Why too much of health food is bad

Why too much of health food is bad




Kavita Devgan, Hindustan Times, February 04, 2012



What happens when Mr Z decides that fruit is the healthiest food on earth and chooses to eat fruit all the time? Or when Ms Z believes that proteins were created just to keep her thin and banishes all other food groups from her diet?



“This is when good food turns bad,” says Dr Rommel Tickoo, consultant, internal medicine, Max Hospital, Delhi. “When we have too much of even a good thing, it ceases to be good, and can in fact cause harm.”



In this age of health obsession, we’ve been conditioned to think about foods as good or bad. If X is good and Y is bad, we reason, then for good health we should eat X and ditch Y. And once we’ve divided foods into good and bad, we begin to think that if a little of something is good for us, then a lot of it must be great. But that is a false argument, says Dr Tickoo.



“Amounts matter,” he says. “Even when it comes to foods that are universally accepted as super good. Too much of anything is bad.” Here’s a checklist of good foods that become bad when you eat too much of them, so you can keep an informed eye on what you’re eating.

Fibre

There is absolutely no doubt that fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and all things good, and that they also contain fibre, which prevents constipation and other gastric problems. But too much fibre (for instance, when you eat platefuls of raw green leafy vegetables or salads like radishes day in and out) can mess things up – big time.



Excess fibre often causes bloating, abdominal cramps and gas right away. In the long term, it can interfere with the absorption of minerals like iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, causing some serious deficiencies.



“Plus, each individual food you overdose on has its own set of problems,” says Dr Manjinder Sandhu, head of cardiology at Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon. “For example, eating large amounts of carrots or papaya will not necessarily result in greater benefits for you. Though the body converts the beta-carotene into vitamin A, it absorbs only the amount it needs, leaving the rest to stay in the system. Over time, this turns the palms of your hands and soles of your feet a yellow or yellowish-orange, a condition called carotenemia.”



Carotenemia can also occur when you drink too much carrot juice or over-eat other foods high in beta-carotene, such as sweet potatoes, squash, spinach and broccoli. The condition, fortunately, is harmless and can be sorted out simply by staying away from vitamin A-rich foods for a while.



“Papaya also has a digestive enzyme called papain which has beneficial effects in moderation, but over-consumption can cause stomach discomfort, coughs, colds and wheezing,” says Dr Arpit Jain, senior consultant, department of internal medicine, Artemis Health Institute. “Papaya, orange and kiwi are rich sources of vitamin C, very high consumption of which can cause headaches, vomiting, bladder irritation and occasionally, kidney stones too.”



Finally, too many apples may cause gas, bloating and diarrhoea because of high fibre and sorbitol, and oranges and tomatoes can cause stomach irritation due to their high acidic content, Dr Jain adds.



Who’s at risk?

Vegans or vegetarians, raw food enthusiasts, and those who eat excessive amounts of fruit while taking fibre supplements.



Healthy Limit: We need about 25 to 35g of fibre daily, or about five cups of fruits and/or vegetables a day. Try to vary the fruit and veggies every day.



Protein

The body needs protein to repair and build muscle, but eating excessive amounts won’t do the job better. In fact, in a diet where the protein intake goes beyond 30 per cent of the daily caloric intake, a build up of toxic ketones in the body may occur, causing the kidneys to go into overdrive in an attempt to flush them out. This may lead to a significant loss of water and calcium from the body, causing dehydration and bone loss. Symptoms include a feeling of weakness and dizziness, dry skin, loss of hair, low appetite, nausea and bad breath. In the long term, this may strain the kidneys, stretch out the liver and put stress on your heart too.



“Weightloss efforts go bust too, as excess protein is converted into fat,” says Dr Tickoo. “Another problem is that while making protein into carbs or fat, the body converts the protein’s nitrogen into urea or uric acid. In large amounts, this can mess up your kidneys, lead to gout (a condition that causes your joints to become inflamed, tender and painful to move) and cause gallstones and kidney stones.”



Be super careful with protein shakes and bars. The body can process only about four to five grams of protein per hour, so the 50 grams you got from that protein bar or shake will take about 10 hours to digest and absorb. Also, when you replace your meals with protein shakes, you run the risk of missing the vitamins and nutrients you get from real food.



Red meat is hard on the digestive system because it can take up to 16 hours to digest, a situation that can create a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria too. In the long run, too much protein may increase the risk of getting haemorrhoids, polyps and colon cancer.



Who’s at risk?

Strict ‘only non vegetarians’, those who follow high-protein weightloss fad diets repeatedly, and those who try to build muscles in a hurry by resorting to unregulated use of protein shakes, meals and bars.



Healthy Limit: Most people need about 50 to 70g of protein a day. Here are some measures: approximately 200g of chicken or fish or 150g of mutton provides 40g of protein, 1 egg provides 5g of protein and 250–500ml of milk provides 9 to 18g of protein. More than this means you’re in excess for the day.



Water

Water is without doubt the most essential dietary ingredient. But too much water can increase the total blood volume and place an unnecessary burden on the heart and blood vessels. It can also lead to a fortunately rare but potentially fatal condition called hyponatraemia, in which the body’s salt levels drop and the brain swells.



Symptoms of water intoxication include headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, frequent urination and mental disorientation.



Who’s at risk?

Marathon runners and athletes have problems when they drink a lot of water quickly or drink water without sufficient electrolytes. People following fad diets are at risk. People with impaired kidney functions should be careful too.



Healthy Limit: We are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication even if we drink a lot of water, as long as we drink it over time rather than downing an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need approximately 8-10 glasses every day. But it’s best to let thirst be your guide. If it’s a hot day, drink a little more, but don’t force down gallons of water because you think you must. “Drink enough water so that your urine is colourless or light yellow,” suggests Dr Tickoo. While exercising, balance what you’re drinking with what you’re losing in sweat – and that includes sports drinks.

Tea

Tea keeps our hearts healthy, it’s soothing and stress relieving. But it’s addictive. So there is a possibility that four cups a day will become 10. Radio jockey Radhika Sharma, 36, found that out when she counted the number of cups of tea she drank one day and found it totalled 17.



Tea contains around 40mg caffeine per cup. “Caffeine is thought to inhibit the absorption of iron and some vitamins and is also linked to headaches, jitteriness, digestive disruption, irritability, confusion, headaches, tremors, irregular heartbeats and insomnia,” says Dr Tickoo. “People who are sensitive to caffeine may also suffer from acidity as it leads to production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.”



The tea in teabags is more finely cut and releases caffeine more quickly. And the longer you brew the tea, the more caffeine will be extracted. Drink too much tea and you could also take too much fluoride into your system and develop a state of fluorosis, which can cause a bone disease called osteosclerosis (brittle poor quality bones).



Who’s at risk?

Those who are predisposed to heartburn and stomach ulcers. Diabetics and people with high blood pressure need to be careful too. In any case, addiction is bad for anyone.



Healthy Limit: If you drink more than five cups a day, consider decaffeinated tea. Look at the size of your cup too. Two cups of tea a day from the neighbourhood café is more like six cups a day.



Fish

Though fish contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids that help fight heart disease, and maybe even Alzheimer’s, it also contains heavy metal toxins such as mercury (found especially in tuna, swordfish and shark). When eaten regularly, these can remain in your system and can lead to serious health and cognitive problems, including heart disease and reduced memory and concentration.



“Be careful with fish oil supplements too,” warns Dr Sandhu. “High doses might reduce the immune system’s activity which would reduce the body’s ability to fight infection. They could also lead to an increase in the body’s LDL (bad) cholesterol.”



Who’s at risk?

Pregnant women and very young children are especially susceptible to mercury, but everyone needs to watch their intake. Those taking blood pressure medications need to be careful of fish oil supplements as they may cause the blood pressure to drop too sharply.



Healthy Limit: Choose cold-water fish known to contain less mercury, such as shrimp, salmon, catfish, carp, trout, squid, canned light tuna, herring and sardines, or stick to farm bred fish. Have about 20-25g per day or limit yourself to two meals of fish a week. “Fish oil supplements are safe between 3 and 5g a day,” says Dr Jain.



Soya

The Japanese eat soya and stay healthy and live longer. It is high in protein and has zero cholesterol. So what could be wrong with that?



That’s true, but what is also true is that most Japanese eat only about 8 to 10g of soy protein a day, and even soya causes problems when eaten in excess. “If overeaten, it may promote cancer, dementia, reproductive abnormalities, osteoporosis and thyroid disorders,” says Dr Jain. “Increased consumption could also increase a woman’s total estrogen level, which is a risk factor for breast cancer.” For men, excessive soya can raise the risk of infertility, physical changes and hormonal havoc.



That’s what happened to 36-year-old Gurgaon-based engineer Ramanujan Murthy. He switched to soy milk when he turned lactose intolerant and drank lots of it because he loved the taste. A few years later, he had emotional issues and his body was going through physical changes – all tracked to excess estrogen in his body, due to his excessive consumption of soya.



Who’s at risk?

Everyone needs to be careful, particularly infants (so don’t wean them on soya formulas).



Healthy Limit: “About two servings (about 25-30g) per day of soya foods is safe,” says Dr Sandhu. And eat more fermented soya products such as tempeh, soya sauce and miso soups, than non-fermented products like soy milk, tofu and so on. This is because these are high in phytic acid which causes most of the problems. Avoid soy supplements, energy bars and powders.



— The author is a Delhi-based nutritionist and writer

Go easy on these too



Supplements

Marketing executive Neeraj was popping 15 pills in the morning and 13 pills in the evening (vitamins and other supplements) because he thought this would guarantee good health. Soon he had cardiac issues, diabetes and hyperuricaemia.



“You can overdose even on vitamins if you take them long enough and in high doses. Vitamins A, D, E and K, when stored in the body in greater-than-needed amounts, can reach toxic levels,” says Dr Rommel Tickoo, consultant, internal medicine, Max Hospital, Delhi. “If you’re eating well and not suffering from any ailment, you don’t require multivitamins. Take them only if they have been prescribed.”

Exercise

Journalist Ramaya had a densitometry test after a major fracture and found she was osteoporotic. At age 24! Even her doctor was shocked. Why did this happen? Because the exercise hours she was diligently putting in were eroding her bone mass.



Symptoms of over exercising are usually fatigue, weightloss, trouble sleeping, decreased bone density, absent or infrequent menstruation, dehydration, bingeing, injury, and pain after exercise.



“Thirty to sixty minutes of exercise five times a week is considered optimum,” says Nisha Verma, Reebok Master Trainer (North India).

The health food disorder

Orthorexia Nervosa is the term used for an obsessive addiction to health food. People with the disorder are obsessed with eating to improve their health. This behaviour is similar to that of people with anorexia or bulimia, except that anorexics and bulimics are obsessed by food quantity whereas orthorexics are obsessed by food quality.



Studies show the disorder is slightly more prevalent in women than men, becomes more severe after age 30, and is more likely to appear in upper-class people with higher education. Patients need to work with a dietician to include a larger variety of foods in their menus, and talk to a psychologist if necessary.

Why do we get sucked in?

There is just too much information floating about on food. Eat this, don’t eat that... You hear this all the time and read it everywhere. You even have Sakshi Tanwar, TV’s favourite bahu, telling everyone in the serial Bade Achhe Lagte Hain how healthy almonds are and how she cannot stop once she begins to eat them. And there are too many movie stars vouching for protein shakes to mention here.



This avalanche of information (much of it from dubious sources) makes us believe that we know enough on the subject to know what to eat.



But really, it isn’t as simple as that. As a nutritionist, when I ask my clients why they stick only to foods that they consider ‘good’, I’m told, “I feel safe with this.”



And because they feel safe with these, they decide to eat only those foods – forgetting completely the need for moderation and the fact that good health is based on a varied diet.



Unfortunately this is not how it works! Foods are not ‘good’ and ‘bad’. That’s a much too simplistic way to describe how foods work. Some seemingly bad foods – for instance, fats – are essential for the proper functioning of the body, albeit in small amounts. And some super healthy foods – such as turnips – can be lethal if eaten too much as they contain psoralens, which are potent carcinogens. Even water in excess can be damaging – and the same goes for broccoli!



There’s an old saying: you can’t get too much of a good thing. Reality begs to differ. In trying to eat the healthiest food, we sometimes go too far. And make no mistake: gormandising good eats is gluttony – and it’s damaging!

So what’s the solution?

It’s important not to choke on ‘facts’ because these are facts only till the next study rubbishes them. Remember what happened to fats: first there was a blanket ban on them and now some (like omega-3) are supposedly ‘essential’. So don’t blindly follow all food alerts. Stay in the know, but eat by instinct.



Also, nothing is completely bad. Foods are only bad when eaten in excess. Quantity really matters. As I tell my clients, there is only one sacred rule for diets – eat in moderation and you’ll never go wrong. This way whatever research reveals or buries, you’ll be in the pink of health!

From HT Brunch, February 5

India’s Best Dividend Stocks (Best Dividend Yield Stocks) in the Financial Year 2011

Today i read an article in the Economic Times about the India’s Best Dividend Stocks (Best Dividend Yield Stocks) in the Financial Year 2011. So i thought about sharing the names of those precious company names with you.


1         3i Infotech          

2         Shipping Corporation of India

3         Precision Wires India

4         Rane Holdings

5         Rane (Madras)

6         Hinduja Global Solutions

7         Andhra Bank

8         Polyplex Corporation

9         DIL

10       Tourism Finance Corp of India

11       Hero Motocorp

12       Corporation Bank

13       Automobile Corporation of Goa

14       SRF

15       Balmer Lawrie & Company

 For more details please go through today's Economic Times newspaper or it's website.

A sorry state

The office where I work is situated in Mahipalpur an area near the IGI airport. It’s now been 6 years since I daily commute to and from this place. However in these many years I have never seen an improvement of the condition of the roads here. Like all major roads in Delhi the road from Mahipalpur to Mehrauli known as Vasant Kunj road is very really with huge traffic. However the major problem area is the stretch from Mahipalpur ‘T’ point till the Matha chowk in the Vasant Kunj road. This stretch is very narrow and both sideshave lot of commercial shops. Obviously vehicles are seen parked in front of these shops. And to make the matters worse the foot path is captured by greedy shopkeepers on both sides of this stretch.

It takes a minimum 15 minutes to cross this stretch from 9 am till 9 pm in a normal weekday. Will the authorities will ever wake up to resolve and make an effort to ensure the smooth sailing of vehicles and pedestrians in this stretch. My fingers are crossed. Lets work together to make this a beautiful world.

Andhra Bhawan Canteen – Ashoka Road, New Delhi

I am an adherent foodie. And that too delicious South Indian foods. As a Keralite I have always missed those mouth watering stuffs like, Iddalies, Doshas, Sambar, Curd rice, Rasam, Aviyal, Pachadi, Thoran, Payasam, etc, here in Delhi. It’s not true that I am not able to eat those foods completely at my home. My wife Nisha makes them all for me. But the frequency is far less than I wish for due to our usually busy work schedule. She is always concerned about my taste buds and spends hours in our small kitchen soon after coming back from her work. Of course she makes really tasty South Indian and North Indian food stuffs and I appreciate her talent.

However my heart always carves for more South Indian foods. So what can I do to satisfy my carvings? In Delhi there is lot of restaurants which makes out delicious south Indian foods. But I love the Andhra Bhawan Canteen at Ashoka Road in Delhi the most. They make absolutely tasty typical south Indian thalis for lunch and dinner. We usually escapes from our daily monotonus schedule to Andhra Bhawan canteen to indulge ourselves in those puris, rice with sambar, rasam, koottan, etc. They satisfy both our vegetarian and non-vegetarian needs. Yes the chicken and mutton curry and fry are as tasty as those vegetarian dishes. Another specialty is their famous Andhra chicken and mutton biriyani. It is served on Sunday’s lunches only. If you want to get a plate of those biriyanis then better you reach the canteen before 2 at noon as there is every chance that you end up wondering from where all those biriyani lovers came from as there will not be a single plate is there.

In Sundays there is a problem to get that precious token for lunch. You need to vend through that huge crowd of people who are waiting for their turn patiently, who have walked in from all ways of life. Its is better to wait than to turn away. You can top up with a sweet paan after your lunch.

Footpath for me?

Today while coming back to home from my office I noticed one thing. In fact everyone who is living in Delhi must have noticed and criticized to themselves and others about it several times. Many would have already written about it. Battalion of people might have taken up about this with the respective governments and our political and bureaucratic class would have pacified with their never fulfilled assurance that they would take action to get things in the right path.

I am talking about the poor conditions of Delhi’s road footpath. As a pedestrian I do not have the right to walk on those footpaths that are made for me. That right has long been taken away from me by the much stronger vender class who has occupied those footpaths as if it is their birth right. They are free to put up their shops and display hoardings on Delhi’s footpaths. Poor pedestrians like me don’t have the privilege to walk on them. I can’t object their might. So we have no other choice to walk on Delhi’s busy and congested roads on which buses, trucks, cars, motorbikes, auto rickshaws, cycles, etc, move like bullet trains and there are vehicles all around parked in zig zag manner on these road sides. So I am actually left with no or little space to walk on Delhi’s roads.

Can I only dream? Why I am not been able to do anything to stop this menace? I really don’t know? My hopes of getting back those footpaths to me to easily walk is never going to be fulfilled by the Delhi’s civic government whom me like people have elected. They are powerful institutions who are of the people, by the people and for the people who will stand by those vendors like rock.

Investing in Stocks

Continues learning is a fascinating thing to do. And we at Safeducate often explore through internal workshops and informal chat to step into unchartered waters. Three months ego I happened to attend such an internal workshop on “Investments” in my office. The facilitator was Mr. Sandeep Peter Natal. He briefed us about Indian stock market in general and we religiously listened to him. Many things I heard that day were new. Totally unexpected our director Mrs. Divya Jain too joined the session. I was learning about the bears and bulls in financial market. A financial champion herself, any discussion on economics and finance, took through the session from were Peter finished. She explained about various personal investment options available. And she encouraged especially me to start building up a portfolio of good stocks by investing at least thousand rupees each month.

That was the trigger which set my imagination of becoming a retail stock investor. I should confess, always in secret fascinated of becoming an adherent stock investor. The first step I took was to open a trade account with Axis bank. They opened it for free and that too at an amazing speed. They only charge a small amount of money as brokerage. And their website is a wonderful tool with lot of research materials. Second step, to educate myself I began to read The Economic Times newspaper religiously every day. Soon I subscribed the same at my home so that I can read it daily morning and evening, so that I don’t miss reading it.  

As if was waiting for ages I quickly began to start buying shares. The first share I purchased was of Reliance Power through National Stock Exchange. That day I ended up purchasing three shares of Reliance Power and two shares of Gati Limited. But the following week I sold two shares of Gati Limited because the share price dipped considerably.

Since then in three months time I purchased shares worth of almost rupees four thousand of twenty companies through National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange. However soon I realized that it was a big mistake. The market was volatile and was passing through a strong bear phase in almost all days in this year followed by the economic turmoil in Europe and economic slowdown United States of America. The shares I bought were all of low valued companies. So in a good day that the Lord made I sold out all the shares in my kitty.

 
Then on I got after ITC Limited and Ashok Leyland shares. I just love those shares because they are the champions and heavy weights in FMCG and Automobile sectors. In next three months I plan to invest rupees ten thousand in these two companies. I have decided to put my hard earned money on those high value companies whose past five years performance had been audible.

2011 Christmas Celebrations

The Christmas celebrations started off in a sluggish mood…owing to so many mood swingers. However jubilant Santa on his Reindeer pulled chariot set our mood positive. Although our yesterdays had a million reasons to be in choppy mood, one thing I bet is today is going to be a new day given to us by our loving God to live and enjoy. So let us all forget our sadness and cheer for the New Year which has almost reached our door step and is full of hope. I think the key is “Hope against Hope”. Let’s collectively keep investing in ourselves.

To my surprise the first one who called up in the early hours was my father and mother. It was not expected because our relations were sour over the past one year especially with my Daddy. In the last one year I might have talked to Daddy only twice or maximum thrice. I and my wife left our parents home last year to chart a new course of our own. The relations were sour and we were hardly talking. The air was always filled with uncertainty and doubt. So after much thought we call it a day on the last week of November 2010. In spite of all these I kept depositing some amount of cash into Dad’s account to show I really cared and loved my parents although it was an absurd gesture. Nothing can replace our presence. It will remain as a big scar in minds forever. Hope time will heal it.

There after our phones remained really busy receiving and sending Christmas greetings text messages and calls from my friends and relatives. Nothing can fulfill our inner happiness till we attend our Sunday church service. No we can’t afford even a week’s service under any circumstance. In fact from childhood I had really enjoyed going to church early in the morning.

After our regular church service, our Pastor Rev. N.P.Philip and his team had in store some really wonderful Christmas programs. The one’s which will help understand the importance on Christmas to our non believer guests. Carol songs, dances and skits pushed the air into a happy environment. Christmas day celebrations are never complete with out a feast, so our celebrations ended by a fellowship lunch and loads of plum cakes. My wife Nisha was feeling some uneasiness in her lower abdomen throughout the day; however she did her best to replace our worship leader Mrs. Sheeba by leading the worship Corus. I will take her to Dominos pizza after I will get my salary to encourage her for her effort.

Later in the day me, and my friends Saji, Mithun, Shine and Liju went to Sacred Heart Church at Connaught Place to distribute New Testaments to thousands of non believers coming to have a glimpse of Christmas celebrations there. It was a wonderful and satisfying moment to all of us.

We signed off the day with a thanks giving and word of prayer and some moments to cherish for the days to come. When I kissed my wife and said good night it was 11 pm.                   

India’a Star Stocks of 2011

India’a Top Dividend Paying Companies 2010

Sl.No	Company Name
1	ONGC
2	TCS
3	ITC
4	IOC
5	NTPC
6	HERO HONDA
7	RIL
8	SBI
9	INFOSYS
10	HUL
11	SAIL
12	ICICI
13	BHEL
14	HDFC
15	WIPRO
16	TATA MOTORS
17	OIL INDIA
18	L & T
19	TATA STEEL

India’a Top Dividend Yield Earning Companies

Sl.No	Company Name
1	Indiabulls Real Estate
2	Ambuja Cements
3	Canara Bank
4	MTNL
5	Bajaj Auto
6	ACC,
7	HCL Technologies
8	Tata Motors
9	Castrol India
10	Syndicate Bank
11	Ashok Leyland
12	Chennai Petro
13	Bongaigaon Refinery
14	Varun Ship
15	Andhra Bank
16	HCL Infosys
17	Wyeth
18	Bank of Maharashtra
19	Wochardt
20	Vijaya Bank
21	Allahabad Bank
22	Royal Orchid
23	GIC
24	Ador Welding
25	Mirc Electronics

India’a Star Stocks of 2011

Sl.No	Company Name
1	TTK Prestige
2	Gujarat Fluorochem
3	Gitanjali Gems
4	Bata India
5	Hexaware Techno
6	Bombay Rayon Fashions
7	Petronet LNG
8	Hindustan Uniliver
9	Idea Cellular
10	Jubilant Foodworks
11	GMDC
12	Divi’s Labs
13	Colgate - Palmolive
14	ITC
15	LIC Housing Fin
16	Bajaj Auto
17	Ambuja Cements
18	Indraprastha Gas
19	Kotak Mahindra Bank
20	Sun Pharma
21	ACC
22	UltraTech Cement
23	Max India
24	Grasim Inds