With so much information floating around, have you ever felt completely lost in understanding your daily nutritional needs? And even after reading and exploring so much, we are again at the same point, eating the same food, and not able to understand what changes to begin with? If you’ve felt this confusion, you’re not alone.
When it comes to nutrition and wellness, the internet is filled with quick fixes, easy hacks and fad diets. But here is the reality: Health nutrition is the foundation that fuels our body with energy to do our daily tasks efficiently.
Our bodies do not need any complicated formulas to stay fit. Instead, it needs consistency and a few healthy habits that we can follow for a longer period of time. So, in this blog, let’s try to explore a few everyday habits that we can follow regularly to maintain our daily health and nutrition.
Do Vegans need to take supplements?
Just imagine a scenario where your friend recently started to follow a vegan diet because she wants to follow a healthy lifestyle. She is sharing pictures of her quinoa bowl and roasted veggies looking all tempting, but suddenly after a few months, she gets her blood work done and finds out the reality is quite different from what she expected.
All of a sudden now she is complaining about hair loss, fatigue and low energy throughout the day. Turns out she was having very low vitamin D and B12.
But does this mean a vegan diet does not have any benefits? No, here the answer is tricky, as vegan diets do have many benefits. They are rich in antioxidant properties along with a good amount of fibre. But we can’t deny the fact that a plant based diet lacks certain nutrients like Vitamin B12, D and even omega-3, as these are not available in plants.
This really does not mean that this diet is not effective, but it just reflects a need to be careful and stay aware that with the help of the right supplementation, we can prevent ourselves from the drawback and stay healthy for a longer period of time. Health nutrition matters a lot, even if we are following our best routine and not taking care of our food choices, in the end it will leave us feeling drained and restless.
And that is the reason why diet and nutrition should always go hand in hand, so that we can make choices in such a way that it can support our long term health.
How much caffeine is too much?
Instead of starting our day with deep breathing/stretching, we start our day with chai/coffee, and that’s one habit that slowly drains our energy for the whole day.
Many of us see chai as comfort and coffee as focus. And honestly yes, it does have that power boost, but balance is the key.
Talking about the diet and nutrition facts, we can have 2-3 small cups of coffee/chai in a day, as 400 mg of caffeine is the safe limit to consume. The only problem is when we have it on an empty stomach or with meals, it hinders our nutrient absorption.
A lot of times many people experience anxiety, stress and sleeplessness due to extremely high caffeine intake, but we can reduce the quantity and even take care of the timings of when and how to have it. It has also shown many benefits. Studies suggest cutting down caffeine in the later evening can help. Eg: after 6 pm we should completely avoid it, as it hinders with our sleep hormones.
That’s the power of small changes, they are easy to follow but can have a big impact on our health. It’s never about giving up on things completely but about managing them in such a way that we are getting the best benefit out of them.
The alarming impact of added sugars:
If there’s something that silently sneaks into our daily health and nutrition, it’s sugar.
It’s in the bread we eat, the biscuits we take, and it’s even present in the “healthy groceries” we buy. Many products have hidden sugar added in them, it can be in the name of preservatives or even sometimes written in such a fancy way that we get confused and consume it thinking it’s healthy.
On the other hand, if we see the diet and nutrition facts of natural sugars, they do not cause any issues if we are eating them in the correct portion sizes. But consuming too much excess sugar can have many issues, it can increase the risk of diabetes, hypertension, and even heart disease.
A young mother once shared one incident where she was giving healthy biscuits to her kids, thinking it was written “healthy” on the label. But the story had a plot twist: when she read the label, she found three different types of sugar added in it. She was shocked to see how she was compromising daily on her child’s health nutrition with processed foods. Even the packaging can also mislead us in so many ways.
The key takeaway here is to understand the importance of being aware. With so many things coming up, it is important for us to be sure of what we are putting in our bodies to stay active and healthy.
Gluten Myths vs Facts:
Don’t eat gluten; it causes weight gain and even gut issues. Gluten free is the new way to go. You must have heard such things on many social media platforms. But deep down we all know it is really not the enemy, as from the very beginning gluten is something we have always included in our diets.
Those who say, “Oh, I feel so much better without gluten,” they underestimate the power of gluten in health and nutrition. Here’s what science actually says: until and unless a person is allergic to gluten, there is no need to completely cut it out.
Dalia, wheat and rotis provide us with so much fiber and energy that there is no point we can skip the benefits of them. But to make it better, we can add different types of millets/grains to our normal wheat flour to increase its nutritional value along with better fiber.
A lot of people these days are considering having processed food in the name of gluten free without knowing the facts. They are even spending more money because such things are not very commonly available in food outlets, but on the other hand when we focus on health nutrition, outside food is high in sugar and fats, making it the unhealthy choice. Simple diet nutrition facts remind us that our ancient whole grains are necessary to provide us with steady energy, while junk or processed food can have sudden energy crashes.
The truth? Sometimes, sticking to our daily traditional foods will not only save us money but also save us from eating unnecessary outside food, which can cause further problems. And diet and nutrition facts should be checked correctly before restricting any particular nutrient in our diets.
Health Checks Women Can’t Miss
Eating healthy food is important to ensure that we are getting all the nutrients that are needed by our body to function well, but preventive care is important too.
In India it’s quite common that women delay their health needs and put their family first, but in such scenarios their own health goes for a toss. Skipping regular screenings leads to carelessness until we notice something big that can lead to any chronic medical illness.
Some medical checkups women should prioritise include:
- Thyroid, Iron, and Vitamin D and B12 tests (common deficiencies)
- Pap smear and HPV tests (for cervical cancer prevention)
- Breast health checks (Mammograms if there is any family history once a year)
Let’s think of these tests as a genuine preventative step. Most people skip these tests in fear of thinking about the results, but let’s be honest: if we see this as an act of self care, it seems like it’s the best step we can take for us and our loved ones. Just like taking care of our health and nutrition daily is an act of self care, these medical tests count as a natural extension to that step.
Healthy Breakfast Ideas
Want to eat clean but don’t know how to make your breakfast healthy?
We all know in the morning rush hours, breakfast is one meal that we either skip or it is always on the go, if this is the case with you too you are not alone.
A good breakfast sets the foundation for the entire day and that’s why it is important to make sure it is nutritionally balanced with all the vital nutrients in it.
Some quick, realistic ideas that you can try:
- Vegetable cheela with curd.
- Oats upma with paneer and veggies.
- Daliya with sprouts and veggies.
- Mix vegetable paratha with yogurt.
Did you notice such easy and regular meals can also be healthy if we make them in the right way and eat them in the right quantity? These are also quick, easy, balanced and easy to carry as well. In fact, when it comes to diet and nutrition facts, like balancing of macros and micronutrients to maintain mindful eating habits, such balanced meals help in maintaining those parameters as well.
Final Thoughts: It’s About Balance, Not Perfection
At the end of the day, diet and nutrition is all about balance. Food is an emotion, and if we redirect it with healthy and unhealthy labels, it can lead to binge eating or even extra cravings.
Here’s the truth most people don’t admit:
We really don’t need a perfect, clean and fancy diet everyday to stay healthy. We just need a few consistent healthy habits like taking less sugar, salt, avoiding frequent junk foods, and adding supplements under a doctor’s advice when necessary. And to support your journey, you can also join us for Habuild’s 14-Day free yoga sessions to build balance and wellness.
A blend of our nani dadi ke nuskhe and modern science is the best way to maintain this balance, and that’s exactly where health nutrition plays a key role. You can definitely enjoy your sweet plate of jalebi if your weekends are full of different grains, fibre and proteins.
No food is unhealthy until we are eating it in an unhealthy amount, so enjoy that piece of chocolate, but make sure to control the portion size along with the understanding of “what’s right” or “what’s wrong” remember: food is not your enemy. It’s your lifelong partner in health and just like any good relationship, it thrives on balance, trust, and care. 🙂
