Every year on April 7, World Health Day is celebrated to create a world where everyone has access to clean air, water, and food, where economies are centred on health and well-being, where cities are livable, and individuals have responsibility over their own health and the health of the planet. It’s also the anniversary of the World Health Organization’s creation in 1948, and this year, WHO is focusing worldwide attention on the critical efforts needed to keep persons and the planet healthy, as well as nurture a movement to develop societies that value well-being.
Everyone understands that a balanced diet includes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, has numerous health benefits, including the potential to reduce the risk of several chronic diseases, and keeps the human body fit and healthy for a long time. Making big dietary changes, on the other hand, can be intimidating, especially when there is so much information available about various diets and foods that a person should eat, which can be difficult to digest and understand.
Instead of making major dietary adjustments, Nutrition Therapist suggests starting with a few minor ones that are easier to incorporate into one’s daily routine. They suggested five minor modifications that a person can make to their diet to improve their health, and they urged that these should be implemented all at once rather than gradually.
1. Take Your Time And Enjoy Your Food –
Taking the time to appreciate your food is critical since it has a direct impact on how much food a person eats and, as a result, how much weight they gain. Fast eaters, on the other hand, are likely to have a substantially higher body mass index (BMI) than slow eaters, according to this study. Hormones influence how much and how full you feel after a meal, and it takes the brain at least 20 minutes to digest this information. That is why eating slowly allows the brain to recognise when the stomach is full.
2. Boost Your Protein Consumption –
Protein is generally regarded as the king of nutrients, and it does appear to have some special abilities. It is the most satisfying of the macronutrients, but it can also assist a person maintain muscle mass and boost the number of calories burned each day significantly. Furthermore, proteins improve weight loss by making a person feel fuller for longer, reducing cravings, and reducing the likelihood of overeating.
3. Prepare Food at Home –
Home-cooked meals are not only healthier for a person’s health, but they are also much less expensive than takeout. Second, because the items are purchased and added to the dish, there is a very small possibility that unhealthy or high-calorie ingredients will be included.
4. Increase your physical activity –
Exercise and good nutrition go hand in hand. Exercise has been proved to boost your mood and reduce depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Furthermore, it is critical to move your body every day – a person does not need to go to the gym to be more active; they may do so by engaging in activities such as Yoga, domestic tasks, daily walks (with pets), and playing with children. Also, remember that starting small and maintaining physical activities for a longer period of time is preferable to going to the gym once a month. In this scenario, little modifications can have a long-term impact.
5. Use Healthy Oils When Cooking-
Soybean, Cottonseed, Sunflower, and Canola oils, among other highly processed seed and vegetable oils, have become a household staple in recent decades. The problem is that these oils are strong in Omega-6 fatty acids but low in heart-healthy Omega-3s. According to some research, a high Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio can cause inflammation and be connected to chronic illnesses including Heart Disease, Cancer, Osteoporosis, and autoimmune disorders, therefore choose healthier options. Extra virgin Olive oil, Avocado oil, and Coconut oil are examples of these. Sesame oil, Peanut oil, and Mustard oil are among the Indian oils that contain a healthy ratio of MUFA and PUFA, which is beneficial to one’s health.
When properly executed, the above suggestions can help a person’s overall diet become healthier and more sustainable without requiring a significant shift in their habits. On World Health Day, Specialist spoke about the significance of preventative healthcare, saying, “A healthy lifestyle and preventive screening are the two mainstays of battling the onset of non-communication diseases (NCDs). Regular health check-ups can help in identification and diagnosis of health conditions in a timely manner. Regardless of whether an individual has a family background of illnesses, regular screening should be done after 25 years of age. Diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases etc., which are a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors impact the lives of many people across the globe.”
Specialist insisted that, in addition to regular health screenings and leading a healthy lifestyle, understanding genetic insights (knowing one’s genetic predisposition to various diseases can help prevent or delay their onset) has become a critical component of living a long and healthy life in today’s world.