What Do You Exactly Need From A Diet?

Are you planning to follow a healthy diet to stay in pink of health? Have you ever thought about what exactly you need from a healthy diet to enjoy a healthy life? If you nodded along positively, this blog is sure to interest you.

Losing excess of unwanted weight, getting rid of toxins, developing a flat tummy, boosting your energy, and living a long and healthy life are some of the benefits which most of us need by following a healthy diet. To optimize your health, it is essential to give your body exactly what it needs. A balanced and healthy diet is the solution that will give you healthy vibrant skin, youthful appearance, and a healthy & happy life. Also, it is easy to follow.

A balanced diet provides adequate nutrition and a good amount of energy and nutrients for the maintenance of the body and, therefore, good health. According to medical research, a balanced diet is made up of one-third fats, one-third protein, and one-third carbohydrates, and it’s better to have fewer carbohydrates in your diet. Let’s have a look at it in detail.

Benefits of Including Proteins, Carbohydrates, & Fats in Your Diet:

Here is why you need all the three (proteins, carbohydrates, & fats) for a balanced meal

1. Protein:

A good intake of proteins in your diet boosts your metabolism. Protein consumption inhibits the release of insulin. So, it helps maintain your blood sugar levels. Having protein-rich foods in your meal helps you build lean muscle which helps you burn more calories, even when you are resting.

Protein-Rich Foods include – Meat, fish, cheese, tofu, yogurt, milk, beans, peas lentils, eggs, & nuts.

2. Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates provide fast to the medium release of energy (around 1 -3 hours). The intake of carbohydrates fuels your heart muscles, brain, kidneys, and nervous system.

Carbohydrate-Rich Foods to include – Oats, sweet potato, brown rice, and more.

3. Fats:

Intake of fats is also important for maintaining good health. Fats insulate us and safeguard our vital organs.

Fats-Rich Foods to include – Nuts, avocadoes, cheese, and olive oil.

Each macronutrient also has its specific function in nourishing the body. If you miss out on one, it will hamper the body’s metabolism and cause defective assimilation. It will affect your best efforts in losing weight and effectively carrying out the various functions of the body adversely. If your meals just have proteins and carbs, you will feel hungry after 3 hours. But, if you add fats to the same meal, you will be fueled for up to 4 hours that is no more looking for munching or snacking on foods between meals.

Eating extra protein does not encourage muscle growth. You will see high-protein food supplements on sale in many food stores for those who work out in the gym or for athletes. Eating extra protein does not improve muscle or reduce appetite which may help in weight loss. In the same way, by eating an excess of carbohydrates than the dietary requirement of your body, they get easily stored as fat in cells

3 Foods To Avoid:

Here are some things which are worth cutting from your diet.

1. Sugar & Sugary Drinks

Sugar is one of the adverse-affecting ingredients in the modern diet. Some sources of sugars are worse than others and sugary drinks are absolute worst. When people drink sugar calories, the brain does not register them as food. Sugar, when consumed in large amounts, can be difficult for the body to adapt to the change in the rise of blood sugar levels. It is associated with various problems, such as diabetes and heart disease.

2. Gluten

Avoiding gluten is a good idea for everybody. Wheat, particularly refined flour, affects your gut adversely, promotes inflammation, and leads to brain fog and other mood disorders. The biggest examples are pizzas and white bread. Pizza dough is made from highly refined bread and the meats on them are usually processed. These products are often high in sugar with unhealthy oils and refined grains like corn starch. These refined starch lead to rapid spikes in the blood sugar and are extremely low in essential nutrients.

3. Processed Foods:

With labels on the back of every package mentioning the ingredient, it’s easy to read and figure out why you don’t need this stuff in your diet at all. A tongue-twisting mix of refined carbs, artificial additives, and other chemicals can cause problems in your gut resulting in defective metabolism. Processed foods are dead foods without any nutrients. Your body needs living foods to live and enjoy good health. In general, avoid candy bars, processed meat, processed cheese, chips, and wafers in your diet. Include fresh and nutritious vegetables and fruits in your daily diet.

Make sure that you include healthy tips and healthy foods in your daily diet and avoid eating unhealthy foods, as it will help to inculcate more nutrients from healthy foods that will you enjoy good health.

• Written by Dr. Rati Parwani, Associate doctor to Dr. Rajesh Shah