ASK A NUTRITIONIST

I am extremely stressed out and anxious about my weight. It is leaving me depressed. What can I do?

The problem is these days being stressed is considered normal. We need to stop thinking it’s okay to stress out because we think we start giving our brain the permission to freak out this way. Either we change the situation, accept it the way it is or just move on. In your case, you can control what needs to be done to overcome the stress, so you should choose the first option. High stress levels increase your stress hormone cortisol. This hormone is required during exercise to release fat from fat cells to meet the demands of our workout, but chronically elevated cortisol can be destructive. It has shown to increase the cravings you have for junk food and shown to shut off goal-oriented centres of your brain. It’s a good idea to check your fasting levels if you are finding it hard to lose weight. Another hormone to check for, if you are anxious, is serotonin. It is your happy hormone and a natural appetite suppressant. It curbs your cravings and uplifts your mood, shuts off your appetite and makes you feel emotionally stable. If your levels are off, losing weight becomes harder.

I was on a keto diet, but I now find that I cannot eat pulses or vegetables. Help!

After being on keto diets, one of the many things that get messed up is your ability to digest fibre from vegetables. When people start to eat raw salads again while they are trying to wean off keto, it becomes very uncomfortable. If you aren’t eating enough veggies, you’ll always be short of micro nutrients and symptoms such as hair fall, low energy levels, dry skin and brittle nails will become your new normal. When you wean off keto, and specially if you are a vegetarian, your gut will have issues with digesting fibre from vegetables and plant-based proteins and legumes like chickpeas and beans. It can cause bloating and put you off these foods completely. But the trick is to have very small amounts initially and gradually work up to a bowl that is big enough to take care of your daily requirements of essential nutrients. Start with over-steaming or roasting your veggies instead of having them raw. Over time, your gut will get much better at handling these foods. So, be patient with your body and give your gut some time to handle these foods rather than ditching them completely.

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