It’s All About What You Eat

March 13, 2020

Food is the greatest necessity of all living organisms. Food gives us energy and ensures life. But what you eat is also important. There are a few simple rules of eating healthy. If these rules are followed we can be guaranteed good health.

The following are a few simple rules for good health:

• Eat balanced meals
• Eat a lot of colourful fruits and veggies
• Consume less salt, sugar and oil.
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Get some exercise

Different foods different energy

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are predominantly present in our daily consumption of food. Excess or lack of these substances in your diet can and will cause problems to your health.

1)      Carbohydrates

a)      Carbohydrates are the foundation of our diets and are found primarily in grains, fruits, vegetables, and milk.

b)      During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, the fuel for our bodies.

c)       There are two types of carbohydrates:

• Simple(fruit sugars-fructose, milk sugar-lactose, and table sugar-sucrose)
• Complex (also called starches and which include fruits, potatoes, beans, cereal, rice, pasta, bread, corn, peas, etc.).

d)      50-60% of calories should be carbohydrates

2)      Proteins

a)      Building and repairing tissues

b)      Source of energy

c)       Used as a source of energy, but only in the cases of injury, starvation, and malnutrition.

d)      Protein is found in grains, milk, eggs, dried beans, peas and lentils, meat poultry and fish.  15-20% of calories should come from protein.

3)      Fats

a)      Contributes to healthy skin, proper growth and health cell membranes.

b)      Fat also provides transport for the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K).

c)       Saturated fat, trans-fat and cholesterol have all been linked to heart disease. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature (butter, meat fat, coconut oil).

d)      Unsaturated fats and oils are liquid at room temperature.

e)      We need to choose more unsaturated vegetable oils – soybean, corn, olive, rice bran

Less is more

Salt, sugar and oil are the most common ingredients in households around the world. These ingredients enhance the taste of food. But too much of these ingredients can cause a lot of problems for your health.

1)      Salt

a)      Skip salt in at least one meal you eat at home

b)      Processed foods are high on sodium and bad for health

c)       Slow down in the consumption of pickle

d)      Add a dash of lime juice to everything you can as it helps with digestion.

2)      Sugar

a)      Skip sugar in at least onecup of coffee or tea per

b)      Switch to green tea

c)       Choose natural substitutes,like jaggery,  over artificial sweeteners

3)      Oil

a)      3-4 tea spoons per day is plenty

b)      Mix up your oils

c)       Olive, Canola and Sunflower oilsare good for you

d)      Look for 0 trans-fats on the nutrition label

e)      Less cholesterol does not mean zero cholesterol

Ways to lower Cholesterol

Whether we like it or not, cholesterol build up is inevitable, especially if you are a complete food lover. The following are few ways you can keep an eye on your cholesterol.

1)      Add fibre to your meals

2)      20% daily value in fibre is what you are looking for in a nutrition label

3)      Choose a high fibre breakfast, like oat bran

4)      Add a banana to increase fibre and keep cholesterol levels low

5)      Meats have high cholesterol already so avoidcooking it in saturated fat like butter

6)      Your label should say 0 trans-fats

7)      Fish are a great way to go

8)      Oily fish like salmon or tuna are great for women

9)      Choose foods that add good cholesterol like a handful of nuts, seeds and vegetables

10)   Eating out is the biggest reason for elevated cholesterol

Eat right

Staying healthy is predominantly about what you eat and how much you eat. The following are a few ways you can eat and healthy:

1)      Schedule your meats

a)      Red meat not more than once a week

b)      Chicken or fish not more than three meals a week

c)       Splurge on your Sunday lunch, and avoid through the week

2)      How to include fruits

a)      In your car or bike’s glove compartment, keep 6 fruits for 6 days of the week

b)      Oranges and bananas are easy to store and don’t need to be washed before eating

c)       Speak to your family physician, check if you should take Vitamin supplements

3)      Snack between meals, but snack right

a)      Keep a box of nuts like almonds, walnuts and  peanuts on you always

b)      Not more than 50g per snack

4)      Indulge

a)      Just saying no to food you love can cause stress

b)      Allow yourself that ice cream or chocolate but pick just one day in the week

c)       Ask your family or a colleague to keep an eye on you.

Water

More than food, water is essential for the life for all living organisms. Without water, everything will dry up and be lifeless.  Water should be consumed through the day so the body can function properly.  The following states the importance of water for human beings.

1)      It is necessary to regulate body temperature through sweat

2)      It serves as the transport (blood) for delivery of the other nutrients to the cells and works to also remove waste.

3)      1 glass of water per hour is generally recommended

Eat a rainbow

All natural foods come in a variety of colours and each colour is enhances health in several ways. The following is a table of colours that benefit the human body:

This information has been provided by Healthspring Community Medical Centres.

Tags: Healthy Food

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