By Dr. Attia Anwer
The food we eat has a role in our physical and mental health. First of all physical health and mental are interrelated so for your mental well-being you should try to take care of your body. Because your soul lives here and you only get one body. Secondly, there are foods which are not good for your mind also. So nourishing healthy food is important for your happiness.
Eating good food may seem beneficial for your physical health but we should remember that mind and body are closely integrated. We cannot separate them so if we want to be happy or at ease and without pain we have to take care of physical health.
Moreover, some foods are important for your brain. Good and tasty food is a source of happiness in itself. When choosing your food, the taste is an important factor and that should be kept in mind. But avoiding chemicals, preservatives, and other harmful things should be more important.
What is good or healthy food? Healthy food should be a mixture of all groups of food. It should be as much natural as it could be. It should have as many colors as possible. It should be mainly plant-based with the addition of meat and dairy products. It would help, if you try to eat any fresh food that is present in your area. Because nature tries to provide us with the things we need. We should try to grow something also that will be best for our physical and emotional satisfaction.
I can give here, a brief outline of the ways to eat which have proved to be healthy for centuries. Certain ways of eating will lead to the consumption of fewer calories and suppress your extra hunger.
First of all, do not starve yourself. Because that will lead to binge eating and you will not have any control over your eating. Intermittent fasting is good for your health, you can do that sometimes but it should be done properly. Eating with a circadian rhythm is a healthy way of eating. It means you should not eat in a window of at least 10 to 12 hours. Longer fasting periods should not be a way of your life. And in the window period, you should eat foot from any groups.
The secret to a long and healthy life which has been described in almost every tradition and every religion is that, do not eat to the full capacity of your stomach. Because that is overeating. Your brain gets signals of satiety a little later than required. So fill your stomach to eighty percent. Or we say, stop eating, still you are a little hungry. And you will never be overweight and have digestion problems.
You should eat in small portions. Your diet should be a mixture of different foods served in small bowls. That will give you satisfaction and lead to less eating. Plus different groups of foods are going to fulfill your nutritional requirements, especially micronutrients and you will not feel weak, and always searching for food. So small portions with multiple meals like five meals a day are ideal. You should know the food which you are eating. It should not be a mixture of different groups as we call it junk foods. They should be from the five food groups and nothing should be hidden. It is difficult to maintain nutrition and calories with such a diet. Five major food groups are vegetables including legumes and beans, fruits, lean meat, eggs, nuts and seeds, grains, and last of all milk and milk products.
Then your plate should have as many natural colors as possible. Eating different varieties of food will give you sufficient nutritional value. And your body will get everything it needs and it will lead to less eating. The result will be less consumption of calories and more health and rigor. So on average, you can fill your plate with cabbage, carrots eggplants, Tomato, reddish with a piece of salmon little bit of grains like chickpeas, kidney beans, or some rice. Making major changes in your food can be sometimes difficult. So you can start with small changes and continue to bring these changes slowly towards healthy eating. Food rich in fruits and vegetables is scientifically proven to have many health benefits, it can prevent and reverse many chronic diseases and boost your immune system.
There are tips for starting healthy eating by which you do not feel overwhelmed by sudden change. Completely overhauling your food all at once can give disastrous results. You can start with eating your favorite fruit not all of them at once. You can use small plates and eat at a slower pace. Eating your green first also has the benefits of eating less and eating more nutritious food. It will reduce your carbohydrate contents and help in maintaining your blood sugar levels. Not shopping without a list and planning your meals is also a very important part of healthy eating. If you do not plan your meals, you will end up eating anything available when you are hungry. Eating should be a deliberate joyful process. One thing which is very important to consider is the availability of diet or low-calorie foods. These foods can be very deceiving. So avoiding them is good to maintain long-term healthy eating habits. Cooking at home and using as many fresh ingredients as possible is the best way towards a healthy journey. Cooking and trying at least one new healthy recipe a week makes this experience joyful and sustainable. Healthier cooking methods include baking, broiling, poaching, pressure cooking, simmering, and slow cooking. All these methods involve less use of oils so they help in reducing calories. Eating eggs, especially for breakfast is also healthy.
Drinking enough water is also important you can have lemon water or water stored in fruits like melons or vegetables like cucumbers. You can have different types of green teas. They are good for digestion and metabolism. They have antioxidants. So generally in a moderate amount, they have many health benefits. Drinking your coffee black and adding a little milk or cream but no sugar is good. Fruit should be eaten in its whole form instead of making juices as they have a much-reduced quantity of fiber and more sugar. Being more active and having a good night’s sleep helps you to eat better. They take your body out of metabolic syndrome and reduce hunger and cravings. If you eat a balanced diet with all micronutrients or take supplements, your cravings are also reduced.
To conclude, your well-being depends a lot on what you eat. It is important to be intentional and deliberate in consuming food. If you are not getting enough nutrients, including micronutrients, or you are addicted to extra calories for the sake of enjoyment, both are going to be detrimental to your health.
The author Dr. Attia Anwar is a consultant family physician with a postgraduate degree from the Royal College of GP UK. She is a strong advocate of health and well-being and wants patient participation in decision-making regarding health.
