Today’s fast paced lifestyle is majorly driven by erratic routine. Lack of proper diet, no exercise, mental stress, obesity, smoking and alcohol silently manifests themselves as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer and other chronic diseases.

What you eat not only provides you with energy but also helps you stay fit, active and promotes your overall wellbeing. If you think putting up with long hours of work with haphazard meal patterns and no activity will help you achieve what you want. You are wrong. Think again. How well you cope with stressful situations will depend a lot on your lifestyle. Adopting simple measures and making gradual changes in the way you live will play a crucial role in keeping you healthy and increasing your lonegetivity.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s embark on the journey of ‘Healthy Life’. An insight into the know-how of what should be served in your plate is as follows:

• Include whole wheat flour, jowar, ragi, bajra, oats etc. Restrict the consumption of refined cereals like maida and its products for e.g. bread, pasta, noodles, pizza, burger etc.
• Consume dals like tur, masoor, chana (bengalgram), moong (green gram) and dals with skin in order to obtain essential nutrients. Sprouted legumes are nutritionally highly recommended on the daily basis.
• Prefer skimmed milk and its products. Switch to low fat yoghurt, cheese, paneer in your diet. Make wise protein choices by including fish, chicken, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds. Red meats like beef, mutton and pork contain high amounts of saturated fat. Their intake in your diet should be restricted or minimal.
• Go easy on colour when it comes to fruits and vegetables. The brighter is the hue, the greater is the antioxidant which guards your body against free radicals. Besides providing essential vitamins, minerals and fiber, they are also low in calories. Consume veggies in any form— steamed, stir fried or simply cooked as a traditional vegetable. If you are not on a calorie restricted diet, you can keep intake of high calorie fruits like banana, chickoo, seetaphal and mangoes in limited amounts.
• Kick start your day with a healthy breakfast as it can accelerate your metabolism. When you eat a major portion of your caloric requirements early in the day, it gives your body time to work those calories off. Eat 5-6 small frequent meals throughout the day rather than three main large meals. This will help you ward off snack attacks and getting overboard at one particular meal.
• Don’t be in a hurry to gulp what you eat. Savor every bite and chew your food slowly. Chewing ensures food is properly broken down into smaller particles that then mix with the saliva containing digestive enzymes. This promotes thorough digestion which is the key to the absorption of nutrients. Eating slowly also helps you to get an accurate read on whether your body has had enough food. This in turn will help you remain focused and relaxed, rather than being a victim of a ‘’food coma’’.
•  Stay away from a stressful atmosphere while eating. Digestion can be compromised if we are stressed. Hence, avoid having your meals while working on the go, driving or watching T.V. Do not initiate any serious discussions or confrontations that can distract your mind during meals. If you feel upset, try taking some deep breaths prior to the start of your meal and reconnect yourself back with the joy of eating.