9 July 2015
The Importance Of Correct Eating HabitsFood not only satisfies hunger it has a positive effect on the body and mind. Mere ingestion of food does not provide energy. Energy is derived from food that is properly digested.
Today, most of us are rushed for and short of - TIME, the thing that is at a premium. Come morning and we are in a rush to reach our place of work on time. We just about manage to grab a bite and maybe down a coffee, soda, juice or something else and we're off. Due to the urgency of reaching our office or place of work in time we do not spare enough thought to the nutrient content of the food we grab at that moment. This results in insufficient nutrient intake as well as eating a lot of processed foods which are harmful to our health but are opted for due to their ease of availability and consumability. Also, even if we do manage to consume a nutritionally balanced food but do not follow the right way to eat, we will not derive the full benefit of the food consumed. The following, healthy eating habits, will ensure that whatever food is eaten, eating the correct way will make available to the body the maximum nutrients from that food. Before you sit down to eat leave all your worries and tensions aside. Be calm, eat in a relaxed state of mind, slowly and enjoy your food. Eating food with a slow and relaxed mind and pace allows proper secretion of digestive juices and their proper action on it to help it get digested properly. Healthy Eating HabitsAnd now on to some healthy eating habits which most of us are aware of but many times do not pay much attention to and then suffer the consequences.
Wash Hands Before EatingThe importance of washing hands before every meal, in fact before we put anything in our mouth can never be over stressed. Wash hands with soap to prevent bacteria on the hands to enter the body via the food. Be Seated While EatingFood is digested better when we sit and eat. Eating while standing affects the digestion. Constipation, obesity, acidity and other stomach related problems are much less when we are seated while eating. Do Not Drink Water With MealsDrinking water with meals affects the digestion of the food. Therefore, drink water 1/2 to 1 hour before or after a meal.
Eat Three Meals A DayAll images are courtesy Free images from freedigitalphotos.net
The first meal of the day should be breakfast and it should be the heaviest of the three meals. The body in the morning is starved of energy and nutrients and breakfast provides a way to replenish these so that the body can work at its maximum during the day.
It is therefore imperative that breakfast is not skipped, rather this meal has to be high in calories and nutrients, to enable one to perform the daily tasks easily. The second meal is the lunch which ought to be lighter than the breakfast but heavier than dinner. Dinner should be the lightest and also comprised of the most easily digestible and nutritious food as the body systems including digestion slow down while we are asleep. Also, take dinner 2 to 3 hours before going to bed so that the food has time to get digested. Chew Food WellThis is the most important of all the points enumerated here and constitutes the foundation for the right way to eat. Though the most important, yet the most neglected, part of eating right. Every morsel of food should be thoroughly masticated from 30-35 times. This is all the more necessary for those who wish to lose weight.
Most of us masticate the food between 15-20 times since we eat fast as a result of our mind being preoccupied with a number of things. Remember, chewing food well prevents constipation, makes teeth strong, improves appetite and prevents a lot many stomach diseases. Interestingly, it has been found that women chew food more times than men do. Also, obese people tend to chew food less than thin persons, according to research studies. Take A Walk After MealsA small walk is beneficial after lunch and dinner. Also, if Vajrasana (Asana No 11, in the link), and also shown in the picture here, is done after meals it helps to digest food faster and better. Eat Only When HungryAnother important point that needs to be emphasized here. Do not eat only to satisfy your taste buds. Only eat when hungry.
Consuming food before the previous one has been digested will lead to indigestion and stomach related diseases. Eat At Fixed TimesKeep a gap of at least 6 hours between 2 major meals. Dinner should be taken early as it takes a longer time to digest. Take 3 meals a day, instead of 2 meals. Do not skip breakfast as the body has been without food for the entire night and needs energy in the morning. Do Not Eat Immediately After ExerciseLet the body return to its normal temperature after exercise before you sit for a meal. However take something light and nutritious,1/2 hour before exercise, as the body needs energy later.
Stop Eating When SatisfiedAt the first sign of feeling satisfied stop eating. You should leave eating when you still want to eat more.
Do not continue eating till you feel full. If you chew food well and eat slowly this will not be a problem as the brain takes about 20 minutes to get a signal of being satisfied. You will feel much better if you get up before that feeling of being full or maybe too full if you eat too much. To Summarize the healthy eating habits :
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