Dr. Shankar N. Karap

Midnight snack craving is basically a craving for food when you wake up in the middle of the night. Midnight cravings can lead to weight gain if you binge eat on a regular basis. It is important that you accept the situation and take steps to rectify it.

A majority of the foods that you consume are mostly empty calories such as cookies and sugar based food. If you don't control these cravings, then it may lead to tremendous weight gain. Here are a few tips to control your midnight snack craving -

1. Eat your Dinner Properly: It is important that you eat a well-balanced dinner that consists of carbohydrates, protein and fats. If you don't eat a proper dinner, then the chances of eating later and subsequent binge eating go up drastically.
2. Include Fiber: Add fiber to your diet as fiber helps you in feeling full. Eat fiber rich foods such as beans, lentils and broccoli which promote a feeling of satiety.
3. Green Tea: Drink a cup of green tea after eating as it will help you sleep better.
4. Stay Hydrated: Make sure that you are properly hydrated as it will prevent food cravings. Dehydration may also lead to other health complication such as skin problems.
5. Consume Yoghurt: Consume portions of yoghurt as it contains probiotic bacteria that help in keeping your digestive system healthy. It also promotes a feeling of satiety as it contains protein.
6. Plan an Activity: Don't immediately go to bed after dinner, instead go for a walk or play with your pet. Make sure that you spend some time after dinner prior to retiring for bed.
7. Eat Healthy: If you do have cravings then go for healthy choices such as eating salads and fruits. Focus on foods such as cucumber, jackfruits and apples.
8. Protein: Make sure you add protein to your diet as protein helps in muscle building. It also makes you fuller so that you eat less. Include foods such as eggs, chicken and fish to your diet.
9. Exercise: Exercise on a regular basis. This increases the secretion of endorphins in your body which improve your wellbeing and promote happiness. It will help you sleep better and reduce your craving to eat unhealthy foods.

Going on a diet isn’t restricted to obese or overweight people. Even a relatively fit person might be tempted to go on a crash diet before a major social event like a wedding in the family. Crash diets suggest drastically cutting down your calorie intake so that your body goes into starvation mode. But, whatever be your reason for dieting, did you know that going on a crash diet can do more harm than good?

Here are a few reasons why you should not follow these diets.

1. The weight loss is temporary: Sure, if you cut out all forms of carbohydrates and survive only on fresh juices and water, you will look slimmer but this look will not last for more than a few days. Crash diets are never advised for more than a few days and the moment you restart including carbs in your diet, you will bounce back to your original weight. Also, the weight you lost isn’t because the fat content in your body went down but because you lost water weight.
2. It causes emotional side effects: Looking good is supposed to make you feel good but going on a crash diet can bring out the ugly side of your emotions. When the body is starved of nutrients, it makes a person grumpy, sad and irritable. You are also likely to feel lethargic and tired. This puts you at a higher risk of binge eating later which will make you put on more weight than you supposedly lost.
3. You lose good fat: Not all fat is harmful to the body. A certain amount of fat is necessary for the functioning of various organs in the body. Going on a crash diet can cause a deficiency in healthy fats and essential fatty acids. This hampers metabolism and can cause a number of health issues in the long run. Depriving your body of all kinds of fat will also create an urge to eat fatty foods that are richer in bad fats as compared to good fats.
4. It can harm your heart: Low-calorie diets not only deprive your body of essential nutrients but can also lower your immunity and damage your veins and arteries. In the long run, it can damage your heart muscles and increase the risk of cardiovascular conditions such as palpitations, shortness of breath, strokes and heart attacks. It can also cause tears in the heart muscles that increase the risk of heart diseases such as arteriosclerosis.

Lastly, crash diets are not something that can ever be sustained. Hence, instead of falling for such fads, eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, stay away from processed foods and exercise regularly.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Hair transplant is a surgical procedure that is used to move hair follicles from one location in the body to another. The part from which the hair follicles are taken is known as the “donor site” and the location where it is moved to is called the “recipient site”. Patients who undergo hair transplants often come across the terms FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction).

Follicular Unit Extraction is a procedure which involves the singular extraction of each hair follicle without any removal of strip of tissue. Random removal of hair follicle takes place which causes minimal and unnoticeable changes in the donor area. Fewer amounts of hair are transplanted as the follicles are removed one at a time which makes it beneficial for the removal of lesser hair as compared to the traditional FUT procedure.

The Procedure

In FUE, singular removal of hair follicles is done using specialized equipment that generally consists of a needle which has a diameter less than one mm. The needle is targeted at the base of the hair follicles. At this spot, a circular incision is made. Another instrument, similar to tweezers, is used to dislodge the hair follicle from the scalp.

Post- Surgery Management:

Stretches are not needed in Follicular Unit Extraction. Additionally, there is almost no post procedural discomfort. Since the occurrence of any scar is absent, healing time is generally less. However, puncture marks which have a diameter of 1 mm or less are common. These marks heal by themselves within 3 to 7 days. It takes three to six months for the hair to look natural once again. The initial scars heal quickly and daily activities can be resumed the very next day.

Advantages:

Perspective of the surgeon:

1. Lesser manpower, when compared to FUT, is needed i.e. a single doctor with a maximum of two assistants can run a clinic.
2. Lesser equipment is needed.
3. Graft preparation is minimal.

Perspective of the Patient:

1. Can sport short hair.
2. Less post-operative recovery time.
3. Microscopic scars in the donor site are nearly invisible.
4. Body hair can be used for added density only in this technique.
5. Can be used to cover pre-existing scar of surgery.

Hair transplant is a surgical procedure that is used to move hair follicles from one location in the body to another. The part from which the hair follicles are taken is known as the “donor site” and the location where it is moved to is called the “recipient site”. Patients who undergo hair transplants often come across the terms FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction).

Follicular Unit Extraction is a procedure which involves the singular extraction of each hair follicle without any removal of strip of tissue. Random removal of hair follicle takes place which causes minimal and unnoticeable changes in the donor area. Fewer amounts of hair are transplanted as the follicles are removed one at a time which makes it beneficial for the removal of lesser hair as compared to the traditional FUT procedure.

The Procedure

In FUE, singular removal of hair follicles is done using specialized equipment that generally consists of a needle which has a diameter less than one mm. The needle is targeted at the base of the hair follicles. At this spot, a circular incision is made. Another instrument, similar to tweezers, is used to dislodge the hair follicle from the scalp.

Post- Surgery Management:

Stretches are not needed in Follicular Unit Extraction. Additionally, there is almost no post-procedural discomfort. Since the occurrence of any scar is absent, healing time is generally less. However, puncture marks which have a diameter of 1 mm or less are common. These marks heal by themselves within 3 to 7 days. It takes three to six months for the hair to look natural once again. The initial scars heal quickly and daily activities can be resumed the very next day.

Advantages:

Perspective of the surgeon:

1. Lesser manpower, when compared to FUT, is needed i.e. a single doctor with a maximum of two assistants can run a clinic.
2. Lesser equipment is needed.

Perspective of the Patient:

1.  Can sport short hair.
2. Less post-operative recovery time.
3. Microscopic scars in the donor site are nearly invisible.
4. Body hair can be used for added density only in this technique.
5. Can be used to cover pre-existing scar of surgery.
6. Graft preparation is minimal. 

   If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dermatologist.

How to gain weight –

• Counting calories: Calculate your basic calorie requirement. You want to know how to gain weight? you will have to increase your calorie intake. Add 500 calories per day to your current requirement. Those who work out or are physically very active, have a higher energy requirement. If such is a case the calories consumed should be greater than the amount of calories you burn.

• Eat more: The most common answer to your question how to gain weight. Everybody will ask you to eat more. Yes, you need to increase the quantity of food you eat, but at the same time you have to make sure you are eating healthy. Eat five to six meals a day. Avoid skipping any meal. Knowing how to gain weight involves consistent eating. Increase your portion size. If you eat 2 chapatis, then start eating a 3rd one. Take a second scoop of pasta, or add two bananas to your bowl of cereals. 
 
• Choose calorie: Dense foods: choose foods that are higher in healthy calories. For example choose to eat corn, potatoes or peas instead of carrots and cucumbers. Eat a banana, custard apple, chikku or mango instead of a watermelon or orange juice. Peanut butters and cheese makes a calorie-dense yet nutritious spread for your sandwich. Read food labels for the serving size 

 
• Adopt good habits: The repetitive advice to increase your food intake does not mean you start eating unhealthy, fried, sweet or junk food for that matter. Adopt healthy habits. Eat your meals on time. Do not skip any meal, specially breakfast. Whatever you eat at breakfast is better absorbed and utilized by your system. So don’t forget to take a handful of nuts everyday along with good quality protein like toned milk and boiled eggs. Maintain a 2 hour window between each meal so that you can feel he hunger and eat better quantities.

• Add more liquids: You may be thinking how to gain weight with liquids. But drinking appropriate quantity of water or other liquids will help you in flushing all the waste products accumulated after digestion of those extra calories you ate. Drink water or juices. If you dislike drinking water, choose on flavored water, apple juice, milkshakes, smoothies etc. Specially if you are working out, the body needs that extra liter of water.

• Avoid junk food: All this while you read that you must increase your calorie intake. A lot of people often use the synonym high calorie to junk food. What we forget is that junk food is not only high in calories but provides trans fats. Sure you want to know how to gain weight, but in a healthy manner. Avoid cupcakes, cookies, cakes, margarine, processed meats and packaged foods.

 
• Weight training: A lot of people are of an opinion that exercise is for people who want to lose weight. How to gain weight with exercise? exercise works both ways and will make you fit by getting you to your right weight. Whether it requires losing some pounds or putting on some pounds, exercise will stimulate your appetite, increase your energy needs and more over convert those extra calories into muscle instead of fat. Read about protein supplements.

• Sleep more: Sleeping is the best thing you could do to keep yourself healthy. Yes it is as important as exercising is. Unfit people are almost always sleep deprived. Make sure you sleep for at least 7-8 hours every day.