It is important to remember that we are what we eat. Food is a major source of nutrition. Nutrients that are absorbed by the body can only come from what we eat. Therefore, it is important that in order to preserve our health, we adopt not just the right foods but also the correct eating habits. Poor food habits lead to ill-heath and contribute to stress.
It is important to understand the process of digestion. Food is broken down into manageable pieces in the mouth and mixed with enzymes for digestion. This is why chewing of the food & mixing it with saliva is so important. The food is then swallowed and goes into the stomach.
As the food enters the stomach, signals are sent so that more enzymes are released into the stomach and additional blood is sent to the stomach muscles for complete mixing of the food & for separating the nutrients. Therefore, for proper digestion, we must ensure that we do not overload the stomach with food and that there is adequate water in the stomach for easy movement of the food within it.
The half-digested food then moves into the intestines where the nutrients are absorbed. Food with adequate roughage ensures that food does not stick to the walls of the intestines but moves forward for absorption and evacuation.
Expulsion of waste is a very important element of digestion and oftens determines the health of the person.
Some rules that should be followed are:
Eat in a pleasant atmosphere. Set time apart for eating, eat in a pleasant location and eat silently or in the company of people you are comfortable with.
Eat at regular intervals. The body needs nourishment at regular intervals. Very often, trapped in the rush of deadlines, we either forget to eat or eat irregularly and at odd hours.
Always sit down and eat. Eating on the run may add nutrients, but is upsets the subtle psychosomatic balance of the body. This causes stress.
Eating right. People doing hard, physical labour should eat food that gives them the energy and strength to do the job. People with sedentary jobs must eat lighter food. Similarly, young people need more concentrated nutrition while older people need less.
Chew your food. Chewing reduces food into manageable portions and ensures proper mixing of saliva, a key element in digestion.
Never eat to a full stomach. Space in the stomach must include room for the movement and exhaustion of gas. The recommendation is that one must eat to 75% capacity of the stomach.
Never eat between meals. When food is ingested between meals, the stomach, unable to differentiate between old and new food will push both into the intestine, thereby defeating the purpose of eating… to provide nutrition.
From WHO-Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health
- For diet, recommendations for populations and individuals should include the following:
- Achieve energy balance and a healthy weight.
- Limit energy intake from total fats and shift fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids.
- Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, and legumes, whole grains & nuts.
- Limit the intake of free sugars.
- Limit salt (sodium) consumption from all sources and ensure that salt is iodized.
The water balance: 85% of the human body constitutes water. Water imbalance can cause a variety of illness like fatigue, kidney stones, constipation etc.
a. Drink at least 2 litres of water every day.
b. Sip warm water. It massages the stomach muscles and aids digestion.
Weight Control: It is healthy to be within your weight range as given above as at this weight, all functions of the body are performing to design for most people.
| Height to | ||
| | Men | Women |
| Height | Weight | Weight |
| (Feet and Metres) | (kgs) | (kgs) |
| 5'-0" (1.523 m) | 50.8 - 54.4 | 50.8 - 54.4 |
| 5'-1" (1.548 m) | 51.7 - 55.3 | 51.7 - 55.3 |
| 5'-2" (1.574 m) | 56.3 - 60.3 | 53.1 - 56.7 |
| 5'-3" (1.599 m) | 57.6 - 61.7 | 54.4 - 58.1 |
| 5'-4" (1.624 m) | 58.9 - 63.5 | 56.3 - 59.9 |
| 5'-5" (1.650 m) | 60.8 - 65.3 | 57.6 - 61.2 |
| 5'-6" (1.675 m) | 62.2 - 66.7 | 58.9 - 63.5 |
| 5'-7" (1.700 m) | 64.0 - 68.5 | 60.8 - 65.3 |
| 5'-8" (1.726 m) | 65.8 - 70.8 | 62.2 - 66.7 |
| 5'-9" (1.751 m) | 67.6 - 72.6 | 64.0 - 68.5 |
| 5'-10" (1.777 m) | 69.4 - 74.4 | 65.8 - 70.3 |
| 5'-11" (1.802 m) | 71.2 - 76.2 | 67.1 - 71.7 |
| 6'-0" (1.827 m) | 73.0 - 78.5 | 68.5 - 73.9 |
| 6'-1" (1.853 m) | 73.3 - 80.7 | 73.3 - 80.7 |
| 6'-2" (1.878 m) | 77.6 - 83.5 | 77.6 - 83.5 |
| 6'-3" (1.904 m) | 79.8 - 85.9 | 79.8 - 85.9 |
Share your opinion and experiences
- What is your diet pattern?
- Do you eat healthily?
- Do you eat on time?
- Do you ensure inclusion of all important nutrients in your diet?
- Do you drink adequate water?
- Do you keep a check on your weight?
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