Balance Diet:

A diet that contains adequate amounts of all the necessary nutrients

required for healthy growth and activity. A balanced diet contains
sufficient amounts of fiber and the various nutrients to ensure good health.
Food should also provide the appropriate amount of energy and adequate
amounts of water. A balanced diet should be both adequate and
wholesome.
Importance:
It is essential for a healthy body and a healthy mind. You are what you
consume! A balanced diet is important to maintain health and a sensible
body weight. No single food will provide all nutrients it is essential for a
balanced diet that it must contain sufficient amount of nutrients such as
carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals etc.
Improper diet may result in… • Failure to flourish • Poor growth • Poor
development • Poor physical and mental health • Infections disease • Even
death.
Over diet may leads to… • Weight gain • Insulin resistance • Diabetes •
Obesity • Heart conditions • Many other diet related diseases • And death.
Objectives of a balanced and healthy diet:
 To achieve a healthy weight and energy balance.
 Elimination of trans fatty acids and saturated fats.
 Consumption of unsaturated fatty acids.
 Intake of simple sugar should be limited.
 Include a high amount of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and whole
grains.
 Intake iodized salt and limit consumption of sodium.
 Essential amino acids and proteins should form a major part of diet.
 Avoid consumption of food substances containing artificial
preservatives and carcinogens.
 Foods contaminated with human pathogen should be strictly avoided.
 Limit intake of caffeine and alcohol.
 Inclusion of vitamins, minerals and fibers in diet.
 Consume plenty of water.
FOOD GROUPS:
The five food groups are:

Dairy:
the foods in this group are excellent sources of calcium, which is
important for strong, healthy bones. Not many other foods in our diet
contain as much calcium as dairy foods.
Fruit:
fruit provides vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and many
phytonutrients (nutrients naturally present in plants), that help your
body stay healthy.
Grain (cereal) foods:
always choose wholegrain and/or high fibre varieties
of breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, etc. Refined grain products
(such as cakes or biscuits) can be high in added sugar, fat and
sodium.
Lean meats and poultry:
fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds: our body uses
the protein we eat to make specialised chemicals such as
haemoglobin and adrenalin. Protein also builds, maintains, and
repairs the tissues in our body. Muscles and organs (such as your
heart) are made of protein.
Vegetables, legumes and beans:
vegetables should make up a large part of your
daily food intake and should be encouraged at every meal (including
snack times). They provide vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and
phytonutrients (nutrients naturally present in plants) to help your body
stay healthy.

Nutrients:
Two types of nutirents-
1. Major- protein,carbohydrate,fats
2. Micro- minerals- calcium,magnesium,phosphorus,zinc,selenium
-Vitamins- a,d,e,k,c,b group -Water

PROTEINS:
1. Helps in tissue and muscle building
2. Boost up immunity
3. Helps to maintain fluid balance
4. Healing
Deficiency- muscle wasting, weight gain, poor immunity and low hb.
Sources- milk and milk products, soya bean, beans, dals, egg,
chicken, fish.

CARBOHYDRATES:
1. Energy giving compound necessary for daily activity
2. Necessary for proper working of brain, heart, nervous tissue.
Two types of carbohydrate
A. Simple- refined flour, glucose and B complex- fibers
Role of fiber: helps in weight reduction, proper bowel movement and
healthy intestine
Sources: wheat, oats, brans, vegetables, whole cereals and pulses,
fruits.
Excess Consumption results in: weight gain, diabetes mellitus,
Insulin resistance ,hypertriglyceridemia ,CAD
Deiciency- constipation,low mental performance,ketoacidosis.

FATS:
The main function is to give energy. Important for transport of
vitamins a,d,e,k. Covers organs acts as insulators to our vital organs
like heart,kidney,liver.
Types of fats: saturated and unsaturated.
Saturated- solid at room temperature ghee,butter,coconut oil.. This is
bad for our health..
Unsaturated-liquid at room temperature, omega 3 fatty acid omega 6
fatty acid… good for our health
Sources: olive oil,rice bran oil, soyabean oil,groundnut oil,mustard
oil- Good source of omega 3 fatty acid- almonds,fish,walnuts.
Deficency- vitamin deficiency,dry skin,nervous disorders
Excess- weight gain,elevated blood lipid levels,CAD
RDA FOR MAJOR NURTRIENTS:
Carbohyrates- 65% of total diet
Proteins- 1g/kg of body weight
Fats – 3-4 tsp oil and 1 tsp ghee..aprrox 0.5-1 L/person in a family.

MINERALS:
Inorganic elements found in food that are essential to life processes.
About 25 are essential. Classified as major or trace minerals .RDA’s
have only been determined for 7 minerals- calcium, phosphorus,
sodium, potasium, magnesium, iron, zinc.

CALCIUM
Helps in proper bone formation-Cells signalling,blood clot
formation,muscle contraction. Sources – dairy products, Green leafy
vegetables, beans, Fish. Lack of calcium in diet leads to
Osteoporesis,frequent fractures, Muscle cramps, obesity. Rda- 1-2
g/d

IRON AND FOLIC ACID:

Most important for proper haemoglobin levels in our body. Its
deficiency causes anemia.. Sources of iron : red meat, Egg
yolk,beans and legumes, Dried fruits,fruits,ragi,bajra, Jowar,jagrey,
sprouted and Fermented food products Rda for iron: 30mg

SODIUM:
A mineral that regulates body fluid volume, concentration and acid-
base -sources: table salt (sodium chloride), foods processed with
table salt, milk, milk products, eggs and seafoods

OTHERS:
• Magnesium: A mineral found mainly inside muscles, soft tissues
and bone. It functions in many enzyme processes. • Zinc: A mineral
involved in wound healing, taste sensation, growth and sexual
maturation and part of many enzymes regulating metabolism
sources: meat, liver, eggs and seafood (oysters). • Iodine: Iodine is
needed for the normal metabolism of cells. Metabolism is the process
of converting food into energy. Humans need iodine for normal
thyroid function, and for the production of thyroid hormones. Sources
-Iodized salt is table salt with iodine added. It is the main food source
of iodine.Seafood is naturally rich in iodine. Cod, sea bass, haddock,
and perch are good sources. Deficiency – Hypothyroidism

VITAMINS:
Are complex organic substances-Normal growth, maintenance, and
reproduction-Your body cannot produce all vitamins you can get
those by eating a nutritious diet.-Fat-soluble vitamins: carried in fatty
parts of foods and dissolve in fats (body stores them in fat... build up
can be dangerous)  Water-soluble vitamins: dissolve in water (body
does not store them)
FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS:
This group of vitamins need fat for their absorption.
Deficiency of vit d lead to bone disorders.
Deficiency of vit a leads to night blindness,poor eyesight,skin
problems.
Deficency of vit e leads to skin disease and problems Vit k
deficiency leads to poor blood clotting..
WATER SOLUBLE:
Vit c defiency leads to scurvy,poor wound healing,anemia,heart
problems.

TIPS FOR HEALTHY DIET:

 A well balanced diet including food from all nutrients in correct
form Engage in regular physical exercise atleast 30 mins
 Positive attitude
 Keep smiling always.
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