Why do we eat? Everybody may have a different reason – energy, taste, nourishment. Our choices of what we eat depend a lot on this.
What we eat contributes to our blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, mood, energy. Although taste is important, but it should not be the only factor in deciding what we eat. Food plays an important role in how our body functions. What we eat is what we become, therefore, you are what you eat.
Keeping yourself and your goals in mind, your diet should help you to be your best self. There are multiple diet options, each one claiming to be the best. It is important to take a balanced diet – in terms of both macronutrients and micronutrients.
There is no single diet which works for everyone. The best diet is a Personalized Diet, devised according to medical requirements and personal preferences of each person.
What are macronutrients?
Macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates and fats and each one is essential. The ratio of each required from person to person may vary at different stages of life. Not only is the quantity of each important, so is the quality. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates, but so are white bread and fruit juices. Salami and hot dogs are sources of poor-quality proteins, salmon and lentils being the healthier options. Avocado, nuts, olives, flax and sesame seeds are sources of good fats, whereas palm oil, margarine and coconut oil are the unhealthy fats.
What are micronutrients?
They are called micronutrients because they are needed only in minuscule amounts. According to the World Health Organization, these substances are the “magic wands” that enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances essential for proper growth and development.
Vitamins are one category of essential micronutrients and there are many vitamins – A, B, C, D, E and K. Other micronutrients are minerals like calcium, zinc, copper, iodine, magnesium, selenium, chromium, boron which are required for many functions by the body, including how our body processes carbohydrates, proteins and fats – so a processed diet stripped of these micronutrients is not good for the body.
What is the Best Diet?
According to a 2020 survey of experts by US News, the healthiest diets are the Mediterranean, DASH, Flexitarian and MIND diets (more on these later).
But there is no single diet which works for everyone. The best diet is a Personalized Diet, devised according to medical requirements and personal preferences of each person. And a final word – it’s not a diet, it’s healthy eating!