Healthy
Food Habits to Live By
“Eating
is not merely a material pleasure. Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life
and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship. It is of great
importance to the morale.”
~ Elsa Schiaparelli ~
If you think, it is about time you stopped
eating at random ungodly hours, and if you are not too sure, whether what you
are eating is good for your body or not, you are in the right place. Did you
know that your food habits could actually affect your mood and sense of
wellbeing? We will break down for you, what constitutes a healthy meal, that
will you keep your taste buds satiated as well as your body fit and healthy.
Many of us are usually in a hurry in the
morning, so eating a complete breakfast is what we take lightly. However,
studies show that individuals who eat a substantial breakfast lose more weight
than those who have a small breakfast. Eggs or baked beans on wholegrain bread
or muesli with fruit and yoghurt constitutes an ideal breakfast.
Granted that fried food is always yummier
than all else, but including maybe three cups of vegetables and 2 fruits along
with your favourite food will do your body a lot of good.
Drinking water or having a small bowl of
soup before meals may keep you from overeating at your meal.
Snack between meals to curb your appetite
and provide a little energy. Try a piece of fruit or a few crackers with peanut
butter.
If you love meat, choose low-fat dairy products,
lean white meats or wild fish.
Have green tea after meals - Green tea is
high in antioxidants and can help increase your metabolic rate, which is a good
thing for your body.
Protein rich foods like fish, soy
beverages, dried fruits, nuts, fresh fruits, berries, whole grain bread,
cereals, and low-fat dairy products which are healthy to eat and make you stay
healthy.
What
constitutes a monsoon diet?
“A
monsoon diet mainly involves eating safe.”
Tips to stay fit and healthy this monsoon –
Whenever Monsoon arrives, it appears with a bang, bringing with it, its share
of sore throats, cold, viral fever and infections and in severe cases, dengue
and malaria (God forbid!) to its citizens. However, eating right, and being
aware of what is beneficial or not could save us many a hospital visits.
Litchi, for example is a fruit that is rich
in vitamin C that helps build up resistance in the body and strengthens the
immune system. Plums and peaches are other fruit varieties that help in
improving the immune system. Not far behind in the list of useful fruits that
can be eaten during the rains are cherries. Cherries contain antioxidants that
give a soothing effect to the brain and helps in fighting infections.
In the case of meals, hot soups made with
nutrition packed mixed vegetables will help you to not just to stay healthy and
hydrated but will also help prevent that cold or sore throat from bothering
you. Herbal tea is another warm drink that one can have now and then as it is
good for digestion and prevents influenza. Dry foods should be a preferred diet
plan as that could save you a lot of trouble as opposed to having watery or
semi-solid food thereby keeping away from bacterial infection.
The health
benefits of honey
Did you know that it takes several bees to convert
nectar that is collected by foragers to make honey? The process is long and
tedious and could take 36 days to complete. The nectar should receive the right
amount of moisture and exposure to air for it to pass off as genuine honey.
With all the hard work that is involved in generating honey, one can hardly
disagree that the resulting benefits of it is enormous.
Honey is composed of sugars; fructose,
glucose, sucrose and maltose and minerals, potassium, Sulphur, calcium,
chlorine, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, manganese and silicon. It also
contains vitamins. Imagine the plethora of benefits and nutrition that is
derived from a single source of foodstuff!
Honey is known to cure and diffuse
heartburn, hay fever, diarrhoea and many other stomach diseases. The ancient
Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese, Assyrians and Romans used it as a form of healing
and as food as well. It is a natural
antiseptic which prevents infection and is an antibacterial and anti-fungal agent.
Its properties make it superior than most of the antibiotics prescribed today.
The antiseptic and antibacterial properties
in honey are a natural medicine for burns, cuts, wounds and skin ulcers as it
speeds up the healing process.
Starting your day with a warm glass of
water mixed with honey can bring you a lot of good, whether it is for weight
loss, a healthy digestive system or giving your immune system a boost. You
could also keep away from all those annoying allergies or soothe that sore
throat with this simple remedy.
All in all, honey could be considered as a sort
of a universal cure for probably hundreds of health issues or to keep one fit
and healthy. It has an exhaustive list of health benefits that one cannot write
off in one g