Dr. Sheetal Aggarwal

We must have always heard that maida (white flour) and products made from it are very harmful for our health. However, use of maida its products usage is increasing rapidly in our day-to-day life. Sometimes, we are consuming it in form of bread at our home and sometimes, in the market/food joints in form of fast foods.

Known as white poison, white flour is becoming necessity for all of us but it impacts our health drastically. It is very important to understand why it is bad and how much it can harm us so that we can improve our eating habits.

What is missing in maida (white flour: during processing of maida from wheat, endosperm of the wheat is removed from the germ (wheat germ) and the bran (wheat bran), which is very crucial for digestion. As all necessary nutrients are lost during processing of maida, foods made from it utilize nutrients from the body for absorption. As a result, our body gets depleted of vitamins and minerals. Few manufacturers attract customers by labeling their products as enriched flour, which is nothing, but adding 3-4 vitamins at the cost of 10 lost vitamins during processing.

White flour is tasty but not healthy: though foods made from maida like pizza, burger, donuts, bread, samosas, noodles, momos, panipuri, pastas etc are very tempting and tasty however, at the same time, consequences can not be ignored.

White flour regulates glucose/sugar in your body: whenever you consume foods that are made from maida, it releases sugar into your bloodstream quickly. Because of high glycemic index (gi) of maida, it spikes up your sugar levels. To match up with the sugar spike, pancreas has to over work to release insulin in sufficient quantity. If maida consumption is once in a while then pancreas can manage it however, in case of frequent consumption, insulin production will reduce gradually, finally making you diabetic.

As glucose loiters into your blood, it gets attached to proteins, which is called glycation which cause inflammation in the body and leads to many diseases like arthritis, cataract, heart diseases and the list goes on.

Eating maida also raises bad cholesterol (ldl) resulting many health issues like weight gain, high blood pressure, mood swings. Too much consumption of white flour its products leads to weight gain and you will soon progress toward obesity. Also, it keeps you feel hungry and makes you crave for sweets.

White flour is acidic: acidity is another problem. During refining process, all nutrients are removed and it becomes acidic in nature. As per research, diet high in acidic foods (e.g. Pizza, pasta, burger other white flour products) forces the body to pull calcium from bones to keep the things even, which affects bone density. Over-acidity is one of the major causes of chronic inflammation, and a major cause of arthritis and other chronic illnesses.

White flour creates digestive issues: white flour has been called the & glue of the gut. In today's world, so much food is made from white flour: breakfast food, snacks, pasta, bread, cereal and the list just continues. And it all turns to glue in the intestines. It is without fiber, it congests the system, slows down digestion creating a sluggish metabolism, and can often be the cause of weight gain, stress, headaches and migraines.

Follow these alternatives: for better health in longer run, you should completely avoid consuming white flour foods made from it. Instead, you can use some alternatives like for samosa, use wheat flour. For naan, mix one portion of millets (like jowar bajra) flour with wheat flour. Opt bread, noodles, pasta and macaroni made of wheat flour, which are easily available in food stores.

In case of any query or to book an appointment with dt. Silky mahajan please send us a mail at info@foodsandnutrition. In or call on 08067417780 (dial extension: 778)

Stretching is very important for your well-being. Not only does it help you become more agile and flexible, it helps you become better at sports and also makes sure that you have fewer injuries when you are playing sports. Here are some exercises, which are guaranteed to make sure that your flexibility will improve:

1. The runner's stretch
In this stretch, put your right foot forward and then try to touch the floor with your fingertips. If your fingers do not reach the floor, place them as far down as possible. You have to then inhale, and go back to your starting position.

2. The standing side stretch
This stretch starts when you are standing straight upwards with your arms raised above your head and your fingers interlocked. When you breathe out you have to slowly bend your upper body to the right then return to the starting position. After you have reached the starting position, you inhale again and after you have inhaled, you have to stretch your upper body to the left.

3. The forward hang
In this stretch, your starting position is when you stand with your legs apart and then you lock your fingers together and place them behind your back. Once this is done, you breathe in. After breathing in, you have to exhale by bending forward and keeping your hands interlocked above your head. You have to hold this position for 5 seconds.

4. The low lunge arch
This stretch involves bringing your right leg as forward as possible and then lowering your left knee onto the floor. You then have to lock your hands together with your palms facing the floor and your hands in front of your body. You then have to inhale for the stretch. The stretch involves lifting your arms as far up as possible and then stretching as far back as possible keeping your legs in the position they were already in. Once you have finished this exercise, you have to do the exact same thing with the left leg in front. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a physiotherapist.