Guidelines for planning healthy diet and disease free life:

I want to maintain a healthy diet, please give me suggestions for the same.

If you are under weight or overweight, then you can decrease or increase the food intake respectively and achieve the ideal body weight.



But sometimes it is very difficult for us to maintain the ideal body weight. Correct food habits and exercise can help in achieving the ideal body weight. Thus it is essential to maintain an energy balance in our body where the intake is equal to the energy expenditure.

A healthy diet is essential for optimal health and for leading a disease free life. Apart from diet, exercise, avoidance of stress, avoidance of smoking and alcohol is also essential to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Before planning for a healthy diet there are various guidelines that need to be
considered:

1. Plan the meal according to your age, sex, height, weight and physical activity.
2. Set realistic goals. Do not plan for foods that are unavailable or difficult to get.
   
   
   
   Plan your diet with seasonal foods and easily available foods.
3. Planning a healthy meal doesn’t mean that you need to change the dietary pattern totally. This can be difficult for you to follow.
4. Select foods that you like and plan the diet by a slight modification in your everyday meal.
5. Having a healthy diet doesn’t mean that you need to restrict fats and oils or spices and seasonings totally.
6. Regular exercise should be done along with dietary modification so that your health is maintained effectively.

Certain tips that need to be followed to lead a healthy lifestyle are:

1. Reduce the intake of saturated fats and Trans fats as these can increase the cholesterol levels. Hence cut down on whole milk, fish, poultry and meat that are rich in saturated fats. Reduce the intake of hydrogenated fats. Prefer more of vegetable oils that are rich in unsaturated fats.
2. Carbohydrates need to be consumed as a source of inexpensive supply of calories. Prefer complex carbohydrates like whole grain cereals, whole pulses, vegetables with skin that can provide bulk to the diet. Restrict the intake of simple carbohydrates like sugary foods, sugary cola drinks, pastries or sweets.
3. Avoid animal proteins like red meat or egg yolk. Go in for white meats like lean cuts of chicken, fish. Prefer plant protein like pulses and legumes that are rich in fiber and improve the quality of the diet.
4. Intake of fruits and vegetables every day is a must.
   
   
   
   These can provide phytochemicals that can help in preventing certain physical disorders.
5. Drink water in large quantities. Have 8 to 10 glasses of water everyday.
6. Increase the frequency of the meals with a gap of 2 hours between the two meals. Have your meals regularly and do not skip a meal.