Dietary Guidelines

Underweight Buddy
Q: I am a 19-year-old boy with height 5 feet 8 inches and weight 41kg. My problem is that I live alone in a hostel. I have been taking only one meal a day for one year. I am also a habitual smoker. Please guide me on how to gain weight? Ammad Alim
A: You are underweight and need to gain at least 15kg. You have mentioned about smoking; I think it is a core reason behind your poor health. Immediately quit smoking as it is injurious to your health. It leads to cancers of lungs, larynx, the oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus and bladder. You are worried about your weight yet you are taking only one meal per day which is not sufficient. To gain weight you will have to increase 100kcal in your diet per day. Begin your day with a heavy breakfast which can be a paratha with tea. For lunch a proper meal like meat curry with chappati or rice. In the evening you can have snacks and for dinner have a chappati or rice with daal or vegetables if you have taken meat in lunch. Try to gain weight with a balanced diet and healthy food, not junk food. Increase your water intake as it will help you in digesting fruits and vegetables you will suffer from constipation.

Peanuts While Dieting
Q: I am a 20-year-old girl and I am on diet these days. Can you tell me how many calories are there in one cup of peanuts? Can I eat dry fruits as snacks during the cold season while I am dieting? Tabinda
A: For many people it is really difficult to keep a check on their diet during winter. The cold season brings with it lots of dry fruits and peanuts are amongst the most popular. There are 800 calories in a cup of peanuts, which makes a lot of difference in one’s diet. Half cup of peanuts is about 400 calories which is also a lot. As you are on a diet I would suggest you to not have many peanuts but only eat very few at times. If you will not stop having a lot of peanuts you will gain lot of weight and regret what you have done. It is better to eat boiled peanuts as a cup of it has just 200 calories. You can also add few peanuts to your breakfast cereal. In the morning the metabolism of the human body is fast so you will not gain weight but if you will have it at night as most people do, then you might gain a lot of weight.

I Hate Milk!
Q: I am a 16-year-old girl and I hate milk. My mother forces me to drink milk but I can’t digest it and vomit. Please guide me on how I can increase my calcium intake without drinking milk? Farah
A: I have often seen mothers forcing their children to drink milk. I have faced a similar problem and to deal with it I add some flavour to milk. I will suggest you do the same. If you don’t like plain milk, go for the flavoured ones. A lot of variety in flavoured milk is available in the market these days. You can also add roohafza or chocolate syrup to it. If still it does not work then go for other options like having cheese, yogurt, buttermilk and spinach. A single glass of milk supplies about one quarter of daily protein and vitamin D. Many people do not produce enough lactose to completely digest the lactose in milk. If lactose is poorly digested, it can cause cramps, gas and diarrhoea. This is an inherited condition called as lactose intolerance. May be you are suffering from this condition. Lactose intolerant people can often eat small amounts of yogurt, buttermilk and some cheese because most of the lactose in these foods is fermented by bacteria.

High Cholesterol
Q: I am a 35-year-old married man, weight 80kg and height 6 feet. I have a high cholesterol problem. Can you suggest a diet plan for me? Faraz
A: You should try to reduce at least 5kg. Weight reduction brings good results in lowering the bad cholesterol. Eating saturated fat raises levels of LDL cholesterol, also called the bad cholesterol. Poly and mono unsaturated fats in nuts, olives, peanuts and canola oil help in lowering levels of LDL cholesterol. Hydrogenated oils are found in many bakery items and snacks, such as margarines and potato chips. The intake of these should definitely be minimised. But one thing you must remember is that the amount of saturated fat in the diet influences blood cholesterol levels much more than the intake of dietary cholesterol. If your values of blood cholesterol are normal than dietary cholesterol, it has little or no effect on blood cholesterol levels. What I suggest you is to have vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains in your diet as they are high in fibre. Fibre lowers the blood cholesterol. Soluble fibre found in fruits, oats and vegetables is very beneficial. Garlic, ginger, pepper and onions also lower blood cholesterol, they are also good for you. Fish is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which can lower blood cholesterol. Eating fish two to three times a week as part of a healthy diet can reduce risk of heart diseases by 50 per cent. Last but not the least, high intake of regular or decaffeinated coffee can raise blood cholesterol. It is better to avoid coffee.

Red Meat
Q: Is eating red meat bad for health? Nida
A: Red meat is exceptionally rich in iron, zinc and vitamins B6 and B12. About 20 per cent of the iron in meat is absorbed compared to most plant food from which only 2-5 per cent can be absorbed. Meat is the major source of saturated fat and cholesterol. A high meat intake may increase the risk of heart diseases, stroke and colon cancer. Women who eat meat at least once a day are twice as likely to develop colon cancer as those with a lower meat intake. Women who regularly eat chicken or fish rather than red meat cut their risk by 50 per cent. It is better to eat red meat in a moderate quantity; eating too much meat is harmful. Occasional consumption of meat can provide important nutrients without adding too much fat to the diet.

Green Vegetables
Q: What is the nutritional importance of green leafy vegetables? Hina
A: Green leafy vegetables are highly nutritional. We are lucky to have an abundant production of vegetables in our country. We can have variation in our menu by adding different vegetables in meat recipes. Vegetables add fibre to our diet which is good for our health. It also helps in constipation. The people whose diet consists of unhealthy food are likely to have colon cancer as compared to people with balanced diet. Besides, green leafy vegetables are a very good source of iron and calcium e.g. cabbage and spinach. They are also a good source of potassium, magnesium and zinc. They are also loaded with vitamins K, C and E. But in order to gain maximum benefit from green vegetables one should not over cook them which destroy important nutrients. These vegetables should be utilized by steaming them or adding them before the meat is ready to be served. A very good thing about vegetables is that they are very low in calories so diet conscious people can eat without any fear of weight gain.