At Home

You've probably already cut down on the oil and fatty foods in your kitchen. And as in most Indian households, dals and sabzis are staples at your place too. Know that you are on the right track.

As long as you go easy on the oil and sweets you'll be fine. Doing something drastic, such as cutting out carbohydrates completely will only produce temporary effects and harm you in the long run. Besides, keeping up with such impossible regulations is not feasible.

So don't go chasing red herrings, look for the real culprits instead -

• If you have a sweet tooth, discipline yourself to have a smaller portion of dessert;
• If you have a drink every other day, cut it down to once or twice a week;
• If you end up eating burgers, pani puri and chaat every evening, cut down and replace with a spicy and tangy fruit salad or puffed rice mix;
• If you are what they call a "carb-junkie" or have grown up in a household where the amount of rice is always more than the sabzi, reduce the portion size of rice and pile your plate instead with enough dal and sabzi to quell your hunger.

Basically, play it by the ear to arrive at a rhythm that works best for you.

At Work

Every job has its nutritional disasters - business lunches, missed meals, odd hours, and a work culture where gallons of tea and coffee are downed.

But each time you have a "pep-up" coffee, you make matters worse - beverage dispensers have sugar and contrary to what you might think sugar depletes energy reserves. Besides, must you pump in extra caffeine into your system?

Breaking out of the cola habit is equally important; avoid diet versions too. Keep tea bags at hand; get hot water from the dispenser; or invest in an electric kettle.

How to Cope?

If you miss a meal, eat right for the rest of the day. Check portion sizes and include protein whenever you can (milk, eggs, paneer, cheese, tofu, chicken, fish, sprouts). Even if you're not hungry when you wake up, eat something - once you do it for a week, your body will get used to the pattern. Else, eat your breakfast while driving to work or once you reach office.

• Sandwiches (go easy on butter, spread or preserve; opt for a veggie filling; or stick to tomato and cucumber), fruits and a glass of milk or juice (opt for vegetable juice - fruit juices pack in more sugar) is all you need.
  
  
• Milkshakes - with fruits, nuts (almonds and walnuts work best) or muesli - can do the trick too.
  
  
• Sattu is another super-food that can balance out your bad food choices - add it to your roti or make a drink (whisk with dahi, green chillies and salt).
  
  
• And when you go grocery shopping, pick up brown or multi-grain bread, black instead of green grapes and trade lettuce for blanched spinach (has more antioxidants).
  
  
• If you like fortified drinks such as Horlicks (the Lite version), Complan or  Bournvita,  get a jar.
  
  
• Carry lunch even if your cook doesn't turn up, toss in veggies in instant (whole wheat)
  noodles or carry leftovers. It's better to have leftovers than oily canteen food.