Common Health Related Queries

1) How to reduce total cholestrol , Ldl , triglycerides ? how to increase Hdl cholestrol levels naturally without medications/statins ?

1) 150 minutes aerobic exercise per week atleast I.e.., 30 minutes for 5 days per week atleast (cycling , badminton , swimming , running )


2) Include Fruits (Strawberry, Blueberry , Apple , Watermelon , Pear , Orange , Dragon fruit) etc.., everyday eat atleast 2 different fruits bowl [best is mixed fruits a bowl per day]


3) Include oats and nuts (5 badam , 5 cashew , 5 walnuts per day)  and roast seeds and grind it and make powder and consume 1 tea spoon per day (Chia seeds , Pumpkin seeds , Flax seeds , Sunflower seeds , Hemp seeds) 


NOTE- DON'T EAT ROASTED ALMONDS , CASHEWS , PEANUTS , WALNUTS AS ACRYLAMIDE (CANCER CAUSING CHEMICAL) IS FORMED ON ROASTING NUTS . BUT YOU CAN ROAST SEEDS. ALWAYS ROAST SEEDS AND DON'T CONSUME MORE THAN 1 TABLE SPOON PER DAY AND DRINK WATER TO PREVENT INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION 


4) Replace your milk (Toned milk has 3g fat per 100g ; Double toned milk has 1.5g fat per 100g ) with Diet milk (0.3g nearly per 100g ) (or) No fat / Skim milk. Milk has high saturated fat (bad fat) than unsaturated fat (good fat)

Or replace animal milk with Soy milk (soya has Lecithin)


5) AVOID

a) Sugar items - Ice cream, Sweets , Cool drinks , Artificial Sugar

b) Deep fried foods - Fast foods , Hotel foods, , Lays , Puri

c) Biscuits (as they have maida) etc..,  

d) curd  , egg , Coconut in all forms (as it has high saturated fat) .

 But Coconut water is OK .


6) Not more than 2 table spoons oil per day (including in Dal,  or for Dosa chapati idli etc.., ) (1spoon oil = 15grams fat) best is to use olive oil rather than sunflower oil but sunflower oil is also OK


Summary -


Best schedule is 


Morning - oats with fruits nuts and 1 table spoon seed mix in glass of diet milk (250ml)


Lunch - only small bowl rice , bowl Dal and curry , No curd


Dinner - Raagi , Chapati without oil , Idli , Sorghum (jonnalu) , Bajra(sajjalu) 


Or 


Excellent schedule is 


Intermittent fasting (from night 9.00pm to afternoon 1.00pm) and 


Lunch - only small bowl rice , bowl Dal and curry  , No curd


Dinner - oats with fruits nuts and 1 table spoon seed mix in glass of diet milk (250ml)


Conclusion - 

Consume High Dietary soluble fibers Foods - oats , beans , psyllium , Fruits , Nuts & Seeds , Avoid Artificial Sugars and Saturated Fats .

also can add Red yeast rice ( source of statin )

Evening primrose oil ( has gamma linolenic acid an omega 6 FA )

Niacin Supplements


Note - Repeat lipid profile every month for 3 months . Even after following above diet strictly if cholesterol is not reducing then statins/ medications must be added if you are at risk of developing Coronary atery disease calculated by 10-year ASCVD Risk calculator. So visit Your Family doctor

2) HOW MUCH SALT TO CONSUME DAILY FOR HIGH BP / HYPERTENSION  ?

Idealy consume HALF TEASPOON SALT PER DAY (3 gms salt) to Control and Prevent Hypertension 

*Don't Consume More than 1 TEASPOON SALT PER DAY (6gms salt)*


American Heart Association Recommendation:-


Sodium -

RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) Sodium - no more than 2.3 gms/day , ideally no more than 1.5 gms/day 

Note - the body needs only small amount of Sodium to function(less than 0.5 gms/day Sodium - less than 1/4 teaspoon Salt = 1.26 gms salt ) 


Regular table salt -


RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance)  Salt - no more than 6 gms/day (I.e.. 2.325 gms sodium in 6 gms salt


1 Teaspoon of Salt (NACL) = 6 gms salt approximately = 2.325 gms sodium


1 pinch of salt = 0.36gms 

So approximately Not more than 16 pinches of salt per day maximum ; Ideally 10 pinches of salt


Approximate values - 


NOTE - Teaspoon and Tablespoon are  different ; 1 Tablespoon = 3 Teaspoons

3) HOW MUCH SUGAR CAN WE CONSUME DAILY ?

Total sugars include both natural sugars and added sugars

Note - AHA says , “even if you are an athlete , bodybuilder , doing exercise regularly , fasting anything you do but added sugars should not cross the above limit per day”. However Natural sugars can be adjusted based on your activity/exercise , BMI , gender , age.


4) Is not having breakfast harmful to health ?

Yes and No .. well it depends on your motive of not having breakfast.

1)No- If you are a fat , obese person, and want to burn fat to reduce the risk of hazards of obesity like cardiac diseases etc.., then have your dinner completed at 8pm and then you could skip your breakfast next day and have lunch at 2pm , this is called intermittent fasting (you can check about benefits of intermittent fasting in web) . But you should have a timetable for doing this , good diet plan (low of carbohydrates, low fat , high dietary fibers and sufficient protein intake) and you should follow it I.e.., do it regularly regular but not irregularly irregular or regularly irregular. (But if you are working in hospitals I would suggest u to take breakfast as u would be susceptible to infections like TB because u wouldn’t eat whole night while sleeping which gives a period of 8 hrs , that makes your energy levels down( glucose levels down ) and you will be at high risk of TB (especially in India)and other infections .

2)yes- if you just want to skip it because you are late for office or school or college then you would be at risk of facing problems in future (as you are not following any timetable , one day you will get up early and have breakfast and one day you are late so you will skip breakfast , meaning you become irregularly irregular in having breakfast .

So my point is discipline (i.e.., following particular rules timely ) is very important in life along with knowledge of outcome of your motive in future.

Note:- IN DIABETIC PATIENTS NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST AS IT CAN CAUSE HYPOGLYCAEMIA AND IF NOT TREATED DEATH.


5) How can you increase your vitamin d naturally?

NON VEGETARIAN SOURCES :-

Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon 34.0mcg/serving ; 1360 IU/serving

Trout (rainbow), cooked, 3 ounces 16.2 mcg/serving ; 645 IU/serving

Salmon (sockeye), cooked, 3 ounces 14.2 mcg/serving ; 570IU/serving

VEGETERIAN SOURCES :-

Mushrooms, raw, exposed to UV light, ½ cup 9.2mcg/serving ; 366IU/serving

Milk, 2% milkfat, vitamin D fortified, 1 cup 2.9mcg/serving ; 120IU/serving & other fortified foods with vitamin D like cereals , yogurt , bread , orange juice etc.., (ALTHOUGH NOT NATURAL)

Sunlight exposure - (but there is a risk of melanoma and other non melanoma skin cancers)