To stay fit and healthy, it is recommended to engage in regular physical activity, eat a balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, get adequate sleep, and manage stress. Additionally, it is important to avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption. It is also recommended to consult with a healthcare professional to determine a personalized plan for maintaining fitness and overall health.

Importance of Being Healthy.

Being healthy is important for several reasons. It can improve overall quality of life, increase lifespan, reduce the risk of disease and illness, and improve mental and emotional well-being. Additionally, being healthy can improve physical function, making it easier to perform daily tasks and participate in activities. Overall, good health is a crucial component of happiness and success.

There are many ways to become healthy and fit. Some include:

Eating a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

1. Vitamins and Minerals

These are body protecting nutrients. They regulate body metabolism and protect against infections, deficiency diseases and any metabolic imbalance.

Make sure to include multi-colored, whole fruits and vegetables that are a treasure of minerals and vitamins.

Food & Vegetables provide key nutrients that keep us healthy. Similarly, vegetables such as dark green leafy veggies should be included in your meal. Adding a variety of veggies like broccoli, spinach, beans, lettuce, etc to your meal will help you in getting the bountiful nutrients required for the body.

2. Protein

This nutrient is associated with bodybuilding, growth, and development. This is required to help your body repair cells and make new ones.

According to Harvard Medical School, about 20% of your daily diet should consist of protein found in pulses like whole grams, dals, chickpeas, peas, lentils, beans, peanuts, milk, eggs, fish, and meat.

Protein also plays an important role in growth and development during the early stages of childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy.

 3. Carbohydrate

This nutrient is equally necessary as associated with energy giving and sustainability.  The voluntary and involuntary functions of the body are well-regulated with the efficient supply of energy in the form of glucose.

Consume complex carbohydrates which include whole grains such as brown rice, wheat, ragi, jowar, bajra, oatmeal, quinoa, and potatoes among others. Hence, carbs should not be avoided and it should be a part of your daily diet.

4. Fats 

Fats play an important role in providing energy, circulation of vitamins and hormone synthesis. Include more of fats which are high in unsaturated fatty acids like MUFA and PUFA that provides essential fatty acids as in sunflower oil, fish oil, nuts and seeds.

Also, while cooking, you can go for unrefined or cold pressed oil which has a higher nutritional value than the unrefined oil.

Well! You may say that, why do you have to maintain a diet chart? Is the current food that you are having is not right? Because you have been consuming that since years and you are totally fine.

We totally understand you when you say that! But before you doubt further on the chart, see if you have all the below 10 essentials included in your daily diet.

10 Ways to Maintain a Balanced Diet Chart

Now that you are already aware of the importance of having a balanced diet chart, we bring to you 10 of the simplest ways to work on your meals, lifestyle and eating habits in order to enjoy a balanced healthy life.

1. Follow the correct mealtime

 A diet chart comprises of 5 small meals in a day with a gap of 3 hours between each meal. A gap of more than 3 hours will increase the stress hormones cortisol that will let the body store fat in the belly. 

If these meals are eaten in proper time it will keep the cortisol levels in check and thus reducing belly fat. Food eaten at the right time will also help in better digestion.

According to the American Heart Association, an irregular eating pattern affects the metabolism and can even hinder the normal cardiometabolic health

2. Be physically active during the day

If you are physically active during the day it will help you in reducing weight and you will feel less lethargic. Diet alone is not sufficient when it comes to achieving ideal health. With the input of calories, it is essential for its release as well so as to maintain the balance. 

If you are inactive and lacking in physical activity than your body might accumulate extra calories that is harmful in the long run. Here are few easy-to-do weight loss exercises to pump you up.

3. Maintain a list of healthy foods

Research and gather knowledge about the foods and their nutrient content. This will give you an idea of the foods that are nutritious and meeting your health requirements. 

Also, this will help in wise grocery shopping with healthy foods as per the availability and accessibility.

4. Replace processed foods with fruits and veggies

Fruits and vegetables are the natural foods that will help to maintain a healthy diet chart for the body. Sadly, these foods have been replaced by processed foods.

For example, tinned vegetables or breakfast cereals being the main culprit for weight gain. Similarly, prefer having whole fruits rather than having market available fruit juices.

According to the British Medical Journal, with 10% increment of ultra-processed food in the diet, increases the chances of cancer detection by 12%.

Processed foods are unhealthy and contain added sugar, salt, and fat. They also contain preservatives and additives that can lead to life-threatening consequences like cancer. Therefore, prefer more fruits, vegetables, and home- cooked food.

5. Include more Proteins

If you want to lose weight, add more proteins to your diet as protein takes more time and energy to break down in the body. Protein intake of 0.8-1 gram per kg body weight helps in weight loss and maintaining healthy muscle mass as well.

According to a study published in European Journal of Obesity, it was seen that adherence to high protein diet resulted in significant weight loss.

This is attributed to:

• High satiety value
• High thermic value
• Regulation of hormones

You can include snacks like sprouts, peanuts, greek yogurt and seeds instead of chips to fulfill your protein requirement. You can even opt for a healthier source of protein from Possible’s wide range of products.

For example, shake-a-day, a whey protein drink that you can make a fruit pudding or quinoa can be eaten instead of rice.

6. Include milk and milk products

Dairy products are the best source of calcium that is essential for healthy bones and is also necessary for regulating muscle contraction. If your calcium intake is inadequate, you might suffer from osteoporosis and various bone diseases.

Dairy products that are rich in calcium are low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk. If you are a person who dislikes dairy products then, have these dairy-free calcium supplements for your diet.

7. Have the required carbs

It is wise to choose the required amount of carbs needed for the body. Most of the carbohydrates are present in plant foods like pulses, cereals, and millets.

Your healthy diet chart should mainly consist of complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, brown rice, oats, lentils, fruits, and vegetables.

They are rich in fiber which keeps you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. Researches have proved that regular intake of fiber ensures healthy prevention of metabolic disorders like diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

8. Reduce the fat intake

Decrease the intake of fats, specifically the one rich in saturated fats, as too much of it can lead to weight gain and other related health problems. For example butter, margarine and solid fats.

The required amount of fats needed for the body totally depends on the foods that you are consuming. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, the fat requirement for an adult man and woman is around 20 grams.

While cooking, you can go for unrefined or cold pressed oil which has a higher nutritional value than the unrefined oil.

9. Cut down sugar in your tea/coffee

Sugar is the lead villain to increase your waistline in the body. Sugar is addictive like a drug to most of the people, who like to add sweet sugar to their favorite foods.

 

Too much consumption of sugar may cause diabetes, insulin resistance, heart disease, obesity among many lifestyle disorders.

10. Remove ‘Salt’ from your table

Eating too much salt, causes the extra water to store in your body that raises the blood pressure. According to a review published by Harvard School of Public Health, the excess intake of salt and sodium has a negative health impact on heart, arteries, kidneys, and brain.

This can lead to heart attacks, strokes, dementia, and kidney disease. Also, sodium in salt also causes water retention that makes your body fluffy and heavy. With the change in requirements, the pattern and customization of balanced diet chart also vary among men and women.

Exercising regularly, which can include activities such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, or weightlifting.

1. Getting enough sleep each night, which is typically 7-9 hours for adults.
2. Managing stress through activities such as yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises.
3. Avoiding smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and drug use.
4. Seeing a healthcare provider regularly for check-ups and screenings.
5. Staying hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day.
6. Connecting with friends and family, and building a strong social support network.

It's important to note that what works for one person may not work for another and it's always a good idea to consult a healthcare professional before making any drastic changes to your lifestyle.

Summary- Health and fitness cannot be ignored, most successful are leading a successful life , because of their supreme fitness, being fit and lighter can increase your agility in life.

Stay Tuned for more informative content , will be back with more useful content.

Signing off.

Wilson Dsouza