Healthy Diet Habits 

Most people I know, want to diet and reduce weight, feel healthy and gain energy.  There are so many diet plans in the market that it is difficult to choose the right one. Over the years, I have researched a few and suggest the following to stay healthy. These ideas are common over various diet plans, though the relative emphasis on these steps may differ.

The trick is sensible eating with regular light exercise.

Restrict carbohydrate and fat intake

Most diet plans will suggest that the intake of carbohydrates and fats should be reduced. But not eliminated. A threshold level of carbohydrates is required by the body because they convert to energy but excess gets converted to fat.  Similarly small amounts of fat are essential for the maintenance of a healthy body, but excess is bad for the heart and the body.

The problem is that most foods which are palatable and enjoyable are carbohydrate and fat rich! So dieting becomes a chore to be hated. But I suggest a little bit of everything is good, it is the excess that is bad.

So add whole grain cereals like brown rice, whole wheat bread, home made breads made with wheat grain, multigrain bread, porridge, and oats as they help to fill you up. They contain vital fiber, most essential to the proper functioning of the stomach and intestines.

Cut out refined cereals (white bread, white rice), roots and tubers such as potato, sweet potato, tapioca and yam. All these have high carbohydrate content. Fast foods like burgers, fries etc also need to be cut out of the diet.    

Limit fat intake by reducing intake of red meat, fried foods of all kinds, butter, cream, mayonnaise, cutlets, burgers, fries and other fast foods. In case you cannot eliminate them from your diet, take your favorite food, only once a week. 

Cook the healthy way. Reduce and eliminate frying. Instead, roast and bake your food. Eat roasted dry fruits or in the raw and avoid salted and sweetened snacks.

Reduce white sugar intake

One sure way to find good health, increased vitality and energy levels is to cut and reduce white sugar intake. Processed white sugar is bad for the body. Try to sweeten your food by adding honey or jaggery instead. Use natural fruit purees and natural fruit juices as sources of natural sugar and enjoy healthy living.

Eat a balanced Protein Rich Diet

Adequate amount of proteins are a must to feel full and satiated. They also provide necessary health, vigour and energy and are a must in your diet.

Proteins from vegetable sources like pulses, nuts, mushrooms, cottage cheese do not contain harmful cholesterol and are good for the body.  Enjoy grilled or baked fish, chicken and seafood. Cut out fried meats and reduce red meat. Frying adds oil and cholesterol to the foods which can be done without.

Add fresh fruits, leafy vegetables and sprouts to your diets in the form of salads before and during meals to get your daily dose of vitamins, minerals and many vital ingredients which your body needs.

Enjoy salads before meals

Incorporate the concept of meal before meal by adding healthy salad ideas before meals. Eat a small plate of raw vegetables & sprouts seasoned with natural seasonings like curds, oregano, basil, thyme and coriander. This meal before meal will reduce your craving for unhealthy foods in the main meal.

Snack often, the healthy way

Snacks such as fresh fruit and roasted dry fruits (without salt or sugar being added to them) are a good way to control hunger pangs. They are healthy and also provide much needed fiber.

Eat more than three meals

Yes! Eat more than three times to stay healthy. Instead of three large meals, it is better to eat say 5 small meals. But the breakfast should be big and healthy as it has to provide calories to jump start the day.  Try incorporating this idea into your daily life. It is fun and healthy too. Learn to stop eating after one serving. Never over eat. Your body will always tell you when it is full. It gives you enough hints when it is hungry. Doesn’t it? Listen to it. It knows best.

Chew well and sit straight

Chew food well and sit straight while eating. This will enable better digestion and better food absorption.

Keep  temptations out of sight.

Do store sweets and deserts out of sight. This helps in controlling temptations. Enjoy small portions of your favorite deserts only once a week and learn to live a balanced life.

In conclusion, a balanced diet with adequate fat, carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins balanced with less sugar and adequate exercise is must for a healthy body. There are really no fixed ratios for the various parts of a meal. Experiment a bit to find what combination makes you feel good and full of vigor. Then stick to that combination.  Every body has different needs so find your combination. Use the above tips to find a healthy way to cook and eat.

The truth about healthy weight loss

While it would be nice to pop a pill and wake up 20 lbs lighter, the truth is that healthy weight loss takes time and effort, as well as a commitment to lifelong maintenance. The bottom line is that you need to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose pounds; in other words, eat less and move more. this doesn’t mean you have to starve yourself – healthy weight loss is about avoiding restrictive or “starvation” diets, and focusing instead on consuming better foods, controlling portion sizes, incorporating exercise, and examining the emotional and social factors that affect our weight. This can lead to changes in eating and exercise patterns that become part of a life style for maintaining a healthy weight over the long term.

Weight Loss Myths: Fact or Fiction?

MYTH: If you raise your metabolism, you can eat more and still lose weight!

FACT: Your metabolism controls how fast and in what way you burn the calories you consume. We burn calories throughout the day in many ways – from breathing and digesting to washing dishes or walking the dog. You need to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight – to lose one pound per week, you need cut or burn about 500 calories per day. Despite the claims of the diet pill manufacturers, you have very little ability to change your metabolism. But you do have the ability to help your body burn more calories by incorporating lifestyle changes, like more exercise.

MYTH: Carbs are evil!

FACT: Carbohydrates are actually lower in calories than fat – in one gram of carbohydrate, there is 6 calories, compared to the 9 in one gram of fat. The popularity of low-carb diets has made people crazy about counting carbs, but this is far less important than counting calories. The long-term effects of high-fat, high-protein diets are still unknown, but we do know that a diet high in good carbohydrates coming from whole grains, fruits, and veggies, provides adequate nutrition and can be ideal for weight loss. A balanced, low-fat diet, emphasizing portion-control, will help you lose weight with no risk of the unknown long-term effects related to fad diets.

MYTH: Fasting is a great way to lose weight.

FACT: Hollywood starlets swear by “fasts” or “cleanses” where they eat practically nothing for days. Starving yourself can help you drop a few pounds fast, but chances are you will regain that weight as soon as you start eating again, not to mention the numerous negative health effects a starvation diet can cause (gallstones, fainting, malnutrition...just to name a few.) Also, losing a lot of weight rapidly usually means you’re losing muscle and water rather than fat.

MYTH: To lose weight, stop eating fatty foods.

FACT: Fat-free does not mean calorie-free, and many fat-free versions of your favorite products have the same or more calories as the originals. This is because sugar has to be added to replace the flavor that is lost when the fat is taken out. Again, you need to watch your caloric intake in order to lose weight, so keep track of the foods you are eating, fat-free or otherwise.

MYTH: Sugar-free foods and artificial sweeteners are great for avoiding weight gain.

FACT: True, diet soft drinks and artificially-sweetened yogurts, ice cream and other snacks are often lower in calories. But sugar substitutes are associated with many negative side effects. Further, these sweeteners may actually have an adverse effect on dieters. For example, according to a recent study cited on WebMD, “artificial sweeteners may interfere with the body's natural ability to count calories based on a food's sweetness and make people prone to overindulging in other sweet foods and beverages”.

Is fat a friend or foe?

Recent science has proven that eating some fat is not only necessary for humans, but may help you lose weight. Along with benefiting nearly every organ in the body, fat also fills you up better than carbohydrates.

However, it is important to distinguish between good fats and bad fats. Good fats come from whole, natural, unprocessed sources. Fats turn bad when they are processed, or damaged by light, heat, oxygen or chemicals. A good example of this is partial hydrogenation, a process which gives oils longer shelf life, but in turn creates trans-fats, which are particularly harmful

Eating small amounts of natural fats coming from foods like avocados, nuts, and seeds can help you get full faster and provide the healthy fats your body needs