Eating is not just for satisfying Hunger, it is to feed our body well with nutrients as well. Humans are quite complicated and there are a lot of things that influence our health. Primarily the modern eating habits of choosing fast foods or ready to eat foods that are not only high in calories but very low in nutrients as well. Due to these foods the fibre intake through fruits & vegetables, good quality protein & fat intake is also affected.
Things like our genetic makeup is something we cannot change, however our choices of foods and drinks can be changed or improved. The gut microbiome is made of trillions of bacteria which has a significant impact on our health. Gut health is considered as important as brain health, which are interlinked as if your gut health is not okay you will not feel mentally stabilised as well.
The food we eat is a mixture of many nutrients that affect the body and microbiome in so many different ways. A healthy meal plan is eating a variety of nutrient rich foods with vitamins & minerals that are important for development, disease prevention and overall wellness.
On the other hand, processed foods can be detrimental to your health. Trans fat, an ingredient commonly found in packaged processed foods which improves it shelf life but has been directly associated with an increased risk of of heart disease.
Many people have a notion that if you are working out you can eat whatever you like, that’s a wrong notion by doing that you are harming your body all the more. While you workout your body undergoes a lot of wear and tear which is replenished a few hours after the workout only if proper nutrition is provided to the body. E.g a well balanced meal of protein and carbohydrate to stabilise the blood glucose levels & helps in muscle building.
If a well balanced meal is not consumed & the intake of unhealthy food is more then the body is constantly trying to digest these heavy foods and not being able to build muscles or stabilise the body from shock that it went through during the workout and you will not be able to see the results as well.
It is always 70% of diet & 30% of exercise that works hand in hand for a healthier lifestyle.
Carbohydrate: Low carbohydrate consumption is a another myth amongst a lot of people. They tend to think that a low carbohydrate diet is going to help loose weight & make them healthier. While excess of refined carbohydrates can be a concern which is incase of anything, healthy does not mean you can eat it in excess. Complex carbohydrates along with some simple carbohydrates in moderation is usually recommended.
Protein: When you consume high protein or high fat foods they are not converted for energy faster as compared to carbohydrates which provides the body with energy instantly. The body only uses the required amount of protein it requires for muscle building and for some other functions and the remaining is stored as fat because protein is the last macronutrient used for energy purposes, excess of this protein affects the kidney function.
Fats: Good quality fats is some amount is essential for the body for absorption of a lot of macro & micronutrients but when consumed in excess amount it increases the risk of heart diseases, cholesterol or plague.
Therefore consuming all these macronutrients in moderation is important.
Foods to consume to get these macronutrients:
- Good quality protein:These are present in Paneer, milk, pulses. If non-vegetarian consume lean proteins like Chicken, fish and egg.
- Fibre rich foods like fruits & vegetables.
- Whole grains like Brown rice, millets, oats, jowar, bajra, etc.
- Nuts & seeds.
If you are new to eating healthy:
- Start small: Initially try to increase and include 1 serving of vegetables or a serving of fruit then you normally do and gradually increase it.
- Consume a handful of nuts or some healthy snack options in place of potato chips or any junk food that you snack on.
- Incorporate more of home cooked meals.
Giveaway Message:
- Eating is not just to satisfy hunger but to feed the body well with good nutrients.
- Gut healthy is as important as Brain health
- Well balanced meals of all the macro & micronutrients is essential.
- Avoid fad diet trends like high protein or high fat diets.
- Exercising does not mean you can eat anything you like.
Any lastly once again ‘You are What you EAT’ so why not make it a healthy treat!!