The Balancing Act of Healthy Diet & Health

Friday, June 7, 2013

Some of the reason due to which people suffer from problems such as obesity and many other harmful health diseases are mainly because they do not give much importance towards a balanced diet. Good health can be far cry if one does not consume a healthy and balanced diet. Including balanced portion of food from all the groups of food are the necessary constituents of a balanced diet.

Create a diet plan

Most of us find it difficult to stick to a balanced diet and it is the main reason due to which nutritional deficiencies and obesity starts to surface. Sometimes, hectic lifestyles are also responsible for diverting the attention from a healthy diet. Creating a diet plan for you as per your body mass index, would be an appropriate start towards the journey of healthy living. Inclusion of foods from all the food groups is necessary for a healthy diet. In order to curb your urge for consumption of fatty foods, you can start your meal with a scrumptious vegetable salad. These methods would help you to avoid excessive consumption of fatty foods which result in weight gain.

Starchy foods

Your diet should consist of starchy foods especially for breakfast as the body requires energy during the start of the day. Bread, potatoes, cereals, etc are some of the starch filled foods. Starchy foods should be avoided for dinners as the body finds it difficult to digest such foods at such times.

Fruits and vegetables

A balanced diet will be incomplete without the presence of fresh fruits and vegetables. One needs to include various types of seasonal vegetables and fruits in their diet. But many times people find it cumbersome to eat fruits and vegetables as a lot of time is required to cut and peel. If you have time constraints then you can opt for canned or frozen vegetables.

Fish

There have been many reports that claimed that fish are harmful for consumption due to the presence of mercury in them. But according to nutritionists, fish should form an integral part of a well balanced meal due to the presence of omega 3 fatty acids in it, which helps in the healthy functioning of the heart. Besides fatty acids, fish is considered to be a great source of vitamins and proteins.

Saturated fats

Foods which contain saturated fats should be avoided as it causes various kinds of heart diseases. One must not give up on fats completely as the body requires fat to remain healthy. Fats can be segregated into two types: Saturated and Unsaturated fats. The body needs unsaturated fats, as it can help in decreasing the cholesterol levels. But saturated fats on the other hand can be quite harmful, as it just enhances the cholesterol levels which induce high blood pressure and heart diseases. Intake of salt should be small amounts as blood pressure tends to occur with excessive salt intake in meals. Saturated fats such as butter, cakes, cream, sausages, etc should ideally not feature in your well balanced diet plan.