How to Improve Your Diet and Lose Weight Easily!
Changing lifestyles and food habits have given rise to a number of health-related issues. Affluency and easy availability to a variety of processed foods and ready-to-eat meals has unfortunately led to diminished use of naturally cooked and nutritious foods that were eaten traditionally.
This has resulted in increasing rates of lifestyle-related diseases such as heart troubles, diabetes, obesity, constipation, depression etc. While on the other hand, the attraction for size zero or the perfect figure as exhibited by celebrity models and film stars has led to atrocious diet plans and wrong food choices. The obsession with a perfect figure has given rise to increasing cases of bulimia and anorexia, which if unchecked, is severely damaging to the body and mind.
Junk food, ready-to-eat meals, processed dairy and bakery products, cold drinks etc. provide very little or no nutrition. These foods are in fact packed with harmful chemicals in the form of food colors and preservatives. While processing these foods are stripped off of essential fibers, lack of which leads to constipation - the root cause of most problems. In order to combat these problems and increase fitness and vitality, it is essential that our diet be a well-balanced diet. A balanced diet should contain all the essential elements needed by our body. Since food is the fuel that fires up our body system, it is very necessary to provide the right fuel to our body.
The Elements of a Good Diet:
*What we eat
*When we eat
*How often we eat
*How much we eat
**What We Eat:
Food provides us with fuel that we need for energy and repair of the body cells, and to maintain health and fitness. This fuel needed by our body falls into three main groups: Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats.
Carbohydrates: These are the chief source of energy. Our body converts carbohydrates into glucose and glucogen in order to provide fuel to 
the muscles, the nervous system and the brain. The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains, pulses (such as beans and lentils etc.) brown rice, potatoes etc.
There are two categories of carbohydrates:
1. Complex Carbohydrates: These are called complex carbohydrates because the breakdown of these foods to convert into glucose is a slow process over a longer period of time. The glucose is released gradually into the bloodstream to provide long-term energy without feeling hunger pangs for a long time. Therefore these carbohydrates are called good carbohydrates. These should form the major portion of a good diet. These are found in starch and plant cell wall materials (also called as dietary fiber) in foods of plant origin.
eg: Wheat, beans, unpolished rice, potatoes and all fruits and vegetables.
2. Refined Carbohydrates: These are generally high-calorie carbohydrates that have been processed or are refined; which essentially means that all health giving nutrients have been extracted from these foods. These carbohydrates are quickly absorbed itno the bloodstream and provide instant bursts of energy . These bursts are followed by a corresponding feeling of fatigue when the sugars in the blood deplete quickly. Because of these swings in sugar levels, we tend to eat more sweets than are necessary. Refined carbohydrates upset our natural blood sugar levels and cannot provide the gradual release of energy and nutrients that are supplied by whole carbohydrates. Therefore these foods should only be eaten occasionally.
eg: Foods that contain refined white flour and sugar as the major ingredients.
Proteins: Proteins are most essential for building new body tissue and supplying essential amino acids - the small units of proteins that repair 
cell tissue. It also helps to build and maintain muscle and bone tissue and is vital to the prduction of hormones and enzymes.
We need only about 70 grams of protein a day for optimum health. Any excess protein is stored in the body as fat. Therefore, these should be eaten in moderation.
Eg: Meat, eggs, fish and milk are the main sources. Bread and cereals also contain some amount of protein.
Fats: These are the important source of energy and help to protect the body by maintaining organs, cell structure and body temperature. Many of us in order to lose weight cut down on fats completely which is actually more damaging. Fats are necessary to carry fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K into and around the body. When fats are totally cut down, the body is deprived of these essential vitamins.
There are two types of fats:
Saturated Fats: These increase blood cholesterol levels, hence should be consumed in moderation.
eg: Dairy products such as butter, cheese, cream, and eggs and meat.
Unsaturated Fats: These are again of two types - polyunsaturated abd monounsaturated fats. These do not cause an increase in cholesterol levels and are therefore better for the body. These fats are found in foods of plant origin and are predominantly polyunsaturated.
eg: Vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn, rapeseed, soya, olive, sesame, hazelnut and walnut oils. Also found in wholegrain cereals and oily fish such as sardines and mackerel.
In order to maintain optimum fitness and control weight, it is essential to maintain the right balance of all these food groups.
1. Protein in the form of meat, poultry and fish.
2. Smaller amounts of protein and calcium from dairy products such as eggs, cheese, milk and products.
3. Protein from vegetable sources such as nuts, peas, beans, lentils, soya and pulses.
4. Carbohydrates and fiber from pulses and grains in the form of barley, bran, wheat, unpolished rice etc.
**When We Eat: To make the best use of the food it receives, the body needs to be provided its fuel in the morning. Eating soon after you wake up increases the metabolic rate and provides you with the energy you need for the rest of the day. If you want to lose and maintain weight effectively, it is essential to have a proper breakfast. Skipping breakfast will only result in making up for it by eating a bigger-than-needed lunch which will only add to the weight. Eating large meals late in the evening is not a good idea since much of the intake will be converted to fat. Ideally, dinner should be had at least two hours before you go to sleep. The most crucial thing to be kept in mind is to eat when you are actually hungry. eating only because it is time to eat will only add up the weight of your body.
**How Often We Eat: Many of us are compelled by our lifestyles to eat only twice a day. Ideally, we should eat at least four to five smaller meals a day. If that is not possible, at least make it a point to eat a good breakfast.
**How Much We Eat: It is very important to listen to your body and eat only when you are feeling hungry. Watching television or reading a book while eating will result in overeating. It takes some time for the brain to register that your stomach is full. Therefore concentrate on your food, chew food slowly and take some time between subsequent bites. Ideally one should not eat until the stomach is completely full. Stop eating when your hunger is satiated and your stomach is about one-thirds full. The best thing to monitor your diet is to keep a food journal. Keeping detailed records of your daily food intake will make you realize what and how much you are eating; thereby you will gain more control of your diet and will be able to make dietary changes accordingly.
The golden rule to be always followed is : "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a common man and dine like a pauper".
Some tips to Maintain Weight and Eat Right:
1. Start each meal with either a soup or a salad. Include lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, and sprouts to make salad. Spend some time over
salads before moving on to the main course. Sprouts and veggies such as carrots and beetroots should be lightly cooked. Cooking these foods makes them more easy to digest and also releases cellulose-like antioxidants in the body that are needed to destroy the free radicals.
2. Cut down on salt intake. Over use of salt results in water retention in the body. Substitute with lemon juice and pepper powder instead. Lemon juice will bring out and enhance the original flavors of the foods.
3. Include at least two servings of leafy green vegetables in a day.
4. Cut down on eating oily fried snacks. Deep frying results in increased trans fatty acids which are known to cause cancer. Instead opt for baked and lightly grilled snacks.
5. Try using nonstick pans and utensils for cooking. This will lessen the quantity of oil used. Ideally, in a day, two teaspoons of oil per person is sufficient to fulfil the dietary requirement of fats.
6. Whenever you develop a craving for a sweet, eat a whole whole fruit instead of a confectionary or a chocolate. Eating fruit will make you feel full for longer time.
7. Last but not the least, drink plenty of water. Water is needed to keep your body hydrated and cool. Water is also needed to flush out the toxins from our body and to regulate the blood flow. If drinking less water, try to compensate by drinking liquids such as clear soups, unsweetened juices etc.
If even 75% of these tips are followed, it will be a much easier task to lose weight and maintain it effectively.
Like it on Facebook, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.