Motivational Monday....22nd October 2012

Character Is Like A Tree

Friendship Friday : Who Finds A Faithful Friend

Who Finds A Faithful Friend

Motivational Monday....15th October

No People See The Rainbow The Same Way

Motivational Monday..8th October 2012

Always bring Your Own Sunshine

How to Avoid 3 Big Mistakes in Weight Loss

By Shabnamahsan

Weight loses & dieting has become a favorite subject in modern world. We all want to get in shape and feel great, but we often do big mistakes which keep us from achieving our weight loose goal.                 

        I am not talking about small mistakes like occasionally eating a big portion of black forest cake or having a glass of Pina Colada, but about the grave mistakes which are responsible for failure of desired weight loss. Knowing these mistakes you will be prepared to avoid them & make your weight loss plan a big success.

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You Give Up Easily

You follow your diet religiously for few days or few weeks or few months. One day something happens like you accept a chocolate offered by your friend or eat outside with your family and suddenly you feel like your diet plan shattered. You go back to your unhealthy eating habits. Don’t give up. Try tomorrow again. Be prepared for occasional slip ups.

How to Prevent Neural Tube Defects in Newborns

A healthy baby is a dream of every expectant woman. Eating healthy food is essential to achieve this dream. One of the crucial nutrients in women diet is folate that is essential for baby’s healthy brain & spine. It is necessary to prevent Neural Tube Defects in infants.

What are Neural Tube Defects?

The embryonic structure that develops into the brain and spinal cord is called the neural tube. By the 28th day of conception, neural tube folds inward & closes. If it doesn’t close completely, Neural tube Defects (NTD) develops.
Neural Tube Defects are a group of severe birth defects which affect infant’s brain & spinal cord.  Two major neural tube birth defects are Anencephaly and Spina Bifida. In Anencephaly, the tissues that form the infant brain do not develop properly. As a result, they stillborn or die shortly after birth.

    Spina Bifida is the most common birth defeat in the United States, affecting about 1,500 babies each year. Babies with Spina Bifida have a defect of the spinal column that can result in paralysis, hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the brain, learning difficulties, and mental retardation, bladder & bowel problems. Many children with Spina Bifida are forced to live with devices like leg braces, clutches or wheelchair.

Folate & Folic Acid

                   Vitamin B is essential for embryonic and fetal nerve cell formation.  Folate is the natural form of Vitamin B, whereas Folic Acid is their synthetic forms which can be found in fortified foods & vitamin pills.
   It is sad that in most of the cases, these defects occur during the first few weeks of pregnancy, even before a woman knows that she is pregnant.

U.S. Public Health Service recommended that all women of childbearing age must take 0.4 mg of folic acid to prevent Neural Tube Defects.

To include Folate in the diet is easy as it found in a wide range of delicious food like citrus fruits, avocado, melon, beets, dark green leafy vegetables, chicken, beef, whole grains, and dried beans and peas. It is also available in fortified bread, rice, pasta, and cereals. Taking a Multi- vitamin pill containing 0.4 mg of folic acid daily, ensures of getting the recommended amount of folic acid.
        
                   In 1998, U.S Food & Drug Administration commanded cereal manufactures to fortify their products with folic acid, which resulted in a 43 % reduction of Neural Tube Defects in babies.
         
 Make eating a Folate-rich diet a habit & give your baby a healthy and blissful life.


Share to spread the awareness about Neural Tube Defects and save innocent babies


#Neural Tube Defects  #Folate #Folic Acid

Eating Out in Healthiest Way

By Shabnamahsan

To be fit & healthy, it’s essential to take healthy diet. But in Special occasion or festival season we can’t avoid dinning out with family & friends.  While eating out in restaurants specially fast food restaurants, it’s hard to resist the tempting delicacies which are not so healthy. They are usually packed with too much calories, sodium & trans fat.

           Don’t worry. I’ll show you some tricks to make your dining out tasty, healthy and memorable.

Plan Your Meal In Advance

Today we can find most of the restaurants online. Check their menu online, highlight healthy options & print it out for future reference. If you don’t get it online, take menu card when you go there. It will help you plan your meal wisely.

Eat Small Meals During The Day

Eat some fruits or healthy salad in the evening to curb your appetite so you don’t indulge into overeating in dinnertime.

Select You Meal Carefully

Read the menu carefully. Avoid the dishes containing the word fried, creamy, au gratin, crispy or basted as they are usually high in unhealthy fats & calories. Choose steamed, baked, grilled or poached dishes without mayonnaise and creamy sauces & you will cut a lot of calories & harmful fat.

Ask for the salad dressing & sauces to be served separately. You can use them at your choice or skip them

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Check Your Portion

Generally restaurants serve huge portions which make us eat more than we need. Ask for take home container & pack half of the meal in it before serving you. You will eat guilt free & get free meal for next day. Or you can share with your dining partner to save money & calories.

Healthy Dessert

Rounding up meal with yummy Chocolate Sundae or Berry Cheesecake can lead a rounded figure. Instead, order frozen fruity sorbet or yogurt ice cream sundae. These fruity desserts are nutritious & at the same time an absolute treat to your test buds.

                Do a little planning & a careful choice now & your body will thank you later