Five Tips to Balance Lifestyle and Eating Habits

Every time I switch on my television, I am inundated with the advertisements of food products and services brands. Lately, “health and lifestyle” has become the quintessential part of advertising jingles and “instant food” has become a lifestyle fad.

Apparently, nothing seems to be left untouched from food adulteration and preservatives, leaving 

households confused between taste and health, and their preferred lifestyle.

You are what you eat

My grandmother always told me – “You are what you eat”. Maybe that is the reason why I find myself looking more like the junk food eater rather than the fit person I used to be Does it mean that if I start eating green leafy vegetables, I would start looking like grass? Well no, a balanced diet that suits our palate and lifestyle is very important.

How to Balance eating habits and lifestyle

Life has become busy and we often find ourselves running behind our duties, dreams and responsibilities to such an extent that our diet gets neglected. With incorporation of new “lifestyle” food, health has taken a backseat. Whether you stay in a city or a small town, it is very important for you to balance your lifestyle and eating habits. Here are a few tips that I think would help in achieving the balance, irrespective of the lifestyle.

Morning Breakfast

You needs to eat your breakfast every day and it should comprise fibers, dry 

fruits and essential nutrients. Research shows that people who eat their breakfast regularly weigh lesser than those who do not. Eating breakfast revs up your metabolism and helps you fight stress, thereby keeping you active for the rest of the day. 

Increase water intake

You must drink at least 1-2 liters water a day. Water transports nutrients and energy to cells, regulates body temperature, removes wastes, supports muscles, and helps to regulate body weight. Irrespective of the job you are in, ensure that your workplace, meeting rooms and cars have sufficient amount of water storage. 

 Replace excessive hot beverages with healthier alternatives

I have seen people jumping from one meeting to another, working late, and resorting to high intake of caffeine and tea. Your daily dose of 2 or 3 cups of caffeinated drinks is acceptable, but ensure that you learn to say no to additional drinks or replace them with green tea, black tea or plain warm water.

Smart food 

By smart food, I did not mean junk food or instant food. I rather implied “right food” which is natural, balanced, and in right proportions.  At times, when you are busy or on the run, keep fruits, dry fruits and steamed vegetables handy. If you cannot carry a big lunch pack to work, a box with raw salads or steamed vegetables would be helpful. They would not just give you enough energy but also keep you mentally alert as well.  

Eliminate White Poison:  Avoid Salt, Sugar and White Flour from your food.

- “A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. ”Leo Tolstoy

Avoid Meat

Non-vegetarian food, as compared to vegetarian food, takes a longer time to digest. It stays in your body for almost a day or two. Till it gets digested, it needs to be preserved in the body. Eating meat is fine, but prefer to eat healthier ones like chicken and fish. Mutton is a strict no-no. If not for the concern of other living beings that cannot speak and resist, avoid meat for your own health benefit.  

There's a great metaphor that one of my doctors uses: “If a fish is swimming in a dirty tank and it gets sick, do you take it to the vet and amputate the fin? No, you clean the water.” So, I cleaned up my system. By eating organic raw green vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats, I am flooding my body with enzymes, vitamins, and oxygen.

Remember healthy habits not just prolong your lifespan but also aid your overall well-being and mental fitness. What we eat is what we become. And who does not want to look good and keep fit these days? 

A healthy lifestyle also calls for the right Health Insurance Plan. I recently came across the Royal Sundaram Health Insurance Plan which has good offers for you and your family too. Take a look at the array of their policies online. They also have ISO certified claim process that you may want to know. So if you have decided to take this policy? What are your thoughts on Health Insurance Plans? Do write to us.