HEALTHY DIET

What is Diet?

A diet is what we eat and drink. We need to eat a varied diet which includes a range of different foods to keep our body healthy.

HEALTHY DIET :-

The two keys to a healthy diet are eating the right amount of food for how active you are and eating a range of foods to make sure you are getting a balance diet.

A healthy diet contains a variety of types of food, including lots of fruits, vegetables and starchy food such as wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals. Some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and lentils and some dairy foods.

1. BASE YOUR MEALS ON STARCHY FOODS :-

Starchy food such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta and potatoes are a really important part of a healthy diet. Starchy foods are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet. As well as starch, these food contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins.

2. EAT LOTS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES :-

Most people know we should be eating more fruit and vegetables. But most of us still are not eating enough. Try to eat at least 5 five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetable every day. For example. You could have …
· A glass of juice and a sliced banana with your cereal at breakfast
· A side salad with lunch.
· A pear as an afternoon snack.
· A portion of peas or other vegetables with your evening meal.

You can choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced, but remember potatoes count as a starchy food, not as portions of fruit and vegetable.

3. EAT MORE FISH :-

Most of us should be eating more fish including a portion of oily fish each week (Oily fish are rich in fat called Omega 3 fatty acids which keeps hearts healthy) each week. Its an excellent source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. You can choose fresh, frozen or canned, but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.

4. CUT DOWN ON SATURATED FAT AND SUGAR :-
FATS :-

To stay healthy we need some fat in our diets. There are two main types of fat.

a) SATURATED FAT :-

Having too much can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases the chance of developing heart disease. It is found in Meat pies, sausages, meat with visible white fat, cheese, butter, pastry, cakes, biscuits, cream, coconut and palm oil etc.

b) UNSATURATED FAT :-

Having unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat lowers blood cholesterol.

SUGAR :-

We should all be trying to eat fewer foods containing added sugar, such as sweets, cakes and biscuits and drinking fewer sugary soft and fizzy drinks.
Having sugary foods and drinks too often can cause tooth decay, especially if you have them between meals. Many foods that contain added sugar can also be high in calories so cutting down could help you control your weight.

5. TRY TO EAT LESS SALT – NO MORE THAN 6G A DAY :-

Lots of people think they donot eat much salt, especially if they don’t add it to their food. But don’t be so sure. Three quarter (75%) of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, sauces and ready meals. So you could easily be eating too much salt without realizing it.
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. And people with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke than people with normal blood pressure.

6. GET ACTIVE AND TRY TO BE HEALTHY WEIGHT :-

Its not a good idea to be either underweight or overweight.
Being overweight can lead to health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetics. Being underweight could also affect your health.
It’s also important to eat a variety of types of food so you get all the nutrients your body needs.
Physical activity is a good way of using up extra calories, and helps control our weight. But this doesn’t mean you need to join a gym.
Just try to get active everyday and built up the amount you do.
For example :- you could try to fit in as much walking as you can into your daily routine. Try to walk at a good pace.
Whenever we eat more than our body needs, we put on weight. This is because we store any energy we don’t use up- usually as fat. Even small amounts of extra energy each day can lead to weight gain.

7. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER :-

We should be drinking about 6 to 8 glasses (1.2 litres) of water, or other fluids, everyday to stop us getting dehydrated.

WATER :-
Water is the best choice for quenching your thirst between meals. It is totally calorie free and contains no sugars that damage teeth.
If you don’t like the taste of plain water, you could try sparkling water, or add a slice of lemon or lime, you could also try adding some squash or fruit juice for flavour.

MILK :-
Milk contains vitamins and minerals such as calcium and it doesn’t cause tooth decay. For a healthy choice, choose semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, watch out for flavoured milk, milkshakes, condensed milk and milk based energy, because these tend to contain added sugar, which is bad for teeth.
Milk and dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt are great sources of protein and vitamins A, B12 and D.
They are also an important source of calcium, which helps to keep our bones strong. The calcium in dairy foods are easy for the body to absorb.

FRUIT JUICES :-

Fruit juices contains lots of vitamins that are, good for our health, especially vitamin C.
A glass (150ml) of fruit juice counts as one of the five (5) fruit and vegetable portions we should be having each day.
The best drinks to give children are water, milk and milkshakes without added sugar.

TEA AND COFFEE :-

Tea and coffee contain compounds called polyphenols, which bind with iron making it harder for our bodies to absorb it.
So avoid drinking tea and coffee with meals or within 30 minutes after a meal.
Tea, coffee and cola is not suitable drinks for children.

8. DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST :-

Breakfast can help give us the energy we need to face the day, as well as some of vitamins and minerals we need for good health.
Research shows that eating breakfast can actually help people control their weight.
This is probably because when we don’t have breakfast we are more likely to get hungry before lunch and snack on foods that are high in fat and sugar such as biscuits, doughnuts or pastries.

I hope all students will keep these information in your mind and try to implement it in your daily life.
An Arabian proverb quote “ He who has health has hope and who has hope has everything.
Now I am going to tell you some daily health task list:-
Just like brushing your teeth, healthy habits should be cultivated on a daily basis. The following is a guide to daily tasks.

1. Activity should be a daily occurrence. Walk, run or jump for a minimum total of 20 minutes a day.

2. Protect your skin. Sun block should be applied on face, neck, arms and hands even in the dead of winter. It protects against climatic toxins too. Moisturize skin daily.

3. Eat fruits, vegetables, grains, low fat dairy products and small amounts of protein. Avoid sweets and other processed foods.

4. Meditate or spend a minimum of 5 five minutes daily in quite time.

5. Find your spiritual self. Discover what inspires you, raises your level of consciousness motivates you and satisfies your soul.

6. Exercise your brain. Read, study, solve problems and learn new skills. As does the body the brain atrophies (wasting away) with lack of use.

7. Hug your love ones i.e your parents because it conveys and express your emotions. It also increases your energy level. It’s a bet.