What is a balanced Diet?

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 “Abs are made in kitchen and in the gym”. Eating is essential for our wellbeing, for mind, body and to fill our tummy. To prevent hunger sustain energy and keep active.

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Let’s stop and think, how does our diet and food intake help us stay healthy ?

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A healthy balanced diet is the keyto this question. Focusing on the choices we make when we chose what to buy, prepare, and eat is essential for our health. Our diet needs to balance Macro and Micro nutrients to provide us with the optimal nutrition. The components  of the food intake should focus more on a healthy diet rather than merely being “fashionable” foodsposted on social media pages which we see every day!

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As kids we are taught that food is made up of nutrients. Macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein and fat are needed in larger amounts. Micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are needed only in smaller and safer amounts. The body cannot function properly if one or more nutrients are missing. Even today we make our kids learn these lessons by heart so that they may write these questions in exams well. We however forget to implement the same in our diet.

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A balanced diet means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

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Why a Balanced Diet?

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A healthy balanced diet provides foods in the right amounts and combinations that are safe,It helps keep our weight under control,boosts our energy levels and improves feelings of wellbeing and happiness. It improves our immune system and can help reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

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The benefits don’t just stop there, eating foods full of vitamins and nutrients have an amazing effect on your skin, hair, nails & more. Who doesn’t want stronger nails, shinier hair and clearer skin?

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Components of a Balanced Diet

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We should aim to have a diet high in vegetables, some fruit, have a balance between carbohydrates, fats and protein,  eat oily fish weekly, reduce the amount of processed food, salt, and sugar.

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Including fats, proteins, carbohydrates, essential oils, minerals and vitamins in the right proportion as per age , gender and health of a person with an active lifestyle has huge health benefits and helps reduce the risk of major health problems such as heart disease, cancer and obesity.

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Ill effects of an Improper Diet

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Over the past century, deficiencies of essential nutrients have dramatically decreased, at the same time, rates of chronic diseases—many of which are related to poor quality diet and physical inactivity—have increased. 

The concept of a balanced diet existed long before nutritionists and dietitians started expounding its virtues. Our ancestors traditionally ate meals with an emphasis on balancing all nutritional elements and food groups, an aspect that has been diluted with time and lifestyle changes.

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A balanced diet will provide us with all of the required nutrients. It includes all the food groups and ensures that we are getting everything that our body needs through our diet.

The plate model below provides us with a guideline for a healthy balanced diet:

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However, the proportion may vary for expectant mothers, breastfeeding mothers, those with some special dietary needs,the elderly with health issues.

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A balanced diet plan is not a crash diet. It is a well-planned diet that aims to provide all the important macro-nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, and fat along with micronutrients which include vitamins and minerals.

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Healthy Eating is not about strict dietary limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about having a balanced diet that makes you feel great, have more energy, a more stable mood, and increased overall wellbeing.

 

So Happy Healthy Eating!

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