Let me ask you a simple question, WHAT DO YOU EAT EVERYDAY???
I am sure all of you would answer: Rice, Rice based products, Chapati, vegetables, bread, fruits, milk, milk products, meat products................. I dont think anyone here eats anything apart from this....................
Now just have a look at this list again and observe that all we eat is very high in carbohydrates and low in protein !!! This makes our diet unbalanced Unbalanced diet is a root cause of all the health problems we face throughout our lives.
Balanced Diet
My dietician always tells me from her chart displayed on the wall::
Balanced diet is the diet which has 60% Carbohydrates, 30% Protein and 10% Fat. Any meal which has combination of these is known as a balanced diet food. Any other food is not a balanced diet.
The problem with traditional vegetarian diet is, it relies mostly on carbohydrates and less on protein and fat. Rice, grains like wheat, maize, jowar, etc. are all rich source of carbohydrates.
Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate
For those who dont know what do these mean to them::
Protein are building blocks of our body - just like a building is build of bricks - protein are bricks of our body.
Carbohydrates give us energy.
Fat is a shock absorber and aids in transportation of vitamins and minerals.
Someone told me that I eat lot of cereals and pulses which is high in protein, then how my diet is not healthy??? Yeah buddy, its coz cereals and pulses contain protein which is not of good quality. I remember my school teacher used to say, Protein is built up of amino acids. There are 22 no. of amino acids in existence of which only 8 are essential for our body. Any protein which contains all 8 is a complete protein or good quality protein. Only milk, chicken and soy protein is a complete protein as far as I know.
The Thumb Rule
Divide your plate in two parts - fill two-third with vegetables and fruits and one-third with good quality protein products and add a dash of fat!!! A thumb rule for balanced diet.
Eating Habits
Its very difficult to change food habits once developed since childhood, but if u have a look at some facts n figures: Japanese and Buddhist monks are statistically proven to be the longest/healthiest living people in the world and they rely mostly on soy and fish for their diet!!!
Good food habits:
# Eat 5 times a day - eat less at a time rather than eating more at a time.
# Piyo glass full dhoodh - A glass of milk a day keeps the doctor away:)
# Try to consume balanced diet as much as possible, in your breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and late night snack. Even the snacks should have a proper combination of protein, fats and carbohydrates.
# Get the list of fruits to be consumed from your dietician, all fruits are not healthy.
# Difficult and may sound revolutionary - but remove rice and bread from your kitchen - or you can use low density carbohydrate rice like red organic rice. I am staying in Chennai for last 4 years and do not eat rice at all.
# All protein and nothing else does not help - a reason why people who say are dieting, get fatter after they leave the high protein diet
# Try the balanced diet for 15 days and see the change in your energy levels, your concentration on work, you would feel less cravings for sugar (which is what you feel after consuming your normal lunch), feel less tired, your clothes would start fitting better and you wont feel hungry. Lots of soy stuff is available in the market, u could try some of them as inclusion in your diet.
Whoopie!!! I have written a lot on this topic, my dietician should love this and guys I am not a dietician, but you would become one once you start caring for your diet.