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A lack of a healthy diet means you cannot maintain physical and mental health. Your body needs nutrition to function well, and you can be supplied with all essential nutrients from food. A balanced diet with a combination of exercises can help you keep fit as a fiddle.

As you age, your immunity weakens, and you become prone to several infections. Many people catch serious diseases like GERD and diabetes because of a poor lifestyle. You can delay diabetes by replacing sugary and starchy food with a highly nutritious diet.

You know that you need a variety of foods to keep fit, but the question is how much proportion you need. Starch and sugar are essential to supply energy to your body, but they can also cause diabetes when overly consumed.

Foods and drinks that you consume can be divided into five categories:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Starchy food like potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread
• Beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
• Dairy products
• Oils and spreads

You do not need to follow these recommendations if you are below the age of 5. Consult a medical expert if you have a medical condition.

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are rich in soluble and insoluble fibre, known for preventing digestion problems. They are the best source to supply your body with essential vitamins and minerals.

• You should aim to eat at least 5 portions of various fruits and vegetables. Potatoes are not included in it as they are high in starch content.
• A portion of fruits and vegetables should weigh up to 80gm.
• Include a variety of fruits like apples, peer, oranges, bananas, and plums.
• Include at least a bowl of vegetables in your diet. Consider eating fruit or vegetable salad.
• Avoid fruit juice or smoothie as they are high in sugar. Empty calories will lead to weight gain.

Starchy carbohydrates

Starch is an essential source to provide energy for your body. You should try to base your meal around carbohydrates. Medical experts suggest it should make up a third portion of your diet.

• You can include potatoes, pasta, rice, cereals, and bread in your diet. Make sure your meal is not formed with starchy food only.
• Try to eat potatoes with skin as the peel consists of fibre. It will help slow down digestion. As a result, you will not experience a spike in your blood sugar.
• Instead of eating a full bowl of potatoes or rice, you should combine them with other veggies, eggs, fish, etc.

Beans, pulses and other protein sources

Beans, pulses, eggs, fish and meat, are not just high in protein, but they are also rich in vitamins and minerals. A balanced diet cannot be complete without these protein sources. Your body needs protein for the repair work.

• You should be careful with the choice of meat. Some are high in saturated fats. They can cause high cholesterol levels.
• Choose leaner meats and avoid adding extra fat or oil. Grilling is better than frying.
• Chicken is healthy for your skin, bones, muscle, and heart provided you cut the fat off and remove the skin.
• Limit processed meat such as bacon and sausages.
• Include beans and lentils in your diet. They are low in calories and a good source of protein and fibre.
• Eat 2 portions of fish per week and one portion should be oily fish like salmon, sardines and tuna.
• Eggs are a good source of zinc, iron, vitamin B and Selenium. However, you should limit the intake of eggs as they can trigger bad cholesterol levels.
• Boiled, scrambled and poached eggs are healthier choices. Make sure you do not take butter with them.

Dairy products

It include milk, cheese, curd, yoghurt, cream and non-dairy alternatives like soya milk and tofu. Dairy is a must as it is known for maintaining bones and teeth health. In addition to calcium, milk consists of amino acids, a type of protein that s easily digestible and maintains muscle health.

• Take a glass of milk or a bowl of yoghurt every day. Yoghurt and milk are good for gut health, muscle, and bones.
• Consume semi-skimmed milk. It contains the same amount of calcium as full-fat milk.
• Check the labels carefully before buying yoghurt.
• Prefer low-fat yoghurts. Avoid flavoured yoghurts. They can be high in fat, sugar and salt.

Oils and spreads

Some oils can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases as they are high in saturated fats. You should be careful with the consumption of oils and spreads.

• Saturated fats are bad for your health. They can increase the risk of LDL leading to heart attack or stroke.
• Limit the intake of butter, lard, ghee, coconut oil, palm oil or any food that consists of hydrogenated oil.
• Unsaturated fats are good for your health. Olive oil, canola oil and sunflower oil are good alternatives to cook food. They are known to maintain good cholesterol levels.

Hydrate your body

You should drink at least eight glasses of water regardless of the season. Plenty of fluids will help your body function properly.

• In addition to water, you can prefer low-fat milk.
• Tea and coffee beverages should be limited as they dehydrate the body. They can impair your gut health.
• Fruit juice is OK if you drink it once in a while. You should prefer eating whole fruits to fruit juice.
• Avoid carbonated drinks. They are very high in sugar.
• Alcohol contains a lot of calories. It can affect your health if you consume it too much.

Processed food

Processed food must be avoided as much as possible. Such foods include chocolates, cookies, sugary drinks and savoury snacks that can increase the risk of cholesterol and blood sugar. You can eat them occasionally, but too much consumption will cause several diseases.

The bottom line

It is important to incorporate a healthy balanced diet. Many people suffer from various diseases because of a poor diet. You should eat a nutritious diet if you do not want to fund your medical expenses with emergency loans for bad credit from a direct lender.

Make sure you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Include dairy products. Avoid full-fat milk and sweetened and flavoured yoghurt, milk and other beverages. Limit the intake of processed food. In case of a medical condition, you should consult a doctor to know what you should eat and what you should avoid.

Include eggs, fish and meat in your diet too. Vegetarian people can consume beans and legumes as a protein alternative.