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A vast majority of the people are under this misconception that going to the gym is the only way to maintain a fit body. So the ones who cannot hit the gym, always curse themselves and feel that – ‘I cannot dot it’ or It is also a fact that our busy lifestyle imbued with an astounding amount of time spend either in traffic or an acquit addiction also known as ‘digital cocaine’ – social media. Eventually we find ourselves time-poor and end up not taking care of health at all.

Good news is, a healthy body is made 80% out from the kitchen. Of course, this does not undermine the importance of going to the gym or burning calories through other effective ways, e.g. walking, yoga to name a few. But yes, your diet occupies a major part of your choice to live a healthy life.

The starting point is to learn what the ideal food intake is considering your gender, age and BMI. The BBC good food guide outlines the following chart containing the Reference Intakes (RI) or daily amounts recommended for an average, moderately active adult to achieve a healthy, balanced diet for maintaining rather than losing or gaining weight.

Reference intakes (RI)

These are the five groups of food that you should consider within your diets –

• Vegetables and beans
• Fruit
• Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties
• Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds
• Milk, yoghurt cheese and/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat

Foods you should avoid

Here is a list of food categories you should avoid which are all associated with weight gain and can have disastrous health effects when consumed in excess.

Foods High in Added Sugar

Added sugar is probably the worst thing in the modern diet. Excess amounts have been linked to some of the most serious diseases in the world today. Examples of foods that may contain massive amounts of added sugar include sugary breakfast cereals, granola bars and low-fat, flavoured yogurt, sugary drinks, sugar-sweetened beverages, ice cream.

Carbohydrates

When you eat food consisting of lot of carbohydrates (e.g. rice), they break down into glucose, which is the simple sugar your body and brain use for energy. Glucose enters your bloodstream and when there is too much, insulin is called into action. Insulin is a hormone secreted by your pancreas that moves glucose out of your blood.

Fat

Too much saturated fats in your diet can raise cholesterol in the blood, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

According to the nutrition guide of Harvard health research, the following are considered as good eating habit.

Eat a variety of foods; since no single food is perfect, you need a balanced mix of foods to get all the nutrients your body requires.

•  Eat more vegetable products and fewer animal products.
•  Eat more fresh and homemade foods and fewer processed foods.
•  Avoid fast food and junk food. You know what they are.
•  Choose your fats wisely. Cut down on meat, the skin of poultry, whole-fat dairy products.
•  Use olive/canola/vegetable oil instead of soybean oil.
•  Eat protein in moderation. Favour fish and skinless poultry.
•  Eat more potassium-rich foods, such as citrus fruits, bananas, and other fruits and vegetables.
•  Eat more calcium-rich foods such as low-fat dairy products, broccoli, spinach, and tofu
•  Eat more grain products, especially whole-grain products, aiming for at least 6 ounces a day.
•  Eat more vegetables, especially deep-green and yellow-orange vegetables.
•  Eat eggs sparingly; aim for an average of no more than one egg yolk per day