Obesity Care in Unani System of Medicine

The Weight Loss Food Guide Pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day based on the Dietary Guidelines. It’s not a rigid prescription but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that’s right for you.
The Pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need and at the same time the right amount of carlories to maintain healthy weight.
What counts as one serving?
The amount of food that counts as one serving is listed below. you eat a larger portion, count it as more than one serving. Be sure to eat least the lowest number of servings from the five major food groups listed below. You need them for the vitamins, minerals carbohydrates and proteins they provide. Just try to pick the lowest fat choices from the fats groups. Specific serving size is given for the fats, oils and sweets group because the message is “Use Sparingly”.

Milk, Yoghurt and Cheese
1 cup of Milk or Yoghurt or 45 gms.of Cottage Cheese/Paneer

Meat, Poultry, Fish Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts
60-70 gms. cooked Lean Meat, Poultry or Fish.
1/2 cup of cooked Dry Beans, Egg or 2 tablespoons of Peanut Butter (count as 30 gms. of lean meat).

Vegetables
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables or 1/2 cup of other vegetables (cooked or chopped raw),
3/4 cup of vegetable juice.

Fruits
1 medium apple, banana, orange or 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked or canned fruit or 3/4 cup of fruit juice.

Bread, Cereal, Rice and Pasta
1 slices of Brown Bread or 30 gms. of ready-to-eat Whole Cereal or 1/2 cup of cooked whole cereal or Brown Rice.

Foods to eat, foods to avoid
Fats, Oils, Sweets, Red Meat & Refined Carbohydrates
Use sparingly.
Restrict adding fats to foods while cooking or the table - like butter, margarine, gravy, salad dressing. spread.
Choose few foods that are high in sugar like candy, jelly, honey, sweet deserts, soft drinks.
Avoid the use of pork, mutton & other glandular meat.
Foods like white flour, white bread and polished rice, which are highly refined and low in vitamins & minerals, should be used less frequently.
Cut down on convenience foods like biscuit, pastries and cakes, as they are rich in invisible fat and refined carbohydrates.

Gear-up for a neutral eating habit
Avoid acid forming foods.
Certain foods like sausages, nuts, macaroni and even chicken and spaghetti are acidic in nature.
Take alkaline foods.
Foods of the alkaline range are primarily plant derived. The most effective are spinach, molasses, celery, carrots and dried beans.
To put your body in the neutral state, increase your fruits and vegetables intake.
Raisins, when soaked in water at night and consumed in the morning, are an excellent way to combat acidity.
Mixed carrot and cabbage juice (1:1) also help in reducing acidity.

Eat right
Never skip a meal. Doing so will reduce your BMR, making you inactive. You will tend to over-eat at the next meal. Instead, have smaller, more frequent meals at regular intervals.
Always have breakfast, as it is the most important meal of the day. It is that time of the day when you nutrient requirements are the highest and a proper breakfast will energise you throughout the day.
Don’t fall asleep soon after dinner, as sleep slows down the body’s metabolism and you tend to burn fewer calories and accumulate fat. Instead, have a light and early dinner and give yourself a 2 to 3 hour gap before going to bed.

Add fibre to your diet
Include a lot of fruits and fresh vegetables in your diet; these not only detoxity the body but are good for the skin too.
Substitute fruit juice with actual fruit, for fibre in your diet.
Never overcook vegetables. They are healthiest when eaten raw.
The skin of fruits and vegetables, like apples and baked potatoes, are goods for you. Remember to wash them before consumption.
Choose whole grain cereals, whole wheat bread, whole pulses and brown rice instead of highly refined alternatives.

Healthy Cooking
Avoid frying foods; instead grill, steam or boil foods to minimise fat content.
Wash vegetables before chopping them to prevent loss of water soluble nutrients like Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Thiamin and Niacin.
Avoid use of baking soda while cooking pulses and vegetables as soda inhibits the absorpiton of calcium.
Avoid repreated washing of rice and pulses, as valuable nutrients are lost in the process.
Preserve vitamins in food by cooking whole vegetables in their skin.
Substitue cream with skimmed yoghurt, as it contains less fat.
Seasonal vegetables and fruits have the highest nutrient content so include them in your diet as often as possible.
Use non-stick cookware and minimise the oil content in your food.