Chapter 1: Why We Face Health Problems Today
Summary
The world is a lot unhealthier than it was two decades ago. A lot of this
is attributed to the changed food habits of people.
Why We Face Health Problems Today
One generation ago, people would not dream of picking up whatever
packet of junk food they could get at first in order to feed their faces.
Today, we do that so very casually. “I am hungry” usually means “I
want a hamburger or a frankfurter, probably with chips on the side
and one cola.” “Let‟s go out and party” means “Let‟s go out and booze
till we can‟t stand up on our own and intersperse the drinks with as
much synthetic-laden wannabe Chinese food that we can get.” And, “I
am on a diet” means “I am on a chemically driven pill which will kill my
hunger and deprive my body of vitamins.”
It is really no wonder that we are facing so many health problems
today.
Our health is an indicator of what we eat. The sorry condition that we
are living in is not an individual problem; it is a global problem. The
world as a whole is eating wrong. Just check these facts out – 6 in
every 10 persons in the US is overweight, and the number is going to
be 8 in every 10 persons by the time we hit 2015. The US, the largest
economy in the world, is spending close to $147 billion a year on
healthcare due to various obesity-related issues. And this situation is
true with most of the so-called developed nations of the world.
Now, if you just consider this one fact, think how much richer the US
would have been if it didn‟t have to contend with this problem,,
The US
reserves would have approximately $150 billion more each year which
it could have used for developmental purposes. Probably, there would
have been more schools and colleges (we know there is always a paucity of them), more research work being done, the lifestyle of
people could be improved, and so much more. With that amount of
money, the US could feed 3 third-world countries in Africa each year
and rid them of all their food problems.
Are we really thinking about this? We aren‟t. Even as you are reading
this eBook, you probably have a packet of Frito Lays on the side. Do
you know that that packet, which is filling your stomach with some of
the most toxic chemicals known to humans, could instead have fed an
emaciated child in Rwanda?
But it‟s not just about being philanthropic. It‟s about ourselves too.
Yes, we have to be selfish. With such alarming health figures, aren‟t
we calling doom upon us? We are definitely not eating right. Whatever
excess baggage that brings – obesity and the assorted health
problems in its wake – we have to be prepared for it.
Chapter 2: The Solution
Summary
Yes, there is cause for alarm. Our eating habits are plunging us into
despair. But all is not lost, yet. We can still tighten our belts and look
for solutions.
The Solution
We have erred horribly with our eating habits so far. Unless we take
stock of the situation and take matters in our own hands, things are
not going to improve.
The first thing is awareness. We have to learn what foods are right for
us and what are not. We have to go back to school (not literally, of
course) and understand what the nutrients are that your body really
wants and in what measure. Then we have to work up a dietary
regimen for ourselves and our family so that we eat healthier. We
must cut down on all the foods that are harmful – the carbohydrates,
the fats, the sugars, we don‟t really want them – and incorporate
foods that can boost our health.
This does sound too preachy, I know. But that is the only respite we
have got.
If we keep munching on Oreos, we are never going to get
better.
But there‟s hope. Hope lies in the fact that there are many foods out
there that are just as tasty as those nasty junk foods but we don‟t yet
know about them. These are the foods that we don‟t know about yet,
we probably don‟t care for them or because we don‟t know how to
prepare them, but a good health cookbook could help you in
understanding various interesting ways to healthy cooking. Even with
the same kind of diet you eat, you can conjure up some very delicious
healthy dishes. Yes, it is all very much possible. You can modify your
eating habits to a large extent, while at the same time taking care of
your palate.
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The fact is that the weight loss industry is responsible in a very
significant way toward this downfall of the developed human race...
They need to keep selling their Atkinses and Jenny Craigs and Zones
and Medifasts and for that reason the media never tells you how we
can actually take things in your own hands. They show us glitzy
before-after pictures of a guy with a foot-long pannus and then the
same guy with six pack abs and tell us that the diet made that
possible.
But the fact is, if we were to take things in our own hands, we could
very easily do that too, without needing to spend thousands of dollars
on getting those diets. And what do we have to do? Two basic things:-
Control what we eat.
Indulge in physical exercise.
Now, is that too much to do? Don‟t we owe that to our body that has
served us so well all these years? Don‟t we owe that to ourselves and
our families?
Throughout this eBook we are going to see how we can eat right and
generally modify our diet in order to improve our lives. And that we
can do in a very significant manner.
Chapter 3: What Is an Ideal Diet?
Summary
Eating right is essential. You need to know what the ideal diet is for
that.
What Is an Ideal Diet?
Actually speaking, no one can put a finger on what an ideal diet
exactly is. Now, if you were to ask someone what a healthy diet is,
that could be easily answered. But to know about an ideal diet, you
need to see the individual itself. Ideal diets are much related to the
kind of lifestyle the person leads, their age, their gender, their level of
physical activity during the day and even their geographical region and
climate.
The first thing that must be answered here is the level of calories that
any person must take.
This, of course, varies from person to person,
mainly depending on their level of physical activity. The following chart
shows different kinds of people, characterized by various things, and
the amount of calories that they need during the day, which would
constitute an ideal diet for them.
People and Lifestyle Required Calories per Day
Men leading a sedentary life 2,300
Men involved in high physical
activity
3,200
Women leading a sedentary life 2,000
Women involved in high physical
activity
2,500
Pregnant women 2,500
Lactating women 3,000
Infants up to a year-old 50, for each pound of body
weight
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Children between 1 and 10 years 1,000 – 2,000
Teenage boys 2,000 – 2,500
Teenage girls 1,500 – 2,000
Ideal diet depends from person to person, but there are some
similarities that apply to every person:-
The diet should have enough carbohydrates, but not an excess
of it. Excess of carbohydrates can cause buildup of glucose in the
body.
Foods fried in oil must be minimally used. There should be just
one serving of a fried food per day, if at all.
Green veggies must be a part of the meal. The general rule is
that foods with better colors are more nutritious, though there
are some exceptions both ways. i.e.,
There are foods with no
colors that are nutritious (example, cabbage) and foods with
colors that aren‟t (there‟s a whole long list of them).
Lean meats should be preferred. It is very harmful to have a
meal that is laden with non-vegetarian foods but isn‟t balanced
with vegetables.
Cooking should be just enough and must retain the natural
flavors of the foods. Though spices make the foods taste better,
they also destroy some nutrients and hence they should be used
stingily.
Synthetic materials should be completely avoided.
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