Stay Fit, Feel Young.

The importance of eating well cannot be stressed enough. The short term benefits of eating a healthy diet is that it helps us feel good, look good and of course stay a healthy weight. As far as long term benefits are concerned, a healthy diet reduces the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis and even some types of cancer.

The key to eating healthy is to balance it right so that our body gets the nutrition it requires to function effectively. This balance in our meals can be obtained by eating a wide variety of food in the correct proportion across various food groups. The core of a balanced diet are food that are high in vitamin, minerals and other nutrients while being low on unnecessary fat and sugar. It is important that we get the majority of our daily calories from fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.

Let’s have a look at the various food groups that are essential to a balanced diet.

Fruits:

Always pick fruits which are in season and available locally, because the freshest fruits provide the most nutrients.

Next time you want a quick snack pick a delicious fruit!

Vegetables:

The essential vitamins and minerals in our meals are supplied by vegetables. Green leafy vegetables (like spinach or lettuce) or what we call ‘saag’ are excellent source of nutrients and can be eaten with every meal.

A green smoothie (a healthy blend of raw leafy greens, fruits and water) is just right for the Indian summers.

Grains:

Whole grains provides us with much more nutrition than the white flour we generally consume. It is the hull of the grains which contains the most nutrients which is unfortunately removed while refining white floor.

Switch to whole wheat bread and pastas for a healthier food option.

Protein:

Meat and beans are excellent source of proteins which is essential for our brain and muscle development. It is important that we include mainly lean low fat protein like chicken and fish as they contain low amount of fats and cholesterol.

Beans, peas, lentils, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seed, soya products are also excellent source of proteins which are also healthy alternate to meat.

Dairy:

Dairy product provides calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients. Make sure you opt for the reduced fat or fat free options available in the market today.

Oils:

Oil should be sparingly used in our diet. We can either opt for a low fat version of oil such as salad dressings and mayonnaise or replace our regular oil with olive oil. Fried food should be avoided as much as possible.

Honey:

Honey is a healthier substitute for sugar. It has lesser calories than sugar and contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The natural carbohydrates in honey is easily digested by the body and also contributes to a healthy glowing skin.

To read more about the benefits of a Honey Diet log in to http://www.daburhoney.com/

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#HoneyDietIsHere

This is my entry for a campaign by Dabur Honey and the Honey Diet.

UPDATE: This entry was awarded a Flipkart voucher worth 1000 INR