FOOD HABITS

The enjoyment of food is one of life's pleasures. For those who have an adequate food supply, eating is about far more than survival. Eating together is an important of daily family life and of social events, celebrations and festivals.

All foods can be enjoyed as part of a nutritious diet, from a nutritional point of view; a particular food is neither 'good' nor 'bad' of itself. What matters is how well a given food complements or combines with other foods to meet a person's or an individual’s energy and nutrient needs. The best advice is that one should try to eat a wide variety of foods and to spread consumption over the day.

This is especially important for children who cannot eat enough in only one or two meals to meet their nutrition needs. Breakfast is particularly important to provide fuel both for physical and mental activity.

Important Nutrients:

Food provides us with the energy we need for growth, physical activity and for body functions such as breathing, thinking, temperature control, blood circulation and digestion etc. Food also supplies us with the materials to build and maintain the body and to promote resistance to disease. Thus, these different functions are made possible by the nutrients contained in food.

The types of nutrients in food are as under:

• Carbohydrates
• proteins
• Fats
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Water

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates include sugars, starches and dietary fiber. They are the major source of food energy for most of the world's population. The sugars or simple carbohydrates, are either Monosaccharide (glucose, fructose and galactic) or disaccharides (sucrose,lactose and malthose).

Some complex carbohydrates cannot be digested by humans and therefore are not a significant source of dietary energy.These are referred to as dietary fiber and come primarily from the walls of plant cells. Even though it is not a significant source of energy, fiber is still a very important part of the diet.Fiber is important in keeping the digestive track healthy and working properly.

Proteins:

Proteins are needed to build and maintain muscles, blood, skin and bones and other tissues and organs of the body. proteins can also be used to provide energy. Proteins are made from amino acids-the primary building blocks of the body.When proteins are eaten and digested. They are broken down into their amino acids which are then absorbed and used to build new tissues.

Protein is especially important for growing children. Breast milk contains the perfect combination of amino acids for growth and mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed as long as possible. As children are weaned from the breast it is important that their staple foods are supplemented with adequate protein rich foods.
Fat:

Dietary includes cooking fats, oils and butter and ghee and is also a natural component of meal, milk, eggs, nuts and other vegetable foods.

Fats are an essential part of a nutritious diet. They are a concentrated form of energy and are the form in which much of the energy reserve of animals and some seeds is stored. Fat also makes meals tasty and satisfying.

Fats and oils provide more than twice the amount of food energy as carbohydrates and proteins adding fat in the form of oil to the food of young children is a particularly good way to increase their energy intake. This is important since often children are not able to eat enough ’bulky’ foods to meet the energy needs. Young children should receive between 30%-40% of their calories from fat.

Depending on their activity levels and dietary patterns, adults should receive between 15% and 35% of their calories from fat. Generally, people are advised to avoid excessive intakes of saturated fats(less than 10% of energy intake)to reduce their risk of heart disease.

Vitamins and Minerals:

Vitamins and minerals are called micro-nutrients. They are needed in much smaller amounts than carbohydrate. Protein and fat but are essential for good nutrition. They help the body work properly and stay healthy. Some minerals also make up part of many of the body’s tissues, for example, calcium and fluoride are found in bones and teeth and iron is found in the blood.

Water:

Water is needed for many functions in the body: to make cells and body fluids, for chemical reactions to occur and to make urine which carries waste from the body. It is essential to maintain an adequate intake of clean water to replace the water to replace the water lost by the body, especially in hot weather and during physical activity. People may also become dehydrated (suffer excessive loss of water) when they have diarrhea. Vomiting and fever.

Eat to meet your needs:

Where a good and varied supply of food is available and affordable, everyone should be able to select and eat the foods that meet their nutritional needs.

Selecting a proper diet requires knowledge about changing nutrition needs throughout the life-cycle and how these needs can best met from locally available foods. Encouraging family members to enjoy and choose a wide variety of foods can help them meet their needs. Choosing wisely is especially important when incomes are low and food supplies are insecure. Nutritional needs are influenced by age, sex, health status and activity levels, and the following groups often need special care.

Young children:

Young Children are often the most at risk of being malnourished. They have very high energy and nutrient needs for their body size in comparison to adults. Proper care and feeding is essential for their normal growth, development and activity.

Children can eat many of the same foods as their parents . They should be encouraged to eat enough of a variety of energy and protein-rich foods and fruit and vegetables for growth and body maintenance.

Children cannot eat the same amount of food in one meal as adults. They also expend a lot of energy throughout the day. They should sustain energy requirements by eating small meals and snacks spread over the day.

Children need to maintain their diet of energy-rich and body-building foods throughout their growing years until they reach adulthood. They should be encouraged to exercise and stay active so that the high energy intake does not result in obesity.

Sick children must be encouraged to eat and drink, even if they have little appetite. They should be offered softer textured foods and the foods they like best. Lots of fluids milk, fruit juice, soups and clean water are especially important when a child has diarrhea.

Children recovering from fevers and sickness should also be given plenty of energy and nutrient-rich foods to eat.

Eating habits are established early on, so it’s important to teach children at an early age how to get the best from food. 

Adolescents:

Adolescents grow rapidly and so have very high energy and nutrient needs. They need adequate intakes of vitamins and minerals, especially iron, calcium, vitamins A,C and D. In addition, adequate amounts of energy and protein are needed to sustain growth and development.

Special attention should be given to adolescent girls who need to be well nourished both for their immediate development and the future stresses of childbearing. Anemia and calcium deficiency are common problems. Foods rich in calcium and iron should be encouraged.

The Elderly:

There is not set age at which a person is elderly. The ageing process is significantly influenced by culture, individual activity levels and general health status.

Even though most people need less energy as they get older, the elderly need adequate protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Women should have an adequate calcium intake throughout life to reduce bone loss.

Foods for the elderly should include a wide variety of grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, meats and dairy products.

Consumption of high energy foods may be particularly important if appetite fails and overall food intake is limited. Maintaining adequate fluid intake is also important.

UNHEALTHY EATING HABITS:

One should try to stay away from the following eating habits which are not good, to get on the fast track to a healthier life, leaner body, and more satisfying eating experience.

Skipping Breakfast:

As far as ideas go, skipping breakfast is a pretty bad one. Not only does starting the day with a healthy breakfast give you a boost of energy and help clear the fog out of your brain, it also helps you make healthy eating choices throughout the entire day.

Eating Before Bed:

If you’re seeking sweet dreams, avoid eating before bedtime. Eating fatty foods before bed will slow down the emptying of the stomach, exacerbating indigestion, while spicy foods can lead to heartburn and indigestion.

Binging:

Unfortunately food binges usually come in the form of fatty snack foods like chips, pizza or cookies. Gorging yourself on said foods will likely lead to weight gain, dissatisfaction, and a feeling that you lack discipline.

Starving Yourself:

Contrary to what you may think, the body’s first reaction to starvation is weight gain via the storage of fat. Well, when you don’t eat for long period of time, your body thinks it needs to store calories as fat because it doesn’t know when the chance to eat will come again. And then, the fat remains with you.

Eating while Working:

Not only is eating while doing something else a great way to get food all over yourself, it also tends to lead to overeating, and subsequently, weight gain. Plus, once you begin eating while doing something else, you often can’t stop it and becomes a mechanical act.

Eating Too Fast:

Start slowing things down at your next meal because eating too quickly isn’t doing you favours. Hovering in your food at warp speed will not only make you look like you just walked out of the Neolithic ages, it also encourages weight gain.

Not Drinking Enough Water:

It’s no secret water is necessary for the optimal functioning of all life forms, humans included. What’s surprising is that not drinking adequate amounts of water throughout the day can actually slow down your metabolism, making weight gain a likely possibility, since water is necessary for all metabolic functions, including calorie burning.

Unhealthy Eating Habits