Healthy Lifestyle

              Obesity is not just a local or national concern but a global one. In India, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased rapidly in recent decades. Obesity in India is increasing faster than the world average. For instance, the prevalence of overweight increased from 8.4% to 15.5% among women between 1998 and 2015, and the prevalence of obesity increased from 2.2% to 5.1% over the same period. 

A huge part of the population has started to follow healthy eating to overcome this. A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients, micronutrients, and adequate calories. Healthy eating has many other benefits. When we eat well we sleep better, have more energy, and better concentration – and this all adds up to healthier, happier lives! Healthy eating should be an enjoyable social experience. When children and young people eat and drink well they get all the essential nutrients they need for proper growth and development and develop a good relationship with food and other social skills. 

 The World Health Organization (WHO) makes the following five recommendations concerning both populations and individuals: Maintain a healthy weight by eating roughly the same number of calories that your body is using. Limit intake of fats. Not more than 30% of the total calories should come from fats. Prefer unsaturated fats to saturated fats. Avoid trans fats. Eat at least 400 grams of fruits and vegetables per day (potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, and other starchy roots do not count). A healthy diet also contains legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), whole grains, and nuts. Limit the intake of simple sugars to less than 10% of calories (below 5% of calories or 25 grams maybe even better). Limit salt/sodium from all sources and ensure that salt is iodized. Less than 5 grams of salt per day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.The WHO has stated that insufficient vegetables and fruit is the cause of 2.8% of deaths worldwide

Physical activity is essential for keeping physical fitness and can contribute to managing a healthy weight, improving the digestive system, building and maintaining healthy bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility, promoting physiological well-being, reducing surgical risks, and strengthening the immune system. Some studies indicate that exercise may increase life expectancy and the overall quality of life. regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.

There are no magic pills for a better and healthy life you have to eat healthy and live healthy to be healthy and look healthy. End of Story.

Written by,

Rtr. Shreyas Sonavane,

Rotaract Club of Thane East.