Expert explains how Indian diet is beneficial for fitness and healthy ageing

In a fastpaced life with so many fastfood options easily available its challenging to eat healthy The increased preference for convenience foods and packaged foods combined with stress and environmental pollution renders people more vulnerable to health problems This is where clean eating and eating fresh foods come into playWhile we cannot control the environmental pollutants to which we are exposed we can certainly adopt a healthier diet As more people become aware of this Dr Irfan Shaikh Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs at Abbotts Nutrition business highlights robust and healthier foods that comprise a balanced diet as well as certain activities you can take to age properlyStart Out YoungAs teens grow three essential systems in their bodies change muscle mass along with long bones hormonal maturity and blood and immunity To ensure these areas grow properly you need the right nutrientsBone development Most people think of adequate proteins and calcium when they think of bone development but vitamin D magnesium phosphorus vitamin K collagen and essential fatty acids are also necessary for bone health and turnover Consumption of these nutrients can help reduce bone fracture risk for teens Fish egg chickpea curry mixed vegetable sabzi dal tadka and even some chutneys like flax seed chutney is rich in these nutrientsBlood Iron vitamin B12 and folate are essential for the formation of healthy red blood cells Without adequate iron teens are unable to produce the red blood cells they need to carry oxygen throughout the body Preparations made from spinach like palak paneer palak rice palak dal lentil soups methi paratha and beetroot poriyal are some dishes that are rich in these nutrientsHormonal maturity Balanced diet adequate proteins high fibres stressfree life regular exercise weight control and sound sleep are critical for a successful transition of the hormonal foundation during the early yearsPreventative Care in the 30s and 40sPeople in their 30s and 40s should focus on preventive care particularly when it comes to their heartsCholesterol To lower cholesterol eat plenty of vegetables fruit whole grains proteinrich meals particularly fish and seafood legumes such as beans and lentils nuts and seeds and so onStress Career income and family responsibilities create several possibilities to experience stress Regular exercise and coping abilities to handle stressful situations are crucial to protect your health and mind Some of the best ways to cope with stress are exercising yoga journaling and meditationBlood Pressure Many people are unaware that they have high blood pressure because it has no symptoms and the only way of finding out is to get examined Reducing your sodium and chai or caffeine intake is vital to controlling high blood pressure additionally it is important to stay active and lose fat around the waistlineThe Importance of PrioritisingAs we age what we eat can impact our health so its important to put some thought into what we eat and drink Some key ingredients for future healthy ageing areProtein It is essential at every age whether you want to build muscle retain strength or recuperate from surgery One can find protein in meats beans dairy products fish nuts seeds and cottage cheese and can serve these in the form of various curry preparationsFibrerich Foods like fruits vegetables beans and whole grains can help with lowering cholesterol and managing body weight simply by keeping you full Chana masala baingan bharta and oats upma are some ways in which you can add fibre to your mealCalcium As we age our bones lose some of their calcium and mass heightening the risk of fractures and weaker bones Consuming milk dahi and cheese is a good source of calcium uptake Ragi dosa til chutney and paneer masala are some Indian dishes that are high in protein due to their ingredientsVitamin D It is important for healthy bones and is the only one that can be synthesised when the skin is exposed to sunlight It can be found in fatty fish eggs and vitamin Dfortified dairy productsNutritional supplements A regular balanced diet is crucial to meet daily nutritional requirements and also build stronger muscles as you age However while we recognise that muscles matter and eat accordingly some nutritional gaps may exist To fill these gaps one can include a balanced nutrition supplement like Ensure HMB which is a sciencebased nutritional supplement formulated with 32 vital nutrients and a special ingredient HMB orhydroxymethyl butyrate that helps counteract muscle loss and restore strength and energyEvery person passes many milestones throughout life and health should stay topofmind every step of the way By embracing your cultural dishes which are prepared through locally and organically sourced foods you can stay healthy as you ageAlso Read Fashion nature and mental health Read middaycomrsquos unique features from this weekThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday 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