Just because nuts and fresh fruits are good for you doesn’t mean you eat a bowlful. Dieticians discuss the science of portion
It’s greed of another kind. But city dieticians are concerned that health conscious Mumbaikars are taking it too far when consuming foods they believe are good for them.”Often, when they learn something is healthy, they consume it in excess,” says Bhakti R Samant, chief dietician at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. Just like with tasty carbpacked snacks, healthy eats can also wreck havoc with your body if you don’t keep count. Oats, every weight-loss chaser’s favourite, is a common example. “I’ve also seen patients who ate three bowls of dalia (broken wheat) in one meal. This defeats the purpose of staying fit,” she says.
Portion size, explain experts, is gauged according to the nutrient value and calorie count each individual must meet per day. This is related to your frame, weight and activity level. To plan your meals, lifestyle nutrition consultant Tripti Gupta, offers a simple rule of thumb, “For most cereals and pulses, your source of protein, the recommended intake should be two grams per kg of body weight.Excess can lead to weight gain.”
Underestimate your physical activity and you are likely to run out of energy by the end of the day. Consulting dietician Jyoti Lalwani says, “If you are active, you will burn calories acquired from food. If not, the body will convert it into fats.”
Regardless of whether a packaging insists its content are `low fat’, overindulgence will make you put on weight. Here’s our list of popular healthy eats that need to be consumed in moderation.
SOYA : SERVING SIZE 200 gm in one meal; occasionally Whole soy foods contain high levels of healthy protein and fibre that help reduce bad cholesterol. But soya also contains large amounts of biologically active compounds called isoflavones. Excessive and regular consumption can activate the oestrogen receptors in the body, causing hormonal imbalance.” For men, it means infertility, poor libido, for women, infertility.
LEAFY GREENS : SERVING SIZE 30-35 gm per meal.Slight steaming veggies high in oxalic acid can reduce their acidic content and increase nutrients Large servings are dangerous since greens contain oxalic acid, a chemical that can lead to calcium deficiency, kidney stone and gout. “It steals the body of calcium, causing muscle pain and kidney stone,” says Gupta. Spinach has the highest level of oxalic acid.
FRESH FRUIT : SERVING SIZE 5-6 pieces of strawberry, 10 of grape, 3 long pieces of papaya, watermelon, muskmelon, 1 medium-sized apple or orange Rich in fibre, vitamin C and nutrients, fruits can do no wrong, right? Too much, however, can lead to weight gain and make you acidic. “Never eat more than three fruits in a day. They can be high in calories and sugar. An apple is equal to two oranges in calorific content,” says Samant.
OATS : SERVING SIZE 60 gm or 1.5 cup Oats are packed with soluble fibre which reduces `bad’ cholesterol (1.5 cup of oatmeal provides 6 gm of fibre). The problem is with eating too much. To make it palatable, you add sugar or worse, pick flavoured packs with additives. That knocks the break fast staple right off its pedestal.
WHITE MEATS : SERVING SIZE 2 medium pieces of fish chicken. Fish and chicken breast have long been canvassed as heavyweight carriers of protein with minimal calorific content. A grilled fish or chicken paired with salad is believed to be the ideal mid-day meal.Sometimes, eating it in excess can tip your protein intake.”Each gram of protein has four calories. The body stores all excess calories as fat,” explains Samant. Excessive protein can also lead to liver and brain disorders since it leads to the production of ammonia, which the liver is unable to filter.
DRY FRUIT : SERVING SIZE 15 gm/day is all you need A dried apricot is a fraction of the size of a fresh one, but it packs in the same number of calories and sugar. Also, methi and pumpkin seeds and almonds. They contain oxalates and phytates -acids that cause kidney and gall bladder stone if eaten in excess. “Luckily, they are water soluble. So, soak them in water before eating,” Gupta suggests.
