World Health Day 2021: Few regular tips to make you healthy and happy

We have brought here some regular tips to make your lifestyle healthier and happier.

World health day is observed across the globe on April 7. We have brought here some regular tips to make your lifestyle healthier and happier.

1. Include a source of good quality protein in your diet: Add protein sources like dals, soya, milk, curd, nuts and seeds. This will ensure satiety and help you meet your daily requirements of protein.

2. Enhance your Iron intake: Enhance your iron absorption by pairing the iron-rich food with a source of vitamin C sources (fresh chutney, citrus fruit or adding lemon juice to dal).

3. Include green some veggies at the very start of a meal will ensure that we get to eat enough of them. For those who do not like veggies, some unconventional preparation methods like making a dip or adding it to breads works well.

4. In addition to nuts, their less decorated cousins – seeds (flax, watermelon, sunflower, etc.) are worth your attention. They provide adequate zinc, magnesium and omega-3 fats. Make these a part of the snack menu.

5. Use fresh ingredients and avoid the ready-to- eat, ultra-processed foods.

6. Fermented foods are also great additions in the daily menu.

Despite all good intentions, there are likely to be roadblocks in this process of change. Some of the commonly encountered ones are:

Many lament that eating healthy foods is boring and unappetising, thus not sustainable. In such cases, don’t simply eliminate the unhealthy favourites from the menu. All you have to do is substitute healthier ingredients into the recipe. If you love bread, there is no need to cut it out altogether, but you could look to substitute mayo with hummus or a yogurt dip in your sandwich. Reducing the portion size of the not-so-desirable foods can help achieve the goal.