THE HEALING POWER OF THE MIND: THE PLACEBO EFFFECT

Most everyone must have heard of the placebo effect. It’s the healing effect that arises from the belief that something is beneficial. There are stories of world war II nurses giving saline water shots to injured soldiers and telling them they were given a powerful shot of morphine (because they ran out of morphine, of course). Surprisingly many of the soldiers did feel a reduction in pain. In almost all the drug clinical trials there is some placebo effect observed in the control group that receives the ‘sugar pill’. A recent article in the Scientific American talked about a patient with cancer tumors all over his body. He was fighting for every breath but believed that a new drug, Krebiozen, which was going to be given to him, would cure him of his cancer. Three days after he received his first injection he was able to walk and his tumors had shrunk by half. 10 days of treatment later he was discharged. Other patients in the hospital that received the same drug didn’t show any improvement. So why this miraculous recovery in this case? Apparently when the brain believes in something it triggers the appropriate response in the body to make it a reality. There have been known cases of multiple personality disorders in which a person suffers from a split personality and one of the personalities has diabetes while the other personality is perfectly healthy. So when the person is in the diabetic personality state he in fact has an insulin disorder and while he is in the healthy personality state his insulin response is perfectly normal, all in the same body! Scientists are now trying to unlock the missing link between what the mind believes and how the body heals due to that belief. So perhaps Aamir’s mantra ‘all is well’ works within one’s body! Or in the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger (from his bodybuilding days): Where the mind goes, the body follows! These days I keep patting my injured shoulder and telling myself ‘all is well’ 

IT’S NOT HUMOROUS TO BREAK A HUMERUS

Exercising helps alleviate depression by increasing the serotonin levels in the brain but recently I have been experiencing the effects of withdrawal symptoms from the lack of exercise in other words: depression! It goes back to about 3 weeks ago when a slip and fall on an extended arm (trying to save my laptop) caused me to dislocate my right shoulder. It wasn’t just any ordinary dislocation, but my humerus head (the top of upper arm bone) hit the shoulder capsule causing a little dime sized chip to separate out. On top of that the shoulder capsule itself got ruptured (also known as the glenoid labrum tear), the treatment of which requires arthoscopic surgery at an outpatient clinic (not a big deal). To make a long story short the shoulder is pretty messed up and even after fixing it will require 3-4 months of rehab to be fully functional and so any upper body exercising is out of the question. So I decide to take up my old favorite exercise, running. But my better half decides to consult an astrologer and the pundit was so good that he exactly predicted the three injuries I had in the past 8 months and further said that the stars are not in my favor until the end of Feb 2010. So what does the wife do? She puts a total ban on any exercising for the next 4 months, even running! So the only exercise I am getting these days is doing bicep curls with the TV remote. In the mean time my depression is on the rise because I can’t do my favorite activities like swimming, weightlifting and exercising in general. Plus the constant pain in my shoulder doesn’t let me sleep at night. These days the only comfort I find is in junk food, candy (thanks to Halloween!) and a shot or two of tequila (hey, it at least helps me sleep!). I’ll still keep up my reading of health and fitness and keep posting my thoughts every now and then. Until then you folks keep away from wet surfaces and in case you do end up in a slippery situation, remember that nothing (except a child you are carrying in your arms) is worth breaking a body part.

CHOLESTEROL: IS IT REALLY THE ENEMY?

This is the follow up of my last article and an attempt at elucidating the role of cholesterol in the human body and why it’s not the axis of evil as it’s made out to be.

Cholesterol belongs to a class of substance called steroids. It’s wax like and is essential for the proper functioning of cells in the human body. In recent decades it has been maligned as the most nefarious substance to be found in the human body, mainly by the vegetable oil industry (post WW II) and lately by the pharmaceutical industry that make cholesterol lowering statin drugs. While the real truth is that Cholesterol is not only beneficial to the human body but also essential for many of the proper body functions. Most of the cholesterol found in the body is synthesized in the liver, more than anything you will ever get from any diet. Some of the vital functions of cholesterol are:

Cholesterol is a vital component of all the cell membranes. Without cholesterol in the cell membranes our cells wouldn’t have the 3-dimensional structure they now have. They would be as flat as a pancake. This role of cholesterol has profound implications for brain and nerve cell functionality and longevity in spite of how simple it sounds. Nerve cells and brain cells are the ones that use the most cholesterol since they don’t multiply like other cells and need to maintain their rigidity and longevity. So what happens when cholesterol levels go down, with say the use of a statin drug? The result is the onset of nerve cell and brain cell death due to which poor brain function, depression, memory loss, suicidal tendencies increase and get worse as the dosage of statin is increased. In fact there is a very good book about this titled: Lipitor- thief of memory by Dr. Duane Graveline. There are other very good studies done at Johns Hopkins on the benefits of Ketogenic diet (KD) on the human brain [1]. A Ketogenic diet is very high in fat (mostly saturated fats from butter, cheese, Bacon and other red meats) with minimal carbohydrates and enough protein to sustain growth. In this study the authors have shown how KD can help children with epilepsy. When other conventional medications for the treatment of epilepsy fail a child is put on KD for a period of two years and in most cases the child is fully cured. The study further went on to show that KD can provide symptomatic and disease-modifying activity in a broad range of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and may also be protective in traumatic brain injury and stroke. Stanford children’s hospital has some information about KD and treatment for epilepsy in children here:

http://www.lpch.org/clinicalSpecialtiesServices/ClinicalSpecialties/Neurology/neurology.html

There are other studies [2] that show that a deficiency of cholesterol hinders with the oxytocin receptor, ligand activity and G-protein coupling of the serotonin-1A receptor in the brain leading to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). They have shown that individuals treated with dietary supplementation of cholesterol display fewer autistic behaviors, infections, and symptoms of irritability and hyperactivity, with improvements in physical growth, sleep and social interactions. Other behaviors shown to improve with cholesterol supplementation include aggressive behaviors, self-injury and temper outbursts.

An interesting article on the CNN health website talks about the risks of low cholesterol and its connection to depression and violent behavior. It lists some studies that have shown a link between low cholesterol levels and the risk for depression and violent behavior. Just like reference [2] it shows that low cholesterol levels might lead to low serotonin activity in the brain which in turn leads to violent and aggressive behavior. By the way exercise has shown to increase serotonin activity in the brain (another reason to start exercising). The CNN article can be found here:

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/men/06/30/low.cholesterol.wmd/index.html

The effect on low cholesterol on muscle cells has been studied by researchers at the Texas A&M University [3]. Various mechanisms of statin toxicity have been identified in the case of muscle cells. These factors reduce muscle mass, energy, vitality and lead to general lack of fitness. In this study they compared two groups of people on a strict exercise regimen but one of them was given statin drugs while the other was given a placebo. They found that the group that took cholesterol lowering statin drugs had a lower muscle strength gain. Muscle fatigue and pain is a well documented side effect of statin drugs. Some of the side effects of statins can be found at mayoclinic.com website here:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/statin-side-effects/MY00205

The famous Merck and Schering-Plough cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin, is being investigated for fraud across the country for increasing the risk of certain forms of cancer by 64%. The drug is very good at lowering LDL cholesterol but in doing so it substantially increases the risk of some forms of cancer. There are numerous ongoing studies investigating the link between low LDL levels and the risk of developing cancer.

The other role of cholesterol in the body is the formation of bile salts in the liver which help digest food. Without this the food you consume wouldn’t be properly digested and assimilated in the body and you would wither away in starvation no matter how much you ate. Cholesterol also assists in the conversion of vitamin D from sunlight and in the assimilation of vitamin A and E.

Cholesterol also being the master steroid assists in the formation of sex hormones, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone without which our normal sexual development wouldn’t be possible.

It is sad that cholesterol has been touted as the single most devious villain in the fight against CHD by the vegetable oil industry and the pharmaceutical industry for obvious reasons (isn’t billions of dollars reason enough?). A further testimony to the pharmaceutical industry’s vested interest in selling statins to the general population is the latest recommendation to put children as young at 8 on statins:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1035152/Why-doctors-believe-children-young-statins.html

Talk about expanding the market base. Time to buy some Pfizer and Merck shares, I say!

While I am not suggesting that we go all out in our intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, I do believe that anything (natural) taken in moderation won’t harm your body. If you do have high cholesterol it may be a symptom of some other underlying factor such as stress and treating it with statins so that your numbers look good on paper would do nothing to alleviate the real cause. So treat the cause and not the symptom. I believe the best way to combat CHD is by living healthy, eating healthy and staying happy. After following this lifestyle if your cholesterol numbers are still high then so be it. Trust your body in that it knows what’s right for you and messing with the natural pathways of your body with synthetic drugs might prove counter-effective in the long run. So the next time your doctor suggests cholesterol lowering medication, stop and ask: is it really necessary and can I do something about it with a change in my lifestyle?

REFERENCES:
1) Maciej Gasior, Michael A. Rogawski, and Adam L. Hartman, Neuroprotective and disease-modifying effects of the ketogenic diet, Behav Pharmacol. 2006 September; 17(5-6): 431–439.
2) Aneja A., Tierney E., Autism: The Role of Cholesterol in Treatment. International Review of Psychiatry, 2008 Apr 20(2):165-70)
3) Texas A&M University (2008, January 10). Surprise -- Cholesterol May Actually Pose Benefits. ScienceDaily.

A FURTHER TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF SATURATED FAT

Today the world's oldest person Gertrude Baines died at the age of 115. Guess what were her favorite foods? Crispy bacon, fried chicken and ice cream. Also the oldest human to ever live, Jeanne Louise Calment who lived in Arles, France, died at the age of 122. She consumed 2 pounds of chocolate every week. Her doctor convinced her to give up sweets at 119 and she died 3 yrs later. She attributed her longevity to her sense of humor and her attitude of not taking anything seriously. I have a feeling she would have lived even longer had the doctor not persuaded her give up chocolate. She perhaps got withdrawal symptoms and ended up in depression which in turn caused her to die 3 yrs later. I don't understand her doctor's thinking. I mean why fix something that has worked for 119 yrs? Duh!

So don't worry be happy and like my good friend says 'happy people live longer'. OK, time to go and have my butter omelet!

ARE SATURATED FATS AND CHOLESTEROL REALLY THAT BAD?

What I am going to talk about in this article will change the way you look at saturated fat and cholesterol and I’ll outright say it, that these two dietary components are not only necessary, but should be a part of a healthy diet! Now before you all take out your pitch forks and shovels and start flaming me, take some time and read on.

First a little history lesson. In 1950’s a researcher named Ancel Keys proposed the lipid hypothesis (LH), which states that there is a direct relationship between saturated fat and cholesterol in diet to the incidence of coronary heart disease. His articles received such widespread popularity that subsequent research and findings to the contrary were drowned out by the popular press. The vegetable oil industry that benefited the most from this study started funding further research to corroborate the lipid hypothesis. In fact the LH has been cited so many times that the medical community forgot that it was merely a hypothesis and not a fact. The fact is that the so called incontrovertible evidence cited in support of this hypothesis is very sparse and non-scientific. Instead consider these facts that refute the lipid hypothesis:

1) Only half the people that die of a heart attack have an elevated serum cholesterol level. Meaning the other half get a heart attack from some other cause other than high cholesterol (perhaps like the dads in Hindi films that get a cardiac arrest when their daughters marry someone other than their chosen groom or vice versa)

2) During the last 5 decades coronary heart disease (CHD) rose as the #1 killer in the US. Currently it stands at 40% of the total deaths. It would then be expected, if the lipid hypothesis were true, that the consumption of saturated fat must have gone up proportionately in the American diet. The truth is the exact opposite. Butter consumption decreased from 18lbs/person/year to 4lbs/person/year during the same period. During the same period the percentage of dietary vegetable oils in the form of margarine, shortening and refined oils increased about 400% while the consumption of sugar and processed foods increased about 60%.

3) The famous Farmingham study that is often cited as the proof for LH is also inconclusive. In this study, done in the town of Farmingham, MA, 6,000 people were divided into two groups and tested at 5-year intervals. One group ate a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol and the other group ate a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. After 40 years the director of this study had to admit: "In Framingham, Mass, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person’s serum cholesterol. . . we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories, weighed the least and were the most physically active." The study did show that the people with higher than average weight and with elevated cholesterol levels were at slightly greater risk for CHD but there was an inverse correlation between serum cholesterol level and weight gain and the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in one’s diet.

4) Now this one is really interesting! In a multi-year research (done by the U.S. Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial or MRFIT), studying the eating habits and mortality rates of over 12,000 men it was found that the men with so called “good” eating habits (reduced saturated fat, cholesterol and smoking) showed a marginal reduction in deaths from CHD but their overall mortality from other causes such as cancer, brain hemorrhage suicide and violent death, was higher. Recent research (published in the journal of Psychosomatic Medicine) has found a correlation between higher omega-6 to omega-3 blood ratio and the occurrence of depression as well as the presence of inflammation causing compounds in the blood. In light of recent research findings and the MRFIT study, it’s not surprising to know that vegetable oils are rich in omega 6 fatty acids but poor in omega 3 fatty acids. On the other hand butter from grain fed cows has omega-3 and so does the fat found in eggs yolks. Olive oil is 18% saturated fat and is also a rich source of omega-3 and of course fish body oils are rich in this essential (for brain) fatty acid. The real cause for CHD is now thought to be the inflammation promoting compounds in the blood and not total cholesterol levels, but this is a topic for discussion that I intend to take up some other time.

5) We all know that mother’s milk is essential for growth and brain development in children. But how many of us know that mother’s milk has the highest proportion of cholesterol than any other food. Also 50% of the calories in mothers milk come from fat, much of it saturated fat. A recent study [1] has shown that in growing children a diet lower in saturated fat might interfere with normal growth and development.

6) A comparison of mortality rates due to CHD in northern and southern India has shown that the mortality rate is 20/100,000 in northern India compared to 135/100,000 in southern India. The study concluded that the mortality rate from heart attacks in north India is 7 times lower than that in south India even though the people in north India consume 17 times more saturated fat from animal sources and clarified butter (ghee) than the people in south India.

7) Several studies done in Europe have shown that people in Switzerland, France and Italy who survive on one of the most fattiest and cholesterol rich diets consisting of organ and liver meats, cheese and butter and who have the highest total serum cholesterol levels (over 300 in some areas), also have one of the longest average lifespans. The incidence of CHD is negligible in these same areas compared to that in the U.S.

8) The Japanese who have the longest average lifespan are known for their love of seafood and shell fish. Some fish like cod and salmon are moderately high in cholesterol but most shellfish like shrimp, lobster and crab have very high cholesterol content.

Now it doesn’t sound like saturated fat and cholesterol are the twin villains of modern diet, does it? So what are the main culprits in the CHD epidemic that is sweeping the developed world? The real villains behind this are thought to be refined and processed flours, hydrogenated vegetable oils and trans-fats and simple sugars in the modern diet. The other big villain, the Mogambo (if you don’t know who that is you need to watch more Hindi films) of heart disease is stress, but that’s a separate topic in and of itself.

Now I am not suggesting you go and eat all the butter you can with a 6-egg omelet every morning and hope to be free of any risk for CHD. You first have to make a lifestyle change to include healthy whole grains, fruits and nuts in your diet, exercise moderately (or intensely) 3 times a week and try to address the stress in your life. If you can incorporate these healthy changes then you will benefit from moderate amounts of organic butter, whole eggs and even the meat in your diet. Remember, saturated fat is not the enemy but refined and processed foods and inactivity is. Lord Krishna said about inactivity in the Gita “Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain one’s physical body without work.” So work your body hard and in return let it work for you for a long time.

References:

1) 10. Lifshitz F, Moses N. Growth failure: a complication of dietary treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Am J Dis Child. 1989; 143: 537–542.

INSULIN: THE MASTER KEY TO A LONG HEALTHY LIFE

The mention of insulin reminds one of blood sugar and diabetes. Although insulin has a first order effect on blood sugar, it has a second order effect on several other metabolic functions. We all know that centenarians (people living to be 100 and beyond) come from many regions of the world and they have varied lifestyles. Some are even tobacco users and smokers but there are 3 consistent things that are common among all of them and that is they all have low insulin, low blood sugar and low triglyceride levels. Among all three factors insulin is the common denominator. So keeping low insulin levels in the blood is the key to a long life span. Let’s go a little deeper to understand why this is the case.

Whenever we eat something our blood glucose level rises. Glucose if left free in the blood is a dangerous thing. It can stick to proteins and destroy their ability to regenerate our cells (that’s why diabetics don’t heal a wound) and in severe cases lead to kidney damage and blindness. So the glucose has to be converted into energy or stored. The way glucose is converted to energy is by first converting to glycogen and then getting stored and used up in the muscles during physical activity. The excess glucose gets stored in the cells as fat.

To counteract the presence of glucose in the blood the pancreas release insulin and as soon as insulin acts on glucose in starts storing it, preferentially as glycogen and later as fat. This is why having more muscle helps raise the metabolic rate as it leaves less glucose for fat conversion. The liver also releases fat into the blood stream as triglycerides for energy conversion but triglycerides just like glucose are also dangerous if left unchecked in the blood (high levels of triglycerides have been linked to coronary heart disease). So the other role of insulin is to signal the liver to stop the release of triglycerides into the blood stream after a meal.

Eating a high GI meal causes a sudden spike in the glucose levels and the pancreas over compensate by releasing a large quantity of insulin into the blood stream. We all remember learning to ride a bike as children or learning to drive a car as youngsters. Think of blood glucose as the road and your pancreas as the driver and insulin as the steering wheel. As a novice driver you remember that every time you hit a sharp right turn you overcompensated by turning the steering wheel too far to the right and then had to quickly turn left to stay on the road and vice versa. But you had no trouble driving on a straight or slightly curved road. As you got better at driving you of course navigated the sharp turns as well, but in the case of our pancreas/insulin system the driver (pancreas) never gets better at controlling the steering wheel (insulin) as it hits the sharp turns (sudden glucose spikes). As a result of this overcompensation there is insulin left behind in the blood after all the glucose has been stored and put away. Insulin like any other chemical is also toxic if it starts acting on cells (rather than on glucose). As a result of this the cells down-regulate their insulin receptor activity once they detect free insulin in the blood stream, making them insulin resistant. So the next time around the pancreas have to release even more insulin to get the same effect. Over time the pancreas give up and stop producing insulin and the person becomes diabetic. Also not all cells are equally resistive (or sensitive) to the action of insulin. The liver is the easiest to become resistant followed by muscle cells and then followed by fat cells. So you can see the fat cells are the least insulin resistant meaning they are most receptive to the storage mechanism of Insulin. Ideally one would want the opposite to be true, i.e., the fat cells to be the most insulin resistive and the muscle and liver cells be the most insulin sensitive.

Ok, so we know that high insulin levels cause preferential fat gain and if that’s not reason enough to give up your high GI foods how about the fact that high insulin level is one of the prime reasons for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and some forms of breast and colon cancer? Ok so you think I am trying to scare you. Well let’s see how insulin is responsible for all of the above so called chronic diseases of aging.

We all know by now that insulin’s role is in storing excess nutrients into the cells. So insulin is also responsible for storing magnesium, but if your cells become resistant to insulin you can’t store magnesium and lose it through urination. The role of intra-cellular magnesium is to relax the cells and lack thereof causes the cells to constrict. This also happens in your blood vessels as they become magnesium deficient. So what results is high blood pressure.

Another problem that occurs with insulin resistance is osteoporosis. Insulin is like the master key that controls all the other anabolic hormones like growth hormone, testosterone and progesterone. In insulin resistance the production of these hormones is hampered. Bones and muscles are both built by the command of these hormones so with the lack of them, bone building is reduced and the amount of Calcium excreted in urine is increased.

Lastly, insulin has been shown to favor cellular proliferation. What does this mean? It means insulin can help cancerous cells to grow and multiply. In two pretty conclusive studies [1, 2] a strong correlation has been shown between insulin levels and the incidence of breast and colon cancer.

But wait it’s not all that bad. The good thing is insulin levels are very sensitive to exercise and diet. So these are the two variables that are in your control which in turn can help you control your insulin levels and the sooner you take action the farther in life you will get (literally). A low carbohydrate, no sugar diet is the best way to keep your insulin levels low. Also eating small meals throughout the day is a good way to keep steady blood glucose levels and this gives your pancreas time to react and release optimum levels of insulin into your blood to counteract the glucose. It’s easier for the pancreas to make small adjustments to the insulin levels to counteract small fluctuations of blood glucose (from a low GI diet), rather than over compensate large amounts of glucose (from a high GI diet) with even larger amounts of insulin. The other thing one can do is to increase the insulin sensitivity of the muscle cells. Remember earlier I talked about how the muscle and liver cells become insulin resistant where as the fat cells are the last ones to become insulin resistant. This shifts the insulin storage mechanism to favor fat storage instead of glycogen storage. By exercising the muscle cells one can increase the insulin sensitivity of the muscle cells so they become more receptive to the storage mechanism of insulin. This can be accomplished by regular aerobics exercise. Resistance training has an additional benefit as it not only increases the insulin sensitivity but also increases the volume of muscle cells so it can store even more glycogen leaving less glucose behind for fat conversion.

Controlling your blood glucose levels is one of the most powerful anti-aging strategies you can implement in your lifestyle. A high GI diet and sporadically eating big meals cause a sudden surge in your blood glucose levels and as a result your pancreas produce large quantities of insulin to counteract it and this is the single most powerful factor responsible for accelerated aging.

References:

Annual meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology, New Orleans, May 23.

National Cancer Institute 2002 September 4;94(17):1293-300

GUIDE TO HEALTHY INDIAN CUISINE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

The sound of healthy food conjures up images of boiled vegetables, fruits, bland salads and soups. That’s the prime reason why people cringe at the thought of going on a healthy diet. While such a diet is certainly healthy there is no need for it to be either bland or boiled, especially for us Indians. There are plenty of delicious and spicy Indian foods that appeal to the palate and are as healthy. While you will find plenty of articles on low GI eating, in this article I will focus primarily on Indian cuisine. It will help you lose weight and above all be good for your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

The table here shows (click to see) a list of the most common ingredients used in Indian cooking along with its GI value. Meat, fat and protein don't have any carbohydrates in them so they don't elicit an insulin response, hence they have a GI of zero. Follow these simple guidelines when choosing items from this table to prepare your meal.

I) If possible stay in the green and yellow range at all times.

II) Occasional red item is allowed when combined with an item in the green area. For example the GI value of white rice is 69 while the GI of lentils is in the low 30’s. So mixing them in bissibelle bhat lowers the combined GI of the dish to 58. It should be obvious that the combined GI is proportional to the weighted ratio of the mixture, i.e., the more daal you mix with rice the lower the GI value will be and vice versa.

III) Protein and fiber hinder the assimilation of carbs thereby lowering the GI value. Protein and fiber also give you a sense of fullness, keeping you satiated longer. Nuts are rich in both along with heart healthy MUFAs so use nuts in your cooking, or as a side item to your main dish. For example top morning oatmeal with grated almonds or walnuts and put cooked peanuts in Upma to lower the GI value. Except for peanut and cashew all other nuts like brazil nut, macadamia, almond, walnut, pecan etc have zero or near zero GI, so eating them in moderation will not contribute to weight gain.

IV) In breakfast you can eat pretty much from any group. Keep your food choices in the green and yellow range for lunch. For dinner eat something from the green group only.

V) When making a dish with multiple components if possible change the ratio of components in favor of the low GI component and if possible substitute for a healthier alternative component. For example when making dosa try a higher percentage of urad flour compared to rice flour. Also instead of regular dosa, eat rava dosa where the rice is substituted for rava. Instead of making upma with rava try making it with coarse cracked wheat which is higher in fiber and lower in GI. Also use vegetables and nuts in your cooking whenever possible as they lower the combined GI of the dish. Please note that I am not a cook and haven’t cooked a single item mentioned in this article so if a culinary suggestion seems ludicrous, please discard it with a smile (no frowning allowed).

VI) Use moderate amounts of healthy fat when cooking and whenever possible pan fry instead of deep frying (obviously pan fried Bhature won’t taste as good as deep fried ones).

Stick to these simple rules and limit your portions to about 400-500 calories per meal and eat 5 meals every day. Remember nothing is prohibited in the diet, but, limit portions of high GI items you love. Eat carbohydrates in the morning and as the day goes along keep cutting carbohydrates in favor of healthy fats and proteins. Remember to drink plenty of water as it keeps you hydrated and facilitates easy flow of nutrients in and out of your cells. So, until next time eat healthy and stay healthy.