Does Diet matter

Foods we take influence our health

Do you know that there is a link between poor nutrition and poor health. Food is not just a fuel, many foods are believed to have great health benefits, while others can have negative effects. Food is more than what we eat. It has huge influence on our health.

Healthy Balance

How to eat a balanced diet? The key to good health is a varied diet that provided the correct proportions of carbohydrate, fibre, protein, fat and vitamins and minerals as well as water. It includes sufficient calories to provide the body with energy and the nutrients for daily life. It also provides the nutrients and energy to combat illness and disease. Getting this right is crucial for good health.


Starchy Carbo : Bread, rice, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals and potatoes. Should make up around 35-40% of what we eat everyday.

Fruits and Vegetables : 2 Serving a day. A serving is equivalent to one medium apple, banana or orange, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a wine glass of fresh fruit juice, two or more heaped serving spoonfuls of cooked vegetables or a bowl of salad.

Meat, Fish and Protein Alternatives : Eat in moderate amount of lean meat and poultry, fish,eggs, pulses, tofu and nuts in our diet- around 2-3 different types a day.

Dairy Product : Try to eat about 3 servings of milk, cheese and yogurt a day.

High-fat and High sugar foods : Chocolates, cakes, biscuits, processed foods and crisps are recommended only on occasional treat.

Water : Adults requires at least 2.5 litres a day. Coffee, tea and soft drinks tend to dehydrate the body. it better to herbal teas, natural coffee substitutes and freshly squeezed fruit juices instead.

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer, owning to their antioxidant vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals and fibre.

Fight lungs cancer with these vegetables containing carotenoids. CARROTS, SWEET POTATOES AND BROCCOLI.


These fruits provide vitamin c which is believed to protect against oesophagus and stomach cancer. CITRUS FRUIT.


Vegetables containing lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant. TOMATOES.


To reduce the risk of large intestine, prostat and breast cancer, you need foods that provide rich amounts of fibre. WHOLEGRAINS, PULSES AND POTATOES.


Alliums, especially when eaten raw, may protect against colon, breast and liver cancer. GARLIC, ONIONS, LEEKS AND CHIVES.


Reduce the risk of hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast and prostate. You need something that is rich in isoflavones. SOYA BEANS AND SOYA PRODUCTS.


Tea that contain less caffeine than black tea, may protect against certain cancers, including those that affect the colon, pancreas and rectum. GREEN TEA.


A diet rich in oily fish can reduce the risk of digestive tract cancer. The essential fatty acids found in oily fish and many cooking oils are said to have anti-inflammatory and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. FISH.


Try not to take food that contain fat, especially saturated fat. Fat has been linked to an increased risk of lung, breast, prostate and bowel cancer. Red meat had been linked with an increased risk of colon and rectum cancer. Smoked foods, such as smoked salmon, bacon and kippers, as well as barbecued and char-grilled food, may increase the risk of cancer. Excessive amounts of salt may increase the risk of stomach cancer.

Want to bring your weight down?

If you want to bring your weight down , you have to outsmart your fat cells. Your fat cell is like a warehouse and it has unlimited space. Much like tiny balloons, they rest beneath the skin and around vital organs and in the abdomen and breasts. They are heavily concentrated around the hip, thighs and waist. These cells fill up with fat when an excess of calories is consumed.

The more fat cells you have, the more body fat your carry. Fat cells like to be filled up. If there is room there, you are more likely to sock away old clothes and other junk rather than getting rid of it. Once all your fat cells become stuffed, your body produces more cells to provide extra storage space.


Fact cells fill up when you eat more than you burn. But does it matter if those calories come from the protein, carbohydrate or fat? Your body prefers to burn incoming carbs and protein while storing dietary fat in fat cells.


People who eat high-fat diets often consume more total daily calories than those who stick to lower-fat eating plans. First of all, high-fat foods tends to be calorically dense. A small order of fries is likely to be accompanied by a burger and a shake. But before you overindulge in tasty fat-free carbohydrate-rich foods, think about it. Excess calories in any form- carbs, protein, fat or alcohol can stuff your fat cells. You need a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat to feel satisfied and meet nutritional needs.


Make sure your diet gets 20 per cent to 30 per cent of its calories from fat, eat several time daily, keeping meals and snacks light. Consume a 75 per cent of your daily calories before dinner, and keep moving or even taking stairs instead of an elevator or parking your car in a further distance and walking burn calories.


Chubby kids usually grow up to be a chubby adults, because most of your fat cells are developed during infancy, childhood and puberty. If you gain on excessive weight during these periods, then you may produce extra fat cells which stay with you for life. So keep in mind that one or both of your parents were overweight when you were young, you are more likely to suffer weight problems too. In fact your risk is more than doubles. But even if you don't have lean parents. Weight gain will also happens when you take in more calories than you need. The best way is to eat moderately and stay constantly active to keep your calories balance in check.


Dieting adds inches to your hips and thighs when you lose fat by drastically cutting calories. If you don't work out, fat cells try desperately to fill back up again. If you do lose a lot of weight and then regain it, chances are it will mostly be stored in your hips and thighs, where the Lipoprotein lipase enzyme is more active. Many women inherit the tendency to collect fat in these areas.

There's an explanation as to why stubborn fat clings fiercely to bottom half of your body. Woman in olden days needed them to ensure that she'd have enough energy to support pregnancy and breastfeeding. Mostly men who tend to collect fat in the abdominal region, on the other hand, let go of fat stores more easily. Because of more active fat-releasing enzyme called hormone sensitive lipase. Abdominal fat can be assessed faster, making it easier to lose but also may increase risk of heart disease, hypertension, adult-onset diabetes and certain types of cancer. Women can lose fat from their hips and thighs, but success requires slow weight loss achieved by modest calorie cutting no less than 1,500 a day. Regular vigorous exercise, which burns lots of calories and keeps your metabolism revved up. But you should also avoid unrealistic expectations about your body shape, since some fat in those regions is part of your genetic blueprint.

Don't skip meals - eat three a day, especially breakfast. Get a 80% full, for lunch and a light dinner.Drink a lot of water, a glass of water before meals will do the trick. It help you to feel full and eat lesser.Eat foods that are rich in fiber and water, such as fruits and vegetables.Keep a food journal of how much and what you eat.

Exercise keeps your fat cells from filling up and maintain normal size when you exercise moderate and some vigorous routinely. Since stored fat is usable fuel then it make sense that exercise prompts fat cells to let go of their cargo. Working our can also help you lose body fat by boosting your metabolism for some time even after exercise. Even fitness junkies may have trouble ridding their last layer of flab. The secret to dropping that final five pounds is certainly not harsh calories cutting or fasting. This may cause your metabolic rate to plummet. The best strategy is to kick your fitness programme into high gear with vigorous exercise. Exercise like running, cycling or interval training. Normally you use carbs and carb stores for fuel. Regular bouts of intense exercise train your body to burn fat and use carbohydrate stores more sparingly. Its also gets you in better shape so you can work out longer and harder. That mean you can burn more calories and fat during and after exercise.


Losing that last layer of fat isn't always realistic and its normal to have some reserve fuel stores in case of emergency. Everyone needs some body fat to stay healthy and fertile.

Healthy Diet

What How Much Benefits

Rice and alternative

3-4 servings a dayProvides energy, fibre B Vitamins and minerals


Vegetables

2 servings a dayProvides Vitamins A and C , folic acid, minerals, fibre, phytochemicals

Fruit

2 servings a dayProvides Vitamins A and C, Folic acid, minerals, fibre, phytochemicals

Meat and alternatives (fish, chicken, egg, beans)

1-2 servings a day Provides protein, iron, minerals, vitamin B12Milk and dairy products (cheese, soya milk)2 servings a day Provides calcium,protein, vitamins A and D

Diet for Diabetes

• 2 cups of variety of fruit.
• 2.5 cups of richly colored vegetables
• 3 ounce of whole grains like whole-wheat bread. oatmeal or brown rice.
  up to 3 ounces of dairy foods ( a serving = 1 cup of low-fat milk or yogurt, 15 ounce of cheese).
• 5 ounces of meat, fish eggs, or legumes for protein
• 5 teaspoons of oils (including the oil found in nuts and fish)
• 130 to 295 discretionary calories such as sweets ( about 1 cookies or 1/2 cup of ice cream).

Avoid

glucose sugar, honey, chocolates and all candies.

Take in moderation

potatoes, yam, sweet potatoes, mangoes, grapes, bananas, alcoholic beverages, fried foods, dried or preserved fruits, salad oils, cakes and pastries.

Extra helping

Green leafy vegetables, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Radish, Buttermilk, tea and coffee (without sugar)

Firm Up Tummy

Spot reduction or losing fat in a specific area is a myth. But so not despair as yet, here's four ways that can help you.


Sleep Well: Ensure that you have enough sleep daily. When youhave enough rest, your body will feel rejuvented internallyand externally. On the other hand, without the essential thatyour body requires, your metabolism ( the rate the body burnfood) gradually declines.


Breathe correctly: Good breathing methods reflects on yourappearance and can make you look stronger and leaner. Take afew minutes to do this exercise: Breath in so that you ribcageexpands to its maximum and exhale slowly.

Posture Care: Tightening your abdominal muscles when you aresitting on your office chair, walking to your office ordriving in your car is a quick and easy to give you ahealthier posture. With a good posture, you tend to looktaller, fitter and trimmer.


Diet control: Count you calories. Make it a point to consumejust enough calories for you to carry out you dailyactivities. Express calories, which are not needed by yourbody will turn into fats.

Well Oiled

It's know as a great skin and hair moisturiser. Now a research centre in Philadephia has discovered that olive oil is also a natural painkiller, and can reduce the risk of heart attack, strokes, some cancers and Alzeimer's disease.The dilemma: you can take olive oil to cure a nagging headache but you'll need about 43 tablespoons of it to match the strenght of a regular adult painkiller! Lose the headache, gain a waist.