Top 5 Nutrition FAQs

I know I need to eat every 2-3 hours but I am not hungry so why should I eat? Eating every 2-3 hours will keep your metabolism elevated which is the key to any weight management program. If you wait to eat when you are hungry then you will surely eat twice as much as you should. Also eating every 2-3 hours will help keep blood sugar levels stable which is important with diabetes on the rise. I have read that olive oil is the healthiest oil and am now cooking only in that. Is that good? All oils, with the exception of palm oils, are healthy in small amounts. Olive oil has a very low smoke point which does not make it an ideal oil for cooking. When oil starts to smoke up it is no longer healthy and is actually potentially carcinogenic, ie cancer-causing. Cook in all other oils, vegetable, soybean, rice bran, sunflower; keep olive oil in its raw form. Add olive oil to salads, on top of hummus, or at the end in cooked pasta to keep it from clumping together. I always have a headache and feel very tired, especially at around 4 pm. However I eat well and it is mostly homemade food. What could be going wrong? These are potential signs of dehydration. Ensure you drink enough water so that your urine is a pale yellow color. If you live in a hot and humid city, like Mumbai, and spend a lot of time in an air-conditioned room, then more fluid will be “sucked out” of your body. I am a pure vegetarian and have recently started weight training with a trainer at my gym. I keep complaining that my muscles are sore even after 2 days of rest. My trainer has recommended I take a protein supplement however I have heard these contain steroids and are harmful. Pure whey or soy protein powder supplements are safe if you are buying a good brand. Some brands I like are, ON, SSN, VPX, which are available at most supplement stores. Protein is the main building block of muscles. In a vegetarian diet there is very little protein so a supplement will do you a lot of good. Just ensure you meet with a nutritionist so your protein needs can be calculated out to prevent an overload on your kidneys. I suffer from a lot of acidity and indigestion. On my doctor’s recommendation, I have stopped all fried and spicy foods. I still have the problem though. This could be due to any of the following three reasons or even a combination of them: Not enough water or fluids. Remember to drink enough water so your urine is a pale yellow color. Eating too fast. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to send a signal to your stomach that you are full. So if you are eating in a shorter time span than that you may overeat which will cause indigestion and gas. Ensure you eat slowly and stop when you are half full. Within 20 minutes you will be comfortably full. Drinking too much tea and/or coffee will also cause acidity. Try to stick to maximum two cups of tea or coffee per day – both without sugar. And try making one cup green tea or jasmine tea which are both full of antioxidants – great for your skin! Not eating every 2-3 hours is most often the main culprit of indigestion. Remember the first point in this post. Eating every 2-3 hours will keep your energy levels up too. When your stomach is empty for too long the acid in your stomach is left without anything to digest causing acidity and gas. Connect with us for a personalized meal plan for you so you know what to eat when.
Power snacks to get you through the day

Women today play multiple roles – wife, mother, homemaker, career woman, and sometimes even chauffer and chaperone! These multiple roles call for more energy, stamina, and strength throughout her busy schedule. Here are 5 easy power snacks every working woman needs to carry to ensure energy levels stay high through her power packed day: Apple: A good source of simple sugars which allow for instant energy and packed with fiber (do not remove the peel to allow for extra fiber) to help keep your stomach full for longer, apples are the ideal mid morning snack. Grab a tennis-ball size apple instead of your third cup of tea or coffee from the machine. Try all varieties – Fuji apples for a sweet bite, Granny Smith for a little tartness, and Kashmiri for the right size snack. ½ peanut butter sandwich: 4-6 small meals throughout the day will also help to keep energy levels up. Try this quick, easy, and hassle-free snack, which is also an ideal small meal – 1 slice of whole wheat or multigrain bread plus ½ tablespoon peanut butter. The whole grains in the bread are a good source of B vitamins, which help your body utilize energy from foods; and the peanut butter is a good source of fiber and has healthy monounsaturated fats, both of which help keep one’s stomach full for a little longer. Dry fruits: Prunes, apricots, dates, raisins, and cranberries, just a handful of any one of these (2 large dates equals a handful) makes for an ideal snack. Good sources of vitamin C, potassium, and even iron (many foreign dry fruits are dried on iron plates which causes the iron to be leached into the fruit); these small snacks pack in a good punch. Ensure your dry fruits are natural and do not contain added sugar. And since variety is the spice of life, mix two or three kinds together, if you wish. Low fat yoghurt, buttermilk, or masala lassi: Now available in tetra packs (which do not require refrigeration) as well as individual serving containers, dairy products are a perfect mid-afternoon snack as they contain both carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for your brain and muscles and protein allows for lean body mass development and also helps keep your stomach full for a little while. Exchange your afternoon coffee for a refreshing chaas. Green tea: Another great substitute for your second cuppa in the morning. Green tea is a good source of antioxidants and the small amount of caffeine is the perfect pick-me-up. Many tea houses offer a wide variety of green teas; find one closest to you and head on over for a taste testing and see what suits your palette best. For more nutrition tips and customized meal plans reach out to us at nutrition@balancedbody.in Or visit us at our studios in Mumbai: Radhika’s Balanced Body in Andheri East and Parle West
Sonam Kapoor’s Workout for Khoobsurat

When I think of a physiotherapist, the first few thoughts that come to my mind are long hours on your feet, great posture, and strong lean physiques that allow easy manipulation of the client’s bodies. This is exactly the look Sonam Kapoor sported in her film, Khoobsurat, where she plays the role of “royal misfit” Milli with the added twist of clumsiness…a little bit of the real Sonam Kapoor was added to the reel character! The road to the making of Milli was tough and grueling – thirty-plus days in Bikaner, our traveling gym, and cold temperatures, however, Sonam rose to the challenge! Here is a sneak peak at Sonam’s hardcore workout routine: 1. Morning and evening workouts – mornings focused on weight training and the days ended with Pilates. 2. Weight training was moderate to heavy lifting to help increase Sonam’s muscle mass which included a combination of: a. Twice a week – functional training using bodyweight and doing day-to-day functional movements such as twisting, lateral lunges, and step-ups b. Compounded exercises – using multiple muscles in one exercise – for example, chest press on the Swiss ball and squats with medicine ball overhead press c. Super sets where we focused only on large muscle groups – no break between sets and we go back and forth between two exercises, for example, push-ups to bent over rows or standing single-leg extensions to deadlifts 3. Sonam did a 45-minute Pilates session in the evening which helped to increase core strength, flexibility, and concentration a. We traveled with a Pilates Reformer, an apparatus that allows for a full-body integration workout b. The flexibility aspect of Pilates was much needed to avoid injury from tight muscles, which can happen with too much weight training c. With an emphasis on the core, the powerhouse of your body, Pilates workouts help make all other workouts much more effective The end result of the intense double duty workouts was a lean, flexible, and somewhat poised Sonam Kapoor, aka Milli! With the right exercise and nutrition, you too can get a strong lean and flexible body. Our studios are now up and running but if you are traveling or can’t make it to Mumbai, try our online classes and we assure you won’t feel the barriers of physical space. For bookings and information reach out to us at +917304471749