BALANCED DIET PLANS FOR FIT BODY

Balanced Diet 

A balanced diet contains an adequate amount of all the nutrients required by the body to grow, remain healthy and be disease-free. In addition, a healthy, balanced diet provides the necessary energy requirement, protects against vitamin, mineral, and other nutritional deficiencies, and builds up immunity.

7 Essential Components of A Balanced Diet

1. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of both healthy and unhealthy foods—bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms. The most common and abundant forms are sugars, fibers, and starches.
Foods high in carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet. Carbohydrates provide the body with glucose, which is converted to energy used to support bodily functions and physical activity. But carbohydrate quality is important; some types of carbohydrate-rich foods are better than others:

• The healthiest sources of carbohydrates—unprocessed or minimally processed whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans—promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients.

• Unhealthier sources of carbohydrates include white bread, pastries, sodas, and other highly processed or refined foods.  These items contain easily digested carbohydrates that may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes and heart disease.

Sources of healthy carbs are-

• 1. Whole grains like Oats, Quinoa
• 2. Whole wheat, Dahlia
• 3. Legitimate 
• 4. Millets like ragi, bajra, barley
• 5. Vegetables 

2. Protein

Protein is found throughout the body—in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. It makes up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. At least 10,000 different proteins make you what you are and keep you that way.
Protein is made from twenty-plus basic building blocks called amino acids. Because we don’t store amino acids, our bodies make them in two different ways: either from scratch, or by modifying others. Nine amino acids—histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine—known as the essential amino acids, must come from food.

Sources of protein are-

• 1. Legumes and beans, soyabean
• 2. Poultry-Chicken, Turkey
• 3. Seafood- Fish, Crab, Prawn, Lobster
• 4. Eggs
• 5. Lean meat- Lamb, Beef, Pork
• 6. Nuts and Seeds
• 7. Greek yoghurt

3. Fat

The foods we eat contain nutrients that provide energy and other substances the body needs. Most of the nutrients in food fall into three major groups: proteins, fats and carbohydrates .
The body uses fat as a fuel source, and fat is the major storage form of energy in the body. Fat also has many other important functions in the body, and a moderate amount is needed in the diet for good health. Fats in food come in several forms, including saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Too much fat or too much of the wrong type of fat can be unhealthy.

Sources of healthy fat are -

• 1. Avocados
• 2. Nuts
• 3. Seeds
• 4. Extra virgin Olive oil
• 5. Fatty fish- Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel, Herring

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• 4. Vitamins 

  

  
  
  

  Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients required by the body to carry out a range of normal functions. However, these micronutrients are not produced in our bodies and must be derived from the food we eat.

   Each has a different role in maintaining health and bodily function. Some people need supplements to boost their supply, but this depends on their lifestyle and overall health.

  
  

  Sources of vitamins are -

  • 1. Fruits
  • 2. Vegetables
  • 3. Poultry
  • 4. Seeds
  • 5. Nuts

  5. MINERALS

  

  
  Minerals are essential nutrients that the body needs for various functions. Some important minerals for the body include calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium. These minerals play vital roles in bone health, muscle function, nerve transmission, immune support, and more. Eating a balanced diet with a variety of foods can help ensure you get the necessary minerals for your body’s well-being.

  sources of minerals are -

  • 1. Fish
  • 2. Meat
  • 3. Beans
  • 4. Cereals
  • 5. Nuts & SeeDS

  • 6. FIBRE

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  • Fiber is a type of carbohydrate  that the body can’t digest. Though most carbohydrates are broken down into sugar molecules called glucose, fiber cannot be broken down into sugar molecules, and instead it passes through the body undigested. Fiber helps regulate the body’s use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check.

  1. 1. Sources of fibre are -

        • 1.Oats, dahlia, Quinoa and Brown rice
        • 2.Beans
        • 3.Whole grains
        • 4. Nuts & seeds