The importance of healthy diet: A healthy diet is one that contains a wide variety of foods and includes proteins,

carbohydrates and fats as well as vitamins and minerals. Protein is essential for growth, repair and maintenance of cells and is found in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, dairy products, beans and nuts. Carbohydrates is valuable energy source. There are two forms: Complex carbohydrates found in foods such as cereals, potatoes, rice, bread and simple carbohydrates basically sugar, found in foods such as chocolate; biscuits, ice-creams and softdrinks as well as in fruits. Complex carbohydrates are better for us because they provide energy as well as plenty of fibre, which is essential for a healthy cholesterol levels in the blood. Important vitamins, minerals and fibre found in complex carbohydrate foods are rarely found in simple carbohydrates which are sometime described as providing "Empty Calories." Fats are needed to help insulate and protect the body and are concentrated source of energy. There are two main types of fat: Saturated fats - found in meat, dairy products, cooking fact, biscuits and pastures and unsaturated facts found in foods such as oline oil, sunflower oil and oily fish. Al foods provide energy including liquid foods such as milk, fruit juices and alcohol. The only liquid food that does not contain energy is water. Water contains no calories at all. Proteins, carbohydrates and fats each provide different amounts of energy. One gram of protein provides our bodies with 4 calories, so does one gram of carbohydrates. However one gram of fat provides 9 calories more than double the amount of energy derived from proteins or carbohydrates. UP

Daily Calorie Requirements: Men Sedentory work Moderate work Heavy work 2425 2875 3800 Women 1875 2225 2925

How much fat do we need. Not more than 20-30% of our total energy intake is derived from fat. This means that if you have a diet of 2000 cal. A day, not more than 600 cal should come from fat. It is recommended that we consume unsaturated fats rather than saturated fats. This is because saturated fats are associated with increased levels of cholesterol in the blood and higher risk of coronary heart disease, whereas unsaturated fats can help to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood and may help prevent heart disease. The body only uses those calories it needs in order to function correctly. Any surplus calories in the form of excess fats 1 proteins and carbohydrates are stored as fat in the body. So if you will put on weight; you eat less than your body needs, you loss weight. UP

How many calories should one consume when one wants to lose weight ? Aim for a gradual rather than sudden weight loss. A weight loss of two pounds (907 gms) is recommended per week. This is because people who achieve slow,steady weight loss are more likely to remain at lower weight than those who achieve sudden, drastic weight loss.

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Daily Calories Intake for Gradual Weight Loss. Weekly Wt.Loss Men Women Men Women 1/b 1/b 2/b 2/b 454 gm 454 gm 907 gm 907 gm Calories per day 2300 1500 1700 1000

Eat sensibly. Needs of your body do not change just because you are trying to lose weight. You will need proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and some facts. Eat lot of green leafy vegetables. They provide you with essential vitamins and minerals. Drink plenty of water.

Avoid weighing yourself all the time. Your weight fluctuates daily and there is not real need to weight yourselfmore than once a week. Plan you meals. Try to eat small meals throughout the day rather than using up you full calorie entitlement in one large meal. Eating small amounts regularly will lessen the chances of your feeling hungry and will help you to lose weight. If you eat a large evening meal shortly before going to bed your body has no chance to use up those calories during the daily activity. UP

Tips for reducing your fat intake. Stop butter or margarine oil or ghee on bread/roti. Use skimmed milk instead of whole milk. Choose meats that are lower in fat such as chicken and turkey instead of high fat meat like pork and beef. Trim any fat you can see on the meat. Because there is hidden fat in meant, east less meat and more potatoes, veg, and pulses. Do not use mayonnaise and salad creams. Cut down on biscuits, pastures, chocolates, waffers and cakes. Find alternative low fat snacks. Bake, grill or stream food. Avoid fried foods. Replace high fat snacks with low fat snacks. Fat per 100 gm 55.8 34.4 27.6 37.6 30.6 46.1 Content per 100 gm. 0.1 0.3 0.5 3.9 2.1 0.1

High fat Snack Almonds Cheese Chocolate biscuits Waffers Milk chocolate Peanuts Low Fat SnackFat Apple Banana Carrots Cottage cheese Crisp bread Oranges

Yogurt plain UP

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Remember if you want to lose weight only 15-20% of the daily calorie intake should come from fat. Avoid eating fast foods that are high in fat. Remove the skin from chicken and fish before cooking. These skins contain a high level of fat. It takes your brain 20 min to realise that your stomach is full. So if you eat slowly, you will become full after eating less food. Eat more rice, potatoes, chapati these carbohydrates are no fattening. It is what you put on these foods that may be fattening e.g. baked potato is not fattening, but if it is baked with butter then it is. Ideally 58% of our diet should be in the form of carbohydrates. Avoid alcohol as it is high on calories. One ounce has about 200 cal. Eat to the extent where you are satisfied but not stuffed ! Most of us over-eat without even realising it. UP Tips for reducing your sugar intake. Avoid foods with high sugar contents (check the labels) Sugar has many different forms and may be referred as cane sugar, raw sugar, honey, muscovado or syrup. One of the best way to cut down on sugar is to stop adding it to tea and coffee. If you cut your sugar intake to half (e.g. 1 tsp from 2 tsp) this will be an important contribution to your diet Use less sugar when cooking. Substitute sugar coated cereals with plain cereals. Avoid biscuits, cakes, honey, jam, marmalade, syrup, pastries. Avoid all kinds of sweets and chocolates. Choose low calorie soft drinks (diet pepsi/coke).

Avoid eating large quantities of dried fruits. These snacks are high in sugar. UP SAMPLE MENU BREAKFAST Tea - 1 cup with 2 tbs milk. Sugar 1 ts. Skimmed milk 1 cup. Toast 1 or Khakra 2 Sweet Lime. LUNCH Mixed vegetable or cucumber and celery soup 1 cup Thin dal 3/4th cup or Kudhi. Veg. Salad from radish, tomato, cucumber, lettuce with dressing of vinegar, Pepper and sour lime. Cooked pumpkin or steamed ladys finger.Bread 1 slice or chapatis 2. Custard apple. 4.00 p.m. Tea with milk 2 tbs, sugar 1 ts. 6.00 p.m. Orange DINNER Tomato soup 1 cup. Cooked carrots or spiced stuffed steam cauliflower Thin dal cup. Skimmed milk, Curd cup. Bread 1 slice or 2 chapatis. Baked apple.