conditioner post head wash. “Make sure before heating or styling your hair that you use a good heat protection which controls further damage. Finishing products like relaxing balms, smoothing creams, protein sprays, and serums help in protecting the hair from heat damage and UV rays and even out porosity while providing seductive shine, controlling frizz and smoothening the hair making it manageable and healthy,” he shares.
In order to avoid skin ageing, dry and dehydrated skin, appearance of fine lines and laugh lines, pigmentation or uneven skin tone– it is important not to forget to use the right sunscreen, always remove make up before going to bed, be regular with clean up or facial sitting with your beauty therapist/skin expert. It’s important to repair the skin while sleeping by using overnight repair serums or creams. ■
An interesting side of fitness and health has been redefined by Gur Ashish Singh Randhawa franchise owner, Toni&Guy, who explains how our skin and hair play an important role in staying healthy and looking flawless. “If you are not consuming enough protein in your diet, your hair is likely to become dry, brittle and weak. Extremely low protein diets may result in hair loss. Choose chicken, turkey, fish, dairy products and eggs as excellent source of proteins along with vegetarian sources such as legumes and nuts.”
Food that keeps your hair in good shape and healthy should be rich in Iron, Vitamin C, Omega 3 and Amino acids, and Biotin, that help to maintain hair quality, strengthen, and regain hydration and natural shine. With the right diet, it’s equally important to use the right shampoo and conditioner according to the need of your scalp and hair type.
Giving us an insight on keeping the skin of one’s body light and rejuvenated Gur Ashish said that to keep skin light and rejuvenated a body spa is a good option to maintain and regain the moisture. Body spa would help detoxify, rejuvenate and restore the moisture level of the skin. It helps in improving blood circulation and brings oxygen and nutrients to the bones, and helps flushing out toxins. One should indulge in a body spa every 20-25 days.
Using the right face cleanser is of utmost importance. In winters as the skin becomes dry and flaky, it’s advisable to use the right moisturizers that are high in moisture level, and help to maintain the PH of the skin. Using a good night cream or night serum helps improve skin texture and replenish it. For healthy hair he recommends avoiding hot shower, and use of a conditioner post head wash. “Make sure before heating or styling your hair that you use a good heat protection which controls further damage. Finishing products like relaxing balms, smoothing creams, protein sprays, and serums help in protecting the hair from heat damage and UV rays and even out porosity while providing seductive shine, controlling frizz and smoothening the hair making it manageable and healthy,” he shares.
In order to avoid skin ageing, dry and dehydrated skin, appearance of fine lines and laugh lines, pigmentation or uneven skin tone– it is important not to forget to use the right sunscreen, always remove make up before going to bed, be regular with clean up or facial sitting with your beauty therapist/skin expert. It’s important to repair the skin while sleeping by using overnight repair serums or creams. ■