A healthy diet may help to prevent certain long-term diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It may also help to reduce your risk of developing some cancers and help you to keep a healthy weight.
It’s easy to get confused when it comes to health and nutrition. Most people just doesn’t even know what then should eat to keep their body healthy and the people who knows they just neglect it. Even qualified experts often seem to hold opposing opinions.Yet, despite all the disagreements, a number of wellness tips are well supported by research. Here some nutrition and healthy diet tips by HealthSous that are actually based on good science.
A healthy diet includes the following:
- Fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice).
- At least 400 g (i.e. five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day , excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots.
- Less than 10% of total energy intake from free sugars, which is equivalent to 50 g (or about 12 level teaspoons) for a person of healthy body weight consuming about 2000 calories per day, but ideally is less than 5% of total energy intake for additional health benefits . Free sugars are all sugars added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.
- Less than 5 g of salt (equivalent to about one teaspoon) per day . Salt should be iodized.
Fruit and vegetables
Eating at least 400 g, or five portions, of fruit and vegetables per day reduces the risk of NCDs and helps to ensure an adequate daily intake of dietary fibre.
Fruit and vegetable intake can be improved by:
- always including vegetables in meals;
- eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks;
- eating fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season; and
- eating a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Fats
Reducing the amount of total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake helps to prevent unhealthy weight gain in the adult population . Also, the risk of developing NCDs is lowered by:
- reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake;
- reducing trans-fats to less than 1% of total energy intake; and
- replacing both saturated fats and trans-fats with unsaturated fats (2, 3) – in particular, with polyunsaturated fats.
Sugars
In both adults and children, the intake of free sugars should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake.A reduction to less than 5% of total energy intake would provide additional health benefits .
Consuming free sugars increases the risk of dental caries (tooth decay). Excess calories from foods and drinks high in free sugars also contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to overweight and obesity. Recent evidence also shows that free sugars influence blood pressure and serum lipids, and suggests that a reduction in free sugars intake reduces risk factors for cardiovascular diseases
Path to improve your health
It can be hard to change your eating habits. Making changes to your diet may also be beneficial if you have diseases that can be worsened by the things you eat or drink. Many diseases can be cured and even your body can get benefit from changes in diet.
- Bake, grill, or broil meat instead of frying it. Remove the skin before cooking chicken or turkey. Eat fish at least once a week.
- Reduce extra fat. This includes butter on bread, sour cream on baked potatoes, and salad dressings. Use low-fat or nonfat versions of these foods.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables with your meals and as snacks.
- Read the nutrition labels on foods before you buy them. If you need help with the labels, ask your doctor or dietitian.
- When you eat out, be aware of hidden fats and larger portion sizes.
- Staying hydrated is important for good health.
Things you should include in your diet:
1)Coffee
It’s high in antioxidants, and studies have linked coffee intake to longevity and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, and numerous other illnesses.
Fish is a great source of high-quality protein and healthy fat.This is particularly true of fatty fish, such as salmon,which is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and various other nutrients.
3) Get enough sleep
The importance of getting enough quality sleep,.cannot be overstated. Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, disrupt your appetite hormones, and reduce your physical and mental performance
4) Drink some water, especially before meals
Drinking enough water can have numerous benefits. Surprisingly, it can boost the number of calories you burn. Two studies note that it can increase metabolism by 24–30% over 1–1.5 hours. This can amount to 96 additional calories burned if you drink 8.4 cups (2 liters) of water per day. You can also see the amount of water you have consumed in a day by the help of Healthsous app.
5)Take vitamin D3 if you don’t get much sun exposure
Sunlight is a great source of vitamin D. Yet, most people don’t get enough sun exposure .In fact, about 41.6% of the U.S. population is deficient in this critical vitamin. If you’re unable to get adequate sun exposure, vitamin D supplements are a good alternative.
As well as eating healthily, regular exercise may help reduce your risk of getting serious health conditions. It’s also important for your overall health and wellbeing. Being overweight or obese can lead to health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke. Being underweight could also affect your health.
Most adults need to lose weight by eating fewer calories. The calorie intake calculator by HealthSous will help you to keep a track on the amount of calorie you are takin in.
If you’re trying to lose weight, aim to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Tips to reduce body weight:
- Never use drugs for losing weight, it can be dangerous
- Diets which you are using to reduce weight should be rich in proteins and low in carbohydrates and fats
- Increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables
- Eat at frequent intervals
- Decrease the consumption of sugar, salt, fatty foods, refined foods, soft drinks and fast food.
- Prefer low- fat milk/ toned milk.
- Include physical activity in your daily routine like aerobics, walk, yoga etc.
A Healthy Diet Chart For Children
Food Groups | g/Portion | 1-3 yrs | 4-6 yrs | 7-9yrs | 10-12yrs | 13-15yrs | 16-18yrs | ||||
girls | boys | girls | boys | girls | boys | ||||||
Cereals &Millets | 30 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 15 | |
Pulses | 30 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3 | |
Milk &Milk products | 100ml | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
Roots & Tubers | 100 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | |
Green Leafy Vegetables | 100 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Other Vegetables | 100 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
Fruits | 100 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Sugar | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
Oils & Fats | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 10 |
A Healthy Diet Chart For Adults
2320Kcals | |||
Food Groups | g/Portion | Sedentary | |
Man | Woman | ||
Cereals &Millets | 30 | 12.5 | 9 |
Pulses | 30 | 2.5 | 2 |
Milk &Milk products | 100ml | 3 | 3 |
Roots & Tubers | 100 | 2 | 2 |
Green Leafy Vegetables | 100 | 1 | 1 |
Other Vegetables | 100 | 2 | 2 |
Fruits | 100 | 1 | 1 |
Sugar | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Oils & Fats | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Completely overhauling your diet all at once can be a recipe for disaster.Instead, try to incorporate some of the small changes in this article to make your diet healthier.Some of these tips will help you keep your portion sizes reasonable, while others will help you add nutrients or adapt to something new.Together, they’ll have a big impact on making your overall diet healthier and more sustainable, without a huge change in your habits.