Health ,the greatest of all we count as blessing . ‘LIFE IS GOOD’ when health is in the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. When life is good with all this components a person as well as everyone around him feels the blessing. We should not let few wrong things affect our life wrongly-those things are junk foods, lack of exercise and walking, laziness, smoking, too much alcohol and caffeine consumption etc.
To have a good life, at first one should maintain a healthy diet. No, I am not saying to discard all the tasty and rich foods from your diet, but maintain a good balance while choosing your foods. Here lets have a look in the chart below :
Carbohydrate Rich Foods : carbohydrates -fiber, starches and sugars-are essential food nutrients which are your body’s main source of energy. Carbohydrate or carbs help fuel your brain, kidney, heart muscles, and central nervous system. If taken in proper quantity, carbs help to fulfil your body’s nutritional needs and maintain a healthy diet. But avoid over intake of carbs to prevent unwanted weight gain and blood sugar problem.
Good Carbohydrates :
Whole-grain products such as brown rice, whole-grain pasta, beans, whole wheat bread, whole oats, buckwheat, millet, whole rye, whole-grain barley and whole-grain corn are considered good carbohydrates. These foods are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that are beneficial to your health. Also, they have a low glycemic index because they cause a slower change in blood sugar levels. Diets rich in high glycemic index foods cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels, thereby increasing the risk for diabetes and heart disease. By contrast, foods with a low glycemic index help you achieve a more stable blood sugar and improve weight loss and control Type 2 diabetes.
Bad Carbohydrates : Refined grains such as white bread, pizza crust, pretzels, hamburger buns and mega muffins are bad carbohydrates. During the refining process, these grains are stripped of B-vitamins, fiber and certain minerals. In addition, they also have a high glycemic index, negatively affecting blood sugar levels. Other examples of bad carbohydrates include chips, cookies, sodas, bagels, cake, pastries, pancakes, soda, high fructose corn syrup.
Protein Rich Foods : Protein is found in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. It makes up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. Protein is made from twenty-plus basic building blocks called amino acids. Because we don’t store amino acids, our bodies make them in two different ways: either from scratch, or by modifying others.
Eating legumes (beans and peas), nuts, seeds, whole grains, and other plant-based sources of protein is a win for your health and the health of the planet. If most of your protein comes from plants, make sure that you mix up your sources so no “essential” components of protein are missing.
The protein package is complete with animal-based foods:
Generally, poultry (chicken, turkey, duck) and a variety of seafood (fish, crustaceans, mollusks) are your best bet. Eggs can be a good choice, too.
If you enjoy dairy foods, it’s best to do so in moderation (think closer to 1-2 servings a day; and incorporating yogurt is probably a better choice than getting all your servings from milk or cheese).
Red meat—which includes unprocessed beef, pork, lamb, veal, mutton, and goat meat—should be consumed on a more limited basis.
Processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, sausages, and cold cuts should be avoided. Although these products are often made from red meats, processed meats also include items like turkey bacon, chicken sausage, and deli-sliced chicken and ham.
Vitamins And Minerals : Vitamins and minerals are essential substances that our bodies need to develop and function normally. The known vitamins include A, C, D, E, and K, and the B vitamins: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxal (B6), cobalamin (B12), biotin, and folate/folic acid. A number of minerals are essential for health: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, sulfur, cobalt, copper, fluoride, manganese, and selenium.
Vitamins are divided into two categories: water soluble—which means the body expels what it does not absorb—and fat soluble where leftover amounts are stored in the liver and fat tissues as reserves. The water-soluble vitamins are the eight B vitamins (B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5, B-6, B-7, B-9, and B-12) and vitamin C. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K.
There are many minerals, but certain ones are necessary for optimal health. Minerals are split into two groups: major and trace. Major ones are not necessarily more important than trace, but it means there are greater amounts in your body.
Vitamins Sources:
Water soluble:
B-1: ham, soymilk, watermelon, acorn squash
B-2: milk, yogurt, cheese, whole and enriched grains and cereals.
B-3: meat, poultry, fish, fortified and whole grains, mushrooms, potatoes
B-5: chicken, whole grains, broccoli, avocados, mushrooms
B-6: meat, fish, poultry, legumes, tofu and other soy products
B-7: Whole grains, eggs, soybeans, fish
B-9: Fortified grains and cereals, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, legumes , orange juice
B-12: Meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, fortified soymilk and cereals
Vitamin C: Citrus fruit, potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts
Fat soluble:
Vitamin A: liver, eggs, fortified milk, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, spinach, mangoes
Vitamin D: Fortified milk and cereals, fatty fish
Vitamin E: vegetables oils, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts
Vitamin K: Cabbage, eggs, milk, spinach, broccoli
Minerals
Major:
Calcium: yogurt, cheese, milk, salmon, leafy green vegetables
Chloride: salt
Magnesium: Spinach, broccoli, legumes, seeds
Potassium: meat, milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes
Sodium: salt, soy sauce, vegetables
Trace:
Chromium: meat, poultry, fish, nuts, cheese
Copper: shellfish, nuts, whole-grain products, beans, prunes
Fluoride: fish, teas
Iodine: Iodized salt, seafood
Iron: red meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, green vegetables, fortified bread
Manganese: nuts, legumes, whole grains, tea
Selenium: Organ meat, seafood, walnuts
Fat: Animal or plant tissue contains much greasy or oily material which is called fat. Fat helps give your body energy, protects your organs, supports cell growth, keeps cholesterol and blood pressure under control, and helps your body absorb vital nutrients.
Types Of Fats: Saturated fat- Saturated fat is solid at room temperature, which is why it is also known as “solid fat.” It is mostly in animal foods, such as milk, cheese, and meat.
Trans fat – This is a fat that has been changed by a process called hydrogenation. It is unhealthy fat.
Unsaturated fat and Total fat are also in list.
There are many foods full of good fats-
Red meat (beef, lamb, pork)
Chicken skin.
Whole-fat dairy products (milk, cream, cheese)
Butter.
Ice cream.
Lard.
Tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil.
“Bad” fats — trans fats — increase disease risk, even when eaten in small quantities. Foods containing trans fats are primarily in processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil. Fortunately, trans fats have been eliminated from many of these foods.
Fiber :
Dietary fiber is a term that is used for plant-based carbohydrates that, unlike other carbohydrates (such as sugars and starch), are not digested in the small intestine and so reaches the large intestine or colon. Fiber helps to keep our digestive system healthy and helps to prevent constipation. Fiber bulks up stools, makes stools softer and easier to pass and makes waste move through the digestive tract more quickly.
Soluble and insoluble fiber
‘soluble fiber’ or ‘insoluble fiber’– these are words that are sometimes used to describe the types of fibre in our diet. Although scientific organizations argue that these terms are no longer really appropriate, you may see these terms being used, with soluble fiber including pectin and beta glucans (found for example in foods like fruit and oats) and insoluble fiber including cellulose (found for example in wholegrains and nuts). What is important to remember is that fiber-rich foods typically contain both types of fiber.
Fiber rich foods include:
Wholegrain breakfast cereals, whole wheat pasta, wholegrain bread and oats, barley and rye
Fruit such as berries, pears, melon and oranges
Vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and sweetcorn
Peas, beans and pulses
Nuts and seeds
Potatoes with skin
Water : Water is needed for most body functions, including : Maintain the health and integrity of every cell in the body, Keep the bloodstream liquid enough to flow through blood vessels. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Our body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.
At the end few simple but most important lines- a balanced diet supplies the nutrients your body needs to work effectively. Without balanced nutrition, your body is more prone to disease, infection, fatigue, and low performance. People who don’t get enough healthy foods may face growth and developmental problems, poor work performance, and frequent infections. So eat healthy, stay positive and start happy living.