Nutrition Expert in Bangalore – Balanced Diet – HealthyWE

A Diet is all that we eat/take in a day. And a balanced diet is a diet that contain adequate amount of nutrients that we require in a day. A balanced diet includes six main nutrients such as proteins, energy, fats, minerals, Fibre, Carbohydrates, vitamins required for a child/human growth and for the proper maintenance of health is termed as a ‘balanced diet’.

Importance of Balanced Diet:

• Balanced Diet leads to a good physical / mental health.
• Balanced Diet helps in proper growth of the body, and increases the energy / capacity to work
• Balanced Diet increases the ability to resist / fight diseases.
• Balanced Diet provides a better and happy lifestyle

Sometimes Supplements can be consumed if you cannot fulfill the necessary amount and or composition of balanced diet, or certain nutrition in higher amount than the average people, but one should also know that these supplements shall never substitute the necessary foods to our body.

Opinions / Specifications from experts make it easy to have a balanced diet and nutritious and healthy food.

The various Food Varieties / Types we have are follows and all these have different types of important Nutrients. The quantity of food you need will definitely vary depending on various factors such as Age, Lifestyle habits, Health, Pregnant Women, breastfeeding and many more.

• Fruits
• Vegetables & Legumes / beans
• Grains & Cereals
• Meat & eggs, nuts, seeds
• Milk, cheese, yogurt or similar kind.

Fruits:

Fresh fruit within the 6 hours from a Tree is a very good source of vitamins and dietary fibre.

How much?

• 1 to 2year-olds, ½ piece a day, 2 to 3 year-olds, 1 piece a day
• 4 to 8 year-olds, 1½ pieces a day
• Above age 9 its better 2 pieces a day

Since, Fruit juices lack fibre occasionally a cup is enough. Their acidity can also damage tooth enamel. Dried Fruit and commercial fruit juices are often high in sugars, occasionally preferable.

Vegetables and legumes:

These food type have hundreds of natural nutrients such as Vitamins, Minerals & Dietary fibre.

In order to get the most from this group:

• Choose vegetables (capsicums, tomatoes, carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, Beans, peas, broccoli, red cabbage, eggplant, cauliflower, mushrooms and potatoes) & legumes as per the season demands.

Raw vegetables intake is indeed a healthier option, but at times only, but there are other vegetables which provide useful health benefits when they’re cooked only.

Age wise intake:

• <= 3year old – 2 to 3 serves a day & 4 to 8 year old – 4½ serves per day.
• Above 9 and adults can take 5-6 serves a day.

One serve is ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw. Also, salads, raw vegies or soups at lunch & dinner.

Grains & cereal foods:

Grain foods are rolled oats, brown rice, wholemeal and wholegrain breads, cracked wheat, barley, buckwheat and breakfast cereals like muesli.

Wholegrains consists protein, fibre, vitamins, dietary, minerals, whereas in processed grains, some of these nutrients are extinct.

How much?

• <= 8year old – start with 4 serves/day
• 9 – 11 years of age – 4-5 serves a day & 14 – 18 year-old – 7 serves a day.
• Above teenage people, 3 to 6 serves a day depending on Age/Sex.

Note: ‘serve’ is equivalent to: ½ cup cooked rice or 1 slice of bread, or, oats, pasta or other grain, or 3 crispbreads, or 30g of breakfast cereal (⅔ cup flakes or ¼ cup muesli).

Meat, poultry, eggs, nuts, tofu & seeds:

Food items like Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds provide protein, minerals and vitamins & dietary fibre. You can choose a variety of foods in this group.

How much?

• <= 3 year – 1 serve/day
• Between 4 to 8 years of age – 1½ serves/day
• Between 9 to 18 years – 2½ serves/day
• In case of women – 2-2½ serves & men – 2½ to 3 serves/day

A ‘serve’ is 80g poultry/65g cooked red meat, or 100g fish/2 eggs, or 1 cup legumes/170g tofu, or 30g nuts, seeds or pastes such as ‘tahini/peanut butter’.

Adults can take less than 500 g of red meat a week. Eating more than suggested ‘red meat’ will have an increase chance of colon cancer.

Milk, cheeses, yogurts:

Milk contain vitamins, protein & calcium. Added calcium with soy drinks can be used as a substitute for milk for children over age 1.

Some nut / oat milks contain added calcium but they lack vitamin B12 and enough protein. Consult a doctor or qualified dietician regards to child’s total diet before using them.

Until aged 2, children should have full-cream milk. Reduced-fat varieties may be a choice after that.

How much?

• Age group 1 – 3 years: 1 to 1½ serves/day
• Age group 4 – 8 years: 1½ serves to 2 serves/day
• Age group 9 – 18 years: 2½ to 3½ serves/day
• In general, for men: 2½ to 3½ serves/day & women: 2½ to 4 serves/day.

Note: ‘serve’ is 1 cup of milk, or 200g yogurt, 2 slices of cheese.

Check atleast 100mg calcium per 100 ml is being present whenever you use plant based alternatives to milk such as soymilk.

Drinks:

For children, Milk is the first choice and water is the second choice.

Discretionary choices:

Food that is not part of the above food groups are called Junk food / discretionary choices / extra food. Can also take unsaturated oils & spreads which are derived from olives, corn, sunflower, soybean, safflower, canola, sesame or grapeseed’s.

Junk foods may provide excess energy, fat, sugar & salt, which are often termed as “Rich in Energy but Poor in Nutrient”

Biscuits, Ice-cream, Cakes, Hot chips, Burgers, Soft drinks, Cakes, Chocolates and lollypops, Fried food, Alcohol and etc.

Stress & Common Causes and How to Avoid Them

Stress is an integral part of Human life. It can be a stressful job and household bills to a disturbed family life, etc. At times, stress motivates you to do better than you are currently doing in life helping to aim certain goals. However, if stress goes unmanaged and it becomes long-term, then it can cause serious health issues & can lead to the following effects.

• Job & The Workplace
• Financial & Mental Problems
• Physical Problems
• Personal Relationships
• Children
• Daily Hassles / Being Too Busy
• Cognitive & Behavioral

1. Handling Many Things at a time:

Your life may be filled with full of work and want to finish fast, but can’t be done so, and in the process of achieving it fast you might end up doing errors. If this working pressure becomes your daily schedule, then you are likely to suffer from stress. Overcome this by living each minute as it comes and focus on one task at a time.

2. Lack of Confidence:

In order to overcome this type of stress, you should start accepting yourself first and acknowledging that no one is perfect and work on the lacking areas of you that you feel you need to improve. For instance ‘weight’ – start exercising until you get your desired body shape and weight.

3. Procrastination:

Procrastination is common problem to all beings but for different reasons. You might postpone doing something when you are feeling too overwhelmed, or something more important & Urgent. Best way to handle this is by Planning your time well & start working immediately on that particular assignment which was allocated to you.

4. Abusive Relationships & Over Demanding Jobs:

You may be in an abusive relationship whereby you have no freedom or an abusive boss who does not appreciate you no matter how good your performance is. If these are the sources of stress, then ‘walking away’ is the best thing to do. It’s better to quit a stressful job /relationship, which leads to heart stroke causing an early death than staying in such situations.

5. Inadequate Exercise:

Working yourself makes both your mind and body tired. Pull some time in your busy schedule for exercise such as going to gym, running in your neighborhood park. Otherwise consider brisk walking in morning and evening.

6. Financial status:

Affording / Exercising a life which is an unrealistic or abnormal to the standards of your lifestyle (salary or financial position) can easily stress you. Getting in a better financial situation can elevate living standards but still, overcome this type of stress by living according to your standards.

7. Having Unrealistic Expectations:

At times expecting too much from known people can lead to stress. Set yourself that people are imperfect and they are likely to let you down from time to time.

8. Sudden Changes in Life:

Happenings such as marriage, divorce, pregnancy, or moving to new geography can lead to stress. Positive changes such as marriage are acceptable, but negative ones such as death are unplanned for. The best way to overcome these are accepting things as they are. Seek professional counseling when things cannot be handled by yourself.

9. Clutters at Home:

Useless stuff in your home occupies a lot of workspace hence causing stress. Pull some time of your routine work to de clutter everything you no longer use, makes you feel good, clean working /relaxing environment. Make it a regular habit.

10. Health Concerns:

Chronic pains / health diseases can lead to stress. It’s fact that this type stress can also lead to serious health issues. To overcome this type of stress, talk to your doctor and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Even though if there isn’t any cure for that particular disease, there is always a way to manage it. Such ways might even prolong / enhance your life age.