Chapter – 3 Proper Diet is the Basis of a Healthy Body

Chapter – 3 Proper Diet is the Basis of a Healthy Body

1. What is mindful eating?

• Definition: mindful eating means paying close attention to what you eat,  and paying attention to the taste, smell,  and texture of your food.
• Purpose : It helps you enjoy your food more and helps you be aware of how much you’re eating.
• Eating slowly:  Eating slowly helps you feel full and satisfied even with less food.
• Avoiding distractions : Eating without distractions can help you focus on your food, without being distracted by things like TV or smartphones.
• Listening to your body : This involves paying attention to your body’s hunger and satiety signals.

2. Why is mindful eating important?

• Improves digestion: Chewing food slowly and thoroughly improves digestion.
• Avoid overeating:  By being mindful  of what you eat, you can avoid overeating.
• Enjoy food : You can better enjoy the taste and texture of your food.
• Healthy choices : It helps you make healthy food choices as you become more aware of what you are eating.
• Reduces stress : Mindful eating can make food more comforting and less stressful.

3. How to practice mindful eating?

• Start with small portions : Start with small portions to avoid overeating.
• Chew food thoroughly : Chew your food thoroughly before swallowing.
• Use all your senses:  Pay attention to the color, smell,  and texture of your food.
• Avoid multitasking : Focus on your food instead of other activities like watching TV.
• Be grateful : Appreciate the food you have and think about where it comes from.

4. Benefits of mindful eating

• Healthy eating habits : Help you make better food choices and avoid unhealthy snacks.
• Better weight management : Preventing overeating can help maintain a healthy weight.
• Increased satisfaction : You feel more satisfied with smaller amounts of food.
• Better relationship with food : Helps to build a positive and respectful attitude towards food.
• Increased pleasure : Makes meal times more enjoyable and gratifying.

 

 

5. Common Eating Mistakes

• Eating too fast: This makes you eat more, because your body does not get the signal that your stomach is full.
• Eating when you are distracted : This can cause you to eat more and not be able to enjoy the food.
• Ignoring hunger cues : Not listening to your body’s hunger cues can cause you to eat more or less.
• Skipping meals : This can cause you to eat more later in the day.
• Eating without being present : Losing the enjoyment and benefits of your food.

6. Diverse Food Choices

• Variety of food : People in India eat a wide variety of food, which contains different nutrients and ingredients.
• Factors influencing food choices: What people eat can depend on local crops, personal tastes, cultural traditions, and regional practices.

7. Reducing food waste

• The value of food : Many people leave food without eating. It is important to appreciate the hard work of the farmers and others who deliver food to our dining tables.
• Eat only as much food as you can eat : To reduce food waste, only eat as much food as you can actually eat.
• Food Journey : Learn about the steps involved in getting food from the farm to your plate to better understand its value.

8. The Importance of Healthy Eating

• Food gives us energy : Our food gives us energy, helps us grow, repairs our body and keeps us healthy.
• Nutrients: Essential nutrients in food include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals as well as dietary fiber and water.
• Functions of Nutrients :
  • Carbohydrates and fats : The main sources of energy.
  • Proteins : Help build and repair body tissues.
  • Vitamins and minerals : Strengthen the body and protect against diseases.
• Balanced diet : A balanced diet means getting the right amount of nutrients, including fiber and water.

9. Deficiency Diseases

• Nutrient deficiencies : Lack of essential nutrients over time can lead to health issues and diseases.
• Junk food : Junk food is very high in sugar and fat, but low in important nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals.

10. Benefits of Millets and Local Foods

• Millet : These are nutritious grains that provide many essential nutrients and can be grown in different climates.
• Local and plant-based foods:  Eating locally grown and plant-based foods is good for your health and helps protect the environment.
• Food miles:  Food miles are the distance of food from production to your plate. Reducing this distance is better for the Earth.

11. Avoiding food waste

• Eat mindfully : Always eat as much food as you can to prevent food waste.

12. Nutrient Testing

• Starch Testing :
  • Use an iodine solution to check starches in foods.
  • If the color of the food becomes blue-black, then starch is present in it.
  • Testing material: potato, bread, rice, etc.

• Fat Test :
  • Put the food on the paper and press it.
  • Oily patches indicate the presence of fat.
  • Test items: butter, peanuts, etc.

• Protein Test :
  • Make a paste of food and add water, copper sulphate and caustic soda to it.
  • The purple color reflects the presence of proteins.
  • Test items: bread, rice, etc.

13. Balanced diet

• Nutrient Requirements :
  • Nutritional requirements vary according to age, gender, and lifestyle.
  • A balanced diet includes all the necessary nutrients, fodder, and water.

 

• Components of a balanced diet :
  • Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
  • Helps with growth, energy and disease protection.

 

• Junk food :
  • It is high in sugar and fat and low in essential nutrients.
  • This can lead to health problems such as obesity.

14. Millet: Nutrient-rich cereal

• Types of Millets :
  • Jowar, bajra, ragi and sawa.

• Benefits of Nutrition :
  •  Good sources of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
  • Can be easily grown in different climates.

15. Food Meals

• Definition :
  • The distance from food production to reaching your plate.

• Significance :
  • Reducing food miles reduces costs, reduces pollution, and helps local farmers.

• Procedure :
  • This includes stages such as cultivation, grinding, packaging, and transportation.

16. Conscious eating

• Avoid wastage of food :
  • Eat only as much food as you can to reduce food waste.

• Respect the food :
  • Appreciate the effort that goes into producing food.

• Support Local Producers :
  • Buying locally grown food grains helps farmers and reduces environmental impact.

• Carbohydrate : A type of nutrient found in foods such as bread and rice that gives us energy.
• Cooking Practices : Methods and techniques used in cooking and preparing food.
• Deficiency diseases : Health problems caused by a lack of essential nutrients in the diet, such as scurvy or rickets.
• Scurvy: A disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, which causes symptoms such as bleeding gums and weakness.
• Fats : nutrients that provide energy and help our body absorb vitamins. Found in foods such as butter and oil.
• Food components : various substances found in food, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
• Rickets :  A disease caused by deficiency of vitamin D,  calcium or phosphate in children, due to which the bones become weak or soft.
• Food miles : The distance that food travels from its place of production to its place of consumption.
• Minerals : essential nutrients that help in various functions of the body, such as calcium for bones and iron for the blood.
• Nutrients : The substances present in food that our body needs to function properly, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
• Millets: Small,  nutritious grains like jowar and millet that are good for health and can be grown in different climates.
• Proteins : Essential nutrients for building and repairing body tissues, which are found in foods such as meat, beans and nuts.
• Roughage : It is also called dietary fiber. It helps to keep our digestive system healthy. It is found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Vitamins : Essential nutrients in small quantities to keep our body healthy, such as vitamin A for vision and vitamin C for skin.
• Iodized salt : Salt mixed with iodine to prevent iodine deficiency, which can cause health problems like goitre.
• Analysis : Observing something carefully in order to understand its parts and their mutual function. For example, to understand what they mean by analyzing the results of a scientific experiment.
• Survey : Gathering information or opinions from a group of people. For example, in a survey people might be asked what type of food they like.
• Explain : To explain the meaning of something. For example, interpreting the results of a test to determine what they imply about a student’s understanding.
• Prediction: A projection of what will happen in the future based on current information. For example, forecasting tomorrow’s weather based on today’s conditions.
• To observe: To observe or notice something carefully. For example, learning about the needs of plants to see how they grow in different conditions.
• Investigating: To conduct a detailed investigation or research to find out more about something. For example, test the water, light,  and soil of a plant to find out why it is not growing well.
• Inference: To arrive at a conclusion based on evidence and logic. For example, estimating that if a plant’s leaves are withering, it needs more water.
• Compare : Look at two or more things to see how they are similar or different. For example, compare two types of fruit to see which has the most vitamins.