NON MEDICAL TREATMENTS OF SOME COMMON AILMENTS BY DIETICIAN MOKSHA ( PART ONE )

I am a Dietician by profession & I have realized that a majority of Indian people fall prey of Obesity , Diabetes , Hypertension , Osteoporosis , Constipation , Flatulence , Esophagitis & Halitosis . In other words people mainly complaint of these disorders. When people approach me with these health problems I usually recommend the following non medical treatment .

1 ) OBESITY :-

Obesity is a major health problem in India & abroad . The main reasons are faulty diet & changed life style. It has been found that Obesity is the root of most of the other ailments. Today various drugs are available which instantly reduce weight & even there are surgical processes like liposuction which remove the fat from the desired area of a person’s body . Since these medicines are very expensive & have site effects too it is better if we modify our food habits & life style pattern to reduce weight.

A) In order to reduce weight one should be self motivated

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B) Before starting with weight reduction programme , one should know the exact cause of his or her weight increament . Weight gain can be due tofaulty food habit , hormonal imbalance eg) HYPOTHYROIDISM , due to medicines , lack of excercise or may due to Menopause in women.

C) Dietary modification alone does not help to reduce weight one needs to excercise also .

D) Dieting does not mean starving .People often think that by starving they will loose weight . It is true that by starving one will loose weight but it is not an ideal approach for weight reduction as one may loose his or her muscle mass along with fat by starving .

E) . The Obese or Overweight individual should include following food items in his or diet .
– Whole Wheat & its products .
– Brown Rice & its products .
– Whole pulses
– Fruits like Papaya , water mellon , Guava , Apple , Pineaapple , Pomogranate.
– Skim Cow’s milk
– Green Leafy Vegetables
– Soups without Cream or butter
– Salads without Salad Dressings

F) The Obese or Overweight individual should avoid following food items in his or diet .
– Refined Wheat Flour & its products .
– Fruits like Banana , Sapota , Grapes , Lichi, Cherry , Plums , Mango .
– Fruit juices & coconut water
– Dry fruits like Almonds , dates , Cashew nuts .
– Cheese , Butter , Paneer , ghee
– Any sweets
– Jam , Jelly , Marmlade , Pickles .
– Potatoes , Sweet Potatoes , Colocasia
– Red Meat , Egg Yolk
– Soft & Hard Drinks

G) Include boiled , baked foods products instead of fried ones.

H) A person who is following a weight reduction programme ahould take 6 meals in a day . These are
– BREAK FAST ……..around 8.00 TO 8.30 am
– MID MORNING …….. ” 10.30 TO 11.00 am
– LUNCH ……………… ” 1.00 TO 1.30 pm
– TEA …………………. ” 4.00 TO 4.30 pm
– DINNER ……………. ” 8.30 TO 9.00 pm
– BED TIME …………. ” 10.00 TO 10.30 pm
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I ) The person should not skip any meal because he or she may eat more in the next meal

J) Avoid watching TV , reading books or telephonic conversation while eating food. As all these activities make the individual eat more .

K) Consume salads or soup 15-20 minutes prior to the main meal . As this will help the person to eat less

L ) Chew the food well before swallowing .

M ) Along with dietary modifications & excercise a slight change in drapping style also helps in weight reduction by changing the Psychology of person. Some Sartorial tips for Obese man & woman are as follows.
– Obese or Over weight individuals should avoid loose fitting clothes
– Obese man should wear Vertical stripped Shirts & T-shirts . Vertical stripped shirts will make them look tall & slim
– They should avoid floral or big prints on their shirts.
– Should wear full trousers.
– Should avoid Double breast coats.
– Obese or Over weight women should not waer short dresses.
– Should wear Chudidaars instead od salvars
– Should wear saris made od Silk or Chiffon which will help them to look slimer.
– Should avoid big prints on their dresses.

N) Last but not least a very simple but effective technique which helps in weight reduction by motivating the individual , is to hang on the walls of the room where the individual spent most of his time his or her photographs in ehich he or she used to look slim , smart , young & beautful.

O) Once an individual reduces weight & achieves ideal body weight for his or her age & height . He or she should continue to follow balance diet & should excercise regualrly , other wise the person will regain weight.

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2 ) HYPERTENSION :-

Hypertension means high blood pressure.There are various causes of Hypertension. Below are some non medical measures to cure Hypertension.

A ) RESTRICTION ON THE INTAKE OF SODIUM ;
Normally 10-15 gms of salt is consumed daily .Individuals suffering from Hypertension should consume 2-3 gms of salt daily. In order to make food palatable even with less salt one should make use of pepper powder , lemon juice etc . Also avoid food items like Jam , Canned fruits, Sauces, Pickles , Papads , Salted biscuits , Salted dry fruits, Cheese , Butter , Potato chips & fruits like Lichi , Pineapple

B ) INCREASE THE INTAKE OF POTASSIUM RICH FOODS ;
Some Potassium rich foods are Coconut water, Water obtained after boiling Moong Dal, Amla, Guava , Sapota, Papaya, Sweet lime , Peaches , Phalsa , Plums & Gourd vegetables like Lauki , Karela , Turai etc.

C ) WEIGHT REDUCTION ;
Weight is directly correlated with blood pressure. Therefore with increase in weight BP increases. So reducing weight at times help to reduce BP.

D ) EXERCISES ;
Exercises reduce BP is a proven fact .It should be noted that only ISOTONIC EXERCISES are beneficial. Such excercises include walking , jogging , swimming , cycling. ISOMETRIC EXERCISES like weight- lifting are not beneficial in reducing BP.

E ) EK KALI KA JAMMU KA GARLIC ;
The ek kali ka Jammu ka garlic has been found useful in lowering BP. One should consume daily one ek kali ka garlic empty stomach with luke warm water.

F ) RESTRICT INTAKE OF ALCOHOL ;

G ) QUIT SMOKING ;

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3 ) OSTEOPOROSIS :

Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bone mass reduces. As a result of which fracture of bone occurs even with mild trauma.Here are some non medical measures to prevent reduction in bone mass .

A ) CALCIUM INTAKE :
Osteoporosis can be prevented by achieving maximum bone mass during growth & maintaining proper calcium intake throughout life.

B ) SODIUM INTAKE :
In order to prevent resorption of bone one should not take Sodium in excess amounts. Sodium causes an increase in renal Calcium excretion. For each 500 mg increase in Sodium excretion there is approximately a 10 mg increase in the amount of Calcium lost in urine.The major source of Sodium in our diet is the Common salt. Also preserved food items like jam, pickles papads, canned fruits contain high amounts of Sodium.Therefore elderly people who may not be suffering from Hypertension should still consume less Sodium.

C )INTAKE OF CAFFEINE :
Caffeine ingestion causes a short term increase in urinary calcium loss.Such a temporary increase may have a minor effect on net calcium balance.However older individuals with low calcium intake will be affected greatly.Therefore intake of Coffee should be reduced .

D ) PROTEIN INTAKE :
Elderly people should avoid taking excess of protein because excess of protein is not stored in body .It is metabolized & excreted therefore with increase in urinary loss of protein there is increase in urinary Calcium loss.

E ) ALCOHOL INTAKE :
Restrict the intake of alcohol. Since ethanol damages the liver as a result synthesis of Vitamin D is affected. Vitamin D is required for the absorption of Calcium from

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4 ) HALITOSIS :-

Halitosis means bad breath.It is due to various causes

A ) Dieting : Dieters may develop unpleasant breath due to restriction of Carbohydrates.By restricting Carbohydrate the body utilize fat for energy purpose when fat are utilized in the body ketone bodies (Acetone , Acetoacetate , Beta hydroxy butyrate ) are formed .Acetone is expelled through lungs.

B ) Diabetes : Diabetics develops unpleasant breath due to the above reason.

C ) Xerostomia : Halitosis is also caused by Xerostomia refers to dryness of mouth resulting from diminished secretion of saliva.

D )Food : Vegetables like Garlic , onion also cause objectionable breath.

E ) Periodontal Disease : refers to disease of gums also responsible for Halitosis.

F ) Indigestion & Constipation : are another cause of bad breath

Flossing , Brushing & use of mouth freshners will mask Halitosis for a short while.One may not get rid of Halitosis unless the underlying cause is cured.

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