“Nourish the mind like you would your body. Mind cannot survive on junk food.”- Jim Rohn
Before going into the weight reduction program, you need to learn a lot of books about human body, its functions and books on diet and nutrition. You need to know all facts and figures, about body health maintenance. Then only you can enter into the fitness program. You may ask, “Do I need to read a lot of books?” I would say “yes, if you have time”. But if you don’t have time, I would just say, “Just read this book”. I have provided the most essential facts in this book, which covers almost all the basics of health management. So, this book will provide you the essential knowledge that you need to know before getting into the program.
Health
Who is a healthy person? You may point out a man who wears those 3/4 trouser like those people on Hawaii beach and has six packs like one of those from the “300” movie. Else, you may point a lady with 36-24-36 dimensions, with a skin complexion like those coming in Garnier or L’Oreal advertisement. The bitter truth is that they are not! A man with six packs may have some problems in his health that doesn’t appear outside. A woman with a beautiful body may not be social, preventing the company of friends & relatives. They may not have the tendency to be social. So what is health then?
“Health is a state where both mind and body are in good condition. Not only the health of body, but with good knowledge and respect for people, and good habits, overall good character makes a healthy person.”
As the saying says, “Sound mind, in a sound body”, focus on maintaining the health of body. If your body is healthy, you can gain mental health. Let’s begin with an introduction to body weight. There are three techniques to analyse your body weight. Let us see them one by one.
Ideal Body weight
First of all measure your height in centimetres and note it down. Now subtract the value by 100. This is the ideal body weight. For example, my height: 164 cm. Then my ideal body weight is 164 – 100 = 64. So 64 kg is my ideal weight. This is the weight I should be. This is an approximate calculation to know what weight to maintain body weight.
Body Mass Index (BMI).
BMI is a measure for human body shape based on height & weight. BMI is calculated by the formula. BMI = Weight / (height *height); weight in kg; height in m.
For example, if the height is 1.65 m &weight is 64 kg. Then, BMI = 64/ (1.65*1.65), which gives the BMI value 23.52. If BMI is less than 18.5, the person is in underweight. If the person is in a range of 18.5 to 24.9 it is normal. If he is in a range of 25 to 29.9 he is in over weight. But if the BMI is above 3o, he suffers obesity. But this method also has some limitations. Even though this BMI method is a common standard used worldwide there are limitations. BMI may over estimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build. Also it may under estimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle.
Waist – Hip ratio
Waist – Hip ratio: The ratio of the waist to hip must be less than unity for men and less than 0.85 for women. For example, if waist is 120 cm & hip is 80 cm. Then 120:80 will give you 1.25:1 ratio. Which shows the waist size is bigger meaning, the person is fat. A man must maintain a waist size of less than or equal to 80 cm if his hip size is 80 cm.
Over weight
A person with BMI in range of 25-29.9 is said to be overweight. A research says that a person who is 40% overweight is twice as likely to die prematurely, than a normal-weight person. Obesity has been linked to several serious medical conditions, including, type – 2 diabetes, CAD, OHS, stroke, arthritis, hypertension, cancer, mental disorder, infertility (for women), hernia, gall stone, gout and problems related to respiratory system
When you are overweight, due to high fat content in blood, the fat blocks the way in the blood vessels, making the flow of blood to be forced. Simply to understand, it’s like water flowing from a pipe. When unblocked, the water flows smoothly. But if you block the way passage of the water flow and just leave a small opening, the water will be coming in huge pressure. Similarly, when fat blocks the blood vessels, the heart needs to pump blood with more force. This state is what it is called as hypertension.
If the fat is blocking in the Coronary artery, then the heart is not able to function properly. This is what they call Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). At Later stage this is what leads to Heart attack
Cancers of the colon, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium (the lining of the uterus), kidney, and oesophagus are associated with obesity. Some studies have also reported links between obesity and cancers of the gallbladder, ovaries, and pancreas.
Osteoarthritis is a common joint condition that most often affects the knee, hip, and back. Carrying extra pounds places extra pressure on these joints and wear away the cartilage (tissue that cushions the joints) that normally protects them.
Gout is a disease that affects the joints that is caused by excess levels of a substance called uric acid in the blood. The excess uric acid can form crystals that deposit in the joints. Gout is more common in overweight people and the risk of developing the disorder increases with higher body weights.
Sleep apnea is a serious breathing condition that is associated with being overweight. Sleep apnea can cause a person to snore heavily and to stop breathing for short periods during sleep. Sleep apnea may cause daytime sleepiness and increase risk for heart disease and stroke. The risk for sleep apnea increases as body weight increases.
Stroke comes by being overweight leading to a build-up of plaque in your arteries. Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form. If the clot is close to your brain, it can block the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain and cause a stroke. The risk of having a stroke rises as BMI increases.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body's blood glucose, or blood sugar, level is too high. Normally, the body breaks down food into glucose and then carries it to cells throughout the body. The cells use a hormone called insulin to turn the glucose into energy. In type 2 diabetes, the body's cells don't use insulin properly. At first, the body reacts by making more insulin. Over time, however, the body can't make enough insulin to control its blood sugar level. Diabetes is a leading cause of early death, CHD, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. Most people who have type 2 diabetes are overweight.
Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a breathing disorder that affects some obese people. In OHS, poor breathing results in too much carbon dioxide (hypoventilation) and too little oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia). OHS can lead to serious health problems and may even cause death.
Gallstones are hard pieces of stone-like material that form in the gallbladder. They're mostly made of cholesterol. Gallstones can cause stomach or back pain. People who are overweight or obese are at increased risk of having gallstones. Also, being overweight may result in an enlarged gallbladder that doesn't work well.
You now know the problems that come for people who are overweight. Now you need to know the problems that occur for persons who are under weight.
Under weight
A person with body mass index (BMI) below 18.5 is underweight. These are the health risks of persons who are under weight.
Since our book is focused on weight reduction only, we can focus on that topic alone. At this point you might have got an idea that you must not be overweight and also you must not be underweight.
Our body consists of several systems such as nervous system, respiratory system, skeletal system, muscular system, c circulatory system, reproductive system, digestive system, excretory system etc. If all these systems work properly then you are said to be fit.
Pulse rate
Human heart can beat in a range of 65-85 per minute. Approximately the average rate is nearing 72 per minute. Some people have heartbeat less than 65 per minute. But this also is normal. This value depends on individual and it can vary from person to person. At normal state the heartbeat can be at an average rate of 72 per minute. But during some cases such as playing a game, jogging, engaging in sports and also in escaping from accidents the heart beat can raise for higher values. This happens because, due to the activity such as running, the body provides work to legs. For this it needs more oxygen. So heart pumps fast the blood, which carries the oxygen toward the cells. Now to balance this, the lungs are forced to intake oxygen at a higher rate. So when you do a work, the heart pumps fast.
How can you measure the heart beat rate?
Place you index finger and middle finger on your wrist. This may take time to identify the pulse if you haven’t done this before. You can feel the heart beat here. Just note for a minute. This is your pulse rate.
How can you know how fast your heart can beat?
To measure this maximum heart beat rate. You can use the formula, Max. Pulse rate = 220 – your age. For example, my age is 27. So 220-27 = 193, my heart can go up to 193 beats per minute.
What is the advantage of doing this check?
You will know the heart beat rate and you can choose the exercises according to it. Your heart beat should not cross the limit of 80% when you are doing exercise. You need to be cautious about this pulse rate. Say if my age is 27, my maximum pulse rate is 193.Max pulse rate limit during exercise = 193 * 0.8 = 154 (rounded value). So, I must stay in the limit of 154 beats per minute during exercise.
Is there a minimum pulse rate then?
Yes, when doing the exercise your pulse rate must not fall below 60%. The beat rate must be above 60% of max pulse rate and below 80% of pulse rate. So the minimum pulse rate for the person will be 115 beats per second.
Blood pressure
When you switch on a pump, it exerts a force over the liquid and forces it out to the delivery. Like the same way the heart pumps the purified blood towards the cells. So when the pumping action takes place the blood pressure increases. When the heart relaxes the pressure reduces. The pressure due to pumping of heart is Systolic pressure and the pressure due to relaxing of heart is what they call Diastolic pressure. The blood pressure is recorded as 120/80, where 120 are Systolic and 80 for Diastolic. This value 120/80 holds approximately for many people, but not for all. Some people may have varied blood pressure rates. For this you need to consult your doctor.
Sugar level
The normal level of blood sugar before eating must be in range of 70 to 110. Sugar is present in blood as Glucose. Glucose is a must for your brain to be active. When you are idle, nearly 66% of your body Glucose travels to your brain.
Have you seen persons fainting when they work hard?
This happens because when you work too hard, the glucose going to the head gets reduced. The muscle takes the glucose to do the useful work. When this Glucose level drops it causes the person to faint. Insulin is a hormone that is important for the metabolism and utilization of energy from the ingested nutrients – especially Glucose. It is produced in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Insulin converts the glucose from blood and converts to glycogen that can be stored in liver and muscles. It also prevents the utilization of fat as an energy source and it controls the body systems, regulates the amino acid take up by the body cells
What will happen if there is no sufficient Insulin?
If there is no sufficient insulin then it may lead to Diabetes. There are two types of diabetes. They are type 1 & type 2. Let us see them now.
Type 1-diabetes: When there is no or low production of insulin from the pancreatic beta cells, the glucose level increases in blood. The lack of insulin causes improper glucose supply to the body cells. Those who suffer from this problem, takes the advice from the doctor and they need to take insulin injections daily to control the level of glucose in blood. If they fail to supply the regular insulin injections, they die.
Type 2 Diabetes: Almost 90% of diabetes patients come into this category. They can’t produce enough amount of insulin to maintain normal sugar level. This type of diabetes comes due to over-weight. When you have this type of diabetes, your fat, liver and muscle cells don’t respond to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. As a result the blood sugar doesn’t enter into the cells to be stored for energy. When sugar can’t enter cells, high levels of sugar build up in the blood. This is called Hyperglycaemia.
Blood cholesterol
Our blood contains cholesterol. To be clearer, it is Serum Cholesterol. This is a combination of three Cholesterol types. They are Serum High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL), Serum Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL) and Serum Very Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (VLDL). The Serum Cholesterol must be in range of 130 to 250 mg. The HDL cholesterol must be greater than 35 mg, LDL cholesterol must be less than 170 mg and VLDL Cholesterol must be up to 35mg. Among these the HDL cholesterol is the one which needs to be higher. It is the good cholesterol. But the LDL cholesterol must be within the range below 170 mg. If it is high, there comes the health problem.
These are the test that doctor conduct to analyse your health condition. Before getting into the weight reduction program, you need to know where you are, what you are capable. Some of you may have health problems that doctors might have advised you to not to engage in heavy exercises. So if that’s the case, please listen to the doctor first. Before getting into this program I need you to do these tests by yourself or with the help of another person whom you can trust – a doctor!
How does a car work?
Don’t you think that this question is strange? Why would I ask you this question in a weight loss guide? Well, I would say, you can understand the whole concept of human body with a car. Now answer my question, “how does a car work?”
Well you say, put the fuel, start the engine, press the pedal and voila! The car runs! That’s good! You know something about the functioning of a car. But let us take a deeper look at the functioning of the car. The petrol is loaded into the petrol tank and from there it is transferred to the engine. There the petrol is burnt and the work is done by the piston, operating the flywheel. From there the motion is transferred to the wheel through some mechanisms. Similar way is our body’s functioning. We take in food (petrol) and it passes to the stomach (engine) where the food (fuel) is burnt and the power obtained by the food (fuel) is transferred to the cells (wheels). Now you need to understand more about the food (fuel). The amount of heat given by the fuel is what you call calorie. Same way the amount of heat produced by burning the food is called calorie. So what is calorie?
“One calorie is defined as the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of 1 gram of ice to 1o C.”
Again consider the example of fuel burning in the engine. When the fuel is ignited, the fuel burns and it breaks up into gases such as carbon emissions (COx). Likewise the food that we take is burnt in the stomach and the carbohydrates in the food, is broken down to glucose, which in turn is converted to carbon dioxide and water in the cells through mitochondria. The heat liberated in this conversion is what you call “Calorie”. So calorie is the measure of energy. Now you will understand why those packed foods contains a nutrition chart, stating the calories present in that food. That food supplies that much calorie to you. Simply it’s like the petrol you load in your car. More petrol, you get more power. More calories, more is your power. So do you need to eat more?
No! There is a specific amount of calorie that is needed for everyday activity. This depends according to your age.
Nutrition
Well, you must have seen a nutrition chart in almost all packed food products. From small Cadbury’s chocolate bar to big huge Kellogg’s corn flakes, from skimmed milk to tetra packed Tropicana juice, all carry these charts on their cover or package. They enable the user to be informed how nutritious their product is. Well, what matters is that, does everyone know what they mean? What the values represents? It’s better to know them and then proceed to the program. Food contains the essential items that are needed for our body. Each nutrient is need for each part of the body. Simply, for understanding take the example of repairing a car. In a car there are various parts such as engine, gearbox, radiator, clutch, differential, battery, accessories etc. Say the gear box needs lubrication. But does the battery needs lubrication? No, it needs distilled water. Likewise a radiator doesn’t need grease, but it needs water with coolant compound. Similarly, our body needs different nutrients for different purpose and functions. Let us see them in detail, one by one.
Carbohydrates
Any group of organic compounds that includes sugars, starch, cellulose, gums and which serve as a major source of energy in diet of animals. These are produced by the photosynthesis plants and contain only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate. But it contains 100% carbohydrates, which can directly mix in blood stream. Sweets, sweetened beverages and also in some tablets (the coating) contain these kinds of carbohydrates. This is very harmful and at any cost these must be prevented. So it is good that you prevent sugar completely. The carbohydrate from food is converted into sugars. Then this sugar is converted into glucose by insulin and is taken to the cells. Now you understand why you must prevent sweets. Sweets contain sugar directly. There is no need for conversion from carbohydrates to sugar. As these sugars are directly absorbed into blood, they increase the blood sugar level instantly. Now, you understand why your sugar level increases to the value of Bugatti Veyron’s top speed, as soon as you eat that small piece of sweet?
What are the sources of carbohydrates?
Whole grains (such as Whole wheat grain), unpolished rice, corn, ragi, potato, beans, carrot, sweets etc. Be sure that 65% of carbohydrates must constitute towards total energy calories.
Proteins
Proteins are the nutrients that are needs for the growth and maintenance of human body.
Our body is build-up of lot of cells. Daily lot of cells die and lot of cells are created. For this activity protein is essential. Out of the total calories we obtain from food, a minimum of 12% of the calories must be from proteins.
What are the sources of Proteins?
The main sources of proteins are pork, pulses, milk and milk products, fish products, soya beans, egg, beans, lean beef etc. Among these, beef contains a lot of cholesterol. As far as possible, take sea foods as protein source. They are always good. If you are a vegetarian, you can go for soya beans. They contain a lot of proteins
Fats
Fats are a wide group of compounds that are soluble in organic solvents but not in water.
“Hey! I don’t need that, I need to reduce fat! This is why I bought your book!”
I hear your voice. But listen there are good fat and bad fat. Our food must contain fat calorie at a composition of 23% of the total calories. Our body stores the energy in form of fats. When times of starving where there is no food, our body utilizes this fat as a source of energy. So if you do give more work to the body than normal, body utilizes this fat source and provides energy to do work. But if a person doesn’t stay physically active, in the sense doing no work, then this fat gets accumulated in the body. As you keep on eating, fat keeps on building in your body. So, you need to stay physically active, involving in any sports or in doing exercise in a gym.
Well what are the sources of fat?
I think you know more than I could. Anyway I tell you what I know. The foods that are rich in fat are milk and milk products, oil, beef, ice cream etc. But you need to know that some of these items have saturated fatty acids. There are two kinds of fatty acids. They are Saturated Fatty Acids & Unsaturated Fatty Acids. Saturated Fatty Acids are those which have the capability of freezing at room temperature. Ghee, coconut oil, and vegetable oil are all examples. These are highly dangerous. They are liquid state when you eat with the hot food. But when it goes inside your body and gets mixed with blood, the temperature rapidly drops and they become solid fat, depositing on the walls of blood vessels. These type of fats cause major heart problems. Fats are important because certain vitamins like A, D, E and K can only be dissolved in fat and they can be only digested along with fat. So fat is essential for normal health.
Vitamins
Vitamins are those nutrients which are found naturally in food items. They are needed for normal operation of hormones and enzymes. Vitamins can be classified as fat-soluble & water-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins are those such as Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C. These vitamins being soluble in water, needs to be completely supplied to our body on regular basis. Fat-Soluble on the other hand are those which can be stored in the body along with fat. They are A, D, E and K. Each and every vitamin has its own importance. Let us see them one by one.
Vitamin A
Purpose: Needed for vision, healthy skin and mucous membranes, bone and tooth growth, immune system health
Source: fortified milk, cheese, cream, butter, fortified margarine, eggs, liver, Beta-carotene sources such as Leafy, dark green vegetables; dark orange fruits (apricots, cantaloupe) and vegetables (carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin)
Deficiency: The deficiency of vitamin leads to skin changes and to night blindness or failure of dark adaptation due to the effects of deficiency on retina.
Vitamin B1 – Thiamine
Purpose: Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism; important to nerve function
Sources: Found in all nutritious foods in moderate amounts: pork, whole-grain or enriched breads and cereals, legumes, nuts and seeds
Deficiency: Beriberi.
Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
Purpose: Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism; important for normal vision and skin health
Sources: Milk and milk products; leafy green vegetables; whole-grain, enriched breads and cereals
Deficiency: Deficiency leads to fissures in the corners of the mouth, inflammation of the tongue showing a reddish purple coloration and skin disease.
Vitamin B3 - Niacin
Purpose: Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism; important for nervous system, digestive system, and skin health
Sources: Meat, poultry, fish, whole-grain or enriched breads and cereals, vegetables (especially mushrooms, asparagus, and leafy green vegetables), peanut butter
Deficiency: The deficiency state in humans causes skin disease, diarrhoea, dementia, and ultimately death.
Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic Acid
Purpose: Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism
Sources: Good sources of it include liver, kidney, eggs, and dairy products while apart from that it is present in perhaps all animal and plant tissues, as well as in many microorganisms
Deficiency: There is no known naturally occurring deficiency state.
Vitamin B6 – Pyridoxine
Purpose: Part of an enzyme needed for protein metabolism; helps make red blood cells
Sources: Meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruits
Deficiency: Can result in central nervous system disturbances e.g. convulsions in infants, More generally the effects of deficiency include inadequate growth or weight loss and anaemia due to the role of B6 in the manufacture of haemoglobin.
Vitamin B7 - Biotin
Purpose: Part of an enzyme needed for energy metabolism
Sources: Widespread in foods includes egg yolk, kidney, liver, tomatoes and yeast; also produced in intestinal tract by bacteria
Deficiency: No deficiency yet is known associated with this vitamin.
Vitamin B9 - Folic Acid
Purpose: Part of an enzyme needed for making DNA and new cells, especially red blood cells
Sources: Leafy green vegetables and legumes, seeds, orange juice, and liver; now added to most refined grains
Deficiency: Its deficiency during pregnancy is associated with birth defects, such as neural tube defects
Vitamin B12 - Cobalamin
Purpose: Part of an enzyme needed for making new cells; important to nerve function
Sources: Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, milk and milk products; not found in plant foods
Deficiency: Its deficiency results in anaemia.
Vitamin C - Ascorbic Acid
Purpose: Antioxidant; part of an enzyme needed for protein metabolism; important for immune system health; aids in iron absorption
Sources: Found only in fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, vegetables in the cabbage family, cantaloupe, strawberries, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, papayas, mangoes, kiwifruit
Deficiency: The deficiency causes scurvy, anaemia, decreased ability to fight infections, slow metabolism which may result in weight gain and dryness.
Vitamin D - Calciferol
Purpose: Needed for proper absorption of calcium; stored in bones
Sources: Egg yolks, liver, fatty fish, fortified milk, fortified margarine. When exposed to sunlight, the skin can make vitamin D.
Deficiency: Deficiency of vitamin D causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
Vitamin E
Purpose: Antioxidant; protects cell walls
Sources: Polyunsaturated plant oils (soybean, corn, cottonseed, safflower); leafy green vegetables; wheat germ; whole-grain products; liver; egg yolks; nuts and seeds
Deficiency: It is essential for many vertebrate animals but its role in the human body has not been established. No clear evidence exist that it alleviates any specific disease.
Vitamin K
Purpose: Needed for proper blood clotting
Sources: Leafy green vegetables and vegetables in the cabbage family; milk; also produced in intestinal tract by bacteria
Deficiency: Deficiency results in impaired blood clotting, usually demonstrated by tests that measure clotting time. Symptoms include easy bruising and bleeding diathesis. In infants, vitamin K deficiency may result in intracranial haemorrhage.
Minerals
Like vitamins, the minerals present in food also help our body to stay healthy and perform our daily duties properly. Our body is full of chemicals and their reactions. You will wonder how many elements are present in our body, which perform their duties in our day to day life. Minerals can be classified as micro minerals and macro minerals. Macro minerals are those which are needed to our body in larger amounts. Micro minerals on the other hand are those which are needed in minute amounts. Let us see the minerals, their function and the sources.
Sodium
Function: Needed for proper fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction
Sources: Table salt, soy sauce; large amounts in processed foods; small amounts in milk, breads, vegetables, and unprocessed meats
Chloride
Function: Needed for proper fluid balance, stomach acid
Sources: Table salt, soy sauce; large amounts in processed foods; small amounts in milk, meats, breads, and vegetables
Potassium
Function: Needed for proper fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction
Sources: Meats, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes
Calcium
Function: Important for healthy bones and teeth; helps muscles relax and contract; important in nerve functioning, blood clotting, blood pressure regulation, immune system health
Sources: Milk and milk products; canned fish with bones (salmon, sardines); fortified tofu and fortified soy milk; greens (broccoli, mustard greens); legumes
Phosphorus
Function: Important for healthy bones and teeth; found in every cell; part of the system that maintains acid-base balance
Sources: Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, processed foods (including soda pop)
Magnesium
Function: Found in bones; needed for making protein, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, immune system health
Sources: Nuts and seeds; legumes; leafy, green vegetables; seafood; chocolate; artichokes; "hard" drinking water
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