Deepika Padukone’s Nutritionist Tells You How To Eat Right

9 ways to maintain a healthy relationship with the weighing scale in 2017:

1. Keep alcohol consumption to the bare minimum during the days leading up to the 31st. It’s how the calories creep in and find a place on your waistline.

2. Cutting down on your meals will rob you of your natural glow, reduce the lustre in your hair and will also lead to loss of stamina. It is better to eat small portions at frequent intervals and increase your output instead. The weather is pleasant in India this time of the year, so go for a walk, jog or play a sport.

3. Before heading out to a party, eat a couple of boiled eggs along with a vegetable raita with tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. The vegetables provide a lining for your stomach for when you want to have a drink or two, and the eggs are quality protein which will keep you away from excessive amounts of sugar as the night progresses.

4. Hydrate copiously to cure a hangover. This can come from water, of course, but if you’re feeling creative, try some chaas instead. Try smoothies or banana milkshakes occasionally, although it is much better to eat your fruits instead of drinking them.

5. If you intend on cheating on your diet, make up for it by cutting down on oily food for the next few days. How often you cheat is directly proportional to the amount of time you will have to spend following your diet program, therefore try to abstain from erratic food habits.

6. You need to consume 60 to 65 percent carbohydrates, 20 to 25 percent proteins and 5 to 10 percent fat in your diet. So make sure you break your meals up accordingly.

7. Any study that says that chocolate is good for your body was probably conducted by the owner of a chocolate company. Chocolates consist of sugar and fat, which are not good for you. If you must satiate your sweet tooth, have no more than two pieces of dark chocolate with a cocoa content of more than 70 percent.

8. Breakfast has to be your heaviest meal of the day since you are eating after a long interval. You can eat anything from eggs and bread to idli and poha with sprouts. Have a smaller lunch consisting of one or two rotis or half a bowl of rice with some veggies and dal. Dinner has to be a smaller portion since waking hours between dinner and bedtime are far lesser than those between lunch and bedtime. If you’ve had two to three rotis for lunch, you should eat one roti for dinner.

9. Munch on convenient fillers in between meals. Carrots, cucumber strips with a hummus dip, fruit and vegetable juices are good options for attaining a healthy glow. If you are on the move, carry some chana, a handful of crackers or some khakhra and kurmura that can fit into a zip lock bag.

9 eating habits you should quit right now:

1. Don’t make it all about fitting into that little black dress – your body is far too precious to play around with. Make a conscious decision of cutting back on sweets and fried food so that you lay the foundation for a healthier body.

2. Do not go to a party on an empty stomach under the impression that it will make you look thinner. You won’t be able to resist the food going around and it will make you crabby.

3. Gym enthusiasts: don’t overdose on protein shakes. If you are on an intense workout program and require additional proteins, try to get it from your diet instead. With artificial sources, whatever pump you manage to get will be gone as soon as you terminate the intake of these shakes.

4. Don’t believe any dietary advice that says carbohydrates are bad for you. They actually sustain your body and if you do away with them completely, you will find yourself feeling increasingly irritable, and sleep deprived. Carbs are healthy as long as you limit your intake, cook them the right way and eat sensible portions.

5. Don’t go on a restrictive diet where you cut off carbs or fat entirely, unless you are determined to follow it through to the end. If it’s a transient diet, then it will be a temporary weight loss and all the inches you’ve lost will make their way back.

6. Don’t be under the misconception that you should starve yourself after a workout. Your body loses energy while you exert it so you need to restore the nutrients right after. If you’ve just had an intense session of cardio, it’s okay to eat carbs. If you were lifting weights, then you should go for protein.

7. Don’t abstain from alcohol all week only to indulge in one night of binge-drinking. If you must drink, opt for wine which has 11-14 percent of alcohol as compared to vodka, rum, whiskey or gin which have an alcohol content of 40 percent. Try not to go overboard with the wine either; make it a point to stop after one or two glasses.

8. Don’t skimp on meals in an effort to correct your weight. If you don’t eat the right food at the right time, your brain is going to compel you into eating the wrong food at the wrong time.

9. Don’t look at food as a stress buster; instead consider it a nurturer. You are what you eat and the minute you start looking at food through that lens, you will have the perfect relationship with your body.