A GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING

what is a healthy-diet | Healthy Eating Habits

What is a healthy diet?

Nutrients rich foods are the ones that have a high content of nutrients as against the number of calories. A diet rich in nutrients is essential to sustain a healthy lifestyle and a fit body. India is an agriculture-rich land, producing a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods for a vast population. Reduction in the consumption of nutrient-rich foods can lead to robust deficiency. While taking a rich diet, an individual should note including these nutrients into his daily lifestyle, including Omega-3 Fats, Iron, Protein, Zinc, Vitamin B12, Vitamin, and Vitamin B9. A healthy diet will help in sustaining a lifestyle and will benefit an individual in the following manner:

• Restores the cholesterol level
• Regulate Blood Pressure
• Manage Body Weight
• Monitored Blood Sugar

Fundamentals of Healthy Eating

Dieticians believe there should be variety in daily food to achieve a nutrient-rich lifestyle. Further, they also think that the consumption of plant-based substances should be increased daily and reduce the consumption of processed foods. A healthy diet should have the following:

• Vegetables and Fruits: Both vegetables and fruits are high in various nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants
• Choose Whole Wheat: Foods such as whole-grain bread, brown rice, barley, and oatmeal are rich in Fiber, Protein, and Vitamin-B
• Consuming Protein: Proteins are essential for bones, muscles, and skin. Hence, it is necessary to consume foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, tofu, fish, and more
• Drinking Lots of Water: As we all know, the human body is made up of an average of 45-75% water; hence it is crucial to remain hydrated

Below mentioned are some quick tips to prepare good and healthy food:

• Food should be prepared at home and by using less or no processed food
• Food recipes should be chosen, which include great vegetables and fruits. Salads should be prepared in a way that it consists of a plate filled half with vegetables and fruits
• Juices and drinks high in sugar should not be prepared at home. Even milk should also be low-fat
• At least three meals should be taken in a day, and smaller meals should be taken with a good number of gaps between the meals

Here is a list of a few nutritious, rich foods available in India to make the best out of the meals:

• Hilsa Fish: It is advised to consume Hilsa Fish at least once a week to get the maximum benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, it contains a significant amount of Vitamin D & B12 and Protein
• Spinach: Spinach is rich in Vitamin B9, fibre, beta carotene, vitamin C, and Vitamin K1. Furthermore, it also contains lutein, kaempferol, quercetin, and zeaxanthin
• Soy chunks: Soy chunks or soybeans have the highest amount of protein, but the proteins it contains are equivalent to the one found in eggs and milk. Furthermore, it is rich in fiber, iron, calcium, and magnesium
• Chickpeas: They are a significant source of proteins, Iron, Zinc, Fibre, and Vitamin B9. Consuming chickpeas consistently can help in reducing the risk of chronic diseases
• Cashews: Cashews are rich in vegetable proteins, fat, and other healthy minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and many more

Five Healthy Eating Habits

Food is essential as it helps cherishes us with the nutrition necessary to keep us moving. However, most of us need to focus on what to eat, how to eat, and keeping the complete dietary plan in check. Highlighted below are the five healthy eating habits:

1. Stay Hydrated

Keep your water bottle with you and sip the water throughout the day. This will help you stay hydrated, energetic, and focused and help avoid headaches, muscle cramps, and lack of energy.

• Chew Your Food Slowly

Food is digested better when you eat slowly, thereby breaking the food into the tiniest size possible, which makes it easy for the digestive system to work. This will help reduce weight loss and improve digestion, thereby making you consume fewer calories as the hunger gets fully satisfied with less food when you chew slowly.

• Eat more & more Fruits and Vegetables

Eating a full plate of fruits daily and vegetables before every meal is an excellent way to boost metabolism and eat less. Fruits are low in saturated and trans-fat and have lots & lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Additionally, consuming fruits and vegetables reduces the risks of many health problems such as blood pressure, heart disease and stroke,  cancer, and digestive issues.

• Eat only when you are Hungry

Eating your meals only when you are hungry is a habit that can keep you healthy as it avoids overeating, thereby reducing the number of daily calories your intake and keeping your digestive system and gut happy. Furthermore, a happy gut leads to your over well-being.

• Never Miss Your Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal out of all the breakfasts as it helps break overnight fast, and not eating breakfast on time can hamper your metabolism. It is ideal for eating breakfast within two hours after you wake up. Additionally, eating breakfast on time has ample benefits, such as it boosts your metabolism, restoring glucose levels, lowering stress levels, being good for your heart, providing energy, keeping a healthy weight, and many more.

Disclaimer: This blog has been written after performing in-depth secondary research related to the topic from various articles, blogs, and journals with expertise in writing for healthcare. Suppose you face any deficiency in nutrients or have any doubt related to a nutrition-rich diet, we strictly advise you to seek medical consultation.