What to eat to stay healthy, how to cook food, how much water to drink? Know everything

Nowadays everyone is becoming a health expert by making reels on Insta or creating a channel on YouTube. In such a situation, the common man gets confused about what to eat? How to eat? But don’t worry, clear your confusions related to food etc. here.

The country’s two big institutions ICMR and NIN have recently issued 17 detailed guidelines on this. It has been said in these that the diseases caused by wrong diet, which we call non-communicable diseases (diseases that do not spread by touch etc.), are on the first place.

Today we are telling you what you should eat and what not to eat to stay healthy and fit, what is the correct way of cooking and eating food and how much water you should drink daily.

How to cook pulses and vegetables

• It is better to lightly steam the vegetables instead of boiling them. This does not destroy the nutrients present in the vegetables.
• Nutrition remains intact even when cooked in a microwave. Yes, but cook in glass or microwave-safe ceramic utensils and not in any plastic utensils.
• Even though the colour of vegetables, especially leafy vegetables, changes many times if they are cooked covered, the nutrients present in them generally remain intact.
• High temperature is often used during roasting. This leads to loss of nutrients.
• Cooking food in the right manner provides the body with the right amount of nutrition.
• By repeatedly washing rice, pulses etc with water, the nutrients present in them get reduced.
• Vegetables and fruits should be washed before cutting them. Washing after cutting can remove their nutrients.
• Vegetables and fruits should be eaten immediately after cutting them.
• To ferment the grains, soak them completely in water at room temperature for 12 hours. Do not keep them in the fridge. After this, remove the water. Then cover them with a cotton cloth soaked in water. Keep in mind that this cloth should be covered in such a way that air can pass through.
• Avoid deep frying food. This usually destroys the nutrients present in the food.
• Do not add baking soda separately to cook vegetables and pulses quickly. This only increases the amount of sodium (like salt) in them.

The right way to eat vegetables

• Eat 4 medium or small bowls (as per requirement) of seasonal and local green vegetables every day. Eat 2 bowls in lunch and 2 bowls of vegetables in dinner.
• If green leafy vegetables are included in one of these meals, it is even better.
• While cooking vegetables, keep in mind that too much oil is not used.
• These vegetables are an excellent source of fiber. They also fulfill the deficiency of micronutrients. They are an excellent source of iron.
• Seasonal and local vegetables, leafy vegetables, root vegetables (carrots, radishes), tubers (potatoes etc.)
• By eating them alternately, we get almost all types of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre.
• The share of vegetables and salad in the total diet every day should be 45 percent i.e. up to 400 grams.

In which vessel should you cook and eat?

• Clay pots are the best: Clay utensils require very little oil. They are not only environmentally friendly but also retain the nutrients of the food.
• Stainless Steel: It is used in most homes. Generally, it does not react with any kind of food items, so it is considered safe.
• Metal utensils: We cook food in many types of utensils. The important ones among them are aluminium, iron, brass or copper. These can cause harm if acidic food (pickles, chutney, sambar and sauce) are stored in them.
• Teflon coated utensils: If these utensils are heated above 170 degrees Celsius, they can cause harm. Especially, when an empty vessel is heated, it releases poisonous fumes.

how to eat

• In any case, we should not take more than 45% of energy (calories) from cereals and millets. Currently, we usually take 50 to 70 percent of energy from cereals. This is too much.
• We should get 14 to 15% of energy (calories) from pulses, non-veg etc. We get 6 to 9% energy from pulses, meat, eggs etc., which is quite less. We should take at least 14% of energy from protein sources every day.
• We should take up to 30% energy (calories) from oil, ghee etc.
• Whereas, we can get 8 to 10 percent energy (calories) from milk, curd, oil seeds and nuts.
• If there is a lack of green vegetables in our diet, anemia can occur.
• If there is less salad or fiber in the diet, then constipation can occur. Also, there can be a deficiency of many types of vitamins and minerals.
• If the amount of fat, sweets, packed food items etc. in the diet is high then problems like cholesterol, BP etc. are possible.
• In any case, we should consume only 20 to 25 grams of sugar every day.
• One should avoid such packaged items which have added sugar or fat etc.
• If you want to eat nuts, oil seeds, fish, chicken, eggs etc. then do not choose only 1 or 2 of these things. Eat them in a variety of ways so that you can get all types of proteins, fats, vitamins and other nutrients.

How much and how to eat fruits

• Eat seasonal and local fruits every day. These days it is the season of watermelon and papaya. So definitely eat them. Jamun season is coming soon. Jamun is very beneficial for sugar patients. It is also an alternative to apple. If you do not have sugar then you can eat at least 1 mango every day.
• Eating 1-2 fruits every day is enough.
• Do not eat the same type of fruit every day. For example: 2 days a week, apple and orange, 2 days guava and papaya, jamun, 2 days watermelon and mango, 1 day pear and seasonal fruit etc.
• Fruits are an excellent source of micronutrients (which are needed in small quantities). They are also a good source of fiber and antioxidants.
• The share of fruit in the total daily diet should be 10 to 11 percent i.e. 100 grams.
• These can be eaten raw i.e. as salad or even cooked.

How much protein is necessary

• Make sure to include protein in your daily diet.
• The human body needs only 20 types of amino acids (formed by the breakdown of proteins). Thousands of types of proteins are formed from these 20 types of amino acids (Amino Acid: AA). For these we need different sources of protein. For example: pulses, soybean, almonds, if you eat non-veg then eggs, fish etc.
• Protein deficiency can cause many serious problems. Anemia is one of them.
• On an average, a healthy man or woman should take about 0.66 grams of protein per kilogram of weight every day. Suppose if a person’s weight is 70 kg, then he/she should take about 46 grams of protein every day.
• If the ratio of cereals and pulses in the food is 3:1, then this will increase the amount of protein in the food.
• If you don’t eat non-veg then take lentils and soybean.

Avoid processed food

• Understand that to make such food items more tasty, the amount of fiber in them is reduced significantly. For this, processing is done many times. Also, sugar, fat etc. are added to them separately. Due to this, the amount of sugar and salt in such food items becomes very high. Fat, oil, refined are also added in large quantities. Due to all these, such food items lack essential nutrients. Neither do they contain good fiber nor are they considered a good source of vitamins or minerals.
• Not only this, the amount of calories in them is also very high. Many types of colors and chemicals are also added to them. For example: cheese, sauce, mayonnaise, jam, juice, cold drinks, biscuits, cookies, cakes, pastries etc. So always try to eat as little processed food as possible.

How much salt should one eat

• Consuming too much salt increases the problem of high blood pressure. On an average, a person in our country consumes 3 grams to 10 grams of salt.
• On an average, a person should take 3 to 5 grams (one teaspoon) of iodised salt every day. Sodium is found in abundance in cereals, pulses, vegetables, milk and non-veg, seafood. On the other hand, beans, bananas and dry fruits contain good amounts of potassium.
• Processed and preserved foods should be avoided. For example: sauces, biscuits, chips etc. Note that even sweet things and biscuits contain salt.

How much sugar should one eat

• A normal person should not consume more than 20 to 25 grams (4 to 5 teaspoons) of sugar every day.
• We usually take one to one and a half teaspoons of sugar in a cup of tea. If you drink 3-4 cups of tea in a day, then the daily quota of sugar is completed. Then you should not eat any other sweet thing. On the other hand, if someone is a diabetic patient, then he/she should avoid taking sugar or keep the quantity to less than one-fourth.
• Even while losing weight, sugar intake must be reduced.

oil-ghee

• This type of fat must be included in your diet. For example, alpha-linolenic (ALA)-3 PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) should be included. These are mostly present in nuts (almonds, walnuts), oil seeds (mustard, sesame etc.), soybean, cereals or millets. It is also very important for brain cells and nerve cells.
• Tuna, salmon and other sea fish are also important for the body. Saturated fatty acids should be used as little as possible. For example: ghee, butter etc.
• Heating and using the same oil again and again is dangerous for health.

How much water should you drink

• Every day a person should drink about 2 litres i.e. about 8 glasses of water.
• You can drink water while sitting or standing. It does not make any difference.
• Chlorine tablets should be used to eliminate chemicals dissolved in water. 1 such tablet should contain 0.5g chlorine, which has to be mixed in 20 liters of water.
• Coconut water is a good drink. 100ml contains 15 calories. Kidney and heart patients should avoid drinking it.

Do not eat with tea or coffee

• Tea and coffee contain caffeine. It stimulates the central nervous system. A 150ml brewed coffee contains 80 to 120mg of caffeine. Instant coffee contains 50 to 65mg of caffeine, while tea contains 30 to 65mg of caffeine.
• A person should not exceed the limit of 300mg of caffeine every day.
• Tannin is also present in tea. Due to this, the process of absorbing iron in the body slows down.
• One should avoid taking tea and coffee 1 hour before and 1 hour after eating.

say no to alcohol

• If a person takes 2 pegs (30ml each) even 3-4 days a week, he/she is at risk of hypertension and brain or heart stroke. It increases triglyceride in the body.
• This can be a major cause of fatty liver. After fatty liver, problems of cholesterol and BP can start in the body.
• Sometimes alcohol also damages the nervous system.
• Excessive consumption of alcohol also increases the risk of mouth, throat, prostate and breast cancer in women.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It cannot in any way be a substitute for any medicine or treatment. Always contact your doctor for more information.