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plant-based-diets
Categories Other nutrition blog

Nutritional Adequacy of Plant Based Diets – Dr. Kanupriya Khanna

You must have heard a lot about veganism these days. Many people wonder if plant based diets are nutritionally adequate for them. Truth is that the nutrients present in plants, such as vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, etc., help in keeping you healthy.

But before going further, let’s understand a few things about a plant-based diet.

 

What is a plant based diets?

These diets emphasise on fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and beans while eliminating animal products such as meats, dairy, honey and eggs, and all foods that are derived from an animal source.

A plant-based diet is not only a preferred way to promote good health while staying fit and nourished, it is also a healthier way to lose weight. As plants contain necessary nutrients that animal products do not, it boosts your immune system.

 

Knowing what nutrients to be aware of and how to incorporate them into your diet is a crucial component of a well-planned plant based diets.

•Protein – Most vegans consume enough protein to satisfy or even surpass their needs. To achieve your protein requirements, concentrate on including protein-rich foods like legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy in your meals and snacks throughout the day.

•Calcium – There are many plant-based sources of calcium, including kale, broccoli, black beans, almonds, nut and seed butters. Calcium is added to some fortified foods during manufacturing, such as non-dairy milk, orange juice, and some breakfast cereals.

•Iron – This necessary ingredient is important for a variety of bodily processes, including the transportation of oxygen by red blood cells. Iron is found in many plant based such as dates, dried figs, prunes, dark green leafy vegetables, jaggery, beans, finger millet, etc.

•B12 – Plant foods typically do not contain this vitamin. Vegans must add items enriched with vitamin B-12 to their diets or consult their doctor about taking a supplement. Foods like nutritional yeast, morning cereals, meat substitutes, and non-dairy milk are among those enriched with vitamin B-12. To ensure the product is fortified, make sure to check the label!

•Omega 3 – Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to be vital since your body cannot produce them; therefore, you must obtain them from foods such as flaxseeds, walnuts and other nuts and seeds.

•Fibre – Plant based diets high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes are much more likely to easily provide the quantity and kind of fibre required by your body to maintain a healthy digestive system.

 

What are the health benefits of plant based diets?

1. It lowers your blood pressure –

Hypertension can make people more susceptible to health problems like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Fortunately, what you eat can influence your health. Following a plant-based diet helps lower blood pressure, which lowers your risk of developing these illnesses.

2. Weight loss –

When you go from a diet high in meat to one high in plant-based foods, your risk of obesity declines. In conclusion, even though losing weight isn’t always the main goal, plant eaters typically weigh less.

3. Plant based diets prevent cancer –

Eating a diet high in vegetables, fruit, grains, beans, nuts and seeds is the greatest method to obtain nutrients that protect against cancer, including fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals.

4. It reduces cholesterol –

Fatty deposits in the blood caused by high cholesterol can limit blood flow and could result in heart attack, stroke, or heart disease. However, a balanced diet can support maintaining good cholesterol levels. In particular, switching to a diet high in plants instead of animal products can reduce LDL cholesterol by 10 and 15%.

5. It makes your brain strong –

Polyphenols are abundant in fruits and vegetables (aka, the cornerstones of a plant-based diet). They may help reverse cognitive decline and halt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

 

How following a plant-based diet can benefit the environment?

The carbon emissions produced by the meat and dairy industries can be considerably reduced and offset by choosing to adopt a plant-based diet.

Additionally, compared to the meat and dairy industries, the plant business uses less water. To make one pound of tofu, only 302 litres of water are needed as opposed to 3505 litres of water to produce one pound of mutton. Untouched environments can be protected, and less water pollution and use would result from eating plant-based foods.

It was discovered that plant-based diets may increase the world food supply by up to 49% without extending croplands. This method of eating would also help to dramatically lower methane emissions by reducing cattle in the meat and dairy industries.

Overall, eating a plant-based diet is excellent for the Earth as well as for you. If you want to experiment with a plant-based diet, connect with Kanupriya who has been working in this field since 2003. 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.

child diet
Categories Children Diet

Using Food Play to Encourage Picky Eaters

I know how difficult it may be to have fussy eaters at home; not just as a mother, but also as a Senior Consultant Nutritionist and Dietitian with over 17 years of experience in child nutrition. We simply want our children to eat, meet their nutritional needs, and quit being finicky eaters. So, how can we make mealtimes more fun and stimulate the consumption of new foods? Play with food!

Food play has gotten a bad reputation in the past.

“Don’t mess with your food!” 

“Use your fork and spoon!” 

“Don’t spit out your meal!” 

Such instructions don’t help, and I’m here to tell you why.

1.  We employ all five senses to eat, so it’s a whole sensory experience. We can help our children become accustomed to new foods by allowing them to use all of their senses. Touching, smelling, listening, feeling, and finally tasting our food are all important aspects of eating. We eat with all of our senses, which is particularly crucial for children and helps them to become more familiar with these foods.

2.  It’s not just about trying something new when it comes to eating; it’s about having interactions and exposures that brings our children closer to eating those foods. According to research, the more we allow our children to interact with different foods, textures, tastes and smells; the more comfortable they will get with these foods.

3. Taking a bite and eating a new meal can be intimidating. However, touching, smelling, or even licking that meal may not be as frightening. It has been proven that encouraging these stimuli leads to children liking new foods. Allowing children to spit their food out can be beneficial. We’re showing them that it’s alright if they don’t like the food right away, and that they can spit that bite onto their plate. This can help children feel more at ease with new foods.

Kanupriya Khanna, a Senior Consultant Nutritionist & Dietitian with over 17 years of experience in child 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.

For more information about the same do visit   https://kanupriyakhanna.in/

Categories Nutrition Blogs, Pregnancy nutrition

Role of Diet in IUGR (Intra Uterine Growth Retardation)

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) refers to a condition when the baby in the womb does not grow as expected. It means the baby is not growing at a normal rate inside the womb and is not as big as it is expected to be during each stage of the mother’s pregnancy.

The two types of intrauterine growth restriction or (IUGR) are:

• Symmetrical IUGR: a condition when all parts of the baby’s body are collectively small in size
• Asymmetrical IUGR: a condition when the baby’s head and brain have grown in the expected size, whereas the rest of the baby’s body is still small.

IUGR Causes

IUGR has many possible causes. It can happen if:-

• There is a problem with the placenta – the tissue that joins the mother and fetus.
• There is a problem with the blood flow in the umbilical cord, which connects the baby to the placenta.

Studies also reveal that under nutrition, over nutrition, and improper diet composition impact the growth of the fetus. Conversely, the increased prevalence of processed food/junk food/ alcohol that results in overweight and obesity are considered additional factors for IUGR.

What’s more? The risk of IUGR is higher if the mother has certain health problems such as:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Lung disease etc

Diet in IUGR (Intra Uterine Growth Retardation)

Nutrition plays an important role in the first few months of pregnancy. And eating a balanced diet can go a long way in preventing IUGR. Sometimes when IUGR is due to an inherent problem with the uterus, a proper guided diet plan can help in the following:

• baby’s birth weight can be brought as near normal as possible even though the baby may need to be delivered prematurely
• shorter NICU stay of the infant

For healthy growth and development of the baby, you can follow the below pregnancy nutrition plan.

• All fresh fruits and juices. Ensure you include at least one citrus fruit
Daily Serving: 3-4 (approx)

• Freshly cooked vegetables
Daily Serving: 3-5 (approx)

• Dairy Products: Milk, yogurt, cheese
Daily Serving: 3 (approx)

• Whole grain bread and flour, cereals, crackers
Daily Serving: 3 (approx)

• Lean meat, chicken, fish with low mercury content
Daily Serving: 1 (approx)

• Water: Drink atleast 7-8 glasses of water daily.

In addition, ensure you maintain a moderate weight. If you are too thin or skinny, gaining as little as 4-5 pounds can sometimes be enough to jumpstart your pregnancy phase.

However, if you are wondering how to put all these to good use – contact Kanupriya Khanna. She has had a lot of experience with IUGR babies, not just during gestation but also post-delivery. She will not only help you create innovative food recipes but will also help you maintain the right balance of nutrients in your daily diet during pregnancy.

You can also visit the website https://www.kanupriyakhanna.in/ for nutrition tips and healthy diet plans

Categories Nutrition and Covid, Nutrition Blogs, Recipe

Healthy Concoctions to Boost Your Immune System 

Thinking how to boost your immune system? Have a look below:

Concoction 1

Include this herbal tea in your healthy diet plan. Simple and quick to make – it’s one of the best home remedy to boost immunity and fight against infections.

Ingredients

  • ginger- 1/2 tsp
  • turmeric- 1/2 tsp
  • black pepper- a small pinch
  • cinnamon – 2 pinches
  • honey- 1 tsp

Method: Take one of water and boil everything together except honey. Next add honey and sip.

Concoction 2
Ashwagandha is considered a sort of magic herb that helps kick up the immune system by several notches. It further stabilizes blood sugar and reduces anxiety and stress.

Ingredients

  • 5-inch piece dried ashwagandha root, approximately
  • 1 tsp honey 

Method: Wash and boil the root in 1/2 a liter of water. Allow to boil for about 5 to 7 minutes. Strain into a cup and then stir in the honey.

Concoction 3
Basil (Including tulsi) are strong immunity food ingredients. It can help cure regular fever that is caused due to bacterial and viral infections.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup basil 
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice 

Method: Put the basil leaves into a saucepan with a half-liter of water. Bring to a boil. Then bring down the flame to low for 3 – 4 minutes. Strain into a cup, and add the honey and lemon juice into it. Stir and sip.

If you are looking for more such ideas and suggestions get in touch with Kanupriya Khanna.a

Kanupriya is one of the best child dietician and pregnancy nutritionist in Delhi. A certified practitioner, she will give you concise advice on how and what to eat.

You can also check her website at https://kanupriyakhanna.in/ for some healthy diet plans and food recipes for kids.

Categories Pregnancy nutrition, Recipe

Tea, Coffee….Pregnancy

 

Women, during pregnancy often complaint to me about them missing their daily tea or coffee as they understand that caffeine should be completely avoided. On this, I would like to state that while women of course need to watch out for their caffeine intake, moderate amounts of tea and coffee may be consumed during pregnancy.

Caffeine is a stimulant and a diuretic that can cross the placenta to the baby. A baby in the womb cannot fully metabolism caffeine leading to changes in the baby’s sleep pattern or normal movement pattern in the later stages of pregnancy. High levels of caffeine intake during pregnancy can result in babies having a low birth weight, that can lead to development of lifestyle diseases in later life. It can also lead to miscarriages. Hence, during pregnancy, it is very important to keep the total caffeine intake to less that 200mg per day.

Read More Tea, Coffee….Pregnancy

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