Nutritious Diet

A nutritious and a Balanced diet in the right quantity; comprising of healthy and diverse foods is key to promoting and maintaining good health. After all, we are what we eat - research continues to prove that eating healthy food promotes good health, also helps in maintaining it and unhealthy food habits lead to a diseased body. Foods contain vital nutrients that help us keep our immunity and aid our body's metabolic function. However a lack of consumption of these nutrients or feeding upon wrong kind of food leads to an accumulation of toxins within the body, resulting in chronic diseases in the long run; not to mention the loss of or reduced immunity which makes us vulnerable to a host of infections!

A nutritious diet while ensuring overall well being, helps to maintain a healthy Body Mass Index, reduces the risk of several debilitating diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke and infectious diseases. Thus a nutritious diet is important in prevention and cure of various diseases.

HEALTHY FOOD GROUPS

Since no single food group can nourish the body well with all the vital ingredient it requires, it is important that we consume a variety of healthy foods to derive the nutrition our body needs. After all variety is the spice of life! There are five main food groups and they are:

* Fruits

* Vegetables

* Cereals and Pulses

* Dairy

* Poultry, fish and meat products.

Make sure that spices are added in the right quantity in food and they will act as anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, digestives and a lot of other things! Always remember here that moderation is the name of the game.

A healthy balanced diet of these five food groups ensures essential vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. The food group serving size will depend upon various factors like age, activity level body size and gender. It is also important that one eat a variety of foods from within and across the food groups. As some foods from within a food group provide more nutrients than others. This will ensure that one gets the maximum recommended nutrition from the food group; besides the food variety will make for an interesting meal. All said and done it will stand you in good stead to avoid read meat altogether and non vegetarian food as far as possible to protect you from diseases such as Coronary Artery Disease.

A lot of water should be had, as much as 8 - 10 glasses per day. Juices are fine but even better would be having the fruit itself.

In conclusion it must be noted that a nutritious diet can rectify underlying cause of disease and restore one to wholeness of mind and body. Once we realize the connection between a wholesome balanced diet and good health, our food will be our medicine and maintaining good health will be a matter of making the right food choices and leading a healthy lifestyle.