Diet Control

Food is the prime factor that promotes the welfare of our health.

The energy that we have to go about our daily activities is derived from the food we eat. When the food we eat is more or when it is too less, it can result in diseases. It is imperative for us to have a harmonious blend when it comes to our bodies, food, and sports and other physical activities.

These are the times when our food habits have been challenged: the fast food scenario has led to unhealthy food choices; playing a big role in turning us into sick patients. These bad habits are to be discarded and we should adopt a healthy diet and appropriate eating pattern.

Bad eating habits lead us onto lots of diseases. There are several reasons why this happens. People move about very less nowadays. Yet the amount they eat has not become less. Moreover the food we eat is not balanced.

Control of food intake is vital for diabetic care. What is commonly seen is that people have a casual attitude: a “let it be”, “we eat what we need; let it be” we’ll face it when it happens.

They even dismiss others who try to eat healthy. This is mainly because such people do not have no knowledge about food or the nutrients in it, nor do they have any idea of what a person can eat.

Remember it is important that we know

Diabetes and dietary pattern

The dietary pattern of the diabetics should be same as that of other members of the family .there is no need to separately cook their foods. Dietary pattern of the diabetic patient should be healthy and well balanced and that is suitable for other members also.

The meal pattern of the diabetic patient should be such that it controls diabetes and other lifestyle diseases

How important is a balanced diet?

Healthy Eating

If you follow a healthy eating pattern it is possible to prevent lifestyle diseases.

To have a healthy diet we need to give importance to 6 factors:

The time at which you eat

We should try to eat at the same time every day. When we do not follow this routine it affects our health adversely. Try to set aside a fixed time every day taking into consideration your daily routine and other household requirements and duties. Do stick to that routine. Do not skip breakfast. It is common even among children to neglect their breakfast. This has a chance of negatively affecting their studies and even their concentration!

The way we eat

The quantity we eat

It is possible to determine the amount of food we need when we consider our age, height, weight, type of work, and if we are regular in sports and any physical activity. We should eat according to that. The food that we love and find hard to give up should be consumed in small quantities.

If there is any food we love so much that we find it hard to give up, we should try to eat very small quantities of it

The way we cook

There are lots of changes in the way we cook when compared to earlier time. If we do not adopt the proper way to cook, there is not much use even if we choose the right food ingredients. The wrong cooking method will lead to the loss of nutrients in the food

Be sure of the following while cooking:

Is your diet nutritious?

When we choose our food it is important to think of whether it will give us proper nutrition. Often we fall sick due to the lack of proper nutrition that protects the body against illness.

Balanced diet

A balanced diet is a diet where there is a proper balance in the choice and use of food grains, meat, fat, vegetables, fibre, and water. A balanced and sound diet will help in maintaining our health and preventing diseases

If you suffer from diabetes you should never fast. It is not good for a diabetic to avoid eating, or to skip a meal

Calorie

This is a term that we often hear when we talk about food. What is a calorie?

A calorie is the measure of energy that the body gets from food. When one gram of food is digested the energy that is released is what we call calorie.

How much a person eats a day depends on how much of calories he requires. The amount of calories the individual needs depends on factors like age, weight, height, level of activity and exercise, and status of health. A diet catering to these factors is advised.

It is good if you approach your doctor or a dietician for a suitable diet to be prescribed. A total turnaround in your diet pattern is not what is suggested; rather a diet which considers existing eating habits and preferences; and designed in a manner where a few alterations can bring about healthy changes. What we need is a diet which gives us enough nutrients .

Grains

While having these remember not to remove the bran. Boiling rice repeatedly in water and throwing the water away is not good. Among rice, parboiled rice and wholegrain wheat (where the bran is not removed) are good. However wheat with all the bran removed and polished; i.e. maida, is of no value at all

Beans

All the different types of beans are good. When we eat we tend to remove the outer skin of lentils (kadala); this is not advisable as the skin contains lots of vitamins. When we sprout beans to eat them it enhances the protein content. Try to include a bean–food at least in one of your meals daily

Fish, Meat, Eggs

Do include fish in your daily diet. Fish contains omega fatty acid which helps to protect the heart. The following types of fish may be included in your diet: Sardines(Mathi), Mackerel( Ayala), Tuna(Choora)

Meat can be had once or twice a week. Have mutton in limited quantity as the saturated fat content is not good for the heart. The level of cholesterol in the yellow of eggs is high. Boiled eggs are good for growing children; on alternate days it is good to give them eggs. Egg whites can be had daily. Adults should limit their consumption of eggs to once or twice a week. Frying and deep frying any of these is not recommended at all

Vegetables, greens, fruits

These provide the body with essential substances: Fibre, vitamins, minerals,. All these constitute to make vegetables a necessary part of your daily life. These are times when we do not see much of these vegetables around. Yet do try to include greens in your diet for at least three days a week. Fruits should be included in daily diet.

Milk, milk products

These have lots of proteins in them; and should be included in a growing child’s diet. However, adults need these dairy products only in limited quantities

Sugar, Fat

These are to be avoided as far as possible; and consumed in very limited amounts, for all age groups. Keralites are prone to lifestyle diseases; and such food should be taken in restricted quantities. This habit needs to be introduced from childhood

Fibres

Dietary fibre refers to the food that the body does not digest

There are two major types, depending on their ability to dissolve in water.