Healthy Diet For Glorious Life

A healthy diet (?????? ????) is a diet that helps to maintain or improve overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients, micronutrients, and adequate calories. For people who are healthy, a healthy diet is not complicated and contains mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and includes little to no processed food and sweetened beverages. The requirements for a healthy diet can be met from a variety of plant-based and animal-based foods, although a non-animal source of Vitamin B12 is needed for those following a vegan diet. A healthy diet, being the most important aspect of healthy and longer life, Siddha Spirituality of Swami Hardas Life System appeals our vital readers to read the article and understand science as well as religious importance and follow certain inevitable golden rules.

Healthy diet Definition (?????? ???? ?? ???????)

• Healthy food that partially nourishes the Manomaya–kosha (Mental sheath) and the Pranamaya-kosha (Vital energy sheath) is called ‘Ahar’.
• That hunger-satisfying food which is created, sustained and dissolved after observing proper conduct, for observing good conduct and is created as per prescribed conduct is termed ‘Ahar’.

Healthy lifestyle (?????? ????????)

A healthy lifestyle includes getting exercise every day along with eating a healthy diet. A healthy lifestyle may lower disease risks, such as:

• Obesity
• Heart disease
• Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Hypertension
• Cancer

A healthy diet consumed throughout the life-course helps in preventing malnutrition in all its forms as well as a wide range of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and conditions.

Healthy dietary practices begin early in life. Recent evidence indicates that undernutrition in utero may set the pace for diet-related chronic diseases in later life. Breastfeeding promotes healthy growth and improves cognitive development, and may have longer-term health benefits, like reducing the risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing NCDs later in life.

Since a healthy diet consists of different kinds of foods, the emphasis has been shifted from nutrient orientation to the food-based approach. Foods can be categorized according to the function as:

• Energy-rich foods (Carbohydrates and fats): Whole grain cereals, Millets, Vegetable oils, Ghee, Nuts, Oilseeds, and Sugars
• Bodybuilding foods (Proteins): Pulses, Nuts, Oilseeds, Milk, Milk Products, Meat, Fish, and Poultry
• Protective foods (Vitamins and minerals): Green leafy vegetables, Other vegetables, Fruits, Eggs, Milk, Milk Products, and Fresh foods

A healthy diet during different stages of life (???? ?? ??????? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ????)

Nutrition is important for everyone. However, the requirement is different for every individual may it be an infant, growing child, pregnant/lactating women, and elderly people.

A healthy diet for an Infant (???? ?? ??? ?????? ????)

If you have an infant or kid at your place, make sure that they get enough nutrition in their growing years of age. Babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. Breastfeeding should be started within an hour after delivery and do not discard first milk, as it boosts the immunity of the baby and protects the baby from several infections.

After six months, you can feed your baby with complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed. Complimentary food should be rich in nutrients. These complementary foods can be prepared at home from commonly used food materials such as:

• Cereals (Wheat, Rice, Jowar, Bajra, etc)
• Pulses (Grams/Dals)
• Nuts and oilseeds (Groundnut, Sesame, etc)
• Oils (Groundnut oil, Sesame oil, etc)
• Sugar and Jaggery

You can feed your baby to a variety of soft foods like potatoes, porridge, cereals, or even eggs. According to WHO:

• Infants should be breastfed exclusively during the first 6 months of life
• Infants should be breastfed continuously until 2 years of age and beyond
• From 6 months of age, breast milk should be complemented with a variety of adequate, safe and nutrient-dense complementary foods

Infants cannot eat large quantities of food at a single time so they should be fed small quantities at frequent intervals (3-4 times a day). Also, the food should be of semi-solid consistency so that the infants can swallow it easily.  A balanced diet is key to protect your child against nutritional deficiencies.

Malnutrition is defined as”a state of poor nutrition caused by insufficient or unbalanced diet”.

Important points to remember:

• Start breastfeeding within an hour after delivery and do not discard colostrum
• Breastfeed exclusively (not even water) for six months
• Continue breastfeeding in addition to nutrient-rich complementary foods preferably up to 2 years
• Breast-milk alone is not enough for infants after 6 months of age
• Feed low-cost home-made caloric and nutrient-rich complementary foods
• Observe hygienic practices while preparing and feeding the complimentary food for infants
• Read the nutrition label on baby foods carefully as children are most prone to infections
• Avoid junk foods

A healthy diet for a Growing Child (????? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ????)

It is very essential that children get a good dose of energy, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Hence, it is very important to follow hygienic practices while preparing and feeding the complimentary food to the child; otherwise, it might lead to diarrhea.

A well-formulated balanced diet is necessary for children and adolescents to achieve optimum growth and boost their immunity. Balanced Diet, playing outdoors, physical activities of the child are essential for optimum body composition and to reduce the risk of diet-related chronic conditions later in life and to prevent any sort of vitamin deficiency.  Adolescence has various other factors attached to it:

• A rapid increase in height and weight gain
• Hormonal changes
• Body changes – Puberty
• Delayed body changes – Precocious puberty
• Mood swings

Development of bone mass is going on during this period so the inclusion of dairy products (milk, cheese, yoghurt) and vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and celery which are rich in calcium is a must.

A child needs vitamins for the body to function properly and to boost the immune system. Vitamin A is essential for vision and a deficiency of the same can lead to night blindness (difficulty in seeing in the night).

Dark green leafy vegetables, yellow, orange-colored vegetables and fruits (such as carrots, papaya, mangoes) are good sources of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D helps in bone growth and development and it is essential for the absorption of calcium. Children get most of their Vitamin D from sunlight and a small amount from some food items like (fish oils, fatty fish, mushrooms, cheese, and egg yolks).

Teenage girls experience more physiological changes and psychological stress than boys because of the onset of menarche (onset of menstruation). Therefore, teenage girls should eat a diet which is rich in both vitamins as well as minerals to prevent anemia.

Nowadays, children are more inclined towards junk food but it is very important to motivate your kids in teenage to eat nutrition-rich foods. Many children have poor eating habits, which can lead to various long-term health complications, such as:

• Obesity
• Heart disease
• Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
• Osteoporosis
• Hypertension
• Stomach problems

As a parent, keep making frequent changes in their menu to avoid boredom of eating the same food every day.  Adolescence is the most vulnerable stage for developing bad food habits as well as bad habits like:

• Smoking
• Chewing tobacco, eating gutka, etc
• Drinking alcohol
• Eating junk food
• Drinking soft drink

In addition to consumption of a nutritious well-balanced diet, appropriate lifestyle practices and involvement in outdoor activities such as games/sports should be encouraged among children as well as adolescents.

Points to Remember:

• Take extra care in feeding infants and include soft cooked vegetables and seasonal fruits
• Encourage your child for outdoor activities and promote appropriate lifestyle practices like washing your hands before meals, brushing your teeth twice a day, hygiene practices to name a few
• Avoid overeating during a single meal. Eat at frequent intervals
• Exposure to sunlight helps maintains vitamin D which helps in calcium absorption
• Never starve the child. Feed energy-rich cereals-pulse diet with milk and mashed vegetables
• Give plenty of fluids during illness. A child needs to eat more during and after episodes of infections to maintain proper nutritional status
• Use Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) along with zinc tablet to prevent and control dehydration during diarrhea episodes
• Drink 2-2.5 liters of water to hydrate the body. It is preferred to have water/buttermilk/lassi/fruit juices/coconut water instead of soft drinks and other packaged drinks

A healthy diet for a pregnant mother (??????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ????)

Motherhood is a testing phase in every woman’s life may it be physiologically, mentally as well as nutritionally. If you are pregnant or someone in your family is expecting a baby, make sure that they eat well. Additional food and extra attention are required during pregnancy as well as lactation.

Important points to remember:

• Eat more food during pregnancy both in quality and quantity
• Consume more whole grains, sprouted grams, and fermented foods
• Do not consume alcohol and tobacco. It is harmful to the health of the mother as well as the child
• Take medicines only when prescribed by the doctor
• Take iron, folate and calcium supplements regularly as prescribed by the doctor
• Green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, and liver are good sources of folic acid

A healthy diet for an Adult (????? ?? ??? ?????? ????)

As an adult male and female, you must take care of your diet. Adults generally complain of a time crunch and with a sedentary lifestyle, it becomes even more difficult to follow a strict diet. Adults should use salt in moderation as a high intake of salt might lead to high blood pressure.

One should avoid preserved foods such as pickles/papads and also canned foods as it contributes to a higher intake of salt. An adult female should take a diet which is rich in calcium (Milk & dairy products) as well as iron (green leafy vegetables-spinach, broccoli, etc.) Limit the use of saturated fats and trans fats such as ghee, butter, cheese, vanaspati ghee and add more fibrous food in the diet in the form of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

According to WHO, a healthy diet for adults contains:

• Fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice)
• At least 400 grams (5 portions) of fruits and vegetables a day. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, and other starchy roots are not classified as fruits or vegetables
• Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats (e.g. found in fish, avocado, nuts, sunflower, canola, and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (e.g. found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee, and lard). Industrial trans fats (found in processed food, fast food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, margarine, and spreads) are not a part of a healthy diet
• Less than 5 g of salt (equivalent to approximately 1 teaspoon) per day and use iodized salt

A healthy diet for elderly people (??????? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ????)

Individuals of 60 years and above constitute the elderly. Senior citizens need more vitamins and minerals to be healthy and active.

Important points to remember:

• Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods
• Match food intake with physical activity
• Avoid fried, salty and spicy foods
• Consume adequate water to avoid dehydration
• Exercise regularly or go for a walk
• Avoid smoking, chewing of tobacco and tobacco products (Gutka, Khaini, Zarda, Paan masala) and consumption of alcohol
• Go for regular checkups i.e. blood sugar, lipids, and blood pressure
• Avoid self-medication
• Adopt stress management techniques (Yoga and Meditation)

Role of different kinds of food (??????? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ??????)

• Vegetables and fruits in the diet
• Different kinds of Fats/oils
• Salt intake
• Whole grains
• Water and beverages
• Processed and ready to eat food
• Instant foods, fast foods, street foods, unhealthy foods

Vegetables and fruits (???????? ?? ??)

Vegetables and fruits are rich sources of micronutrients (iron, calcium, vitamin C, folic acid, carotenoids, and phytochemicals) and macronutrients (complex carbohydrates/fiber).

Some vegetables and fruits provide very low calories, while some others provide good calories as these are rich in starch e.g. potato, sweet potato, fruits as a banana. At least 400 grams (5 portions), of fruits and vegetables per day, should be consumed in the diet by an individual.

Fruits and vegetable consumptions can be improved by:

• Always include vegetables and fruits in the diet
• Eat fresh, locally available, seasonal vegetables and fruits
• A variety of choices of fruits and vegetables be included in a diet
• Raw vegetables may be eaten as snacks

Different kinds of Fats/oils (??????? ?????? ?? ??? / ???)

Fats/oils are a concentrated source of energy. Dietary sources of fats are classified as:

• Animal fat: Major sources of animal fats are ghee, butter, milk, cheese, eggs and fat of meat and fish. They contain cholesterol and a high amount of saturated fatty acids and trans-fatty acids
• Vegetable fat: Seeds of some plants are sources of vegetable oils as groundnut, mustard, sesame, coconut, canola, olive, and soya bean

Edible plant foods have a low content of fat and saturated fatty acids but they are a good source of mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).

Visible and invisible fats (???????? ?? ?????? ???)

Visible fats are those that are separated from their natural sources such as ghee/butter from milk, cooking oils from oil-bearing seeds and nuts. It is easy to monitor their intake.

Invisible fats are those, which are present in almost every article of foods such as cereals, pulses, nuts, milk, and eggs and are difficult to estimate.

Excessive fats in the diet increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The risk of developing these diseases can be lowered by reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake, and trans fats to less than 1% of total energy intake, and replacing both with unsaturated fats (MUFAs + PUFAs).

Vanaspati ghee: When vegetable oils are hydrogenated, it converts them into a semisolid or solid form which is called as vanaspati or vegetable ghee. During the process of hydrogenation unsaturated fatty acids are converted into saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids.

As saturated fats and trans fats are risk factors for the development of non-communicable diseases (coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, obesity), use of vanaspati ghee should be limited in the adult population. 

Fat consumption can be reduced by:

• Changing by using vegetable oil; removing the fatty part of meat; and boil, steam or bake rather than fry
• Avoiding processed foods containing trans fats eg. preparation prepared from  vanaspati ghee
• Limiting the consumption of foods containing high amounts of saturated fats e.g., cheese, ice cream, fatty meat, palm and coconut oil, ghee, lard
• Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats e.g. found in fish, avocado, nuts, sunflower, canola, and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats e.g. found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee, and lard

Salt intake (??? ?? ????)

Salt is an important ingredient of the diet. Most people do not know the amount of salt they consume. High salt consumption and insufficient potassium intake (less than 3.5 g) contribute to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of less than 5g of salt per day.

Salt consumption can be reduced by:

• Limiting the addition of salt during cooking
• Not having salt on the table
• Do not add additional salt to the already prepared dish
• Limiting the consumption of salty snacks, processed foods like papads, pickles, sauces, ketchup, salted biscuits, chips, cheese, and salted fish
• Increasing potassium intake by consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables as potassium decreases the negative effects of sodium
• Choosing products with lower salt content

Sugar intake (???? ?? ????)

Free sugars increase the risk of dental caries and can lead to overweight and obesity. The intake of free sugars should be less than 10% of total energy intake.

Sugar consumption can be reduced by:

• Limiting the consumption of foods and drinks containing high amounts of sugars e.g. sugar-sweetened beverages, sugary snacks, and candies; and
• Eating fresh fruits and raw vegetables as snacks instead of sugary snacks.

Whole grains (????? ????)

A whole grain contains all edible parts of the grain, including the bran, germ, and endosperm.  A diet rich in whole grains like whole-wheat, brown rice, oats, unprocessed maize, millets has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer. Whole-grain diets also improve bowel health by helping to maintain regular bowel movement and promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon.

Water and beverages (???? ?? ??? ??????)

Water accounts for about 70% of human body weight, which is lost from the body through sweat, urine, and feces. Enough of safe water should be drunk to meet daily fluid requirements.

Milk is a wholesome food and beverage for all age groups. Its proteins are valuable supplements to most vegetarian diets. It is a rich source of calcium (poor source of iron) which helps in the building up of strong bones. Thus milk is a good source of proteins, fats, sugars, vitamins (except vitamin C), and minerals. Milk fats are saturated fats hence those who have to take a low-fat diet can consume skimmed/toned milk.

Toned Milk is a blending of natural milk and made-up milk. It contains one part of water, one part of natural milk and 1/8 part of skim milk powder. Since milk fat is of the saturated type, those who have to be on a low-fat diet can consume skimmed/toned milk.

Natural soft drinks (natural fruit juices), which provide in addition to energy, some vitamins (beta carotenes, vitamin C) and minerals (potassium, calcium). As natural fruit juices are rich in potassium, they are ideal beverages for persons suffering from hypertension.

Artificial or synthetic soft drinks are prepared by using preservatives, artificial colors, and flavors. Soft drinks are usually carbonated, which contain phosphoric acid which may affect the enamel of teeth. 

Beverages like buttermilk, lassi, fruit juices and coconut water are better options for beverages than synthetic drinks.

Tea and coffee: Consumption of tea and coffee is advised in moderation. Tannin present in tea and coffee interferes with iron absorption hence they should be avoided one hour before and after meals. Teas particularly green and black are good sources of flavonoids.

Sports Beverages: Regular sports drinks contain energy-yielding carbohydrates plus electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, and chloride for providing energy and maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance.

Energy Drinks: Energy drinks provide carbohydrates and caffeine (70 to 85 mg of caffeine per eight-ounce serving) and some drinks contain B complex vitamins, amino acids and herbal extracts such as Gingko.

Alcohol: Excessive alcohol intake weakens the heart muscle and also damages the liver, brain, and peripheral nerves. It also increases serum triglycerides. Avoid alcohol and those who choose to drink should limit its use.

Processed foods (?????????? ????? ??????)

The foods that are subjected to technological modifications are called processed foods. 

Instant foods, fast foods, street foods, unhealthy foods (Junk foods) [????????? ???, ?????? ????? ??????, ????? ???, ??????? ?????, ???????????? ????? ?????? (??? ???)]

Instant foods: Foods that undergo special processing for ready to be served once dissolved or dispersed in a liquid with low cooking time such as noodles, corn flakes, soup powder.

Fast foods: These are calories rich foods e.g. burgers, pizzas, fries, hamburgers, patties, nuggets, Indian foods like pakora, samosa, Namkeen, etc. 

Street foods: Ready to eat foods and beverages prepared and, sold by hawkers or vendors in streets or other public places, such as Chaat, Gol Gappa, Samosa, Tikki, Noodles, Chowmein, Burgers, etc. Food hygiene is an important issue in street foods.

Unhealthy foods or Junk foods: These are energy-dense foods with high sugar/fat content and low nutrient value in terms of protein, fiber, vitamin and mineral, such as Salt Chips, Chocolate, Ice-cream, Soft drinks, Burgers, Pizzas, etc.

The religious importance of Healthy diet (?????? ???? ?? ??????? ?????)

Reference:

• https://www.nhp.gov.in/healthlyliving/healthy-diet
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_diet
• https://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/hindu-lifestyle/hindu-diet/importance-of-diet