Many precious thing in life like good health, air, water and food are mostly taken for granted. It is only when we are deprived of them we realize how important they are and the serious setbacks such deprivation can cause. To most of us, food is just a means of sustaining life, keeping the hunger away or often, a supreme pleasure. Food is all this and much more.

As all of us know, all living things need food to sustain life and supply energy for the functioning of the body. While animals seem to have a better instinct about what to eat, when and how much to eat, human beings often go wrong with these basics. The old saying that you are what you eat is the simplest statement of various roles food plays in our life. Every cell in the body is made and replaced by constituents derived from the food you eat. Health, happiness, good looks and even mood swings have far more to do with food than we realize. So it makes sense to understand and care about food. The food you consume should include all the nutrients your body needs to keep it healthy. For this you need to understand what different roles various foods play and use them to your advantage and make them meet your specific needs. There are many foods which not only supply all the nutrients but also protect the body from many ailments and help in curing some disease. Also, you must identify the foods which cause obesity and other health problems and keep away from them.

Healthy eating is a way of life. Fad diets may help you to loose weight rapidly or temporarily. But these diets may be lacking in many nutrients and the fat lost through them is often gained back soon after the end of the program. To remain healthy, you need to eat the right foods always. It is a life time program. So you must follow a eating pattern that is sustainable. You must be able to enjoy what you eat and feel satisfied.

To achieve this goal, it is important that you develop a healthy taste. That is, learn to enjoy the taste of healthy food. Often, what we find tasty is what we have learned to like. That is the reason why we may not be able to eat some foods which are widely enjoyed in another country. Unfortunately, in almost all countries there are many popular foods, which are not really good for health. Though there is a growing awareness about the ill effects of fast foods and excessive consumption of sugar, salt and fats, people are still not able to avoid them because they have developed a strong liking and craving for such foods. But this liking or craving has developed over a period of time and can be overcome gradually. When you try to cut down on sugar or fat, initially you may find it very difficult. But if you try hard enough, soon you will cease to miss it and later will not even relish it. As a parent you can help your child develop a taste for healthy food by avoiding sugary and fatty snacks in his/her diet.

Home cooking plays an important role in healthy eating. Most of the food you eat at restaurants, fast food joints or pick off the supermarket shelves may not be the best for your health. Simple and wholesome food cooked at home and eaten at regular times can be the answer to a better quality of life. So do spare a moment to appreciate the well cooked nutritious food served at home. There are many articles, books and television shows which give vital information about healthy food. You can get all the information you need from these sources. When in doubt, consult an expert.

Some helpful guide lines:

1. Avoid saturated fats.(Butter, full fat cheese, full cream milk, cream etc.)
2. Do not use hydrogenated fats like margarine and vanaspathi which are high in trans fat now believed to be one of the major causes of heart attacks.
3. Use polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat in small quantities.(peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil, soya bean oil etc)
4. Include skimmed milk, curds and paneer made from skimmed milk in a small amount instead of low fat cheese in your diet.
5. Eggs are very nutritious and rich in complete proteins. But yolks are high in saturated fat. So use more whites and less number of yolks.
6. Include oats, soya products and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
7. Avoid aerated soft drinks and sweetened fruit juices. Drink unsweetened fruit juices, tender coconut water and lassi instead.
8. Avoid or limit the sugar intake.
9. Include moderate amounts of complex carbohydrates like red rice, wheat, dals and whole grains in your diet.
10. Avoid or limit consumption of red meat and include fish and white meat ( chicken breast )
11. Avoid refined carbohydrates (white short grained rice, maida) which have high GI

CHANDRI BHAT