A woman’s body has distinct requirements due to the fluctuating hormonal changes within the month. Food therefore assumes much importance due to the energy and nutrients it provides. Let us first get familiar with certain terms.
Balanced Diet
Eating too much or too little will ultimately harm your health. Here comes in the balanced diet which ensures the correct quantity of nutrition entering into our body through food. A health professional or a metabolic balance consultant is the best person to guide you for your nutritional needs.
Healthy Diet
A diet consisting of macro nutrients and micro nutrients is called a healthy diet.
Macro nutrients – Food which we eat basically consists of three main sub types, Crabs, Proteins and Fats.
Micro nutrients – Present in lesser quantity in the food, there are however essential for various functions of the body. Vitamins, minerals and fibre are micro nutrients.
Macro nutrients are somehow able to enter the body in some form or the other. It is the deficiency of micro nutrients which is a cause of concern and harms the body in the long run.
The women health scenario
While taking care of family and balancing between work and household chores, women neglect their health. Take for example the tradition of eating food at the end after all the males have finished. Not only does it delay dinner, it also leaves the possibility of eating leftovers.
Nutrient requirement of the body depends on age, body weight, height and level of physical activity you need to do.
Nutrition plays a fundamental role in maintaining proper weight balance and keep the diseases away.
Tips for a healthy Indian diet
Include whole drain for better nutrition and avoid refined carbs. Best examples of commonly available ancient grains are millets which are now being promoted by the Govt of India, jowar, ragi & bajra. These trio grow in India for centuries, they are not genetically modified and more disease resistant. They have a huge quantity of fibre, protein, minerals and vitamins as compared to refined carbs.
Next on your target list should be pulses and legumes. Here is a list with their desi names for reference.
- Kidney Beans (Rajma) – High in energy and trace minerals like potassium, magnesium and phosphorus and folate.
- Chickpeas (Chana) – Has trace minerals like potassium.
- Peas (Matar) – Tasty and inexpensive.
- Green Gram (Mung) – Tasty as a snack when de-skinned and split in two.
- Black eyed Beans (Chawli) – Extremely nutritious.
- Red Lentils (Masoor) – Most common lentils and gluten free.
Proteins are important for muscle and tissue growth and has to form part of your daily essential.
Fruits and vegetables are rich source of fibre, micro nutrients, trace minerals and energy. All this from natural source.
Finally nuts provide energy and nutrition in a tiny and easy to eat package.
Health tip for women
No article is complete without the customary health tip. Here is an important one for women. Folate or Vitamin B9 plays an important role in cell growth and functions. As a woman the important thing about folate is that it plays a key role in formation of RBCs or Red Blood Cells. As you all know, RBCs transport oxygen all over the body for cells to use in energy production. Vitamin B9 is crucial for pregnancy.
Lemons are rich in folates. So do atleast two lemons per day without sugar. Other folate rich foods are dark green leafy vegetables, beans and nuts.
Folates break down due to over cooking.