FAQ’s About Dieting

People try numerous ways to maintain a healthy weight without a clear understanding of nutrition basics. Some fall prey to dangerous crash diets while others keep piling on the pounds even while eating healthily. Are you confused about striking the right balance between diet and health? The answers to these diet FAQs will satisfy most of your concerns and leave you ready to tackle all your health challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dieting

1. What exactly is a ‘healthy diet’?

ANS: A healthy diet is essentially the one that provides your body with all the vital nutrients from a variety of nutrient-rich food items for its optimal functioning. It allows you to balance the calories you consume with the calories you burn, thus maintaining a healthy weight over time. An unequal balance of nutrients or an emphasis on one food group to the exclusion of others deprives your body of essential conditions and leads to various health conditions.

2. How can I modify my existing diet to make it more healthy?

unhealthy and healthy food, Image credits: Pixabay

ANS: Following these few easy rules will put you on the track of healthy eating.

⦁ Reduce the number of salts, sugars, and fats in your existing diet.

⦁ Increase the number of natural food items like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains.

⦁ Ensure that your meals have the right balance of the three major macronutrients, i.e., proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

3. How are calories related to healthy eating?

ANS: Many people believe that the fewer calories they’ll eat, the less they’ll weigh. But calories should not be looked at in this way. Calories are needed by the body to serve and perform daily activities. Only when calories are consumed, more than what is required is when it begins to harm your body. Some highly nutritious foods like nuts, seeds, and starchy vegetables are also high in calories. That does not mean that you should stop consuming them. On the contrary, you should make them a part of your diet by eating them in moderate amounts.

4. Should I avoid carbohydrates and sugars rich food?

Processed foods, Image credits: Pixabay

ANS: Carbohydrates are the principal source of energy for our bodies. Carbohydrates found in fruits, vegetables, and grains take time to get digested by our bodies. Hence they keep us full for longer. But processed carbohydrates found in packaged foods like bread, candy, etc. make our blood sugar unstable and leave us feeling more hungry than before. It is these types of carbohydrates that should be avoided. Similarly, the natural sugar found in fruits and vegetables like potatoes does not harm you while added sugar found in cakes, pastries, and cold drinks is what leads to health issues.

5. What is the difference between a ‘portion’ and a ‘serving’ of food?

ANS. A ‘portion’ is the amount of a particular food that you eat. For example, a plate of pasta. A serving size refers to the amount of that pasta that is recommended to be eaten in one meal. It is generally found under the nutrition facts in the label of any food item.

6. What is the importance of fiber in a healthy diet?

Fiber-rich food, Image credit: Pixabay

ANS: Fibre plays an essential role in the digestion of food. Apart from this, it also helps to prevent heart diseases, manage diabetes, and keep your blood sugar levels stable. The recommended intake of fiber for those up to 50 years of age is 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men. Fiber can be found in foods like oatmeal, cereals, vegetables, and fruits.

7. How many glasses of water should I drink per day?

ANS: More than 70% of our body is water, and so we need to be well-hydrated to function optimally. But it does not mean that you need to gulp huge quantities of water every day. Drink 8 ounces of water each day to keep yourself hydrated and full.