Top 5 Nutrition FAQs

1. 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 ur 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.

2. 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.

3. I always have a headache n 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.

4. 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 protien powder supplements are safe if your 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.

5. 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:
a. Not enough water or fluids. Remember to drink enough water so your urine is a pale yellow color.
b. 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 shorter time span than that you may over eat 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.
c. 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!
d. 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 the acidity and gas. Meet a nutritionist who will create a personalized meal plan for you so you know what to eat when.

Have a healthy,
Radhika

First post!

Hello everyone! My name is Radhika Karle and I am a nutritionist practicing in Mumbai, India. I completed my BSc and MSc in Nutrition and Dietetics from the US and returned to India almost 6 years ago. I have also completed a fellowship in Adolescent and Sports Medicine which allowed me to work with several profesional as well as Division I college athletes.

I work with adults for weight management and several young athletes as well. I also do one-on-one training sessions in Pilates - mat and Reformer. My office and studio are in Andheri West. 

I recently returned from the US where I attended an Adult Weight Management seminar. It was sincerely an eye-opening experience  with the latest information and research on weight management. It was attended by hundreds of young dietitians from all over the US and from many different areas of nutrition - pediatrics, bariatrics, wellness centers, and schools! It honestly opened my eyes to the infancy stage we are at in India, as far as nutrition is concerned!

I hope that this blog will shed some light on popular nutrition topics, FAQ's, as well as help create an understanding of Pilates - the form of exercise I have come to love and cherish over the past 4  years!

Welcome to my blog!

Have a healthy day,

Radhika