Diet: Focus on small changes to start with

Following an active lifestyle rather than a sedentary one is essential to eliminate risk of diseases, says Tej Prakash Soni.
Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

It is the quality of life rather than its longevity that is the key goal for health promotion.

An individual's focus should be on adding life to years, and not years to life.

The key to achieve this goal lies in attaining the effective and optimal balance of fitness, nutrition, and diet.

It can be difficult to change your entire diet chart immediately; it is best to focus on small changes to start with.

Analyse your current diet and find the strong and weak points; such as:

Are you taking enough fiber?

Include whole grain wheat, nuts and seeds to your diet along with lots of green vegetables, as they are the biggest resource of fiber.

Is your daily requirement of vitamins met?

To meet the daily requirements of vitamin add milk, fruits, green salads, eggs and avocados, red meat, and mushrooms to your lunch or dinner.

Is there a particular food group that you consume more?

There should be a mix of all food groups including vegetables, fruits, seeds, grains, dairy, poultry and fats and oils.

The recommended number of daily servings of each food type is a total of 2,000 calories

What should be your ideal serving size?

An ideal serving size depends upon the food group, it's better to have a look and follow the serving size mentioned in the nutrition facts label available on every food package.

You may also take help from a dietician or nutritionist to help figure out the best diet plan for your body.

Following an active lifestyle rather than a sedentary one is essential to eliminate risk of diseases.

While physical activity is proven to improve both mental and physical health and prolongs optimal health; merely going to gym and buffing up biceps won't help.

Light and moderate activities such as brisk walking, jogging, aerobics, etc, is necessary for the body to improve blood circulation, manage blood pressure, counter anxiety and depression, increase muscle strength and prevent chronic illnesses and diseases.

Yoga (postures & pranayama) and meditation are a holistic fitness package whose benefits are felt in a profound yet subtle manner.

One should inculcate this practice early on to maintain healthy & balanced lifestyle.

After the age of 30 years, it is essential for an individual to go for regular medical checkups and tests to eliminate risk of fatal diseases such as cancer, etc.

Checkups incorporate several tests, including preventative screenings and physical examinations, to check patients' current health and risks.

Screening tests and medical examinations can pick up any serious conditions that might not be causing symptoms yet.

Cancer can be effectively curbed with right therapy if detected at an early stage.

Prevention is always better than cure.