| There is an increasing awareness about | | | | variety of healthy foods. All the five |
| maintaining health and wellness, and the best | | | | essential nutrients can be derived, if a diet |
| way to stay healthy is to eat healthy. There | | | | includes foods from the following groups: |
| are three main factors, which helps us in | | | | |
| developing a complete healthy body: good | | | | · Green leafy vegetables |
| diet, regular exercise and a healthy | | | | |
| lifestyle. | | | | · Fresh or seasonal fruits |
| | | | |
| Let us begin with diets and have a look on | | | | · Cereals and pulses |
| some healthy food groups, which we should | | | | |
| consume. It is also essential to see the | | | | · Fish and meat products |
| calorie-content of various foods as elevated | | | | |
| calories in food results in health problems | | | | · Dairy products such as curd, cheese etc. |
| such as obesity and diabetes. Health experts | | | | |
| believe that a healthy diet can lower the | | | | Today, obesity and overweight are one of the |
| risks of number of life-threatening diseases | | | | major factors for life-threatening diseases |
| such as diabetes, heart attack and | | | | such as atherosclerosis, heart attack and |
| osteoporosis. Hence, developing, managing and | | | | diabetes. Obesity and overweight problems are |
| maintaining a good diet has become an | | | | essentially caused due to not eating |
| essential part of our health routine. | | | | correctly and consuming lot of calories. |
| | | | Calories are needed everyday by our body for |
| And for doing this we should know the basic | | | | proper metabolic functioning. However, |
| difference between a well-balanced diet and a | | | | over-consumption of calories can lead to |
| nutritious diet. Although, most of us believe | | | | various health problems. Daily calorie needs |
| that a well-balanced diet and a nutritious | | | | of an individual depend on various factors |
| diet are one and the same, in reality they | | | | such as age, physical fitness, height and |
| are not!!! A nutritious diet would comprise | | | | weight and body composition. Hence, you also |
| of foods, which contain all the essential | | | | need to be conscious about the foods, which |
| nutrients such as protein, vitamin, fats, | | | | are calorie rich. Take a look at following |
| carbohydrates and minerals. A well-balanced | | | | figures: |
| diet implies a diet that not only contains | | | | |
| foods with all the essential nutrients, but | | | | · 28 grams of butter = 200 calories |
| also, in correct proportions and adequate | | | | |
| amount. Even if you take all the essential | | | | · 37 grams of potato chips = 200 calories |
| nutrients through your daily foods, but if | | | | |
| they are not in correct proportions or | | | | · 75 grams of burger = 200 calories |
| adequate amounts, you may still have to face | | | | |
| the health problems. Therefore, instead of | | | | · 66 grams of hot dogs = 200 calories |
| opting for just a nutritious diet, every | | | | |
| health-conscious person should opt for a | | | | · 385 grams of apples = 200 calories |
| well-balanced diet. | | | | |
| | | | · 357 grams of green peas = 200 calories |
| The ingredients of a well-balanced diet | | | | |
| differ according to the sex, age and physical | | | | · 588 grams of broccoli = 200 calories |
| fitness of an individual. An older adult may | | | | |
| be unable to eat certain foods required to | | | | · 1425 grams of celery = 200 calories |
| fulfill his/her nutritious requirements. | | | | |
| However, a well-balanced diet can help an | | | | Knowing this you would surely choose to buy a |
| older adult to get the essential nutrients | | | | few kilograms of apples that provide you |
| even through a sparse diet. For example, 100 | | | | other nutrients also rather than to eat |
| grams of wheat and 100 grams of rice contain | | | | burgers or hot dogs to avoid unnecessary |
| nearly 12 grams and 6.4 grams of protein, | | | | calorie intake. Ideally, women require 1940 |
| respectively. Similarly, 100 grams of ragi | | | | calories and men require 2550 calories intake |
| and 100 grams of rice contain 344 mg and 9 mg | | | | in a daily basis. You may also plan a |
| of calcium, respectively. Therefore, by | | | | well-balanced and optimum calorie-intake diet |
| planning a well-balanced diet we can give all | | | | by discussing it with your dietician. |
| the essentials nutrients even with the small | | | | |
| amount of foods. | | | | Remember, you can avoid a lot of future |
| | | | treatments and medications by maintaining a |
| To derive all the essential nutrients from | | | | well-balanced diet and optimizing your |
| the foods, we shall always need to choose a | | | | health care. |