health

Health Goals For 2016!

After having being in the field of nutrition one thing that we have realised is that most New Year resolutions do not work beyond the month of January. So, instead of telling you to have resolutions we call them setting goals for the New Year. Here we have a list of a few goals that you need to aim at reaching in this year. Make a sincere effort to achieve most of them if not all.

AIM FOR 5-7 A DAY: Kick start the year by aiming to get at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies in a day. Not only do they provide a host of vitamins and minerals but they also satisfy your daily need for fibre, not to forget the phytochemicals loaded in them. All these together protect you from heart disease, diabetes and cancer. And to top it all the different colours just make your meals interesting. Weightwatchers – they are a boon for you. Loaded with water and fibre they help you stay full and thus keep the hunger pangs at bay.

spicy food

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Spice Up Your Meals: Yes, you heard us right. Experimenting with the different spices and herbs in your foods will not only improve the taste and flavour of the dishes but also make sure that you use less salt in food. And these spices and herbs have various health benefits. Be sure you get hold of appropriate reading material on each spice and herb to know how each one of them is going to be of benefit to your health. You will be surprised that your humble “masala box” in the kitchen can be actually a “medicine box”.

home food

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Start Loving Home Food: For all the busy adults, especially for you. We understand that it is difficult to implement this with your busy schedules. But all that is needed is planning and practice. Not only will it save your money but also help you eat healthy, cut down on the calories and above all spend quality time with the family. A good idea would be to prepare the week’s menu over the weekend and accordingly prepare the grocery list. All that needs to be done then is organize for those items from the supermarket and you are ready for the week. Knowing what you have to make makes cooking easier and quicker. You could maybe prepare a few things in advance so that you do not have to spend much time on cooking after a gruelling work day.

breakfast

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Break The Fast: Aim to get up a few minutes earlier each day so that you do not miss your most important meal of the day – BREAKFAST. A carbohydrate protein rich breakfast will provide the necessary fuel to keep you going through the crucial morning hours and prevent over eating at the subsequent meals.

mealtime

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Make Meal Times Family Times: Eating meals together as a family is a great way to bond with the family members. Having meals together has been linked to a lower risk of obesity, eating disorders and develop a positive attitude towards food.

drink-water

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Drink To Your Health Everyday: Most of us do not drink the requisite amount of water each day. Not that there are specific recommendations like the other nutrients on the amount of water a person should drink each day but on an average drinking 2.5 litres of water for a female and 3-3.5 litres of water for a male is necessary for good health. This intake need not be through water alone. It could be from the fruits and veggies that are full of water as well as from water based non-sugar beverages.

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Walk Your Way To Health: Ten thousand steps is all that you need. Walk, walk and walk. Walk while you talk on the phone, walk after parking your car a distance away to your workplace, take the steps up to your office or home, walk to the market place and see yourself complete the ten thousand steps each day for a healthier self.

food

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Stop The Mindless Eating: Eat slowly and consciously. Enjoy and savour your food and stop eating when you are 80% full. Every time you pick up something to eat stop and evaluate if the hunger is physical hunger or emotional hunger. Be mindful of what you eat.

Small changes are all that we are asking for. Let 2016 be the year I which you eat well and celebrate your good health. Cheers to your health!

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