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Transform your Grandma's dishes into modern foods
Categories Other nutrition blog

Transform your Grandma’s dishes into modern foods

Transform your Grandma’s dishes into modern foods

Everyone remembers their grandma’s delicious recipes served to them during their childhood days. They were so nutritious and wholesome. They have shown us how to take pleasure in a variety of healthy foods. And so today we will talk about recipes made in aromatic kitchens filled with nostalgia.

In the present day, the taste buds of the kids and adults alike have changed. Children love burgers, pasta, and pizzas a lot therefore, it is essential for parents to add interesting dishes to their children’s diet. The good news is that you can transform some of your grandma’s dishes for your kids. They would simply love them.

CHEELA INTO PANCAKES

We loved our grandma’s cheelas. They were made of wheat flour, jaggery and were grilled to perfection with dollops of ghee. You can remake this recipe by adding chopped almonds, cashew nuts, and pistachios along with some beet root juice. This will help the pancakes retain the taste and flavour and at the same time look colourful. The kids love to try this different style.

CHICKPEAS CURRY TO SALAD

Chickpeas curry was a popular dish in most Indian households. We loved this lip-smacking curry prepared by our grandmas. We can modify it by boiling chickpeas and adding grated cucumber, carrots, finely chopped onions, tomatoes, and coriander leaves and all of this makes the food look colourful and refreshing. You can add shredded cheese to the new recipe too.

POTATO SUBZI INTO CHIPS

This recipe is one of my favourite recipes from my Grandma’s kitchen. I remember my grandma’s potato vegetable cooked to perfection. We can bring alterations to this recipe by half boiling the potatoes, cutting them into wedges then coating them with oregano, mixed herbs, olive oil, salt and red chilli flakes. Bake them at 180• C for 30-40 mins till they’re golden brown. Serve hot.

PALAK PANEER TO SPINACH PANCAKE

Palak paneer was cooked frequently by our grandmas for lunch. It was a simple dish cooked with onions, tomatoes, and paneer. We would fuss over it, and our grandmas used to coax us to eat it. The protein-packed leafy vegetable can be remade easily to suit the modern palate. Chop the leafy vegetable and blend it with pre soaked moong dal, water, and some spices like red chilli flakes, cumin powder, salt and ginger. The batter can be spread into a pancake and cooked on both sides till it turns crisp. Add some cheese or butter over it and serve this delicious snack.

MIX VEGETABLES INTO SANDWICH

Mixed vegetables were usually prepared by our grandmas during festive occasions. The traditional recipe consisted of vegetables like french beans, carrots, peas, cauliflower, pumpkin,etc.

Use some of the boiled vegetables like French beans, carrots, peas, cauliflower, and mash them. Add some mixed herbs, pepper powder, cheese, salt and red chilli flakes to it. Fill them in sandwich bread and grill till it turns golden brown. The tasty, yummy sandwich is now ready to be served.

GOBHI INTO CAULIFLOWER NUGGETS

Cauliflower curry or a dry cauliflower vegetable is a healthy vegetable and grandma loved to cook it for us. It continues to be a well-liked vegetable even today.

This vegetable can be made in a different way that would suit today’s modern tastes. Parboiled cauliflower can be brushed generously with butter, panko crumbs, salt, oregano, red chilli flakes, and mixed herbs. Then bake them at 180• C  till they are crisp. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Bottom Line

These recipes will take you to your childhood days and connect with your old self as well as your kids. Apart from that, these lip-smacking recipes are nutritious too. To know more about the related health benefits, consult Kanupriya Khanna. She is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

4 Ways to Help Your Child Form a Healthy Relationship With Sweets 
Categories Children Diet

4 Ways to Help Your Child Form a Healthy Relationship With Sweets 

4 ways to help your child form a healthy relationship with sweets 

There is a lot of fear associated with certain foods, which are often the sweeter foods: ice cream, cookies, and candy. Many parents believe that these foods are harmful to their children. We think it’s perfectly alright for kids to crave sweets. So, what should a parent do? Give our child candy all day? Or do you never serve them? Not-at-all. There is, in fact, a very happy medium. Let’s go over four strategies for helping your child develop a healthy relationship with sweets.

Where to start?

Let us return to the division of labour. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, parents are in charge of what, when, and where children eat, while children are in charge of how much and whether they eat. That means we get to decide when and how much we serve these foods, and our children get to decide how much they eat.

Kids notice when we completely restrict sweets, shame them, or create a negative atmosphere around them. They may desire these foods even more.

Here are my four best tips for removing sweets from their pedestal, i.e., treating them like any other food and teaching your children to do the same.

  1. No Limitations!
    When I mention this, I am sometimes met with a look of surprise. “Do you mean I just let my daughter eat all the cookies? But she’s not going to stop there.” But I want you to take a good, hard look at this; is she truly never going to stop, or is that just your preconceived notion? What you discover may surprise you: when we allow children to eat as much as they want of a particular food, it ceases to be special. It assists them in learning self-regulation.
  1. Avoid referring to these foods as good or bad.
    Stop transforming sweets into something they are not: something that makes us feel ashamed or judged when we consume them. When we label foods as good or bad, we begin to assign judgement to those foods. Does eating a cookie make us a bad person? No, but this message of good and bad can be internalised by a small child. Food is food, and we must remember this if we are to instill in our children a healthy relationship with food. Simply call the foods what they are: “We’re having cookies.” “Ice cream is on the menu today.”
  1. Do not use them as a substitute for other foods.
    I dislike using sweets as a reward for eating other foods, or for anything else. I want you to consider the message you are sending when you offer food as a reward: “I have to eat my broccoli to get my candy (yum).” We’re making the sweet seem special once more.
  1. They can sometimes be served with a meal.
    Here’s another opportunity I get a lot of strange looks and stares. However, to put sweets on a level playing field, serve them with a meal. Consider this: when a child knows they will be having a cookie (ice cream, etc.) as dessert at the end of the meal, what are they thinking about throughout the meal?

Getting that cookie. But if we give them the cookie with the rest of the meal, they won’t be talking about it and asking for it the entire time. You don’t have to give them all of the cookies they want, but you do have to decide how many.

Takeaway

If children do not understand when more opportunities for candy or sweets will arise, this can heighten their anxiety, making them MORE likely to continue asking and obsessing over it.

Instead, focus on strategically using language to reassure them that more opportunities to eat candy are on the way. To understand your kid’s needs better consult an expert.

Kanupriya Khanna is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

a sustainable diet
Categories Other nutrition blog

A Sustainable Diet For You And For The Planet!

A Sustainable Diet For You And For The Planet!

It is essential that we all carefully consider including the most sustainable foods in our diets for a healthy body, a healthy planet, and a healthy future.

Adopting a sustainable diet can help people maintain their health while also ensuring that the planet has enough resources to feed future generations of humans.

What is a sustainable diet?
A sustainable diet is generally healthy and has a low environmental and food supply impact. Food production has a crucial impact on greenhouse gases, in addition to changing the environment through land clearing and other farming practices.

A sustainable diet takes into account the impact on the environment, the individual, and the food chain as a whole. The following factors influence the long-term viability of a diet:

  • nutritional accessibility
  • relative price
  • Ecosystem protection for biodiversity
  • overall health

Taking all of these factors into account should help ensure that the planet can continue to provide enough food and resources for a growing population as well as future generations.

There are no hard and fast rules about what constitutes a sustainable diet. Some diets and food items may be more sustainable than others, and choosing them can help a person reduce their environmental impact.

How to switch to a sustainable diet?
If a person wants to make more long-term changes to their eating habits, they should follow these steps. They can help a person reduce their environmental impact and improve their health when taken all at once or individually over time.

  • Cut down on processed foods

The production of processed foods necessitates the use of numerous resources. Furthermore, most packaged and processed foods are manufactured in a single location before being shipped hundreds or thousands of miles to a retailer.

Begin by replacing packaged foods like cereal and snack foods with whole foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables.

  • Buy locally

One of the most effective ways for a person to reduce their environmental impact is to reduce the amount of packaging, processing, and shipping their food requires. This can begin with buying local foods, including both plant and animal products.

When a person’s purchases  are closer to the source, they can also seek out and support producers who use environmentally-friendly growing methods, such as regenerative farming, or people who ethically raise their stock.

  • Turn the plate over

A person who wants to eat more sustainably can try to change the ratio of foods on their plates from primary meat to primary plants. A plate with at least half vegetables and one-quarter grains is more sustainable than one with a large piece of meat and smaller servings of vegetables and grains.

  • Reduce animal products

It is not necessary to eliminate meat and animal products if this is not an easy first step. Small reductions in total consumption, on the other hand, can have a significant impact over time.

One simple way is to dedicate one day a week to eating only plant-based foods, such as the popular “meat-free Monday” initiative. Eating less meat and fewer animal products reduces a person’s carbon footprint and may improve their health as well.

  • Plants

Fruits, vegetables, and grains are high in essential nutrients and vitamins and contribute significantly to overall health. They also necessitate fewer resources.

They are a reliable source and have a lower environmental impact than meat and animal products. Plant-based proteins, such as tofu, legumes, and beans, are also less harmful to the environment than meat.

  • Meal preparation to reduce food waste

Food waste is one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. In landfills, uneaten food decomposes, releasing methane gas, one of the most potent greenhouse gases.

A person can reduce food waste by planning what they’re going to cook and eat each week, only buying what they’re going to use, and using leftovers. Another extremely effective way is to make compost at the home or community level.

  • Foods in packages

Packaged foods contribute to waste and the use of plastic. Many packaged foods, such as sugary snacks, are also processed, and as a result, they may provide little dietary nutrition.

Reducing or eliminating packaged foods can help a person save money and improve their overall health.

Takeaway

Anyone considering switching to a more sustainable diet should consider what diet they are most likely to stick to and begin with small steps. Kanupriya Khanna, a Senior Consultant Nutritionist & Dietitian with over 18 years of experience in nutrition, can provide expert advice. Kanupriya Khanna is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

One day at a time!

Kanupriya Khanna is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

Categories Other nutrition blog

Dietary Influence on Insulin sensitivity

Dietary Influence on Insulin sensitivity

Insulin is a hormone that helps the body regulate the amount of sugar in the blood, often known as glucose.

Insulin sensitivity is the degree to which the body’s cells respond to insulin. High insulin sensitivity permits the body’s cells to better utilise blood glucose, lowering blood sugar levels. Some dietary and lifestyle adjustments may aid in the improvement of this sensitivity.

Insulin resistance is defined as a lack of insulin sensitivity. The cells absorb less glucose, resulting in high blood sugar levels. This can lead to type 2 diabetes if not managed properly.

Research has shown that insulin resistance can either cause or increase complications in a number of disorders. Some of these include: type 2 diabetes, weight gain, infertility due to polycystic ovarian disease, acne especially during puberty, etc.

Insulin sensitivity differs from person to person and can be influenced by lifestyle and dietary factors.

Diet
Some research suggests that making certain dietary changes could increase insulin sensitivity and decrease insulin resistance.

Fewer refined carbohydrate
Including more whole grains in the diet instead of refined foods, decreased consumption of fast foods, restriction of sugars; all improve insulin sensitivity.

Soluble Fiber
Soluble fibre comes from plants and is a form of dietary fibre. Although this fibre is a carbohydrate, the body is unable to fully digest it. As a result, it does not cause blood glucose levels to rise.

Soluble fibre also slows down gastric emptying, the time it takes for food to exit the stomach and enter the small intestine. According to research, this wait may assist persons with type 2 diabetes lower their blood glucose levels after meals.

In addition to changing the foods in their diet, people looking to increase their insulin sensitivity may benefit from taking dietary supplements:

Avoiding red or processed meats
The iron in red meat may increase oxidative stress and increase insulin resistance. High levels of amino acids found in red meats may interfere with the normal metabolism of blood sugar, which can promote insulin resistance.

Including variety of grains
The addition of different grains like quinoa, millets, buckwheat, etc, increases not just the consumption of fibre but also if other micronutrients like magnesium, etc. These in turn are associated with increase in insulin sensitivity.

Probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids
Taking probiotics or omega-3 fatty acid supplements may improve insulin sensitivity in people who are overweight.

A 2014 clinical trial investigated the effects of both omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics on insulin sensitivity in 60 adults who were overweight but otherwise healthy.

The researchers reported that taking either a probiotic or omega-3 supplement for 6 weeks led to significant improvements in insulin sensitivity when compared to a placebo.
The increase in insulin sensitivity was even greater in people who took both supplements together.

Magnesium
Magnesium supplements may also be beneficial for people wanting to improve their insulin sensitivity.

A 2016 systematic review found that taking magnesium supplements for more than 4 months significantly improved insulin resistance in people with and without diabetes.

Exercise
It aids in the storage of sugar in the muscles and produces an immediate improvement in insulin sensitivity that lasts 2–48 hours, depending on the workout.

One study demonstrated that cycling on a machine at a moderate tempo for 60 minutes boosted insulin sensitivity in healthy individuals over 48 hours.

Lowering stress
The ability of your body to manage blood sugar is influenced by stress. It boosts the synthesis of stress hormones like cortisol and glucagon, causing the body to go into “fight-or-flight” mode.

Glycogen, a type of stored sugar, is broken down by these hormones into glucose, which enters your bloodstream and is used by your body as a rapid source of energy.

Unfortunately, chronic stress raises the levels of these hormone, which promotes nutritional breakdown and raises blood sugar levels.

Getting enough sleep
Getting extra sleep can help with insulin sensitivity as well. In a 2015 study, 16 healthy persons who were not getting enough sleep increased their sleep by one hour each day over the course of six weeks. Insulin sensitivity improved as a result of the extra sleep.

Takeaway
Insulin sensitivity is linked to the development of various disorders. Exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and eating a healthy diet rich in unsaturated fats and soluble fibre may help persons with and without diabetes increase insulin sensitivity.

Kanupriya Khanna, a senior consultant nutritionist and dietitian with over 18 years of experience in treating infertility, can assist you in conceiving naturally. If you’re having trouble conceiving, she’s considered one of the top Nutritionists in Delhi.

Also Read: Covid 19- Foods to eat as per your age

Health Benefits of Quinoa
Categories Other nutrition blog

Health Advantages of Quinoa

Quinoa is a sort of edible seed that comes in a variety of hues, including black, red, yellow, and white. The plant is native to the Andean region of South America, notably Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Peru, and has been cultivated for over 5000 years. The natural saponins, a bitter-tasting chemical component coating the exterior of the seeds that functions as a natural insecticide, is removed after they are collected.

Quinoa, often described as a “superfood” or a “super grain,” has become popular among the health conscious, with good reason. It is also gluten-free and suitable for those following a gluten-free diet.

Quinoa is often used as a rice substitute, but it is actually a seed. It is commonly mistaken for a grain and is referred to as such. Quinoa is soft and fluffy when cooked, with a somewhat nutty flavour. It can be processed into flour, flakes, and a variety of dishes like pasta and bread.

According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, the boom in quinoa demand has pushed production outside South America to more than 70 countries. Quinoa crops are being grown on a huge scale in China, North America, France, and India.

Quinoa seeds can be black, red, white, purple, pink, yellow, gray, orange, green or yellow.

Quinoa has a high protein, fiber, iron, copper, thiamin, and vitamin B6 content. It’s also a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and folate. “A ‘good source’ implies that one serving delivers at least 10% of the daily value of that nutrient, while an ‘excellent source’ means that one serving provides at least 20% of the daily value of that nutrient.”

Quinoa’s “unique composition and outstanding balance” of protein, oil, and fat, as well as its minerals, fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins, make it a very nutritious food, according to a 2009 paper in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. Quinoa, unlike many other plant foods, contains phytohormones. Because they occasionally act like estrogens in the body, phytoestrogens are being explored as a treatment for menopause symptoms.

Quinoa’s health advantages

1. An all-around protein

Quinoa is well known for being one of the few plant foods that provide complete proteins, with all essential amino acids in a healthy balance. Complete proteins include all of the essential amino acids in about equal amounts, which the body cannot manufacture on its own.

2. Anti-inflammatory benefits

Quinoa may help decrease the presence of inflammation. It helps promote healthy gut microbes (the friendly bacteria in the gut), which are important for preventing obesity, inflammation and disease.

3. Free of gluten

People with Celiac disease, a severe gluten intolerance, are advised to follow gluten-free diets. Quinoa is an excellent choice for such people or those who have gluten intolerance, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), etc.

4. Heart health

Lowering LDL cholesterol is good for your heart, but quinoa can benefit your heart in other ways as well. A study published in the Journal of Food Lipids noted that quinoa seeds possess many of the dietary flavonoids “shown to inversely correlate with mortality from heart disease.” Triglyceride levels reduced by an average 12.7 per cent among the participants who ate 50g, according to the findings. If you eat 50 grams of quinoa, which is four tablespoons daily, your risk of cardiovascular disease can decrease significantly.

5. Digestion

One cup of cooked quinoa offers 21% of the daily fiber recommendation, which is fantastic for your gut. Quinoa is also easier to digest than many other grains. Furthermore, one feels fuller after eating quinoa, in comparison to eating wheat or rice, according to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

6. Hypertension and diabetes

Quinoa has also been examined for its role in diabetes and hypertension control. A study investigated 10 traditional Peruvian grains and legumes for their potential in controlling the early stages of Type 2 diabetes.  The study found that as Quinoa is one of the most protein rich foods with almost twice as much fiber as many other grains; is loaded with potassium and magnesium, it can be extremely beneficial in diabetes and hypertension control. Not only does quinoa help normalize blood pressure, blood sugar and triglyceride levels, it’s a great food for weight loss as well!

 

In case you need a professional help, you can contact Kanupriya Khanna, a Senior Consultant Nutritionist and Dietitian, having more than 18 years of experience. She is one of the best dietitians in Delhi if you are looking for nutritional advice

Categories Children Diet

Impact of too much sugar on your child’s health

Impact of too much sugar on your child’s health

Sugar is all over the place. Portion sizes are increasing in today’s society, processed foods are becoming the standard, and as a result, we’re consuming more sugar than ever before. A high sugar intake is linked to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dental cavities. Sugar’s impact on your child’s brain health is also becoming clearer according to recent studies.

There are both immediate and long-term consequences of high sugar intake on brain health. You’re certainly aware of ‘sugar high,’ which is defined by a spike in your child’s energy followed by sugar consumption. But did you know that sugar also has long-term consequences for your child’s brain health?

Let’s have a look at our brains:

The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) is a key regulator of cognitive activities like attention, behavioural control, and self-control. These do not form until later in life because this area of the brain is still maturing until the early twenties. Sugar has an especially negative impact on a child’s brain because the brain is continually developing. Long-term, everyday use of high-sugar (and high-fat) diets has been related to a loss of neurons (brain cells) in the prefrontal cortex, which may have an adverse effect on the creation of the cognitive processes indicated above. During this stage of life, an undeveloped prefrontal cortex might reduce self-regulation, which could be the cause of your child’s behaviour problems.

The Hippocampus is a brain region important in learning and long-term memory. The production of new neurons, known as neurogenesis, is a key element of memory and learning development. High sugar intake has been demonstrated in studies to slow down this process, potentially affecting performance on tasks like learning ability. Sugar consumption has also been linked to poor performance on nonverbal IQ tests.

Is sugar an addictive substance?

Let’s move on to the brain’s reward system. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (think of it as a brain messenger) involved in movement, motivation, and addiction. Dopamine is released when you eat a highly enjoyable food (such as a sugary snack). Eating large amounts of these foods can activate the reward system to a great degree, causing a person to eat more food than necessary to meet their energy needs. With consistently high sugar diets, this overeating can begin in childhood and persist throughout maturity. Research is also showing that sugar can be characterized as an addictive substance and may even have addictive properties including withdrawal or continued cravings when sugar is deprived

What should you do?

Sugar is so widely available that it’s easy for your child to consume too much. For a list of typical sugar sources and guidelines, check the previous blog (INCLUDE LINK). If you’re having trouble reducing your child’s sugar intake, try implementing the following suggestions:

1. Avoid fruit juice: Juice has an abnormally high sugar content. Many of the nutritious characteristics of fruit, such as fibre and vitamins, are stripped away during processing. Instead, make water the preferred beverage.

2. Be inventive when it comes to baking! Use natural sweeteners like dates or bananas to sweeten your food. Because many recipes ask for a lot of sugar, lowering the amount can also assist.

3. Keep an eye out for food marketing. Many smoothie businesses, for example, love to pitch their products as the healthier option, but they might actually be filled with 50+ grammes of sugar!

4. Finally, make a positive start to your child’s day. Many traditional breakfast meals, such as cereal or Pop tarts, contain a lot of sugar, which causes your child’s energy to jump and then drop before lunch. Including more complex carbohydrates and fibre in the first meal of the day (for example, overnight oats, eggs, peanut butter, and whole grain bread) can make a huge difference.

Kanupriya Khanna, a Senior Consultant Nutritionist & Dietitian with over 18 years of experience in paediatric nutrition, can provide expert advice. She is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

References:

1. Reichelt, A., Gibson, G., Abbott, K., Hare, D. (2019). A high-fat high-sugar diet in adolescent rats impairs social memory and alters chemical markers characteristic of atypical neuroplasticity and parvalbumin interneuron depletion in the medial prefrontal cortex. Food & Function, (4).

2. Reichelt, A. (2016). Adolescent maturational transitions in the prefrontal cortex and dopamine signaling as a risk factor for the development of obesity and high fat/high sugar diet induced cognitive deficits. Front. Behav. Neurosci,

3. Neuroscientifically Challenged. (2015, January 16). Know your brain: reward system.

4. The University of Queensland. (2017, May 18). What is neurogenesis?.

5. Freeman, C. R., Zehra, A., Ramirez, V., Wiers, C. E., Volkow, N. D., & Wang, G. J. (2018). Impact of sugar on the body, brain, and behavior. Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition), 23, 2255–2266.

Tricks for including Omega-3 fatty acids into Your Child’s diet
Categories Children Diet, Nutrition Blogs

Tricks for including Omega-3 fatty acids into Your Child’s diet

Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for a child’s nutritional needs. It cannot be overstated how important it is especially for a child’s brain health! Omega-3 fatty acids are important for overall health and can help a child focus, reduce hyperactivity, and lead to better memory, uptake and retention overall. It is critical that we provide high-omega-3 foods or supplements to growing children as much as possible.

What exactly are omega-3 fatty acids?

Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential fatty acid, which means that the body cannot produce them and they must be obtained from food or other sources.

The three main omega-3 fats are ALA, DHA, and EPA (the titles are confusing, so don’t memorise them).

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are produced in modest amounts by ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which can be obtained from foods such as certain oils, nuts, and seeds.

The DHA and EPA produced by this ALA are insufficient. As a result, you must consume it!

Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, and tuna provide DHA and EPA to the body.

DHA and EPA are critical for a child’s cognitive and behavioural development.

So, where may Omega-3 fats be found?

Although this is not an exhaustive list of omega-3-rich foods, there are a few items you can try to incorporate into a child’s diet.

• Fish and seafood, particularly fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines that we’ve already discussed;

• Walnuts, flax, hemp, and chia seeds are examples of nuts and seeds.

• Oils from plants.

Even if parents do their best to provide nuts, seeds, and fish to their children on a regular basis, they may not accept them willingly or eat as much as they require. This is where supplements can help to fill in the gaps in your omega-3 intake.

Introducing omega-3 supplements to children

We’ve all experienced how tough it is to convince a youngster to take supplements, right? Omega-3 supplements, especially those in liquid form, make this even more difficult because they have an oily texture and can have an unpleasant fishy flavour. This may not be a problem if your child is older and can take a pill or gummy, but we’ll focus on liquids today.

So, here are a few ways to mask the fishy taste of omega-3 oil:

1. Toss it with your child’s favourite freshly squeezed juice: Citrus fruits, such as orange juice are best for masking the flavour and texture.

2. Toss with yoghurt in a smoothie or frozen yogurt along with fruits: The soft texture and strong flavour of flavoured yoghurt will help to mask the oil’s taste and consistency.

3. Add to nut butter and spread on toast, crackers, or fruit.

4. POPSICLES WITH FRUIT!: There’s nothing like a delicious fruity popsicle to cool off after a long day of school or activities. Before freezing, hide some omega-3 in the popsicles.

In conclusion

No matter how hard you try, not every child will accept an omega-3 supplement, but it is a crucial nutrient to include in their diet. Don’t give up.

Kanupriya Khanna, a Senior Consultant Nutritionist & Dietitian with over 18 years of experience in antenatal nutrition, can provide expert advice. She is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

Categories Dietician for children

Lactose Intolerance 

Lactose Intolerance 

Lactose intolerance is a type of reaction to lactose present in cow’s milk or formula manufactured from it that you or your child may experience. This occurs when our bodies are unable to digest lactose, a natural sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance affects over 70% of the world’s population. People from Asian, African, and Hispanic ethnic groupings are more likely to have it.

Lactose Intolerance Symptoms

Lactose intolerance has certain symptoms that are comparable to those of a cow’s milk protein allergy. Digestion issues such as belly aches and bloating may be among them. Diarrhoea can also be a symptom.

 A lactose intolerance test, which evaluates blood sugar levels before and after drinking a lactose solution drink, may be given to confirm the intolerance.

If the test reveals lactose intolerance, you will most likely be directed to a dietician, who will advise you on appropriate meals and beverages. To ensure normal growth and development, babies and young children require the right nutrition. If your baby is bottle-fed and has lactose sensitivity, your doctor will probably recommend switching to lactose-free formula milk. Lactose replacement drops, which make it easier for your infant to digest lactose in breast milk, may aid if you’re nursing. For many babies and young children, lactose intolerance is only transitory. Within a few weeks or months, their symptoms will usually improve. It’s safe to gradually reintroduce milk and dairy into their diet at this time.

How Do You Deal With Lactose Intolerance?

When a child is diagnosed with lactose intolerance, the symptoms are relieved by avoiding milk and other dairy products. Those with primary lactose intolerance, on the other hand, have various degrees of lactase insufficiency and can tolerate varying levels of dietary lactose. Lactose-intolerant youngsters (and their parents) should be aware that symptoms caused by dairy products are usually temporary and do not cause harm to the gastrointestinal tract (as compared with celiac disease or allergic reactions, including milk-protein intolerance that can lead to ongoing inflammation and mucosal damage). Despite the fact that lactose malabsorption does not predispose to calcium malabsorption, avoiding milk products to alleviate symptoms may be detrimental to proper bone mineralization. It’s been proven that children who don’t drink milk get less calcium than they need for appropriate bone calcium accretion and mineralization.

Beyond infancy, lactose-free alternatives to cow milk based on rice, soy, or other proteins are widely accessible, albeit the nutritious content of most of these milks is not comparable to cow milk. Lactose is present in other mammalian milks, including goat milk. Tolerance to milk products may be partial, so some people may be able to avoid symptoms by simply changing their diet. Lactose in little doses, spaced throughout the day and ingested with other foods, may be tolerated in some cases, without causing discomfort. Because the bacteria in yogurt convert the lactose into lactic acid before intake, many lactose-intolerant individuals who are intolerant of milk can consume yoghurt. Furthermore, the semisolid nature of yoghurt reduces gastric emptying and gastrointestinal transit, resulting in less lactose intolerance symptoms.

Aged cheeses have a lower lactose content than other cheeses and may be better tolerated as a result. Finally, oral lactase replacement capsules or lactase-enhanced milk or dairy products are widely available, allowing lactose-intolerant people to consume some or all milk products without restriction. Because the vitamin D amount of milk substitutes vary, labels must be verified to ensure that each brand’s vitamin D content is accurate.

Lactose-Free Formulas

Low-lactose and lactose-free formulas have no clinical advantages over standard lactose-containing formulas in developed countries, even in the case of acute gastroenteritis, because enough lactose digestion and absorption is preserved, except in severely undernourished children, in whom lactose-containing formulas may worsen diarrhoea and lactose-free formulas may be advantageous. In all circumstances, human milk should be continued for breastfed newborns. Despite the widespread availability and popularity of lactose-free cow milk–protein-based formulas, no research has shown that they have any therapeutic influence on infant outcome indicators such as colic, growth, or development.

Calcium Absorption and Bone Mineral Content Lactose, Calcium Absorption, and Bone Mineral Content

Recent research suggests that dietary lactose improves calcium absorption and that lactose-free diets decrease calcium absorption. Lactose intolerance (and lactose-free diets) may thus predispose to insufficient bone mineralization, a condition now identified in a variety of other paediatric illnesses. The long-term effects of lactose-free diets on bone mineral content and the risk of fractures and osteoporosis as people age have yet to be determined. Protein intake, vitamin D status, salt intake, hereditary and other factors all affect calcium homeostasis, making long-term research necessary to assess the hazards of each or all of these to bone health. Recent research suggests that genetic testing may one day be effective for detecting those at risk of lactase deficiency and, as a result, decreased bone mineral density, allowing for early management with dietary changes or nutrient supplementation.

Summary

Lactose intolerance has been recognised as a frequent condition in many children and people around the world for many years. Despite the fact that lactose intolerance is rarely life-threatening, its symptoms can cause severe discomfort, interrupted quality of life, and loss of school attendance, leisure and sports activities, and work time, all at a cost to individuals, families, and society. Treatment is straightforward and focuses on lowering or eliminating lactose, from the diet or “predigesting” it with supplemental lactase-enzyme replacement. Calcium must be obtained from nondairy sources or as a dietary supplement to avoid indolence.

Kanupriya Khanna, a Senior Consultant Nutritionist & Dietitian with over 18 years of experience in child nutrition, can provide expert advise and the right kind of diet. Kanupriya Khanna is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

Categories Diet During Pregnancy, Nutrition Blogs

Diet to prevent pre-eclampsia during pregnancy?

Diet to prevent pre-eclampsia during pregnancy?

Preeclampsia is a disorder that affects women during pregnancy and increases maternal and child mortality and morbidity. During pregnancy, it is identified by sudden increase in blood pressure and proteinuria (presence of protein in urine). High blood pressure is a potentially severe complication of pregnancy.

Pre-eclampsia commonly develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy in a woman who previously had normal blood pressure. Other than high blood pressure and protein in the urine; swelling in the legs and water retention may also be present. But swollen ankles and water retention can also be present in a normal pregnancy and so can be confusing.

One in every ten pregnancies is affected by high blood pressure, generally known as hypertension. During pregnancy, hypertension can manifest in a variety of ways. Pre-existing high blood pressure, hypertension that develops during pregnancy (gestational hypertension), and pre-eclampsia, which affects 2-8 out of every 100 women and begins at 20 weeks of pregnancy, are the most prevalent.

A team of researchers conducted a study of pregnant women’s food habits and their related risks of high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia. They found that:

• Instead of high-fat, high-calorie items, eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day.

• Potatoes are not included in the five-a-day goal.

• Choose wholegrain over refined grains or starchy foods.

• Stick to a low-fat diet and gain weight at a healthy rate

• Consume fiber-rich foods like oats, beans, lentils, grains, and seeds.

• Avoid drinks with added sugars and other foods with a high sugar content, such as candies, cakes, and biscuits.

• Fish is a safe option during pregnancy in general, however the recommendation is to eat no more than two portions of oily fish each week, such as mackerel or salmon. This is because a chemical contained in oily fish (mercury) in excess can impair the development of an unborn baby.

Kanupriya Khanna, a Senior Consultant Nutritionist & Dietitian with over 18 years of experience in antenatal nutrition, can provide expert advice. She is regarded as one of the best dietitians in Delhi because of her unwavering commitment to making a difference in people’s lives by instilling good eating habits and lifestyles.

Categories Other nutrition blog

Substitutes for sugar: Are They the Answer to Better Nutrition and Eating?

Substitutes for sugar: Are They the Answer to Better Nutrition and Eating?

Sugar is frequently blamed for a variety of health problems, including obesity and diabetes. Does this imply that the solution to better eating is to use sugar replacements and sweeteners?

Simply put, the answer is NO!

Let’s have a look at why.

What is the difference between sugar replacements and sweeteners?

Each sugar substitute differs somewhat. However the basic concept remains the same:

sugar alternatives provide the same sweetness as sugar but without the calories.

Many ‘diet’ or ‘light’ beverages, baked items, yogurts, and chewing gum contain them. Sugar substitutes are commonly referred to as “sweeteners” and they are regulated to assure their safety.

The following are some examples of common names:

• Saccharin

• Aspartame

• Sorbitol

• Xylitol

• Stevia extract

Because these sweeteners are many times sweeter than sucrose (sugar), a lesser amount is required to produce the same sweetness. This may cause some people to feel that artificial sweeteners are a healthy alternative.

Let’s look at how sweeteners compare to sugar:

It has long been established that additional sugars are harmful to one’s health. Even while there is less concrete proof in the case of sweeteners, we are overlooking a larger issue. Sweeteners have lesser or no calories as compared to sugar, but they both should be consumed in moderation. They do not provide any nutrients.

So, what does the research say?

Due to their low calorie content, sweeteners have gained popularity as dietary supplements. Artificial sweeteners, according to research, appear to be linked to an elevated risk of several chronic diseases, similar to those associated with sugar consumption. Some of these sweeteners have also been linked with poor gut health. Furthermore, there is no clear and consistent evidence that sweeteners actually lower weight or obesity rates.

Sweeteners appear to have many of the same effects as added sugars. The majority of studies have identified a link between artificially sweetened beverage consumption and weight increase. Another study recently discovered that people who drink diet sodas on a regular basis have a significantly higher risk of developing the diseases that these sugar substitutes are intended to prevent (such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and stroke).

The use of sweeteners in children could be hazardous in some ways. This is due to the fact that exposure to sugary meals throughout childhood can alter taste well into adulthood. Frequent consumption of high-sugar or artificial-sugar foods can change food choices, resulting in higher sugar consumption later in life. Sweetener-containing foods are deficient in nutrients and can interfere with proper growth and development during childhood and adolescence.

Sweeteners may also cause metabolic dysregulation by interfering with the gut flora. Finally, research in children and adults has demonstrated that artificial sweetener consumption (which has no calories) can lead to overconsumption of sweet food (which has calories) when added sugar is ingested later.

Last but not least

Sugar substitutes and sweeteners have little nutritional benefit. At the end of the day, it’s all about moderation. We should limit our use of both. Rather than focusing on which foods are the least unhealthy, try focusing on which foods are the most nutrient-dense.

In case you need a professional help, you can contact Kanupriya Khanna, a Senior Consultant Nutritionist and Dietitian, having more than 18 years of experience. She is one of the best dietitians in Delhi if you are looking for nutritional advice.

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