Balanced Diet: What Is It and How to Achieve It

Love snacking your favorite fries? or that sandwich that your taste buds cherished yesterday? But have you ever wondered how all these food items affect your body?

Well here is some basic clarity !!!!

Diet is the sum of food consumed by a person. It is what we eat and drink for energy and to stay alive. On the other hand, Nutrition is a part of the Diet that is used by our cells. It is the food that is metabolized by the body to produce the energy that the body needs. Not all essential nutrients are acquired from food.

Learning how to eat a balanced diet will help to prevent chronic diseases, improve your overall health and improve longevity.  

A balanced diet involves eating a variety of foods that give you the most nutrients for the calories they contain. An unbalanced diet supplies you with either more or fewer of certain nutrients than your body needs. This imbalance of nutrients may cause nutritional deficiencies, lead to weight gain and even compromise your immune function

A balanced diet and an active lifestyle can help you maintain a healthy weight. It’s a known fact that weight can affect chronic diseases and vice-versa. So if you are looking out to be fit, nutrition and physical activity are important constituents of a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to follow a healthy diet plan and most important of all to remain active. A good diet plan along with physical activity helps to keep your body in a sound condition. 

Steps for Balanced Diet  

Make small changes and follow them in a disciplined way. Take help from your family and friends, they are the ones who can genuinely help you in your weight management. If required consult a nutritionist. Eating well and on time is a must for healthy weight management. Physical activity is the main factor that helps you in not only controlling your body weight but also warding off numerous health hazards.

Importance of Food

Food provides you everything from nutrients that boost your defense mechanism all the way to getting that energy level up and running. Food is what keeps you going and catering the right amount of energy to do different tasks. In most, food is comprised of sources of proteins, sugars, fats, as well as other nutrients. Healthy Eating and disciplined exercises are important parts when you are diabetic.

What are the Health Benefits of the right food?

Aids with Vitality

Food is an important requirement for a body that caters vitality. Food acts as the fuel that produces vitality for your cell’s mitochondria. The glucose present in your food pairs with oxygen as you relax. Further, it prompts the procedure termed oxidation that creates vitality in the form of ATP. This system leads to water and carbon dioxide being released.

Better body structure and shape

For individuals who look for a better body shape with weight training, a protein found in food can be significant. Consuming a food group rich in sources of protein can get you enough nutrition for proper muscle construct.

Stress Reduction

Food items such as carrots, milk, yogurt, nuts, green tea, etc help bring down the stress level in your body. So food items can be very essential when it comes to balancing the crucial requirements of the body for survival.

Improved Digestion Mechanism:

Essentially, your body breaks down all you eat and absorbs the nutrients present in the food. These important nutrients include:

• Proteins
• Carbohydrates
• Vitamins
• Fats

Planning a meal that includes all the above nutrients in the right quantity, will make for the best-balanced diet.

Here are a few tips and suggestions as to how to maintain a balanced diet. You can follow them religiously to achieve a healthier and happier you with minimum efforts.

Healthy Fat is Always Welcome

Monounsaturated fats are called “good or healthy” fats because they can lower your bad (LDL) cholesterol. 

Some of the food groups that contain healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are fish, nuts, and seeds. They are also good for your heart health. These fats are also high in calories and will help with weight gain. There are numerous ways to incorporate these foods into your daily diet. Make sure that you are eating from a variety of food groups for good nutrition and to keep up your number of calories. For instance, if you are having a dairy product make sure you add a plant food along. A mix of protein, fat, and carbohydrates is a must. If you still experience difficulty gaining weight, despite good efforts you can always talk to a nutritionist for help.

Being Physically Active is a Must

In today’s fast-paced world people often live a sedentary lifestyle, be it in the office or at home.

To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, you may need to do 60 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity each day. If you are overweight, combining physical activity with a reduced-calorie intake plan can lead to even more benefits. Even small amounts of physical activity can help. Ideally, you should aim for at least 40 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity, 5 days a week, along with moderate exercise or Yoga. 

We are aware of the fact that any kind of disease requires immediate treatment as otherwise it may get aggravated. People are not aware of the consequences of unhealthy eating habits which can cause obesity, kidney complications, and heart diseases and diabetes.

Manage Weight ThroughBalanced  Diet

Getting the right nutritional content from food is important for everyone. Planning meals in advance is a good way to ensure that people managing diabetes and weight, eat a balanced and nutritious diet. Your weight loss plan diet is simply a healthy eating plan that will help you manage weight. 

Firstly, don’t skip meals. If you are trying to gain weight by increasing your daily caloric intake then do not skip breakfast. Many people tend to skip breakfast, and it’s one of the most important meals of the day. You skip breakfast and you get more hungry. That’s one of the reasons people tend to overeat later in the day. 

Take a satisfying lunch break. Plan a healthy lunch ahead of time or you might resort to unhealthy fast food. Afternoon snacking is a good way to set yourself up for eating a balanced diet. 

Eat a sensible dinner. Don’t overeat at dinnertime. Eat a meal that’s about the same size as what you ate for breakfast and lunch.

The actual amounts of protein, carbohydrates,  vegetables and fruits, vitamins and minerals you should eat will depend on the meal plan that’s best for you. The Right Balance for Diabetes and Weight Loss is to Keep tight control over food while you lose weight.

A single plate meal should include – 

• 50% non-starchy vegetables like Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, etc
• 25% lean protein, such as lentils, tofu, fish, or skinless and fatless chicken or turkey
• 25% high-fiber carbohydrates, such as whole grains or legumes

Keep Snacking

A snack doesn’t mean fried or dry eatery. Snack is a small amount of food eaten between meals.

Snacks between lunch and dinner is another way to help increase caloric intake and is beneficial if you are someone who gets full quickly. Ideally, breakfast should be around 8:00 a.m., plan a snack at 10:00 a.m., lunch at 12:00 p.m., followed by a snack at 3:00 p.m., and dinner later. 

Snacks will provide 100 – 200 calories for most people and be very low in unhealthy saturated and trans fats. The amount of carbohydrate will depend on your individualized meal plan, activity level, and your blood sugar level. 

Here are a few healthy snacks suggestions- 

• Half peanut butter, tuna or chicken sandwich on whole-grain bread
• Raw veggies and salads 
• Hard-boiled egg
• Low fat cottage cheese with fruit or veggies
• Fresh or canned fruit (no sugar added)
• ¼ cup nuts
• Sliced apples with almond butter and a dab of no-sugar jelly

Simple meals and snacks with complex carbohydrates (whole grains and fresh vegetables and fruits), lean protein and healthy fats make the best Diabetic Diet to maintain your health.

Here are a few quick do’s and dont’s for maintaining a healthy disease-free lifestyle.

Simple Dont’s:

• Avoid junk and sugary food
• Abstain taking three square meals
• Avoid taking Potatoes, Corn, and Peas
• Avoid eating fatty cuts of meat and processed or frozen meat
• Say no to full-fat dairy products

Simple Do’s:

• Intake lot of water
• Take fibrous food
• Recommended Vegetables are Spinach, Bitter Gourd, Okra, Eggplant, Sweet potato, Kale and Carrots
• Add certain Nuts and seeds such as Fenugreek seeds, Sesame Seeds, Date, Almonds, Walnuts, and Pistachios

After understanding the tips, you would definitely be enthusiastic about getting a balanced diet. If you are wondering how to achieve it, here is a list of vegetables you can include in your diet.

Vegetables for balanced diet

Broccoli-rich in antioxidants and vitamin A and C

Sweet potato – fiber and vitamins have low GI

Leafy Greens – minerals and omega-3 fatty acids

Bitter gourd – insulin-like compound 

Cauliflower – high-fiber, protein, and minerals

Garlic – vitamin C and other minerals

Tomatoes – vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium

Fruits for balanced diet 

Apples–  low in calories, high in fiber: support weight loss.

Kiwifruit – highly nutritious: High fiber and low-calorie content Ideal for weight loss

Oranges – high in vitamin C and fiber, and can help keep you feeling full.

Bananas – ample nutrients and fiber: Ideal part of a healthy diet plan.

Avocados – Avocados help promote weight loss and weight maintenance.

Berries – low in calories, positive effects on cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and inflammation.

Melons – High water content, which helps lose weight and keeps you hydrated.

Conclusion

Having a balanced and healthy diet is a must in the current scenario. It allows us to revitalize and energize our bodies. A balanced diet allows us to fight ailments and also prevent various diseases for a healthier and longer life. Visit Arogyadhama wellness one of the best nutrition center in Bangalore to get the best and most appropriate diet plan for your body.

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