Congratulations on being Mom. 

As Mom the first thing that we want is to ensure our Baby is healthy. 
We are worried whether our Baby is getting enough Milk, do we have enough Milk from our Breast or do we need to supplement formula milk to our Baby.  

Sometimes we feel that breast milk supply is low and we are worried so here's five foods that shall help you ensure good Milk supply to ensure your Baby is healthy - Foods that increase breast milk.
The word “galactagogues” comes from the Greek “galacta,” meaning milk. These Galactagogues helps increase Milk production when you are breast feeding , nursing the new born.

Fit in Five - Galactagogue 1 - Shatavari - this female friendly Asparagus racemosus helps increase lactation and helps normalize uterus. The other common names of this plant in different Indian languages are Satavar (Hindi), Satavari (Gujarati); Wild asparagus (English);  Asvel, Shatmuli, Satavari (Marathi); Chhotaru, Mohajolo, Sotabori (Oriya); Satawar (Punjabi); Shatmuli (Bengali).

Fit in Five - Galactagogue 2 - Fenugreek seeds- Methi - is another aid to help increase breast milk. Have methi as methi seeds ke laddoo to amp up the breast milk production.

Galactagogue 3: Fennel seeds - Saunf - It is best to have roasted saunf on daily basis, you may also consider having saunf water. Take water, boil it with saunf, keep aside and have saunf ka paani throughout the day. 

Galactagogue 4: Dark green leafy vegetables : Spinach, fenugreek and dill leave are all good to be consumed by Breast feeding Moms. Ensure dark green leafy vegetable is part of your diet atleast thrice a week.  

Galactagogue 5: Moringa - this superfood is helpful for Breast feeding Moms. Take Moringa leaves and make a concoction with Water, have this Moringa tea on daily basis. 

Include these Galactagogue in your daily diet and more importantly mitigate stress from your life and see positive results.  

All fruits are rich antioxidant vitamins and mineral sources which helps us stay healthy and our heart happy. Lets look at 5 fruits to get you pumped up with antioxidants and stay happy.

FIT 1 : Berries : Packed with anti infammatory properties and anti oxidants berries are considered to be heart friendly delicious fruits. Blue berries are considered one of the most potent superfood. Recently Pterostilbene; an antioxidant present in Blueberries is gaining a lot of popularity owing to the heart and health properties it suggests.

​FIT 2 : Pomegranate : One of the healthiest fruit in the World, Pomegranate have punicalagins which are antioxidants; known to help cleanse your blood circulatory system and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.

​FIT 3 : Kiwi : Vitamin C present in Kiwi is an antioxidant which helps reduce the bad cholesterol LDL and increase HDL good cholesterol levels.

​FIT 4 : Red and Black Grapes : Resveratrol is an antioxidant present in grapes which minimizes the risk of heart diseases, cancer and promises anti ageing.

​FIT 5 : Tomatoes : Yes, Tomato are a fruit and are rich in lycopene which reduces the chances of heart attack and imparts healthy heart.

​So go ahead and include fresh fruits in your diet to live happy and healthy.
​
Stay Fit Stay Happy
Priyam Ahuja
​Diet and Nutrition Expert
​www.dietofadietitian.com

You are the Bride, its gonna be your day. Let's make it perfect by ensuring we keep a check on certain foods that we need to avoid or limit to ensure that you appear the perfect beautiful you on your day.

FIT 1 : Avoid Ready to Eat Convenience foods : Yes, you heard it, there are these foods which you often buy from the market and all you need to do here is reheat it or warm it or add water and eat it. In fact even Indian foods like ready to eat rajma, ready to eat dal makhni are available in the market, some ready to eat includes french fries which are kept frozen and you open them dip them in hot oil and deep fry, ta-da the recipe for disaster is ready. In fact they are even loaded with preservatives and sodium and it would be the last thing you would want to have before your wedding. One Word : AVOID.

FIT 2 : Avoid Fried Foods : like completely, just ignore them even if they are offered to you by your relatives and they say 'ek kha legi to moti nahi ho jaegi', just don't eat fried, they not only are bad for your weight but are bad for your heart as well and since your concern is your big day rite now, let's be practical, fried food is directly related to bad skin especially if your skin is already very sensitive and who wants that extra flab when all you are trying to do is shed off as much extra as possible.

FIT 3: Avoid excess salt consumption: Salt is essentially Sodium which your body does require but too much of sodium and less fluid going in your body might lead to swelling and you might appear as if you have put on weight while you are just bloated coz of too much of sodium. Take care of the sodium levels by restricting table salt, pickle, papad, anything having preservatives. 

FIT 4 : Avoid Maida (Refined Flour) : Most of the baked foods have maida in it, even a simple white bread, cupcakes, donuts, bagel, muffins and cakes. Beware, check the labels and opt for multi grain instead. Even Indian preparations like bhatura and naan are made with maida, keep a check on what you eat. 

FIT 5 : Avoid excess Tea and Coffee : While you are busy with marriage preparations, shopping and meeting up with friends and relatives giving them the invitations you might not realize that all this leads to unnecessary additional cups of tannin and caffeine going inside your body which not only dehydrates your system but also makes you appear dull on your wedding day. Switch to healthier options, opt for fresh juices, smoothies, lemonade or green tea. 

These are the five basic mistakes that we tend to make unknowingly but now that you are aware of these, avoid them and be the beautiful you on your wedding day. Good Luck.

Fit in Five  with Priyam Ahuja
​Diet and Nutrition Expert

So you are gonna be a bride soon and you want to look the best on your wedding day. Perfect then lets get started without wasting any time. Let's look at five foods which in no time shall make you look Glamorously beautiful. P.S. Congratulations.

​FIT 1 : CITRUS 
Citrus fruits like oranges, sweet lime, tangerine and lemon are loaded with goodness of vitamin C which makes your skin glow from within. Along with making your skin so soft and supple it also helps you stay away from infections by boosting your immunity. Vitamin C is definitely a key to Glamour. 

FIT 2 : GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES
Green leafy vegetables like spinach, mustard leaves, fenugreek leaves and kale are loaded with Iron and antioxidants which helps increase your Hb levels and cleanses your system for a beauty that reflects inside out. A Green Detox drink is the best option to include these antioxidants in your diet.

FIT 3 :  OATS
Most often in order to shed some extra pounds Brides tend to go on a no carb diet ending up with anxiety and tiredness during the wedding preparations and looking dull and washed out on their wedding day. We need to understand one simple aspect ; Cereals give us carbohydrates and our body needs these carbs for energy. Keep your body loaded with Carbs but make it healthier by selecting certain cereal over others. Like Oats and Multi grain over Refined flour and pseudo cereal like Quinoa and Cous Cous over Rice. sometimes we are so tired after shopping that our first instinct says lets eat something that gets ready in two minutes, like instant noodles but wait, even Oats Upma can be prepared in 2 mins. Lets select Healthy.

FIT 4: YOGURT : Some people often tend to remove dairy from their diet to ensure a quick weight loss well I suggest don't you miss on your probiotics. Excitement and Nervousness both feelings are equally there in every Bride and most often then not, these feelings might interfere with your gastric system the same often happens when you have go for an exam or a big interview, your stomach (intestines) creates a problem. The probiotics present in Yogurt helps fix this problem and ensures you stay free of any worries and enjoy the lavish meals prepared for your big day.P.S. it adds a dose of calcium as well and you can always have a healthy yogurt dip replace the unhealthy mayonnaise from your food.

FIT 5 : MINT AND LIME WATER : The last thing that you would want is to appear bloated on your wedding day, but this is very very common as due to so many functions happening back to back, Bride forgets to sip in enough water leading to water retention in the body causing bloated appearance. The best way to overcome this is to channelize your body towards having more water as often as possible. While shopping carry your water bottle along and keep sipping often. Also if you are gonna be a Summer Bride, you already know that your body requires much more than just water, you need to replenish the lost body glucose and electrolytes. Best bet would be to have a glassful of Mint and lime water with slight sugar and salt added to it. A Lemonade, Mojito or an Aam Panna all are the best beauty quintessential. 

So now that you know the perfect Glam diet foods to be included in your diet, get ready and be fit for your wedding in five. 

FIT IN FIVE WITH PRIYAM AHUJA
​DIET AND NUTRITION EXPERT

Do you suffer from severe headache quite often? What do you generally do then? Take a pain killer and wish it would never happen again, others sleep over it. The best way to subside the instances of severe headache are most often related to your lifestyle. Stress and Sleep deprivation are the most often quoted reasons for Headache however, it has been identified that the reason can be certain foodstuffs in your diet which whenever consumed in quantities above your threshold might lead to a shooting pain called as the headache. sometimes these foodstuffs might not hamper you at all but when combined with an environment of stress, it becomes the trigger to a severe headache or migraine. As I always say some foods are good for you but might be hampering the health of someone else, but worry not cause that is the reason why I am here - to help you for your individual health issues. Let's have a look at foodstuffs which might be the reason to your frequent headache:

FIT 1 : The Chinese restaurant syndrome : Next time you go in to a Chinese restaurant try to avoid adding additional soya sauce to meals, always ask the person taking your order to ensure they do not add ajinomoto to your dishes as you are allergic. The Reason : Mono sodium Glutamate which is another name for Ajinomoto: the chinese salt is a known headache trigger for many individuals. I Love Chinese food and I am sure so do you but if you the outcome of your love leads to a headache I suggest you take caution.

FIT 2 : Aged Cheese : Is that you who always says - 'Ah I Love cheese' or is this you who says 'I would like to order a cheese burst pizza with extra cheese along with garlic bread and a cheese dip'  Next time you consume cheese take note of it, is it the cheese that's causing you a shooting pain if it is remember you can always switch to fresh cheese like cottage cheese also called as paneer. Cheese to restrict includes Blu cheese, Chedder, Feta, Mozarella, Parmesan, Swiss, Processed cheese and other aged cheese. Point to remember here is the longer the cheese ages the more is the tyramine content in cheese, and this tyramine is the culprit for your headache. Avoid aged cheese and stay ageless and lively free from frequent headaches.

FIT 3 : Red Wine Headache (RWH) : If you thought its the loud music at friend's party that gave you a headache, think again, it might also be the Red Wine that you had. There are several researches which suggest different reasons for this cause and time and again there have been researches which are conflicting. some suggest the sulfites present in red wine leads to headache conflicted by the research which suggests white wine to have more sulfite than Red wine and yet not causing any problem. Others regards Histamine, Tannins, Prostglandines present in red wine to be the causative factor. However, a majority suggest its the Tyramine present in Red wine which leads to headache. Tyramine is a basically an amine produced naturally when a product is aged as the protein present in it breaks down scientifically stated as decarboxylation of an amino acid called Tyrosine. Whatever be the main cause, the gist that we need to understand is that if you suffer a headache after red wine consumption make note of it in your food diary and the next time you have similar headache problem check if you had red wine some time back. 

FIT 4 : Hot Dog Headache :  Nitrites present in certain foods makes them the cause for your headache. It increases the blood flow to brain causing headache. It is added to Ham to preserve it. Sodium nitrite are largely present in processed meat : in cold cuts and in hot dogs. Try to avoid additives containing foodstuffs to stay Fit and away from Headache triggers.


FIT 5 : Chocolate :  Some of you might disagree with me and say instead if you have a headache you lean towards chocolates and feel good about it, but the truth is caffeine and phenyl ethyl amine present in chocolates might constrict the blood vessels leading to pain. Some suggest phenylethylamine along with tyramine causes migraine and severe headache in those consuming too much of chocolate at a go, others might say its the chocolate spree hangover.


If you suffer from frequent severe headache, always ensure that you keep a food diary handy and everytime you have a headache mention it along with the foodstuffs that you consumed past 24-48 hours, also mention the quantity consumed. You will be surprised to know that often its been a certain food which was consumed beyond your threshold that acted as the trigger for you. 

If you have severe headache and need a quick diet suggestions chart : Contact me and I shall provide you with the Anti Headache Diet options chart. 

Stay Fit in five
Priyam Ahuja 
Diet and Nutrition Expert

First 0 to 6 months of Life a baby should be exclusively Breast fed and only after six month should a complementary or weaning food be initiated. The Babies growth and development is at its peak and the nutrient needs are highly increased, Baby now requires additional nourishment in addition to breast milk. This transition from breast milk to solid foods is called Weaning or Complementary feeding. It starts at the age of 6 months and transition takes place upto 18-24 months.

So let's have a quick look at how to initiate weaning at different stages of Life. 

FIT 1 : First six months of Life: Exclusive Breast Feeding, Breast Milk has all the essential nutrients present in it, in-fact Breast Milk also hydrates the Baby and so no additional Water is needed to be given to the Baby. Sometimes people tend to follow the old customs of giving Honey,Water, Ghutti to Baby however, WHO discourages all such activities and suggests exclusive breastfeeding as the best way to ensure nourishment, develop a bond between Mother and Baby and to keep Baby away from infections and gastric problems like diarrhea.   
FIT 2: 6-7 months: Initiate food with a semi-liquid consistency. Food that are smooth and very easy to digest, they should be easy for baby’s tummy. Rice, Potato, Fruits,Veggies should be ripe/soft/properly cooked and pureed. 
FIT 3 : 7-9 months: Now is the time to have a step higher, semi-solid consistency of food. Baby should be given some taste in their food and not just taste but also slight semi solid texture. Custard can be added, khichdi,curd, eggs,rice, pulses, soup, sooji kheer,daliya. Include lumps in the diet now, not just simply purees.  
FIT 4 : 9-12 months: Semi solid consistency,Mashed,Chopped,Minced. Baby now wants to chew foods and is ready for a blend of tastes and texture, in-fact finger foods are a great way to get started here.Add a serving of half boiled eggs, fried fish, tender chicken, also give paneer, yogurt or cheese.
FIT 5 : After 1 year: From semi solid we now switch to solid foods, add on variety in the diet, give Baby foods that Baby can chew with his new small tiny little teeths.


WHO recommends that infants start receiving complementary foods at 6 months of age in addition to breast milk, initially 2-3 times a day between 6-8 months, increasing to 3-4 times daily between 9-11 months and 12-24 months with additional nutritious snacks offered 1-2 times per day, as desired.

Talking about the frequency of breast milk feeding :

FIT 1  : 0-6 months:  Every 2 hourly or on demand 9-10 times over a period of 24 hours.
FIT 2 :  6- 9 months: Now the child is growing, and so child can have larger volume of milk consumed at a time with thick consistency also as we add on complementary food to the diet we can reduce the frequency to 7-8 times per day of breast milk.
FIT 3 : 9- 12 months: Now Baby is enjoying food and feeding can be reduced to 5-7 times a day.
FIT 4 : 12 – 15 months: 5-6 times a day is now sufficient, Baby can now have larger meals.
FIT 5: After 15 months: Baby should now be consuming Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Do not feed during the meal hours, rest of the remaining day you can feed him 4-6 times. We need to encourage child to start having healthy snacks in between meals and gradually within 18 months of age to 24 months of age, try to reduce the breast milk to almost nil. And in no time will you realize that your baby is now already so big. Congrats for all the efforts your Baby is now healthy and ready to face the World.

 P.S. Just to inform you all I had a great time working in the Labour Ward and Pediatric Ward at Choithram Hospital and Research centre and realized that having a Baby is what makes a family complete, Be it the Father or the Mother, In-laws or siblings of the Baby, everyone takes care that Mother and Baby both are comfortable and relaxed. In-fact when a Baby is born, there is an evident twinkle in every family members eyes,9 months family has taken full care of the Baby along with the Mother,now when the Baby is in this World, its time we take responsibility of the child's nourishment right from the time Baby is born. That is why at Choithram we follow the ten steps of a Baby Friendly Hospital and ensure early initiation of Breast feeding within an hour of normal delivery. The frequency of Breast feeding (every 2 hours or every time Baby cries; demand feeding) is an effective way to ensure Baby is nourished. By six months it becomes further necessary to encourage baby to eat food, we need to introduce child to new food but always ensure that introduce one food at a time and introduce next food only after 2 weeks. Do not stop breastfeeding, Baby will have a spoon or two of the newly introduced food to start with, increase the frequency of the times you offer Baby food. If the Baby just had breast milk baby will not have other foodstuff immediately after that, its a small tummy of your Baby give him some time and then offer food in next meal.  Start with cereal then switch to pulses and fruits veggies. Add in some salt, sugar for taste and Ghee to add in calories and some essential fat as well. Take care to stay away from pathogens, prepare food in a clean boiled utensil. And Yes, enjoy this phase of responsibility, if you have any problems in planning the diet or Baby is not responding well to the newly introduced foods, get in touch with me.

Priyam Ahuja 
Diet and Nutrition Expert      

World Milk Day is celebrated on 1 June every year to encourage people to have milk and dairy products. Milk are a great source of Protein and Calcium both needed by each and every one of us. Dietician Priyam Ahuja brings to you the top five ways to have milk in your daily breakfast.


Fit 1 : A Glassfull of Milk : The best way to have milk is to have it just like that, either have it hot or have it chilled both ways it tastes the best. If you are a kid have full fat milk but if you are an adult then you do not really need so much of fat from the milk as its saturated in nature so opt for toned or slim milk. Add in Malt powder to it if you wish to have some flavour added to it. 

Fit 2 : Milk with Cereal : Your Breakfast cereal can never taste better if you do not add milk to it. 

Fit 3 : Porridge : Have the traditional daliya or sooji porridge, or have calcium rich Ragi porridge. Milk when added to oats gives you another great porridge. But the point here is be it Sooji,Ragi,Oats, Broken wheat daliya you can opt for any alternative but the base shall always be MILK. 

Fit 4 : Smoothie :  Smoothies are the best way to relish milk. Apple Honey smoothie, Banana smoothie, Dry fruits smoothie, Mango smoothie, Apple Berry Yogurt Milk smoothie are yummy calorie rich and tasty alternatives to fuel up your mornings.     

Fit 5 : Paneer Sandwich : Sandwiches are the chosen breakfast option by many of us but we tend to make either a salad sandwich or grilled potato masala sandwich, instead if we focus on adding paneer to the sandwich we get all  the goodness of milk from the sandwich itself. You can add it as cubes or grate it both ways it tastes the best.

Relish milk in your breakfast, keep away osteoporosis and stay Fit
Fit in Five with Dietician Priyam Ahuja 

We drink Milk almost daily, many a times we get bored of the same routine and want something new. Also there are some of us who are allergic or cannot tolerate the lactose present in milk ( that's the milk sugar, to digest it we need enzyme lactase which might be absent or not working well in some individuals.) Then there are others who are looking in for low fat options as opposed to full fat buffalo's and cow's milk. So here Dietician Priyam Ahuja gives you top five alternatives to choose from and stay Fit and Fab.

Fit 1 : Soy Milk : soy Milk is extracted from Soyabean, its a great alternative for those suffering from Lactose intolerance and as a result cannot really digest dairy quite well. Its a good source of protein and precisely is good for woman as it has phyto-estrogen in it.

Fit 2 : Slim Milk : opt for Slim Milk if you are looking for a slimmer waist line. Full fat buffalo milk has 5% of saturated fat, and that is what we are trying to cut down on, slim milk has 0.05% of Fat which ideally means almost negligible and hence good for your heart and waist.  

Fit 3 : Almond Milk : The another healthy option in town is the Nut milk, its rich in protein, has healthy fat and is dairy free another option for lactose intolerant. Its creamy texture makes you fall in love with it but ensure that you do not drink it as much as you do drink milk coz sodium levels out here might be slightly higher. It tastes best with smoothies,cereals.
 
Fit 4 : Slim Milk Powder : Now Slim milk is also available in powdered form and ensures fat content of less than 1%, moreover the shelf life of the powdered milk makes it more beneficial for those who do not prefer to go grocery shopping that often. Oh and you can also eat it raw or use it to thicken up your smoothies as the extent of its dilution is your decision.


Fit 5 : Oh n we have another plant based milk here the Coconut milk : its low in sodium but comparatively high on saturated fat and hence, have it occasionally however Its a good alternative for those having both dairy and nut allergy.

Fit in Five with Dietician Priyam Ahuja 

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and death, 1/3 rd of new smokers will eventually die from tobacco use so this World No-Tobacco Day make a change in your life and quit smoking. You need reasons ? Here are top five reasons but remember its not restricted to only these there are more losses involved.  

Reason 1: Tobacco use results in increased blood pressure (BP) and heart rate also increases, blood flow from the heart is increased and the arteries becomes narrow. Leading to Heart disease and stroke.

Reason 2: We all know Tobacco use leads to chronic obstructive lung disease and lung cancer.

Reason 3 : Liver is your body's filter which filters toxins and keeps your body fresh and active. The various toxins present in Tobacco leads to inflammation, it leads to liver cirrhosis and usually if not taken further care leads to end stage liver disease. Liver is very important for us when it is compromised your metabolism suffers, digestion process gets hampered and your immune system lowers leading to frequent proneness of illness and infection. 

Reason 4: Tobacco chewing and smoking leads to bad breath, yellowing of teeth and oral cancer is also frequently observed in such cases.

Reason 5 : If you smoke a pack or more of cigarette on a daily basis, you need to know that every puff reduces a minute from your life, studies suggest that premature deaths are often a result of chronic smoking.

Several other Reasons : Smokers also affect people around them, the one's they care about, their family. Passive smokers are too at risk and more than 50000 people each year die of passive smoking ie: inhaling the smoke coz someone is smoking around them.  

And more reasons : Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, baby might be at risk of sudden infant death syndrome or might lead to still birth of baby. Children whose parents smoke usually have allergies and asthma problems during their entire life.

Reasons will continue : If you compete in sports remember it hampers your endurance and your perfomance will not be optimal. If you compete in intellectual mind games or are a creative person who believes its all in his brain , if you are the one who has numerous business ideas , take charge and if you smoke quit it coz it lowers your cognitive thinking ability.

Top Reason : It ruins your SOCIAL LIFE, your FAMILY happiness and You DIE coz of tobacco addiction. 


Its time to bring a change, Dietician Priyam Ahuja appeals to all her clients to quit smoking and live a healthy happy positive life.


Fit in Five with Dietician Priyam Ahuja