For general information, we give below what should constitute of balanced diet. A balanced diet should include carbohydrate, protein, good fat, vitamins and minerals.
Carbohydrate:-There are two types of carbohydrates-simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates raise blood sugar level much faster than complex carbohydrates. Avoiding carbohydrates completely like in some stylish diets may result in cardiovascular risk. Simple carbohydrates include soda, refined sugar, refined flour, refined rice, fruit juice, artificial sweeteners, white bread, pasta, processed and preserved food, etc. Refined items are stripped of their natural fibre and are known as food with high glycemic index (GI). GI measures how carbohydrate containing food raises blood sugar. Fruits are also simple carbohydrates but fruits are naturally sweet, enriched with vitamins and minerals required by the body.
A person should have more complex carbohydrates in their dietary intake. Simple carbohydrates like milk and fruits should also be included for vitamins and minerals. Milk or fresh curd should be taken for meeting calcium requirement of the body. Diabetic patients should eat fruits which are not too sweet. Insufficient intake of carbohydrates results in low energy and muscle wasting.
Protein:- Protein is found in muscles, bones, cartilage and skin of human body. Some proteins are synthesized inside the body while others must be taken through diet. Animal protein (meat, fish, eggs) are high quality protein. Also, a combination diet of legumes, millets and cereals (poha-flattened rice, murmura-puffed rice, jau-oats) are good source of protein. Protein provides 4 kCal/g.
Fats:- Fats are essential requirement for the body to absorb vitamins which are fat soluble like vitamin A, D, E, K. Fats provide 9kCal/g. Fats are of two types-saturated fat (found in animal meat) and unsaturated fat (found in plant sources and fish). Saturated fat increases cholesterol. Hydrogenated fats known as trans fats are found in baked (cake, pastry, cookies, biscuits, pizza), processed (cheese, butter, processed and preserved meat), deep fried items (samosa, bhajiya, namkeen, fried chicken, fried aloo chips, french fries, fish finger, sausage, hot dogs, bacons), desserts (ice-cream) are known to be unhealthy. Therefore, one must avoid eating saturated fat and transfat. Since, Indian food is cooked in mustard oil/ coconut oil/ olive oil/ sunflower oil/ canola oil, groundnut oil, etc, the unsaturated fat required by body is automatically taken care of. However, one must keep an eye on the quantity of oil used for cooking as too much of it is again unhealthy. While processed butter/ cheese, may be avoided, home made chhaas (buttermilk), homemade ghee (not more than 1 teaspoon a week), chhena (cottage cheese), homemade curd is good for health.
Vitamins and Minerals:- Vitamins are required by the brain, sense organs (eyes, ear, nose, throat, skin), blood and mucous membrane. Brittle hair and nails (Vit B deficiency), mouth ulcers, scurvy (bleeding gums) (Vit C deficiency), poor vision (vit A deficiency), dermatitis, dandruff, skin disease (Niacin deficiency), etc. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, while vitamin C, and the B-complex vitamins such as thiamin (B ), 1 riboflavin (B ), niacin, pyridoxine (B ), Folic acid and cyanocobalamin (B 12 ) are water soluble. Pro-vitamin like beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body. Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body but water-soluble vitamins get easily excreted through urine. Vitamins B-complex and C are are easily destroyed by heat, air or during drying, cooking and food processing. While milk is a good source of calcium, vitamins are available in various fruits, Vitamin A is in abundance in yellow fruits like papaya, mango, etc; Vitamin C is available in Amla (Indian gooseberry), Santara (Orange), and most citrus fruits (Nimbu-lemon, Musambi-Lime). Green leafy vegetables are rich sources of iron. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, riboflavin and selenium protect the human body from free radical damage.
Minerals are inorganic elements found in body fluids and tissues. The important macro minerals are sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulphur, while zinc, copper, selenium, molybdenum, fluorine, cobalt, chromium and iodine are micro minerals. They are required for maintenance and integrity of skin, hair, nails, blood and soft tissues. They also govern nerve cell transmission, acid/base and fluid balance, enzyme and hormone activity as well as the blood- clotting processes. While trace minerals are vital for health, overdose of minerals may do more harm than good. Therefore, vitamin and mineral supplements should be taken only when prescribed by doctor. Gur or Jaggery is one food item which contains iron, zinc, phosphorous, selenium and copper. Coconut water is known to be a good source of trace minerals.
Potassium and Phosphorous interfere with well being of kidney patients and should be taken in restricted amounts.
Balanced diet requires a combination of carbohydrates, protein, unsaturated fat, vitamins and minerals. A balanced diet is one which provides all the nutrients in required amounts and proper proportions. It should provide around 50-60% of total calories from carbohydrates, preferably from complex carbohydrates, about 10-15% from proteins and 20-30% from fat. In addition, a balanced diet should provide other non-nutrients such as dietary fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals which bestow positive health benefits. Other phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavones, etc., also afford protection against oxidant damage. Spices like turmeric, ginger, garlic, cumin and cloves are rich in antioxidants.
Balanced Diet can be achieved through a blend of the four basic food groups:
- Cereals, Millets, Pulses
- Vegetables and Fruits
- Animal Protein-Milk, Milk products (dahi, chhena, chhas, ghee), Eggs, Meat, Chicken, Fish
- Nuts, oilseeds, oil
Purine rich food: Alcohol, Meat, Sea fish, oily fish like hilsa, are rich in purines. Purines are compunds which form uric acid after digestion by stomach. During digestion, purines break down to form uric acid, which, in extreme excess, can form crystals that get deposited in the joints and cause pain and inflammation (gout). In order to avoid uric acid accumulation in the body, one must opt for low purine foods.
Some types of purine rich foods are raisins, dried plum, sprouts, broccoli, artichoke (kochu), leek, apricot, mushroom, spinach, banana, chicken, shrimp (chingri), meat, beef, oyster, green peas, peanut (badam), lentils (daal, beans), french beans, dairy products, etc.
Low purine food are skimmed milk, fresh cottage cheese (chhena), fresh homemade curd (dahi), whole wheat flour, millets, potatoes, fruits and vegetables having vitamin C, eggs, tea etc.