Gyming Food Rules – Eat Smartly Is the New Cool

By: Jasmine Khurana

What to eat and what not to eat? When to eat and when not to eat? These are basic questions for
regular gym goers. Experts say people overestimate the number of calories they have burned and
compensate by eating more than they burn.

Pre-Workout Food:

Eating right before a workout would prevent low blood sugar and provide longer lasting energy. It is
preferable to eat an hour or two before the workout. Foods you may choose must be low in fat and
fiber, moderate in carbs and protein and includes fluids.

• Banana: Bananas are loaded with digestible carbohydrate and packed with potassium, which aids in maintaining nerve and muscle function.
• Smoothies: They are time friendly and building your own blend with your favorite fruit could make it more beneficial.
• Oats: These are full of fibers, keeps your energy levels consistent during your workout. You may have it 30 minutes before your exercise.
• Wholegrain bread: It’s a good source of carbohydrates. You may top it off with honey or sliced up hard-boiled eggs for high-quality protein.
• Apple: Something light like an apple 30 minutes before your workout is ideal. You may spread a tablespoon of almond butter on your slices to squash hunger and amplify energy level ups.

Post-Workout Food:

After your workout, muscles recover and grow: muscle protein and glycogen begin to break down.
However, within a 45 minute window your body is most responsive to absorbing carbohydrates and
protein.

• Chicken: It is an excellent source of lean protein and other important nutrients like niacin. You may add some veggies in olive oil to keep your ticket in shape.
• Egg: Eggs are a great source of protein. Have a veggie-packet omelet. You may add avocados, which would help your body better absorb fat soluble nutrients that your veggies have like vitamins A, D, E and K.
• Fruit salad: Pineapple is known to have anti-inflammatory properties to help your muscle recover. Kiwi aids with digestion and helps break down amino acids.
• Wholegrain breakfast cereal: Select a high protein, high fiber cereal to reload the muscle energy stores.
• Protein Shakes or powders: Choose protein powders made from whey protein or milk proteins. A good sports drink has 14-15 grams of carbohydrates in 8 ounces. It should also have about 110 milligrams of sodium and 30 milligrams of potassium in the same volume.
• Chocolate milk: It has carbohydrates and proteins for muscle recovery, water content to replace the fluids lost as sweat and calcium, sodium and sugar- so it’s a full package post-workout snack.

If your goal is to build muscle, eat at least 30 grams of protein and 30 to 35 grams of carbohydrates
within 15 minutes of your workout. If you’re just trying to shed few pounds, eat within 45 minutes or an hour after your work out.

Points to consider:

• Avoid high-calorie bars.
• Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration
• A lower intensity workout does not require as much energy as a demanding one. E.g.: if you’re
• planning to burn only 350 calories on the elliptical, a 200-calorie snack is not needed.
• Before working out, avoid raw sugar or candy – would cause a sugar rush and probably a crash mid-workout.
• Avoid overeating – may cause indigestion, sluggishness, nausea and vomiting.

How Genetics Influences “Fat vs Fit”

By: Rajani Aatre Keshavamurthy, Genetic Counsellor

We all know it is important to exercise and stay fit. However, when the person next door appears to complete triathlon after triathlon and her child is winning the under-14 State Tennis meets, all the while appearing cheerful and relaxed, you wonder about the edge their genes have given them versus the general population. It is easy to explain our weaknesses as a poorly dealt set of genetic cards while those who accomplish their fitness goal attribute it to perseverance and hard work. While ultimately it is the latter that is required to perform well athletically, professionally or recreationally, genetics can give some of us an advantage.

Many basic movement patterns are established during the first 7 years of a child's life though genetics plays a small role in the inherent differences between kids (Malina & Bouchard, 1986). Fat patterning is highly heritable, with ethnic and racial variation (Mueller & Wohlleb, 1981). Body size & composition, physique and biological maturation share similarities in genetic influences though human stature is also influenced by the environment (i.e., malnutrition). Weight, skinfolds and body circumferences show a lesser degree of genetic inheritance with more environmental influence.

Muscular strength (isometric, contraction & explosive) show a significant degree of similarity among siblings as well as parent-offspring, indicating a strong genetic component. Muscle fiber numbers may be determined by the second trimester of fetal development (McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 1991) but physical training plays a significant role in modifying fiber size and area. The capacity of skeletal muscle to utilize oxygen has strong genetic and training components. Our body is highly adaptive to endurance training, and it is the extent of adaptation that appears to be determined by genetics.

There are a number of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs or genetic markers) that have been identified that may explain some of the variation in exercise response among individuals, both for endurance training (such as marathons, biking, distance swimming) and power-sports with short energy-burst activities (such as sprinting). Some genes may, for example, influence how muscles respond to interval training while others may stimulate higher cardiovascular output and efficient oxygen utilization, while yet others may play a role in how the body metabolizes fats.

As Dr. Claude Bouchard, an expert on the genetic of fitness said, “More fundamentally, elements of the interplay of genetics, environment, the human body and resolve probably always will remain mysterious and stubbornly individualized, no matter how much science disentangles the genome.

All this being said, the importance of two things cannot be stressed enough – one, that exercise can be fun and must become a daily part of a family routine with children being inculcated with this habit right from a young age and two, we must cite Mary Kom as an example to ourselves and our children where the opposite of Fat is Fit and consistent training is the only key to the latter.

Happy Diwali

This Diwali
May you find
Light over darkness
Increased self awareness
Knowledge over ignorance
Discover yourself through the genomic lens
Good over evil
Food that fits the health bill
Hope over despair
Exercise along with your prayer
Wishing you an amazing Diwali!

This Dhanteras, grab Cardiomap at 50% off

Let Fitness be your Main Course on World Food Day

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Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

By: Sushma Patil

Mr. Kiran (name changed) is super tensed as his 24-year old-cousin Nishant died of a sudden cardiac arrest.  His death came as a shock to all family members as Nishant never had any health issues. Kiran asked the consulting cardiologist the reason behind it.

Questions asked by the cardiologist-

Q. What was Nishant doing when he died?

A.  He was at the gym, working out when he died.

Q. Did he have any fainting episodes before?

A. Yes, but we thought it was stress related.

Q. Any family history of sudden cardiac arrest?

A. Yes, my (Kiran) father passed away at the age of 40 years due to sudden cardiac arrest.

Q. Did you have any fainting episodes? Do you feel tired after strenuous exercise?

A. Yes, I did faint once but that was when my wife was admitted to the hospital and I thought it was because of the tension.

Taking into consideration all these answers the cardiologist suspected Nishant‘s cause of death to be cardiomyopathy and Kiran to be at risk for the same. He recommended that Kiran undergo genetic testing along with echocardiogram.

Kiran turned out to be positive for MYBPC3 (25 basepair deletion responsible for manifestation of HCM), screened in Cardiomap from Mapmygenome.

What is HCM?

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a condition wherein the heart muscles get thickened (enlarged).  This makes it harder for the heart to pump blood.  This can have serious implications like sudden cardiac death wherein the oxygen flow to the heart is stopped.

Does HCM run in families? Any tests which need to be done if family history of sudden cardiac death is there?

Yes. HCM does run in the family. If one of the parent has HCM, there is 50% chance that it is passed on to the next generation. Genetic testing can help in detecting the presence or absence of mutation.

Advice by Genetic Counselor:

Diet

Adequate water intake (6-8 glasses per day) is advised, with increased intake during warmer temperatures/climate. In case of heart failure, this may be contraindicated by the physician.

Caffeine and fat intake must be limited. Fried/processed food must be replaced by wholesome nutritious meals.

Lifestyle

Weight management is essential, with a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Regular dental cleaning and care (antibiotic prophylaxis if necessary) is recommended. Medications (especially cold) must not taken without a prescription. Use of hot tub/sauna is not recommended. Smoking and drinking habits must be ceased.

Exercise

Low impact sporting activities can be pursued by patient. He or she can also participate in mild to moderate aerobic activity based on clinical presentation (such as walking, water aerobics) under supervision and with a companion. Practice of yoga is also beneficial. However, high weight-training and interval aerobics are contraindicated.

Next course of action for Mr. Kiran:

• Visit to a cardiologist to undergo appropriate test to detect the thickening of the heart muscles. The cardiologist will also suggest appropriate diet and exercise to him. Mr. Kiran will also have to visit cardiologist regularly to monitor his condition.
• Extended family screening- Not only Mr. Kiran’s siblings need to get tested but also his paternal side  need to be tested.  

Do you want to have a healthy heart?  This is what our genetic counselors advise you- 

http://mapmygenome.in/cardiomap.html

Healthy Lifestyle for Adolescent Females

By: Easha Sagar

While evolution is often considered highly beneficial to mankind, we tend to overlook the fact that it has come to us at a price. With advancement in all fields, society has become stricter, and regulations have sprung up for every possible situation. Adolescent females are caught up in this whirlwind of high standards, and are forced to adhere to regimens that make them presentable.

Firstly, teenage girls have to be skinny. Having the perfect body is a dire requirement for them, and if they fail to do so, they are often shunned. For this, they follow diets that are synonymous with starving themselves. Health is always their last priority, and maintaining a good figure, their first. They often eat either a single egg or a few carrot sticks and consider it a meal. What they do not realize is that they are causing immense harm to their bodies in the process. What is the point of having the perfect body, when you are too weak to walk around and flaunt it?

The first step to a healthier lifestyle, is to understand that a perfect body is merely a healthy body, not an anorexic one. The key to maintaining good health is to plan a diet that consists of all the required mineral nutrients. As the adolescent phase is that of growth, the body has an increased need for proteins, iron, and calcium. These are beneficial in skeletal growth, as well as the other bodily functions that accompany puberty. Lean meat, milk, eggs, leafy vegetables and fruits are only the tip of the iceberg. It is also important that teenagers drink enough water to keep the body quenched throughout the day. Water helps cleanse the body of toxic materials and maintains a balance in body fluids.

On the contrary, there are quite a few teenagers who choose to do the exact opposite, and consume way more calories than required. With junk food and soft drinks becoming a trend, it is only realistic that obesity, diabetes, and other such lifestyle diseases will become increasingly common. What teenagers need to realize is that extremities are never good, and excessive eating can have severe effects on the body. In case it becomes a necessity to consume burgers and pizzas often, then exercise should follow.

Exercising is the most important influencing factor of all, and a simple walk every day can do wonders. Playing sports, jogging in the park, yoga, swimming, and dancing are a few ways to burn extra calories and keep the body healthy. However, it is not appropriate to only exercise and not eat, because exercise and nutrition are two sides of the same coin.

As a teenage girl who has gone through the phase of adolescence, I understand that it is difficult to juggle our hectic schedules and healthy habits, but that is a choice for us to make. High school is an important time for us, and it determines the course of our future. It is up to us to decide whether we want to keep studying and neglect a healthy lifestyle, or if we want to balance the both.

The day that we teenage girls realize that eating disorders are not the only way to keep ourselves fit, is the day that society has truly developed.

Adiponectin levels and your health

By: Rasika Raman

Plasma adiponectin is an important chemical entity for various physiological functions and overall wellness. Circulating adiponection ranges between 5 and 30 µg/ml2 . Synthesis happens in the adipose tissue, where adiponectin is the most abundantly expressed protein, among all adipokines.

What affects adiponectin levels:

• Genetic factors: polymorphisms in the ADIPOQ gene are linked with hypoadiponectiniaemia
• Diet
• Gender: Higher levels in females when compared with males
• Anthropometrics: waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference

Protective role of adiponectin:

Adiponectin exhibits strong antioxidant action and helps reduce excess free radical formation. It also reduces insulin resistance, a major development in diabetic patients.

Studies have shown that adiponectin level is inversely proportional to the level of cytokines, which are important regulatory molecules of the immune system. This implies that lower the adiponectin, greater is the risk for inflammation and sepsis.

Apart from fat metabolizing enzymes, ''good'' cholesterol and lipid profile, regulation of adiponectin levels is essential for cardiovascular health. A deficiency in adiponectin promotes atherosclerosis and can result in coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction or cardiac hypertrophy.

The role of adiponectin in cancer protection has also been widely studied. Promotion of angiogenesis (production of new blood vessels-an unwanted event in cancer development) is supposedly regulated by adiponectin, although some experts say that further evidence is warranted.

Increasing adiponectin levels

Lifestyle intervention such as increased aerobic activity over long periods of time helps increase adiponectin levels in the bloodstream, if they are low.

How to eat:

Restricted caloric intake (by 20-40%) over long period of time helps regulate body weight in obese individuals, metabolism and adiponectin levels in the body. Monounsaturated fats (omega-3 fatty acid) intake is also beneficial. Fish oil (preferably in native form, instead of supplements) is recommended. Consumption of foods high in fiber content, such as whole grains, also help boost adiponectin, especially in women.

How to train your body:

High intensity endurance training is recommended for substantial effect on plasma adiponectin.

World Mental Health Day