Food Items to be Avoided

Food Items to be Avoided

Avoid all food items which are rich in fats and simple carbohydrates. These include : 

1) All non-vegetarian food and eggs, especially yellow of the egg.
2) Nuts and seeds
3) Whole milk and milk products like butter, ghee, cream, cheese
4) Simple carbohydrates like sugar, honey, jaggery. 
5) Alcohol
6) All fried food or any item which has more than 2 gm. of fat per 10 gm. of serving. 

Disadvantages of Fat-rich Diet

In addition to increase in blood sugar and lipid levels, a fat-rich diet has other disadvantages. It provides lots of calories even in small portions, as fat contains double the amount of calories as compared to proteins and carbohydrates. Therefore, by the time a meal is over extra calories have already reached the body. As we have seen earlier these calories are easily converted into body fat.

One feels lazy and tired after a fat rich diet as the blood is diverted from organs like the brain and heart to the digestive tract. This can even precipitate chest pain in patients of ischemic heart disease. This is known as postprandial angina ( chest pain occurring after meals). A meal rich in fat can also precipitate pain in the abdomen ( gall bladder colic) in patients of gall bladder stones, which are common in obese patients. 

It is not necessary to Eat Oil or Ghee

There are certain fatty acids which our body cannot manufacture. These are known as essential fatty acids. To fulfill the requirements of these fatty acids, approximately 10 gm. of dietary fats are required. However, even if we do not eat visible fat ( oil and ghee), we get sufficient fat ( invisible fat) from cereals, pulses, nuts and seeds which fulfils the daily fat requirement. Therefore, it is not a must to eat oil or ghee. 

Non-Vegetarian Diet

Eating meat means inviting a number of the above problems as well as taxing our metabolic system by making it work harder to eliminate toxins. Meat gets its taste because of uric acid. Consumption of meat increases the uric acid load in the body, which the kidneys have to excrete. When an animal is killed the bacteria from the colon enter the flesh and make the meat tender Our body's defenses have to deal with these bacteria too, in addition to the nitrogen overload produced by meat. 

Non-vegetarian diet has multiple disadvantages. Meat contains high amounts of saturated fats as well as cholesterol. Meat contains a high amount of iron that acts as oxidant. It affects the cholesterol in such a way that it gets easily deposited into the arteries and increases the risk of atherosclerosis, a precursor for ischemic heart disease and hypertension. Meat is low in antioxidants and has no fibres. Thus, non-vegetarian diet is harmful for diabetics in all respects. Some of the world's greater personalities like Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Issac Newton, Thomas Edison, Mahatma Gandhi and many others were all vegetarians. 

Milk and Milk Products. 

Buffalo milk contains abundant fat; hence skimmed milk should be consumed. Cram and butter are rich in fats and are best avoided. Processed cheese is also rich in fat. However, homemade cottage cheese ( paneer) prepared from skimmed milk can be consumed freely. 

Junk Food

Junk foods typically are a combination of bad carbohydrates and bad fat. They are high in saturated or hydrogenated oils, animal fat and bad carbohydrates. Typical examples are pizzas AND BURGERS. Hence, it is better to avoid junk food. 

Fried Food

When any food is fried, it absorbs oil . Because of the fat content, its caloric value increases remarkably. For example, 100 gm. of fried potato chips provides about 570 cal., but 100 gm. of boiled potatoes provide only 100 cal. Therefore fried potato products like French fries, chips or any other fried food items are best avoided. 

Alcohol 

Alcohol by itself is a source of calories and contributes to caloric overload. It also acts as an appetite stimulant and leads to increased intake of food after alcohol consumption. Alcohol retards the burning up of fats by the body. As a result the fats remain accumulated in the body. All these factors collectively contribute to increase in weight. Alcohol can also increase the blood pressure in some cases due to the following reasons:

1) Rapid rise in epinephrine and cortisol secretions in alcoholics with a slower rise in nor-arrenaline. 

2) Some alcoholics even have a 'Pseudo-Cushing' appearance due to more intense cortisol stimulation. 

Nutrition for Healthy Digestion
An ideal diet should have the following qualities
Guidelines for the use of carbohydrate 
Food Labeled 'Sugar Free' is not Really Sugar Free
Eating Fats Leads to Higher Body Fat as Compared to Carbohydrate or Proteins.
Healthy Food
Food Items to be Avoided
Guidelines for alcohol consumption
How to Change Eating Habits