How to Make a Diet Healthier

 

As the one eats as one’s mind becomes. If someone eats a healthy diet, one’s body, mind and soul will remain healthy. If someone takes unhealthy diet, the one may be sick physically, mentally or spiritually. So, diet plays a significant role in one’s life.

What to eat:

First of all, focus on what we are going to have in our meal. Following points may be helpful in deciding the diet:

1. Prefer balanced Diet

A diet should be balanced. A balanced diet means eating foods having seven essential factors i.e., carbs, protein, fat, fibre, vitamins, minerals and water. In other words. One’s plate should have primarily vegetables and fruits, some lean protein, some dairy products and soluble fiber.

 

It has scientifically proven that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides numerous nutrients for our body. These nutrients reduce the risk of several diseases and keep our body healthy.

2. Prefer whole grains instead of refined

Whole grains have all of its nutrients within it. They are good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and manganese.  That’s why, whole grains have been linked to numerous health benefits. Such as reduced risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer etc.

Refined grains are processed and many of its nutrients are decreased. So, they have been associated with many health issues.

If we eat readymade breads, we may choose the breads made of whole grains instead of refined bread. Both kind of breads are available in the market.

3. Fermented Food Items

Fermented food item such as curd, Greek yogurt have good bacteria which make our intestines healthy.

Greek yogurt is a good source of protein and fat as its whey part has been strained away. It contains fewer carbs and less lactose than regular yogurt. It manages our appetite and reduces our food intake.

We should pick the unflavoured and plain variety of yogurt. Flavoured yogur may contain added sugar and other less nutritious ingredients.

4. Protein Rich Food Items

Protein is very essential to our body. It makes new cells and repairs damaged tissues. It is often called the king of nutrients. It seems to have some superpowers. It is often considered the most filling of the macronutrients due to its ability to affect our hunger and satiety hormones.

In a study, it is found that eating a high-protein diet decreased levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, more than a high-carb meal in people with obesity.

To lose weight, a source of protein should be added to each meal and snack. It will help in feeling fuller for longer, limiting cravings, and making less likely to overeat. Good sources of protein are: – nuts, dairy products, eggs, peanut butter, beans, lean meats.

4. Vitamin D

Vitamin-D is very essential nutrient for our body. Deficiency of this nutrient affects the functioning of our immune system. Deficiency of Vitamin-D can cause symptoms of fatigue and bone pain. It can lead to health risks including osteoporosis and depression.

Rickets is found in some children. It makes the bones weak and soft. It is due to a lack of vitamin D in the body. In adults, having soft bones is called osteomalacia.  We need vitamin-D so that calcium and phosphorus can be used to build bones.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is essential for bone health and the functioning of our immune system. It helps in absorbing calcium and phosphorus in our body.

Vitamin D is found in very few foods. Fatty seafoods are the good source of vitamin-D.

5. Proper ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6

Omega-3 is very important nutrient for our body. Deficiency omega-3 affects the functioning of our immune system. Deficiency of omega-3 fatty acid causes fatigue, mood swings or depression, poor memory, heart problems, dry skin, and poor blood circulation. It is important to have the proper ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in our diet.

Sources of omega-3 fatty acid are-

• Nuts and seeds like walnuts, flaxseeds, chiaseeds etc.
• Vegetable oil like soyabean oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil etc.
• Fatty seafood like salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines etc

Omega-3 fatty acids have many significant roles in our body such as maintaining heart health, reducing inflammation, and promoting proper brain function.

A lot of people are adopting the western diet.  The Western diet is generally very high in omega-6 fatty acids. It increases inflammation and have been linked to many chronic diseases. Omega-3 helps in reducing this inflammation and keeping our body in a balanced state.

6.  Drinking Sufficient Water

Our body must remain hydrated. For it, intake of sufficient water is important. Water keeps the body hydrated and flushes the toxins out of the body.

Many studies show that drinking sufficient water can increase weight loss and promote weight maintenance. It may even slightly increase the number of calories we burn.

Studies also show that drinking water before meals can reduce our appetite and food intake during the following meal. Remember that it should not be drunk just before the meal. There should be at least a gap of 30 minutes between drinking water and having meal.    

Prefer Healthier way of cooking

Secondly, focus on how to cook what we are going to have in our meal. The popular ways of preparing food are as follows: – grilling, broiling, frying, and deep-frying.

During these methods of cooking, several potentially toxic compounds are formed. These include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, advanced glycation end products, heterocyclic amines. These compounds have been linked to several health issues such as cancer and heart disease.

We may adopt healthier cooking methods such as baking, broiling, poaching, pressure cooking, simmering, slow cooking, stewing, sous-vide. These methods don’t promote the formation of abovesaid harmful compounds. It may make the food healthier.

 

How to eat:

Thirdly, focus on the habits that may make the food healthier. By making small changes in our dining habits, we may remain fit. Some easy steps are such as: –

1. Peaceful and positive mind during dining: –

During having a meal, mind’s calmness matters a lot. Good thoughts enhance the quality of the food and bad thoughts decrease the excellence of the diet. This happens due to secretion of hormones which depends on mental situation. If our mind is calm, we shall enjoy the meal.

2. Pace of eating:

Pace of eating is also significant. Actually, mind’s peace and speed of eating both are interlinked. If we are enjoying the meal peacefully, our pace of eating will be slow. It means digestive juices will be produced properly and the meal will give maximum benefits to our body. Since the process of digestion starts from the mouth, so, chewing the core a lot makes it much easy to digest.

On the other hand, if we eat fast, we shall swallow the food more than the body need. As a result, our body will be puffed. Different studies show that body mass index (BMI) of the fast eaters is more likely to be higher than slow eaters. Hence, we should enjoy the meal mentally and physically at proper pace.

Our appetite is controlled by hormones. Hormones signal to our brain if we are hungry or full. Experts say that it takes about 20 minutes for our brain to receive these messages. So, slow eating may give our brain the sufficient time to signal that we are full.

3. Keep changing your dish

Adopt varieties of the meal. Try to take different meal at least once per week. Recipes may be changed occasionally. Many people use same food and same recipe again and again. This becomes less beneficial to our body. Changing in the meal enhances taste and benefits both.

Remember that healthy recipes should be preferred. Try making a new healthy recipe at least once per week. This can change the food and nutritional intakes.

4..  Prefer baked or boiled potatoes:

The method in which they’re prepared largely determines their impact on health. For starters, 100 grams of baked potatoes contain 93 calories, while the same amount of french fries contains 333 calories which is 3 times of the calories of baked potatoes.

Moreover, deep-fried french fries mostly contain harmful compounds such as aldehydes and trans fats.

Replacing french fries with baked or boiled potatoes is a great way to cut off calories and avoid these unhealthy compounds.

4. Eat greens first

A good way of eating is to enjoy greens as a starter. By doing so, it is most likely to finish all of the greens while the one is most hungry. This may cause to eat lesser of other less healthy components of the meal, later.

It may lead you to eat fewer but healthier calories overall. Additionally, eating vegetables before a carb-rich meal has been revealed to have beneficial effects on blood sugar levels. It slows down the speed at which carbs are absorbed into the bloodstream.  It may benefit in blood sugar controlling for diabetics.

5. Prefer eating fruits as whole than taking their juice

Fruits are loaded with fiber, water, vitamins and antioxidants. Studies have proved that eating fruit reduces risk of several health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer etc.

Because fruits have fiber and various plant compounds, so, their natural sugars are generally digested very slowly. It  does not cause major spikes in blood sugar levels. The same does not apply to their juices.

6. Be more active

Good nutrition and exercise often go hand in hand. Exercise has been shown to improve mood. Activeness decreases feelings of depression, anxiety and stress.

Other than strengthening the muscles and bones, exercise may help in

1. Maintaining healthy weight
2. increasing energy levels
3. improving sleep
4. reducing risk of chronic diseases

Try to do moderate to high intensity exercise for almost 30 minutes each day. Try to take the stairs and go on short walks whenever possible.

7.  Prefer sparkling water to sugary beverages

Sugary beverages may be the unhealthiest drinks. These are loaded with added sugar which has been linked to many diseases, such as:

1. obesity
2. type 2 diabetes
3. heart disease

Try to replace the sugary beverage with still or sparkling water instead. Doing so will cut off the non-beneficial calories and reduce the intake of excess sugar.

8. Get a good night’s sleep

A good sleep is essential for mental and physical health. Sleep scarcity disturbs appetite regulation. It, often, makes the appetite irregular. As a results, intake of calories gets imbalanced. It, also, negatively affects concentration, metabolism, immune system and productivity.

Sleep deprivation, additionally, increases risk of several diseases like diabetes, hypertension, inflammatory conditions, and heart disease.

Hence, try to get sufficient amount of a good quality sleep.

Conclusion:

In conclusion we can say that preferring healthy diet, healthy way of cooking, healthy way of eating and activeness, we can remain healthy mentally and physically. If we are mentally and physically fit, we shall keep ourselves away from so many diseases. As a result, our productivity will sustain for a long time. It will work like a booster for moral and spiritual elevation.

 

Note:- This information is for educational purposes only. Consult your doctor before making any change.