Review

Soy proteins for a healthy heart

Hey everybody,

I have been writing extensively about soy proteins in the last few months. We have discussed earlier about the various benefits of soy protein in improving bone strength, promoting weight loss, and in enhancing child growth. Today we are going to understand how soy proteins are helpful in maintaining a healthy heart.

What do studies across the world have to say on heart health?

Given the stressful and busy lives we lead, high cholesterol levels aren’t uncommon even at a young age today. It is very important to ensure that our lifestyle does not impact our diet. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States asserts, “25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

The American Health Association (AHA) in one study advances the benefits of soy products for cardiovascular health which unlike animal and dairy products contains low levels of saturated fat. They are rich in polyunsaturated fats, dietary fiber, iron, omega-3, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other essential nutrients. This helps to lower cholesterol and maintain the body’s blood pressure. Substituting dairy or meat sources with larger intakes of soy protein were shown to reduce LDL cholesterol which is an important marker of a healthy heart. It helps to reduce blood cholesterol and increases the flexibility of blood vessels leading to better cardiovascular health.

Toby Smithson, a nutritionist from the US writes, “Each 1 percent reduction in cholesterol lowers heart disease risk by 2 percent so soy foods can help to lower risk of heart disease. Additionally, soy foods contain isoflavones which may improve the health of arteries.

In conclusion, the study says, “It is prudent to recommend including soy protein foods in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.”

How can we use soy proteins for a healthy heart?

I have said this before and I will say it again; it is important to include soy proteins products into your daily diet. Given the variety of soy products available in the market, it can easily be included in every meal in a tasty way Here are some simple ways you can include more soy into your daily diet:

Soy milk is very popular among those who are lactose intolerant and it is a great option for those who hate the taste of dairy milk.
A breakfast of soy milk and cereals or toasted bread with soy cheese and vegetables can be a great start to your daily morning.
Tofu is credited with being the closest vegetarian alternative taste for meat in daily food.
You can make this a part of your lunch along with some tasty chappatis made from soy flour mixed with wheat flour.
Nutrition bars fortified with soy protein can be a healthy and tasty way to kill your hunger pangs between meals.
Salted soy nuts also make for a great tea time snack.
Some soy protein powder, soy milk and fruits can make a delicious smoothie.

I hope you found this post to be useful. With all the many ways that you can intake soy proteins, it’s time you made the switch to a healthier way of life with some love for your heart. Don’t forget to read more on how to include soy in your daily diet.

Why should you incorporate soy proteins in your child’s diet?

Hi everybody,

I have been talking about my weight loss journey, my experience of incorporating soy proteins in my diet and eating healthy, since the last few months. In this post, I am going to talk about the importance of soy proteins for children. I live in a joint family of 18 members and our youngest family member is 4 years old and the oldest is 68 years old. We all have a varied diet and different tastes. One important ingredient in all our diets is soy.

For the younger kids in the house, my mom tries to cook protein-rich meals for their overall growth. The Institute of medicines says that children up to the age of 13 require at least 34 grams of protein. Teenage girls (14 to 18 years old) require 46 grams of proteins. Whereas teenage boys (14 to 18 years) require 52 grams of protein. If the children are vegetarian, eggs, which are considered to be a good source of protein, cannot be incorporated into their diets.

Soybeans contain no cholesterol and very low saturated fats. Soybean contains all the right amino acids that are essential for our body and are a good source of iron, Vitamin B, fibre and calcium. This makes soybeans very important for a child’s growth. Being bland in taste, it is easy to incorporate soy and soy proteins in many recipes. My mother makes silken tofu bhurji, pancakes with soy protein powder and soybean manchurian to ensure all the kids in the house enjoy their meals and have all the health benefits of soy proteins.

What do experts have to say about soy proteins for children?

We spoke to Kejal Sheth, Nutritionist, Weight Management and Founder of Nutrivity.in on the benefits of soy proteins for children. This is what she had to say “Soy is a rich source of protein which means that like meat it has all the amino acids our body needs to be abundant in proteins. Some soy foods like edamame are filled with iron and fibre. Soy foods are very nutritious while adding great variety to your child’s diet.

Children love their taste and it is considered a great alternative to meat and dairy products. Introducing soy early in your child’s diet may help them develop healthy eating habits for a lifetime. Food preferences developed in the infant and toddler years stay with the child throughout childhood, adolescence and adult years. Including soy into meals helps decrease fat, cholesterol, and calories, and increase fiber, while still providing children with key vitamins and minerals.”

It is not only a healthy alternative in children’s diet; it also prevents the development of certain adult diseases. Studies of soy in children and adolescents have shown that soy eases constipation and lowers high cholesterol. It may even decrease the risk of breast cancer later in life. Soy products are lactose-free which makes them a great variant for children who are lactose intolerant.”

Some great ideas given by Kejal Sheth to make some healthy recipes for children

Make meatless pizzas using soy pepperoni or soy sausage crumbles
Churn up protein-rich smoothies with tofu, soy milk and a variety of fruits.
Give your child a healthy mix of trail by using honey roasted soy nuts and chocolate covered soy nuts with whole grain cereal, dried fruits and raisins.
Add fortified soy milk containing calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, and high-quality protein to the diets of children who do not drink cow’s milk. It has almost 50 fewer calories than whole milk per serving.
In place of peanut butter, spread soy nut butter on whole wheat bread.
Serve soy nuggets in place of chicken nuggets as they save a lot of calories.
On the grill, make soy burgers instead of regular hamburgers to add fibre and reduce calories.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post on the importance of soy proteins for children and the tips shared by nutritionist Kejal Sheth. There is a lot more to learn about soy. These are eight important benefits of soy that I share from my journey with this wonder protein. You can add soy and soy proteins to your diet in fascinating ways. Do let me know how you use soy proteins for children in your house.

My weight loss journey with soy proteins

I have always been on the plumper side and have been called everything from chubby cheeks to straight up moti. I don’t let it affect me much. My argument was as long as I am healthy, it was ok to have a little flab. It was during an annual check-up a year ago, that my doctor informed me that my BMI or Body Mass Index was very high teetering towards obesity.

I felt shocked, angry and upset all at the same time. Shocked because I never thought my weight would go out of hand, angry because according to me I had relatively healthy habits and upset because I knew that the journey towards weight loss would be difficult.

I spent the first few months going on one crazy diet after another and then ending it with binge eating. My weight fluctuated and my health went for a toss.

It is only in the past three months that I have managed to strike a balance and have been able to work positively towards weight loss.

I used to weigh 69 kgs and I am currently down to 66 kgs. Losing these three kgs was one the most difficult things that I have had to do. Every day is an internal battle between eating right and eating what makes me happy. I have come to realize that moderation is key when it comes to weight loss.

Off late, I have been chronicling my weight loss journey on my social media platforms. You may have noticed that I have been talking about soya beans and soy proteins very frequently. One of the important things that I am doing as a part of my weight loss journey was substituting the food I loved with a healthier version. Soy proteins and soy-based products are an important part of my diet. Here are 5 reasons why.

Table of Contents

i)Protein-rich diet leads to weight loss

High protein diet satiates us and keeps the hunger cravings at bay. High protein diets also help reduce belly fat (A problem area for me) and increase lean muscle mass. A study published in Obesity Science and Practice revealed that a high protein diet is vital to maintain weight loss. The study revealed that “lean sources of high-quality protein, such as soy, support improvements in body composition with greater loss of fat tissue versus lean tissue.”

ii) Soy proteins are good for your health

Soy proteins is a plant-based protein which contains all the amino acids as well as antioxidants like isoflavones.

iii) Soy proteins help you maintain your weight

Losing weight is easy enough. Maintaining your weight is what is tough. After shedding the first few kgs, I became complacent. I went back to my old eating habits which led to a sudden spike in my weight. Hames O. HIill, PhD in a study said, “A major take-home message from this study is that people following a plant-inclusive or plant-based high-protein diet can be successful in reducing body weight”

iv) Soy food helps lower cholesterol

Soy foods help in lowering LDL or bad cholesterol along with weight control. A study conducted at the University of Alabama said that people lost equal amounts of weight and equal inches of belly fat when using soy proteins and soy-based products as meal replacements as compared to when they had animal-based protein.

v) Soy proteins help reduce obesity

A study conducted on the Role of dietary soy protein in obesity which was published the International journal of medical sciences proved that “Soy protein ingestion also improves insulin resistance, the hallmark of obesity.

Dietary soy protein and some of its constituents also reduce plasma lipids and fat accumulation in liver and adipose tissue, which may reduce the risks of atherosclerosis and lipotoxicity and possibly other obesity-related complications.”

Simply put, consumption of soy proteins can help you lose weight and can help individuals with obesity overcome other health complications.

I will continue chronicling my journey of weight loss on my blog. There are plenty many ways to help you easily incorporate soy and soy proteins in your diet. Don’t forget to read further about the benefits of soy proteins.

For any questions, feel free to comment below or write to me 🙂

8 reasons why you MUST buy Redmi 6A

Hey guys,

The festival season is right around the corner and it is the perfect time to purchase a new phone. If you are in the market for a feature rich phone which will hardly dent your bank account, then Redmi 6A is perfect for you. I have put together 8 reasons why you must buy the Redmi 6A today.

Xiaomi_Redmi_6A — 8 reasons why the Redmi 6A is a must buy for one and all!

1. Perfect Price

Priced at Rs. 5999 and even lower if you purchase it during the Amazon Great Indian sale, Redmi 6A is affordable yet stylish. It is a perfect entry level phone with a decent camera and a great battery life.

2.Spectacular Specs

MediaTek Helio is a revolutionary smartphone platform that uses an ultra-efficient fabrication process. Redmi 6A comes with an Android v8.1 operating system with MediaTek Helio A22, 2.0Ghz Quad-core processor with 12nm technology. The Redmi 6A has a 5.54 inch touchscreen display. With a resolution of 720 pixels by 1440pixels, it is definitely the best in class at this price range. Dual nano SIM cards, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB storage expandable up to 256GB and a 3000 mAH battery are some of its other spectacular features. It also has a kickass camera but we will talk about it in our next point.

3.Captivating Camera

With a 13 MP rear camera, the Redmi 6A is perfect for all the shutterbugs out there. It weighs only 145gms and would be perfect for clicking decent photographs with its f/2.2 aperture. The camera also has a burst mode, low light photo enhancement.

4. Splendid Selfies

A beautify mode, a portrait mode, age recognition and selfie timer; the Redmi 6A is perfect for all the selfie lovers out there!

5. High on Style

The Redmi 6A has a plastic body but a sleek finish. What I personally loved was the fact that the phone is available in four different colours. You can opt for black, blue, gold or rose gold. It has curved edges and looks very stylish.

6. Brilliant Battery life

The Helio A22 is a revolutionary technology for inexpensive phones such as the Redmi 6aa. Other phones in the price category pale in comparison. It has four ARM Cortex-A53 cores running at up to 2GHz and is manufactured using a power-efficient 12nm process. This means that the battery life will be more than you would expect. The Redmi 6A has a 3000mAh battery and can easily last you for the entire day.

7. Fabulous Facemoji

Emojis, stickers, GIFs and more; the Redmi 6A has a cool range of inbuilt features to make conversations with friends more interesting.

8. Amazing AI Face unlock

This is definitely one of the coolest features of the phone! You can now unlock your phone with just a glance. How cool is that?

These are my 8 reasons why Redmi 6A is the perfect phone for those who are on a budget. When you buy the phone during the Great Indian Amazon Sale you can also get some amazing deals like:

Free 1 year screen replacement
Additional 360GB data with Vodafone and Idea
Cashback of up to Rs. 2300 on BookMyShow, Yatra, Swigggy and many others when you buy from the Amazon App.

I don’t think you need any more reasons. Just go buy the Redmi 6A now!

Woo for Women

Juggling your career, friends, family and dating like a boss is tough. I have a job, I blog and also try to read as much as possible in whatever little time I can squeeze in. I am excellent at multitasking but somewhere between being a superwoman and the career girl, I just don’t have time for anything else. I hardly meet new people besides old college friends and my colleagues.

The Internet has been breaking artificial barriers that limit our choices in meeting new people and making meaningful connections. Marriages, which would earlier be arranged by parents through word of mouth contact has transformed to matrimonial profiles and advertisements online. There are apps to make friends, to date and to meet like-minded people. While social media platforms, offer space for people to know and meet each other, the element of safety is debatable.

As someone, who has experienced the creepy behaviour by individuals on many of these apps and websites, I know how frustrating it can be sometimes to just chat with someone. The question that always runs in the back of my head is “Is this safe?”

Technology, as always, has proved to be a saviour and has given us a solution for every problem that may have arisen due to it. And this time, it comes in the form of Woo, an app that believes in putting women first. I am sure you are buzzing with lots of questions and I want to run you through each and every aspect of this app.

Table of Contents

Signing up

Like most apps, Woo asks you to sign in using your Facebook account. Now, I have a lot of praying aunties and jobless uncles who always want to poke their nose in my business. I would not want them to know anything about my personal life. Woo allays this fear right at the beginning. They do not post anything on Facebook nor do they share your profile info with friends and family. This is a major plus for me.

Creating your profile

Creating a profile is easy and all you have to do is answer a few questions. So they have a section where you can choose your likes or interests. The app has a long list of options some which I found to be a little funny 🙂

For example, I came across options like Dance Machine, Matter of Fact, Meet me on VDay which made me chuckle. Some of the interesting options that I came across were Gluten free, ping pong, horse rider, extrovert and so on. Like I said, you will definitely find something that suits your personality.

Next, you can add your name, age and other details. For women, they have an option where only your initials will be displayed, if that is what you choose. For men, they display the first name. They also allow you to choose your religion or community if you would like that be added to your profile.

Verified profiles

It is so easy to create fake profiles these days and Woo gets that. It encourages all its users to verify phone numbers to get a badge of authenticity from the app. You can add details of your work profile, your degree, college and even connect your LinkedIn profile if you wish. Another layer of added security for women is that in Android phones, users are not allowed to take screenshots of the app.

Woo Phone

Using Woo Phone, women can make calls directly through the app using the internet. Woo Phone allows for greater privacy by allowing the user to keep her number hidden during the call. This special feature is extremely beneficial and is exclusively available for women with men only being able to receive calls. I like the fact that Woo has thought of the little things that matter to make a woman feel secure.

Meeting people

Woo has the good ol’ swipe right and left feature but with a little bit of ingenuity. You can add specific search terms like ‘travel junkie’ or ‘foodie’ to meet people who share your interests.

The app also has an internal tool to analyze your profile to see the probability of meeting like-minded people. It is recommended to complete at least 70% of your profile. You also have the option of asking your matches certain questions to see how compatible you are or to start a conversation on a phone note.

Seeing is believing

Isn’t it infuriating to come across a profile that is well written only to not be able to identify the person? I find it very annoying to come across group photos or photos with children on apps. Woo has strict guidelines in place to ensure that you get to see the person you will be interacting with. They encourage people to put up selfies and solo photos. The pictures are moderated internally to keep a check on fake profiles.

Approach your crush

Remember passing on a little chit to your crush during your college days? Now, you can do it virtually through Woo Crush where you can directly message someone by sending them a ‘Crush’

Paid features on Woo

The Woo app loaded with great features is completely free to install. While most basic features of Woo are available for free, there are some special things kept in store for those who subscribe to Woo Plus. The subscription can help boost your profile to increase your visibility, see who liked you, visited your profile, go back to your skipped profile and avoid ads.

Woo also has a paid feature called Woo Globe which allows you to sort people according to community or religion. It will cost you Rs. 400 for a 3-day access and then they also have long-term plans available.

Friendship, casual dating or the love of your life?

There are times when you just feel the need to interact with newer people beyond your circle and there are times you want to date. Woo has a feature where you can indicate what exactly you are looking for on the app whether it is friends, dating or the love of your life.

Woo app a tag search options that allows you to choose people with similar interests. Cool, isn’t it?

Saying goodbye to Woo

Now, what if you want to delete the app after you start dating someone? While the FAQs clearly state that if you delete your account, all your information are permanently removed from the database I found it a little tricky to delete my profile. I wish they had listed down the process clearly. Hope they work on this 🙂

So my final words, why is Woo the dating app women love?

The app has specialised features for women to ensure safety and protection. Sensitive information like details of name, number and location are kept hidden from public view and cannot be seen by any user. Woo also has a comprehensive set of questions and mechanisms through which it keeps check on the members and they have a large number of verified profiles. It is truly an app that puts women first.

Want to know more about Woo? Do check out Facebook, Instagram & Twitter