Eman Sakina
Every individual on this earth would love to enjoy optimum health and stay fit, Who wouldn't? Of course, this is always possible, if you follow a proper and healthy diet. We nourish our bodies with food, water, and air. It is essential to know that the heart muscle and circulatory system depend on a healthy and varied diet for their proper functioning.
One of the essential elements of a good diet is first, what you eat. Now, food provides us with fuel, both for the energy and repair of body cells in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and that too in a good balance. To achieve this, just include the following foods in your daily diet:
Complex carbohydrates: Eat at least seven servings of unrefined starchy foods such as rice, beans, root vegetables, bananas, and whole grains, or foods made from them such as wholegrain bread, breakfast cereal, and pasta.
Vegetables and fruits: Eat five daily servings of vegetables and two fruits. Include a variety of roots, tubers, stems, leaves, fruits, and seed pods. Choose fruits and vegetables of a range of colors as different plant pigments offer different health benefits and supply fiber, vitamins, minerals, and some essential fatty acids.
Protein-rich food: Eat two daily servings of low-fat dairy products, and one daily serving of meat or meat substitutes, including lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, and bean products such as tofu. Protein helps cell growth and repair and the production of antibodies, hormones, and enzymes.
Fats: You should take care to see that your fat intake is not more than 30% of total kilojoules.(In nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetables, and cold-pressed vegetable oils) and fats from oily fish, then fats found in meat, eggs, and dairy products. Fats provide fatty acids that are vital for cell structure and contain fat-soluble vitamins.
Sweets: You can add sweetness to your food, if it is necessary, with a little sugar or honey. But, try to consume these only occasionally.
Many people feel it best to skip breakfast, as they feel that it will help them to maintain their weight. But this attitude is completely wrong, as eating in the morning raises your metabolic rate and provides you with the energy you need for the rest of the day. 'Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper' is excellent advice for fitness and health. If u eat a heavy dinner, then much of your intake will be converted into fat because you are not using it up in the form of energy.
Therefore, it is essential to give importance to breakfast.
Nowadays, it is a fact that majority of the people are eating a lot of junk food like chocolate, cakes pastries, etc which only provide a lot of calories. Due to this, they become overweight, which can lead to problems. There may not be many medical problems, if you are only a few pounds overweight and if you are in your twenties. But as you grow older, it will be more difficult to lose weight, and only too easy to gain it. You may be less active and your metabolism may have slowed down. Therefore, practice healthy eating habits and help yourself keep a healthy weight.
Nowadays, fitness is given a lot of importance, with gymnasium and health clubs mushrooming every nook and corner. This is because when we are fit, we can do our everyday chores with enthusiasm, we are less likely to get angry when we are under pressure and also, and we will make fewer mistakes. We will be able to enjoy our work, family life, and friendships. Being fit helps to prevent heart disease, and osteoporosis controls blood pressure and diabetes, develops body strength, alleviates arthritis, improves mobility reduces breathlessness on exertion, and keeps your weight in check. It also helps to fight off depression, reduces the risk of a stroke, and reduces general everyday stress.
There may be some activities in your day-to-day life like chatting with a friend on the phone, which you can replace with exercise. Also, just get up a little earlier in the morning, so that you can do your exercise.
Everyone, no matter what their age is can benefit from the activity. Nothing ages a person as fast as doing nothing. The more you do, the more you can do. The activity needs to be rhythmic and sustained to promote good general fitness.
Rushing about at work or looking after a family is not likely to build up good fitness levels. You don’t need to go out of the house to achieve fitness, just keep 30 minutes aside for doing any of the activities like step exercises, walking up and down stairs, aerobics, etc. in the house itself.
Also Read: Count your blessings; always, everyday!
In conclusion, by consuming good and healthy food and regular exercise, you can lead a very healthy life and reduce the risk of many diseases, and therefore enjoy your life to the maximum.
