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Proper or balanced diet matters a lot in your health. We take this from young interns, doctors, nutritionists, health officials, the media and food wrappers.
Foods contain vital nutrients that aid our body’s metabolic function. However, a lack of consumption of these nutrients or feeding upon the wrong kinds of food leads to an accumulation of toxins within the body, resulting in chronic diseases in the long run.
A nutritious diet while ensuring overall well being, helps to maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI), reduces the risk of several debilitating diseases like cancer, cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, osteoporosis and stroke. Thus a nutritious diet is important in the prevention and cure of various diseases.
Nutrition scientists and manufacturers have filled our heads with a dictionary of words relating to food: free radicals, anti-oxidants, folic acid, lipids, transfat, gluten and probiotics. Our stores sell foods we didn't know existed, our restaurants specialise in cuisines from half the world away. TV commercials have got into the game leaving us with questions: Do breakfast cereals and beverages boost memory? Are there “good”, “bad” fats/carbs/proteins? So there are lots of question regarding our proper diet. It is necessary to know that what we eat before leading us to what we should. Eating healthy is about eating “real food” as opposed to eating what he calls “edible food-like substances” and “industrial novelties”.
To be healthy we should kept this in our mind that, avoid packaged foods, avoid junk food. These have to stay on the shelf for long, so they have to be without ingredients attractive to bacteria, fungi and insects — which means they have no real ingredients. All those chemical names on the label, what do we know about them? Claims like “low cholesterol”, “less sugar”, “reduced sodium”, are vague and exaggerated. Build your diet around whole foods — whole-grain atta, handpound chivda and rice. There are lots of small things which you should have to follow like make your plate colourful with papaya, carrot, pumpkin, cabbage and greens to keep off ailments. Follow the Chinese proverb: Eating what stands on one leg (plants) is better than what stands on two legs (fowl) which is better than what stands on four legs. Of course, take in the legless fish. Buy vegetables at wayside markets. There are number of diet nutrition tips which you should follow.
Apart from all these fermented food is there for healthy diet— idli, dosa, curd and buttermilk — is good. If you've switched to breakfast cereals avoid those that change the colour of milk. They have chemical additives. Junk foods are fine for variety, but make them yourself. That way, you know what goes into the fries, patties, cakes and cookies. Home cooking need not be time-consuming. It saves the time spent shopping, visiting doctors.
Find sweet foods in Nature — seasonal fruits will do very well. The food is ready. Consume small portions. At a buffet, fill your plate but don't go for a second helping. At home, use smaller plates and bowls. Get up when you are about 75 per cent full. Ayurveda recommends it. So do many cultures. Eat slowly, the brain will tell you when you're satisfied and your craving will decrease. Eat in a group, this slows down eating. “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper.”
Fibre-rich foods
Three fibre-rich, satisfying meals are all you need. Add fried stuff to these. If you have to snack, choose fresh and dried fruits, vegetables and nuts. Eat at the table. Not at the work desk, in bed, on the sofa or in the car. Not while watching TV or driving. Distracted eating means eating more. If there's authentic organic food, go for it. Protect yourself from chemicals. Sin foods are fine for special occasions, like Icecream once a week, gulab jamun once a month.
