Postpone disease, ill health with right food

Many aspects of our body are genetically coded. All of us are programmed to precipitate some form of disease at a particular age. Our heredity can to certain extent influence our state of health. But not entirely!

The age to which we live need not be determined by our parents’ age. We can reshape our health problems, provided we know how to go about it. The length of our life, the way we feel and the way we look depends to a great degree on the food and lifestyle choices we make. Diseases and ill-health can be postponed by making changes in eating habits. As we eat food at least three times a day, it has a profound effect on almost every aspect of our mind and body. It affects the enzymes, the hormones, therefore the blood, body organs, bones and health in general.

But how many of us "think" about the quality and health benefits of food before putting it into the mouth. People proceed to eat foods that accelerate the aging process, cause cancer, diabetes and heart disease, weaken their bones, make them obese to the extent that they are not able to "live it up" any more. Such people usually end up with a long list of medications and diets, because their taste buds and habits have robbed them of health.

When we change the foods we eat, the difference that it can make to our health can be astonishing. Some problems that we may have thought were genetic may vanish. Our success at eliminating health problems greatly depends on our motivation levels. If we are motivated and willing, we can gain a new level of health and a new body. Fortunately for us the human body is very forgiving. The best time to start eating healthy is now. At any given age you can let the natural power of foods work for you.

HEALTH WISDOM

* Eat at least 3-5 fruits a day. Choose deep coloured fruits like pomegranate, watermelon, strawberries, oranges, apples, papaya etc. over less coloured ones.
* Eat at least two calcium rich foods everyday – namely curd and whole beans (like rajma, chana), leafy vegetables, tofu, soyabean, almonds, sesame seeds etc.
* Drink at least one glass of vegetable juice daily. This could be made from different combination of vegetables for e.g. spinach+tomato+carrot or cucumber+tomato+onion or tomato+beetroot+carrot or coriander leaves+tomato or fruit may be added as in orange+tomato+carrot.
* Limit your oil intake to 3-4 teaspoons in a day.
* Give up smoking and limit alcohol to not more than 3-5 drinks in a week, not exceeding two drinks at any given occasion.
* Avoid maida-based foods completely like white bread, naan, rumali roti, pastries, cakes. * Avoid table sugar completely and indulge in the natural goodness of dates, black raisin, fruits etc.
* Eat more fibre as in jowar, bajra, oats, whole wheat, whole dals, chowli, whole mung, black dal etc.
* Increase intake of raw foods like carrots, cabbage, cucumber, onions, capsicum, and tomatoes.
* Walk briskly for 30-40 minutes 4-5 days in a week.