Ms Vinita Aran is a Certified Diabetes Educator (Accredited by prestigious American Diabetic Association), Senior Diet/Obesity and Wellness Consultant with more than 18 years experience in the Diet and Fitness Industry. She is also a Corporate Diet and Lifestyle Consultant and has conducted workshops and lectures for several prominent corporates.

She has helped numerous clients with her expertise to alleviate their health problems from cholesterol problems to reversing diabetes, curing acidity, gas problem and many more.

Ms Vinita Aran answered Sify readers’ queries related to the above in an exclusive chat. Read the transcript below.

How does Green Tea effect us in sugar reduction
Green tea is full of anti oxidants and definitely help in reducing sugar spikes.If you have 2-3 green teas in a day , it will help in maintaining sugar levels

Suggest some diet plan to control medication induced acidity.
Plenty of water, coconut water,Aloe vera juice.Overnight soaked methi and methi water

Suggest some diet plan to help acne prone skin…
Avoid fried food , Have lots of water 2-3 litres per day. Coconut water can be put on acne scars regularly and they vanish

how to control diabetes with food ,pl suggest some food?
Green tea 2-3times a day,1 tsp methi seeds soaked overnight.Strictly avoid sweets , processed food,walk regularly 150 mins per week

is eating pasta good for my food?
No, if at all you are having ,have it with lots of vegetables

My son is 12yrs. He likes noodles a lot. But I know it is not good for health. Can I give her atta noodles on daily basis?
Equal amount of vegetables as noodles once a week

How much Omega3 do I need as a 49yr woman? Will it help me tackle menopause symptoms?
Have fish regularly 4 times a week

What are the food source for Omega3?
Fish,Sea food,Flaxseed,

Gd aftrn, I am a 49yrs woman. Will soon be approaching menopause. What all types of food are good for me at this stage?.
Have Soya based food , Have Calcium rich food in the form of til, curd mlk , ragi. Leafy vegetables

What dietary suggestions you can give for growing children? My daughter is aged 9yrs.
Have proteins in the form of Milk , Curd, Egg Dal . have 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables in a day,Avoid junk food and processed food

I am a vegan. What are the rich sources of vitamin B12 that I can have?
Fermented food

When is it good to check one’s vitamin B12 levels?
If you are a vegetarian and dont take much dairy

I am somehow unable to eat brown rice because of its taste. How many times in a week can I eat white rice for good health?
Boil rice in water and drain the starch 2-3 times a week

Should carbohydrates be completely avoided during dinner time?
Not necssarily but dont eat late in the night

How much carbohydrates does a 40yrs male need or eat on p/day basis to lose weight?
It all needs to be assessed depending on your height and IBW,But regular exercising will help

There are so many types of cheese. Which do you recommend?
Fermented and Aged cheese

Which type of butter is good for health? The low fat one? Does the normal butter contain excess salt?
Butter is not good for health and should be restricted

What diet changes or what type of diet help to lower one’s cholesterol?
Curb fried and processed food ,sweets . Have 5 almonds and walnuts daily . Eat Oats 4 times a week.Have 2-3 fruits a day, Walk regularly 150 minutes a week

M’am I like bananas in fruits.If I eat a banana daily will it lead to weight gain one day?
No,Banana is extremely beneficial for health.It is filling so will curb your appetite for junk food . It is high in Potassium and cures High Blood pressure

What foods and fluids are best for acidity control?
Answered previously

Can I control my acidity by diet alone?
Yes…have lemon water 2-3 times a day especially early morning.Have 1 tsp methi seeds soaked in 1 glass water overnight along with the water

I came to know that raw foods are very good for health and we should have a diet which has 25 percent raw foods. Raw foods basically point out to salads (fruits and vegetables). Right?
Basically yes…vegetable juice are extremely beneficial for health

Can I take some multivitamin supplements to enhance my hair?
Yes the ones containg Zinc, Selenium ,Biotene

Also I have frizzy hair. Pls advice something.
Try out Ayurvedic products like Patanjali

Hey Ms. Vinita I am a male age-31yrs. Recently I am witnessing hairfal. What foods can help to stop hairfal?
Have enough protein in the diet in the form of egg,milk , curd,dal Egg is especially useful as it contains Biotene. Awala is also useful

Is yoghurt and curd one and the same or they differ?
In India its the same

What kind of paneer is best for health?
made from low fat milk

How many times in a week it healthy to eat soya?
You can have 4-5 times but avoid soya if you are thyroid patient

Good morning. I am trying to lose around 5-8kgs. I am a female aged 46yrs. What is the best to have in dinner for weight loss?
3 hours priorto bedtime

How to have wheatgrass?
Wheat grass juice

Does 2-3 cups of tea also cause acidity?
Depends on the individual . Switch to green tea

I want to cure morning acidity. What is your advice?
Drink Lemon water first thing in the morning . Although acidic in taste ,lemon has an alkaline action in the body and curbs acidity

Does coconut enriched foods or sweets or biscuits cause weight gain?
No Coconut is good for health and regulates your hormones and enhances your health

Hi Ms. Aran,Pl give some weight loss diet suggestions M’am.
Restrict oil to half kg per person per month. Exercise to burn 300-400 calories 6 days a week. Avoid fried foods, sweets and processed foods. Drink 2-3 litres of water per day.

Is it advisable to eat fried foods cooked in air fryers with less oil?
Overall restrict fried food but done in Air fryer better than deep fried

Is olive oil best oil for cooking?
No …not ideal for cooking

It is suggested to have 5 meals a day in small portions. How can I divide these meals in different types of nutritious foods?
Besides your 3 main meals of breakfast ,Lunch and Dinner,you can have midmorning snack of coconut water or green tea,in the evening handfull of dry fruits or peanuts channa

Now days there is a lot said about eating raw foods. What is your opinion on this?
When you want to lose weight,the fibre of the salads fills you up andyou have less appetite for the main meals so it helps in cutting calories Its useful because raw foods contain some enzymes which are lost in cooking

My husband is very Is very fond of fried foods like aloo parathas or poori bhaji or bhajiyas. Is it ok if he has them twice or thrice a week?
2-3 times a a week is a lot . Anyone item once a week Morover he needs to exercise regularly as well if he wants to avoid getting overweight

I am 37yrs working female. I have oats in the morning for breakfast. I usually dont prefer heavy breakfast or lunch to avoid drowsiness. Can you suggest some tips on breakfast and lunch foods which are light enough and yet filling?
Oats is a very good option,also Indian breakfast like Idli,Upma,Poha

Is it true that people suffering from migraine headaches should consume more of cold food items like ice creams, cold milk, curd, etc.?
Depends what is your trigger but having an apple first thing in the morning really helps

I am currently on homeopathic treatment for migraine. What foods should I avoid?
cheese,garlic,chocolate,alcohol,avoid the heat and fermented food too

Hello Madam,pl tell me what kind of food is good for people with migraine?
Pl havea fruit like apple first thing in the morning