Healthy Vs Unhealthy Diet: Here’s what you should know to have a great health

Who says a diet plan needs to be fun-less and taste-less?! A healthy and a well-rounded diet is ideally the one that maintains your energy levels throughout the day, improves overall health and ensures an alert mind. The post here tries to put all the conceptions (or misconceptions) about a diet to a test and provide the readers with factual information about what makes a nutritious diet.

Here you go:

Firstly, let's rule out the idea that a diet SHOULD make you lean. Your focus should be on a healthy and fit body, not some unrealistic statistics to have a thin and lean body. Staying away from foods you love only creates stress and it is most likely that you will quit the diet plan within a couple of days!

Instead, you should look for a holistic diet plan that compliments your body type, lifestyle and taste. Of course, it is simple to achieve. Click here to know how from a leading dietitian in Mumbai.

The food you eat affects both the body and the mind. Hence, it is important that your everyday diet is nutrient-rich.

A good portion of proteins, carbohydrates, calcium, fats, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals comprise a nutritious diet. Well, it need not be boring, as perceived by the wider audience.

Excess consumptions of sugars, salts, processed food, saturated and trans fats are absolute spoilers of an otherwise healthy diet. Unhealthy foods packed with these things lead to obesity, mental health issues, cardiac issues, lethargy, fatigue, lack of concentration etc.

Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is the one that is packed with fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and monounsaturated fats. Home-cooked food, that is low on sugars and salts; is the best choice, agree all the nutritionists and medical practitioners across the world.

A healthy diet is all about choices. You need to be self-motivated to put together a holistic, realistic dietary plan and follow it religiously. Even a speck of dissatisfaction about your choice makes it hard for you to stick to the plan. Go easy and step-by-step with your food choices and before you realise you will be celebrating your healthy diet plan and a NEW YOU.

Benefits of a Healthy Diet Plan

• Improves stamina and self-healing mechanism of the body
• Improves skin and hair health
• Aids in maintaining oral health. Keeps teeth and the gums strong.
• Lowers the risk of heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, and a certain type of cancers.
• Improves mental health and fosters a sense of overall wellbeing.

What a Healthy diet plan largely include?

Pulses, green leafy vegetables, fruits, beans, whole-grains, low-calorie dairy products, lettuce, broccoli, nuts, mushrooms, fish, eggs etc. Learn more here.

Unhealthy Diet

Naturally, an unhealthy diet is filled with high amounts of sugars, sodium, calories, undesirable fats and chemical additives, and are devoid of any nutritional value.

How does an unhealthy diet affect your body?

• Prone to type 2 diabetes due to increase in insulin levels owing to the high intakes of refined carbohydrates.
• Excess salt intake results in water retention in the body increase blood pressure, and risk of heart-related disorders.
• Prolonged unhealthy food habits lead to higher cholesterol levels and thereby higher chances of heart diseases and obesity.
• The large amounts of refined carbohydrate intake contribute to acne prone skin.
• Processed foods bring the onset of depression, mood swings, tiredness, and headaches.

Fast foods, processed meat, pastries, carbonated drinks, deep-fried foods are few of the unhealthy foods to mention.

To sum up, you need not go overboard with your diet plan immediately. Take time to accept and internalise the need to go on a healthy diet and stick to it for lasting health benefits. The diet should take into consideration your daily need for calories, weight, health issues ( if any), and lifestyle.

Go in for a tasty, colourful, interesting and inviting meal every day with right choices of food.