BALANCED DIET- WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO ACHIEVE IT?

BALANCED DIET- WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO ACHIEVE IT?

Doctor, why do I have deficiencies when I am eating well and on schedule? Patients frequently ask this question following the results of blood tests. Healthy food is frequently misinterpreted with calories. Even though a person may be consuming adequate calories, the nutrient content of the food might be poor (empty calories). The body is more vulnerable to illness, infection, weariness, and poor performance when a balanced diet is not consumed.

A balanced diet is a diet that contains differing kinds of foods in certain quantities and proportions so that the requirement for calories, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and alternative nutrients is adequate and a small provision is reserved for additional nutrients to endure the short length of leanness. A balanced diet includes different food groups in appropriate proportions, i.e.

· Cereals

· Pulses and legumes

· Milk and milk products

· Meat and meat products

· Fruits and vegetables

· Nuts and oil seed

· Fats and oils

Depending on individual characteristics (such as age, gender, lifestyle, and level of physical activity), cultural context, regionally accessible foods, and dietary habits, a diversified, balanced, and healthy diet will take on different compositions. But the fundamental ideas of what makes up a healthy diet stay the same.

Importance of balanced diet:

· To supply the body with all the nutrients required for proper body function, growth, and development.

· To improve body immunity and boost performance.

· To attain an ideal body weight and prevent the risk of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases.

· In children, a balanced healthy diet is very important for their physical, mental, and emotional growth. Deficiency of essential nutrients may result in retardation of growth and development.

· A balanced healthy diet in pregnancy and lactation ensures wellbeing of mother and child.

What to eat:

· Whole grains like wheat, unprocessed maize, brown rice, oats, millets, ragi, barley.

· Sprouted pulses, lentils, beans.

· Fresh fruits and vegetables, green leafy vegetables as salad, soups, stews, purees, juices, smoothies.

· Lean meats- chicken, fish must be preferred over red meat.

· Eggs are the source of complete protein and must be included in diet.

· Nuts like almonds, walnuts, peanuts are good sources of plant-based protein.

· Oil seeds like sunflower seeds and flax seeds are good sources of essential nutrients.

· Milk and milk products like cottage cheese, yoghurt.

· Unsaturated fats (found in fish, nuts, sunflower, canola, olive oil) must be preferred over saturated fats (ghee, butter, cream, cheese) and trans-fat (fried food, baked food, prepacked snacks). Olive oil is considered a healthy oil as its rich in MUFA and antioxidants.

What to avoid:

· Refined cereals such as white bread, processed pasta, noodles, semolina. Thay have poor nutrient quality.

· Processed meat- bacon, salami, meat sauces, ham, hot dog. Processed meat is high in nitrates which is a risk factor for high blood pressure and heart disease.

· Packed snacks- biscuits, chips, fries, ice cream. Packed snacks are high in salt, sugar and trans- fats.

· Bakery items like donuts, cakes, cookies, pizza as they are empty calories.

· Energy dense beverages – soda, fruit juices as they are loaded with sugar.

· Trans-fat- deep fried snacks, fries, frozen foods, spreads. Trans-fat is a proven cause of atherosclerosis.

Healthy tips:

· Water is the most essential nutrient so hydrate yourself well.

· Eat less than 5g of salt per day to reduce the risk of heart diseases.

· Limit free sugar intake to not more than 4 tbsp a day.

· Replace fried energy dense snacks with raw fruits and vegetables as snacks.

· One hour per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, particularly aerobics, is desirable.

A person's general health and wellness depend on having a nutritious diet, engaging in regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy body weight.