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Basic Rules Of The Indian Diet Chart For Weight Loss

By Anshum Joshi

Most of us have the idea of losing weight in our mind. At the same time, it seems to be the easy-said-than-done thing for most of us. But not stressing yourself with the thought of crash diets or rigorous workouts, all you need to do is to have a closer watch on what to eat and what to leave. The Indian food items provide a variety of nutrients that can be both a treat to your taste buds and a gateway to a healthy body.

indian diet chart for weight loss
  • Consume Enough Carbohydrate
  • Increase Your Protein Intake
  • Fibre To Keep You Full For Long
  • Opt For Healthy Fats
  • Eat Fresh Fruits And Vegetables
  • Use Herbs And Spices In Your Cooking
  • Monitor Your Water Intake
  • Plan Your Meals
  • Consume Enough Carbohydrate

Our body cells need energy, and carbohydrate is the best source to provide that energy. It should comprise the half of your total diet of the day.

To keep yourself high on energy but less on calories, opt for complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice, millets, and wheat flour over simple carbohydrates, such as white rice and fine wheat flour. Potato and sweet potato are also carbohydrate-rich vegetables that you can include in your diet.

  • Increase Your Protein Intake

Protein helps in building muscles, cartilage, and skin. It repairs the body tissues and maintains the blood flow throughout the body. Generally, Indians miss out on consuming enough protein throughout the day which results in ruptured muscle cells and fatigue.

At least 30% of the daily diet must include protein. Foods that can fulfil the requirement of protein are most of the whole lentils, tofu, legumes, egg whites, dairy products, nuts, and seeds.

  • Fibre To Keep You Full For Long

Apples, broccoli, flax seeds, oats, and lentils are some of the good sources of fibre that you can easily include in your daily diet. You can start your day with oatmeal or multigrain cereals, such as barley, rye, and triticale which are high in fibre.

On an average, 15 grams of fibre is required by the human body every day. Fibre takes time to get digested and this keeps you feeling full for long keeping you away from frequent cravings and indulgence in high-calorie snacks.

  • Opt For Healthy Fats

When it comes to losing weight, fat is often labelled as the enemy. However, the fact is that fat is also essential for the body because it absorbs vitamins and synthesises hormones in the body. Only one-fifth of your total diet is all that your body needs.

While cooking your food, use the combination of these oils: soya bean oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, olive oil, mustard oil, and groundnut oil. These oils contain the polyunsaturated fats, monosaturated fats and Omega 3 fatty acids that help in body metabolism and burning calories.

  • Eat Fresh Fruits And Vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Nutritionists often advise to starting your day with fruits. Include apple, banana, melon, papaya, guava, lychee, berries, and other seasonal fruits. However, do not eat fruits right after the meal or along with the meal.

Similarly, include vegetables such as spinach, eggplant, bitter melon, okra, and mushroom in your lunch and dinner. You can also take salads made of cucumber, cabbage, carrot, and tomatoes to replace your heavy evening snacks.

  • Use Herbs And Spices In Your Cooking

Plan your meal throughout the day so that you neither starve nor indulge in overeating. Indian people use lots of herbs and spices while cooking their food.

Use spices such as garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cardamom, black pepper, turmeric, fenugreek, and basil. All these not only add taste to your food but also make your food healthy and help in losing weight.

  • Monitor Your Water Intake

There is nothing like water when it comes to health and well being. It is the natural and easily available resource that we should not only drink when thirsty but also for good health.

Water flushes out the toxins from the body, being the natural detoxifying agent. Drinking a minimum of 1.5 litres of water can help in weight loss because it is a metabolism stimulator and helps in burning more calories.

  • Plan Your Meals

Try to have the same mealtime every day. Have some small meals in between the main meals. Do not skip breakfast which is the most important meal of the day because this starts the digestive system from its break after the sleep.

A bowl of yogurt is also a good option as it starts the digestive system slowly and gradually. Always keep a gap of at least 2 hours between your bedtime and dinner.

Story first published: Thursday, June 21, 2018, 12:29 [IST]
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