Benefits Of a Balanced Diet
Let’s start with an example. If my final exams are approaching and I am studying very hard, I expect that I will pass with flying colors. What if I study only the 2-3 subjects which I like and read less of the others? What if, one of the subjects which I read less was crucial for good learning? With such a pattern of studying my results will be disappointing.
The same situation happens with diet. If we balance with all nutrients, health remains good, if not then it deteriorates.
Let’s find the Benefits of a Balanced Diet
- Better Overall Health
Health according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Food is not only something that fills our tummy. We are made up of our food. Remember we are born from the collaboration of a few cells and we grew to be our present self. Of course, the building blocks came from food.
Food and timing of food affect our mental health through hormones. Like we feel delighted when we eat our favorite food, and we are irritated when we have to eat food which is not to our liking. This mood is carried for the whole day. Food affecting mental health goes much deeper, this example is just the beginning.
Social well being will be better if we feel physically and mentally healthy. We often eat to please, our boss or relative, etc. It’s often more “healthy” to eat to please our own self. Remember your boss doesn’t want to feed you, he only wants you to join so that he is less guilty to eat unhealthy food. So let us prioritize social well being more than peer pressure. - Lower Risk of Disease
Unbalanced diet is the source of maximum diseases. We can argue not all diseases are caused by diet. Yes, I agree, hygiene is also a part of balancing diet. So the infectious diseases are covered in this parameter.
Yet there are other diseases that are not foodborne or lifestyle. They attack harshly to those who have low immunity, meaning who are weak. Just like 2 year olds (ok not the naughty ones), who will hit their 12-year-old elder brother but will not hit a 5 year old stranger, because he knows his brother isn’t going to hit back even if he has more strength than 5 year old.
So, the benefits of a balanced diet include strong immunity, which will not let disease growing factors to encourage such ailments. Even if we get those diseases our body will respond to treatment better than a person with low immunity. - A healthy body weight
Balancing for weight is an easy task. I heard a Renowned Nutrition professor in a conference and her words were- “Indian thali is balanced diet”. See it’s that simple. She also mentioned do not eat something that your grandmother doesn’t recognize as food. These two simple things and we achieve benefits of balanced diet.
P.S. Arguments may include pooris and vadas, but please ask your grandma, these were only prepared on festive occasions. - Let’s do a homework
Try to find out what is “CLEAN EATING’. We will discuss it in future blogs then. I would love to hear about your findings on thebasicmeals@gmail.com. - Feeling and looking better
So many claims about glowing skin and flat belly, and people who have used such products would agree they haven’t really benefited for long term.
Point is there is no glowing diet, if you are HEALTHY as per WHO, your skin will automatically glow. In spite of the tanning. Also, if we are in healthy weight range, dresses will automatically look good on us. - Maximum energy
Science says ready energy comes from carbohydrates, once they are exhausted proteins are used and after certain capacity fats are used. So a balanced diet is required for energy production in a systematic way. Obesity or lean body results once we ignore the benefits of a balanced diet. The more energetic we feel, happier, alert and healthy we are! - Stronger Muscles and Bones
Against popular culture, we do not require protein for muscles and calcium for bones. We require a set of nutrients with protein for muscles and the same for bones.
So, a balanced diet provides us with the “SET OF NUTRIENTS’ which are required for strong muscles and bones.
I wish to conclude with the idea that ghee is healthy if taken in correct portions and salads can be bad for health if taken in vast amount. Hence balancing is the key. Here, I welcome “EVERYONE” to help and find their keys, if the lock is troubling you. Visit The Basic Meals' website for more information.
