Adapt 10 Good over Bad Nutritional Habits this Dussehra

Dussehra is the festival that celebrates Lord Rama’s victory over the demon king Ravana, but this Dussehra, let’s focus on our demons. Well, if you still didn’t get it, we are talking about our very own devils that we have to battle every day, our bad habits! This Dussehra, let’s pledge to get over these bad habits and adopt these 10 good nutritional habits for healthy living:

• Snack on fruit instead of chips: Well, we often choose a packet of chips over fruits and vegetables. Isn’t it? But consuming fresh and seasonal fruits can do wonders to your health like no other. To adopt this habit you can do certain changes in your habits like keeping an apple in your bag on your way to work instead of processed chips.
• Inculcate the habit of drinking water instead of drinking aerated drinks: Limiting liquid calories like soda, sweetened drinks or fruit juices is one of the simplest ways to cut out calories and sugar from your diet and to make yourself all healthy. Sweetened drinks like soda provide no nutritional value and are just empty calories for our body. Water will keep you hydrated, keeps your mind active without stocking up on any calories.
• Prefer home-made nutrient-rich foods rather than junk foods: Junk food piles up your system with health woes and affects your gut flora. Instead of having them, choose more homemade, nutrient-rich, and easy to digest options like kale chips instead of potato chips, homemade smoothies instead of milkshakes or bunless burgers instead of traditional burgers to cut on those carbs.
• Swap your refined grains with whole grains: Refined grains have high caloric content and provide no nutrition to your body. They can lead to serious health problems like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and type-2 diabetes. Refined products like sugar, salt or refined flour have a high Glycemic Index (GI), which leads to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels after meals. Instead include whole products like whole grains, and legumes, natural sugars from fruits, and naturally occurring iodine in pink Himalayan salt.
• Choose fresh foods over frozen: Frozen foods like frozen fruits, frozen dried fruits, frozen fries, frozen peas are readily available in the markets and often used in many households but it lacks nutritional value. So, one should prefer fresh food items like fresh peas or homemade fries enriched with all the necessary nutrients and fibre.
• Eat a colourful salad or veggies instead of consuming the same foods everyday: It is said that a rainbow of veggies and fruits can do wonders to one’s health like no other. Eating a variety of salads or fruits is a great way to get a variety of nutrients. Several top picks include lettuce, kale or spinach topped with a colourful assortment of tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, beets, mushrooms, or cucumbers and nuts. It will provide many healthy nutrients including antioxidant vitamins A and C, potassium, fibre, and more.
• Consume home-made concoctions/herbal tea instead of caffeinated drinks: Caffeinated drinks usually curb hunger, reduce the absorption of calcium, and act as a stimulant. Instead of having them each day, try to have herbal teas with natural ingredients like ginger, peppercorns, clove, cinnamon, or cardamom. They will not only make you feel fresh but also boosts up your overall health.
• Say no to healthy halo foods: Advertising claims on the front of food packages can make foods seem healthier than they are. For example, a box of cookies might advertise that they are made from all-natural, non-GMO but those cookies may be very high in unhealthy fat, added sugar, and empty calories. So, be aware of such foods, ditch them and always pick up natural and home-made foods.
• Make protein-rich foods a priority: It is crucial to eat protein with every meal; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Proteins not only help in repairing muscle and fill in for muscle loss but also helps in weight loss and boost metabolic activity.
• Choose healthy fats instead of completely cutting them from your diet: A lot of people completely cut out fats from the diet in the name of health and wellness. But fats are extremely vital for the body. Choosing the type of fats is all that can make a difference. Choose healthy oils and good sources of fats like olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, fatty fishes, avocados as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that can slay your health like a pro!

Over to you:
This Dussehra try to let go of all those unhealthy food habits to make a better way for your mental and physical health. Make wise food choices and your body will thank you!