''BALANCED DIET FOR EVERYBODY''. Review on Choosing Health food

IDEAL DIET

Food is essential for life. Our body needs a particular% of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, which ideally should be approximately 65% carbohydrate, 20-25% protein, and 10-15% fat. This is balanced diet.

One aspect to leading a healthy life is eating at regular intervals, but most people allow their eating habits to control their lives and this leads to obesity & its various consequences namely ill health. Due to busy plus hectic life styles most of the people tend to skip meals thus they assume that they are eating less, but on the contrary skipping meals ensures overeating at the next two meals. So it is very essential to have three meals a day i.e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

BREAKFAST: - Our breakfast is the meal, which breaks our fast from dinner to the next morning. So it should provide us with sufficient energy, which should sustain us for the entire day. So one should not miss the breakfast. Breakfast could comprise of whole wheat bread(1-2 slices)/ bowl of fruits/ 3 to 4 whole-wheat biscuits/ 1 bowl of dalia porridge.

LUNCH: - Lunch could be 2 whole grain chapattis(whole wheat, bran, millet)/ 1 katori of brown rice with 1 bowl of dal+ 1 katori of green leafy vegetables+ plenty of salads+ 1 bowl of curds(skimmed milk) or as an option one can have 2 whole wheat sandwiches with vegetable filling or 2 to 3 idlis with sambhar.

DINNER: - Dinner should be light and early. One can always start with a bowl of thin soup. Dinner could be same as lunch or if possible a bit light with just one chapatti or ½ to 1 katori of rice+ plenty of vegetables+ salads. Instead of dal one can also opt for a nonveg item(1 to 2 pieces of chicken/ fish) or paneer(3 to 4 pieces).

Reaching out for junk or easily available foods is both common and convenient, but we fail to realize that most of these products are nutritionally unbalanced for e.g. most of the available biscuits are actually made of maida and simple sugar, which provide nothing but empty calories. For an in between snack one can always have whole-wheat biscuits/ digestive/ cream crackers, which are much more healthier. Fruits, raw salads, puffed rice or even a bowl of plain popcorn provides an excellent and nutritious snack. More stress should be paid tofruits, raw salads, and vegetables as these provide fibers as well as natural vitamins and minerals. A shift to whole grain cereals like bran, millet, unpolished or brown rice, pulses provide a feeling of satiety, which automatically enables us to cut down our food intake.

Our body is made up of a high percentage of water so this water needs to be replenished to make up for water losses. One should have at least 10-15 glasses of water per day. As this would help to flush out all the impurities and keep our system in good working condition. If we can replace the aerated soft drinks as well as excess tea+ coffee mugs with either fresh lime juice or soda or fruit juice(unsweetened) or coconut water or even a plane glass of water, we could be opting for a more healthy life style.

Using skimmed milk and its products instead of whole milk and also substituting lean meats like chicken or fish for red meats ensures a lowering of our total fat intake.

Our lifestyles and taste can prevent us from eating the right kind of food at right intervals but with a little effort and a few changes in our eating preferences, a healthy living is not an unreachable goal.

TIPS FOR A MEAL INTERVIEW

.Avoid food eating with your hands for e.g. sandwiches, burger, or parathas.

.Avoid messy foods such as spaghetti, noodles, or ribs.

·Do not eat crunchy food during an interview such as potato chips, papads, or celery.

·Avoid eating food containing garlic or onions having strong odors, which can give you a fowl breath.

·Avoid alcohol as that can disturb your attention and sharpness. *                                                                                Dr. Shafique Pathan