Healthy Lifestyle

Hi Dev,
Thanks a lot for the diet. Iam v eager to follow it. Are there any vegetables that I should avoid-like carrot/beets or is it ok to take them?
Also is any fruit other than banana ok? I usually take apple/plums/grapes.

U need not avoid any veg... Root vegetables can be taken in moderation. For ex: if you take 125 gms of leafy veg,100 gms of watery veg,U can have75gms of root veg like carrot,beets etc .Better take a mix of 2-3 vegs. Try to limit tubers like potatoes to 1-2 times a week.

Reg fruits,banana is an instant high energy source. So better limit it. Mangoes too contain a bit higher amt of energy but no harm in having it. Watery fruits like watermelon,grapes etc can be had anytime & as much as u feel like.

Try & let me know in case U need any changes.

Protein Group(Meat, Poultry, Fish,Dry Beans, Eggs and Nuts)

This food group is also high up on the pyramid, so even though these foods are an important part of a good diet, you don't need to eat as many servings of them as you do of foods that are lower down on the pyramid.

Fats, Oils, and Sweets

They are at the top of the pyramid, which means that your body should have smaller amounts of them. Your body needs fat for a few things.So the Food Guide Pyramid suggests that when it comes to fatty, oily, or sugary foods, people should use them sparingly.And although sugary foods like candy and cookies are simple carbohydrates that can give you quick energy, they are usually loaded with calories and don't offer much in the way of nutrients.

Note: Use fats/oils low in saturated fat. Unprocessed vegetable oils are best. Avoid fats with hydrogenated fat or trans-fatty acids.

Here is the pictorial food guide pyramid...

http://www.ring.com/health/food/pyramid2.gif

Water

Our bodies are about two-thirds water, and we need to ensure that we keep up this balance in order to remain healthy. It is recommended that you drink at least eight glasses of water(Plain water :wink: .Excludes juices,aereated drinks etc) every day. This will keep all your organs hydrated so that they can function properly.Water also helps to flush toxins and other impurities out of your body. Water serves many other crucial functions including: digestion, metabolism, body temperature regulation and excretion. Water is also responsible for dissolving and transporting nutrients through the body.

Calories

The energy in food is called calories. Everyone talks about them as if they are the last things you would want to give to your body. But the truth is, you need them. You need them because your body is always using energy, whether you're running, walking, standing still, or sleeping. Cut back on calories too much, and your system will slow down.

Because it is so easy to get too much of calories and because extra calories turn into fat,you can put on fat if you take in more calories than your body can use. To avoid adding extra fat, you have to eat as many calories as you need, and no more.

All calories are the same:A calorie is a calorie
An important point to remember is that all calories are the same. The calories in a piece of chocolate cake are no more fattening than the calories in an orange. The cake is more fattening than the orange because it contains more calories, not a different kind of calories. In other words, foods vary greatly in the number of calories they give you.So it's not only the amount you eat that matters, but the number of calories in the food you choose to eat. You could, for example, eat one piece of chocolate cake and end up consuming many more calories than you would get from eating several oranges.

I put on weight even though I eat less.Why?

There are a lot of overweight people who complain that they get fat even though they don't eat very much. This is often true. Very often they're not eating big meals, but the foods they DO eat at those meals are very high in calories. Ie,they are eating small quantiities of food that is high in calories.

Ex: Suppose a piece of cake(10 gms) has 100 cal & 10 gms of watermelon contain 5 calories.(These are not actuals but an example)

If u eat a 100 g piece of cake,calories u consume =(100/10)*100=1000 cal
But if you eat 100g of watermelon ,u consume(100/10)*5=50 cal.
So U can now eat 2kg of watermelon instead of the 100gms of cake but still take the same amount of calories(1000cal)

dev,

You are doing a great service here. :D I must go through the entire thread lesurely soon. I'm very much keen on the types and quantity of food I consume and I'm sure this thread would help me clear some of my doubts. Thanks dev for your valuable service. :D

Hi Roshan,

Welcome to the health club...:)

Read through the posts leisurely & drop all ur queries here...Will try to clarify it...Also,if U find any wrong/misleading info,pls correct me...