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Tips for Healthy Eating
Don't skip meals specially breakfast.
Believe it, eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the best way to maintain both energy levels and a healthy weight along with good growth. But amongst these meals the most important is the breakfast which ideally is meant to break the overnight fast body has been observing and is therefore a great way of giving a boost to the metabolism.
Plan meals and snacks ahead of time.
Eating away from home? Don't leave yourself stranded — take foods with you or know where you can go to buy something healthy and satisfying. Always pick up foods that are roasted, baked and grilled and with lesser preservatives.
Learn about simple, healthy ways to prepare foods.
Try grilling, stir-frying, microwaving, baking, and boiling as healthy ways to cook foods instead of deep frying. Try fresh or dried herbs (basil, oregano, parsley) and spices (lemon pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon) to flavour your food instead of adding less healthy toppings such as butter, margarine.
Stay away from white poisons — sugar and salt.
Sugary drinks are a big source of empty energy. This means that they contain a lot of energy (in the form of calories) that your body may not need and they don't have vitamins, minerals, protein, or even fibre. Lots of sugar is also found in desserts such as cakes, cookies, and candies. It's okay to enjoy these foods once in a while as long as they don't replace healthier foods.
Salt too is a hidden culprit present in most packed foods and is one of the reasons for problems like bloatedness, high blood pressure. Look for foods that are low in salt or remember to drink enough water after eating foods that are high in salt to help the body get rid of some of the associated problems.
Be mindful when eating
Slow down when you eat. Try to relax and pace yourself so that your meals last at least 20 minutes, since it takes 20 minutes for you to feel full. Try fibre rich foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits to increase your feeling of comfortable fullness.
Avoid “diet thinking”.
You do not need to buy low carbohydrate, fat-free, or diet foods. These foods are not necessarily lower in calories — they usually have lots of other added ingredients to replace the carbohydrates or fats.
Believe it! Your health and happiness can be hurt by drastic weight-loss plans. If you have not yet reached your adult height, too much weight loss could interfere with your growth. For younger teens who are overweight but still growing, it may be important to keep your weight steady as you continue to grow, instead of focusing on weight loss.
(The writers are Consultants at Nutri-health Systems promoted by Dr Shikha Sharma)