Balanced Diet: The Ultimate Solution To Balanced Living

What is a balanced diet? You must have heard it several times from dieticians, doctors, and many friends as well to consume a diet that is balanced! But, what is it exactly? When you want to lose weight, usually you are handed a balanced diet chart with menus that you stick on the refrigerator in your kitchen. Six months later, you do not even remember that there existed a balanced diet chart! Sounds familiar?

There are a lot of diet charts out there in the market. One can never be sure about how to manage diet without seriously compromising with the body’s overall fitness. This means that you have to find a regime that truly works for you, as each body type is different and you know your body best, trust me on this and there is no one who knows your body best other than you. It’s not something that is the current fad but, understanding your body and then following an easy diet plan that is effective, long-lasting, and will truly make an impact on your body.

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Dieting is especially tough, for those, who believe in comfort eating and hate themselves when they do it and for those, who dread Diwali or other festivals because they can’t stop or resist the treats. Also, for those who do not have the time or inclination to follow a complex diet but want a sustainable plan. This happens not when you’re handed a chart, but when you’re aware of what goes in your body and you consciously make decisions that bring you to a better goal for yourself. It is for everyone who wants to stop thinking about food all day.

I believe in a balanced diet as it's not always about losing belly fat or shedding extra kilos but, overall wellbeing which I truly believe in! A Lot of people ask me for a diet plan and I always say the same thing, “I’ll tell you the do’s and don’ts as that’s what I follow too.” It’s better to have a few basic guidelines to help make better choices, with better habits, and strike a balance in our diet as it’s vital for our well-being and that's what one means by balance.

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A healthy balanced diet is necessary for you to remain healthy. So what should this elusive balanced diet be? It’s basically a diet that consists of food that keeps you energetic and active all day rather than eating food that makes you lethargic and dull after eating! The right amount of proteins, carbs, nutrients, and good fats which can easily be digested by the body and keeps you going round the clock without any lethargy.

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There is a constant bombardment of breakthrough research into the latest health trends and most of us are lost as to what to eat and what not to. For example, my parents they love food as basically my entire family is full of foodies and being Punjabi’s we talk about food even whilst we’re sleeping, our discussions are around food and menus all the time, so, for people like us going on a diet is impossible! After all, we all live and work to eat a good meal, isn’t it? So here's what I did:-

• Replaced sugar with natural sugars like jaggery and honey.
• Replaced fried snacks with nuts like almonds, cashews, raisins, pumpkin seeds, and lots of fresh fruits.
• Mixed flour for chapatti to give all the kind of nutrients.
• Sugary juices with fresh one’s and if not then fresh lime juice for boosting immunity and also keeping weight under check
• Milk and curd for calcium.

If you actually look at an Indian meal its already balanced with rice, roti, dal (proteins) sabzi, curd (calcium ), and salad ( vitamins & nutrients) providing a good balance of fiber, and carbs. It’s best to avoid pickles and papad as they are high in sodium.

The importance of a balanced diet will be clear only when we know the goal of the dieter. If you’re someone who wants to gain weight then full-fat dairy products are great for you. But, if you have to keep your cholesterol low, then maybe not. White bread is known to be a better source of iron than a wholemeal bread because the wholegrain interferes with iron absorption. So, for someone who is anemic, white bread is better. However, if you wish to feel full without a lot of calorie intake because you wish to lose weight, then whole grain bread is a holy grail for you.

This is why it is essential to understand the importance of a balanced diet and the constituents of a balanced diet. There are three elements that make a diet balanced and healthy:

What You Eat

Being conscious of what you eat helps in maintaining the diet in the most optimal way.

When You Eat

Studies have shown having meals at the same time every day have proved more beneficial in giving the body nutrition and losing weight as well.

How Much You Eat

Reduce the portion sizes of your meals. I mean an Indian thali with rice, roti, sabzi, curd, and salad but, it should not include pickles, papads, or fried items! So, avoid too much snacking as most of the Indian snacks are fried and delicious so you can’t stop at one, though once in a blue moon, it’s okay! Reducing sugar intake and having more natural sugars in the diet via fruit and veggies, having 2-3 liters of water and some form of physical activity is something that will help you in striking a balance.

Winner of MasterChef India (season 2), author Shipra Khanna is a renowned chef. She has hosted numerous cookery programmes and has also written some popular cookbooks.

If you wish to read more on food by Shipra Khanna, stay tuned to HerZindagi.