The predominant norm in fad diets almost begins with ‘eat less’ or ‘restrict fat’. There are so many conflicting nutrition and diet opinions out there that it often gets confusing. In this article, know how the ideal food habits and understand the essentials of a diet that is well-suited to your body.
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Food Habits for a Healthy Living : What to Eat
The key to good nutrition is not deprivation, but balance. Eat the right balance of nutrients with a wide variety. Focus on a diet that includes:
High-Fiber
Notably, vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains should cover most part of your diet. Fiber slows the absorption of carbohydrates, so they have less effect on insulin and blood sugar, and it provides other health benefits too
Protein
About 25-30% of your diet should contain proteins from pulses, milk, nuts, leafy greens, egg, white meat or sprouts. Protein is a vital component of all the cells in your body and body needs amino acids to detox
Fats
About, 1/5th of your diet should contain healthy fats – omega-3, polyunsaturated and monosaturated. Fats in the Indian diet mostly come from the oil we use, The best recommendation would be to juggle between ghee, olive oil, mustard oil, sesame, groundnut and coconut oil. Depend more on unrefined (Kachi Ghani) or cold-pressed oils versus refined oils, goes without saying.
Vitamins and Minerals
No need to take a multivitamin tablet, get it from the natural sources of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Studies done on a large cohort of women, comparing extra intake of fruits and vegetables vis-à-vis added vitamins and minerals daily, have clearly shown that the extra fresh fruit and vegetable eating group had significantly fewer cancers and heart attacks in the following five years.
Don’t follow a diet fad, listen to your body to comprehend what diet is best for you. More than anything the diet that you take should promote tranquillity of your mind.
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Food Habits for a Healthy Living : When to Eat
It is good to eat small meals throughout the day rather than having one large meal. A large meal directly impacts the heart by forcing it to work almost 2.5 times its normal – Hearty meal is derived from this scientific fact. Small meals keep metabolism at a steady state without causing large fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Besides, long intervals between infrequent meals can lead to binge eating.
Fuel up at the right time – eat heavier meals in the day and make it smaller as you progress through the evening. Along with breakfast, lunch and dinner help yourself to servings of fresh fruit, nuts or seeds at least two to three times in between.
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How to Eat
Don’t overeat and always listen to your body signs to know when you are hungry and then eat your meal. Take time to finish your meals so that you can provide ample time for the brain to process the information that you are full. A quick breakfast that is gulped down in a couple of minutes is not recommended. Eat mindfully and slowly to allow the stomach to pass signals to the brain that you have eaten.
The latest Dietary Guidelines say that eating healthfully involves “enjoying food and celebrating cultural and personal traditions through food.” Sit down with your family and there’s nothing more nourishing than a home-cooked meal relished with your loved ones.
Enjoy Your Food and Life
According to the longest study done by Harvard Alumni that observed a total of 268 Harvard graduates from the classes of 1939 to 1944, the key to longevity lies in three key factors. These include avoiding alcohol and tobacco, physical activity and then finally, maintaining healthy relationships.
Therefore apart from what food goes in through your mouth, it’s also important to nourish your mind by giving love to your friends and family and getting love.