“Your uncle is diagnosed with high blood pressure and cholesterol.”
When my mother shared this about her cousin, I was shocked. When I asked her what went wrong, she replied – “if you eat junk food quite often, what would you expect?”
My mother is not a health coach, and if you ask her – “What is healthy eating?” she may not have a perfect answer. But she is aware of a basic fact that if you eat right, you will be alright.
But we, amidst work-life balance, tend to forget that our health is an irreplaceable wealth. However, thanks to our busy lifestyles, we hardly think about what we eat, and unhealthy food habits have become normal among working professionals like us.
Also, many surveys and research pinpoint the same issue. In Guwahati city alone, 14 to 20% of heart patients are found below 40 years of age!
So, I thought, why not just brush up on the basic knowledge of healthy eating and nutrition and try to incorporate them in our day-to-day lives? This gave me the reason to write today’s piece of content.
In this article, you will learn about:
- The meaning and importance of healthy eating
- How to start eating healthy (I will share a few tips that I follow to ditch unhealthy eating habits), and
- Benefits of healthy eating for adults
So, let us begin.
What is healthy eating?
It is nothing but serving your body with a variety of naturally available and/or minimally processed foods that are rich in nutrients required for growth and development of your body. Besides physical health, healthy eating habits also benefit your mental well-being and energy levels throughout the day.
What is the importance of eating healthy?
In the Vedic period, people followed a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Yogurt and ghee, being the milk derivatives, also played an essential role in their nutrition. Therefore, the average lifespan of a person in the Vedic age was around 70 to 80 years, more than many ancient civilizations.
Also, if you have read the book Ikigai, you might have come across Japanese healthy eating habits, which is the main reason for their higher life expectancy.
In both cases, what is the common factor?
It is the correlation between lifespan and healthy eating.
When you feed your body with nature-provided foods (fruits, veggies, and whole grains), your body will thank you. Because these foods provide you with the essential macro (carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats), micro (vitamins and minerals), and fiber that are required for:
- Growth and functioning of your body
- Energy to carry out day-to-day activities
- Enabling repair mechanisms and
- Maintaining gut health and digestive system
On the other hand, if you focus on convenience and fill your plate with factory-made products, your body will receive only the empty calories.
What are empty calories, you ask?
These are the calories obtained from sugar and unhealthy fat content. These are mainly found in processed foods like baked goods from refined flour, ice creams, chips, candies, etc.
These empty calories provide energy for some time and no nutrition for your body. Besides, they also activate the reward center in your brain and increase the craving for unhealthy foods. So, the more you eat them, the more you will crave and before realizing it, you will be trapped in the cycle of unhealthy eating patterns.
If this cycle continues for a longer time, you are highly susceptible to lifestyle diseases or non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.
So, now you know why you have to focus on healthy eating and not just eating.
But the million-dollar question is – ‘How to eat healthy?’
Let us find out.
How to eat healthy?
Before we start, I would like to break down the following misconceptions that you may have about healthy foods.
- Healthy foods are expensive: Not really. You need not eat exotic fruits and vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, and avocado everyday. Our Indian cuisine has many inexpensive and easily-available foods (leafy veggies like spinach, seasonal fruits like papaya, legumes like lentils and peas) that you can add to your healthy eating plate.
- Healthy foods require more preparation time: There are many healthy recipes that require less time and energy. For example, one of the nutritious vegetable brinjals can be prepared into a curry or a dish for roti/chapati in less time, which you can prepare on busy days.
- Healthy foods are bland or tasteless: Absolutely NOT. You can prepare any healthy recipe at home using vegetables, lean meat, eggs, and dairy (paneer) with the spices, herbs, and garnishing ingredients. That is all. It is far more delicious and healthier than any junk food. Even the simple combination of curd and rice can turn into a tasty lunch recipe (My South Indian folks would agree with me :D)
I hope that whichever misconception you have had about healthy eating is cleared. Now, let us know how to eat healthy and the ways to add food for healthy body and mind to your diet.
- Shop mindfully
This is a crucial step if you are serious about healthy eating. Often, you may feel tempted to add your favorite biscuits, ice creams, and pastries to your shopping cart. But, before you make that buying decision, question yourself – Will this food item provide any nutrition to my body? If the answer is no, leave them on the rack and pat your back because you made a RIGHT and a TOUGH choice!
- Replace the worst with the best
I know the crispy potato chips, fluffy cakes, and aromatic baked cookies are not easy to give up on. And when you remove these from your diet all at once, you will crave more and will end up buying them. So, what is the solution? Remove one junk item at a time and replace them with healthy options like almonds, walnuts, dates, fruits, and yogurt.
It worked for me, and my cravings for processed snack items have also been reduced. You can try this out and see the difference. If you are craving badly for any junk food, you can have a cheat meal once in a while but do not make it quite often.
- Give the master chef within you a chance:
Cooking at home is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to be healthy. Because you know what is going into your food. On the other hand, your favorite restaurant or fast food stall has no time to think about healthy eating and unhealthy eating. They focus only on satisfying your taste buds and make you their loyal customers. So, put on your apron, and let your cooking do the talking!
- Let your plate be colorful
What does your plate look like? Is it as colorful as a rainbow? Or does it look just brown and beige? The answer to this question will determine whether your diet is healthy. If your answer is yes to the latter question, then it is time to redesign your eating plate by including
- Vibrant red color from beetroot, tomatoes, strawberries
- Radiant yellow and orange color from carrots, lemons, and sweet potatoes
- The soothing green color from spinach, pears, lettuce
- The goodness of purple color from blueberries, kidney beans, red cabbage, and
- The simplicity of neutral/white color from bean sprouts, cauliflower, and chickpeas
Add the above veggies and fruits in your daily diet, and your body and mind will be happy. To get the maximum benefits, always opt for seasonal vegetables and fruits. If you can not find your choice of fruits and veggies, go for their canned/frozen alternatives.
Now you know the food items you must eat to maintain healthy eating habits. But what about the quantity?
You need to follow this rule – Half of your plate should contain the non-starchy vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, spinach) that provide the necessary micronutrients and fiber content. 1/4th of your plate should contain a carbohydrate source in the form of rice, pasta, or potatoes. And the remaining 1/4th of your plate should comprise protein-rich foods such as eggs, meat, fish, paneer/tofu.
Now, you may ask, how to eat healthy while traveling for work?
If possible, you can pack your home-cooked food for travel. You can freeze the food packets, carry them in the temperature-controlled bags, and use them as you need.
But what if you are not comfortable carrying food while traveling? There is a solution.
You can be mindful of your food choices when you dine out or order in. You can:
- Choose a restaurant by reviewing their menu and ensure they have healthy food options.
- Check the ingredients used in the food by reviewing the food descriptions or by checking with the restaurant staff.
If these options are not feasible, and you have a kitchen in your place, then cook your own meal because it is worth all the patience and hard work.
Have you ever wondered what benefits you would get by eating healthy? Let us find out the answer.
Benefits of healthy eating for adults
Increases your life expectancy:
As we learnt before, the Japanese people know the answer for what is healthy eating. That is not all. They follow it and enjoy a long life with healthier skin, muscles, eyes, and stronger immunity. If you want the same, then embark upon healthy eating habits.
Lower risk of non-communicable diseases:
When you feed your body with all the goodness of phytochemicals, nutrients, fiber, and water content, the chances of you falling sick become distant. The reason? Stronger immunity and properly functioning vital organs. So, you can rely on healthy eating and nutrition for a disease-free life.
Ensures healthy pregnancy and breastfeeding:
Gearing up for motherhood? Make sure you follow healthy eating. This will ensure your good health during pregnancy and the well-being of your little munchkin growing inside you. You can consult with a gynecologist and /or nutritionist who would guide you in this process.
Helps to maintain healthy body weight:
When you combine exercise or any physical activity with healthy eating, your body functions healthily. This results in no extra calories accumulating as fat. Hence helping in maintaining a healthier weight, healthier body and mind.
Here is all about healthy eating I wanted to share with you all. Amidst your career and household responsibilities, do not neglect your asset – your HEALTH. Eating healthy is challenging. But if you choose your challenges right, you will win in life, right?