In any country, youth are the most important and dynamic segment of the population. It is a fact that when youths thrive, their communities thrive together. However, today’s youth are becoming increasingly restless, and a recent survey at universities reported that 54 percent of students skip breakfast for a variety of reasons, including school pressure, resulting in obesity, the onset of heart disease, and heart disease. , the east begins. Diabetes, anemia and PCOS in young women.
The foundation of good health is proper nutrition. Dietary habits acquired as a child or teen can contribute to nutritional issues with long-term health effects.
Highly processed foods like chips, wafers, chocolates, cakes, pastries, snacks are the sad and unfortunate choices of today’s millennials. We are growing in popularity among today’s youth in the era of mindless snacking instead of traditional meals like breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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Our teens and young adults are becoming more sedentary with almost no physical activity and play time. Several studies have shown that the food preference among youth is for takeaways and fast food. There are reasons behind this, such as back-to-back classes and shorter breaks. The growing influence of social media, easy availability of fast food through food ordering apps also influence their choice.
Most fast foods contain high amounts of refined carbohydrates such as pasta, noodles, bakery items, etc. It produces a rich amount of calories and increases the level of sugar in the blood. This can have a remarkably bad effect on youth in the long run. The low fiber content can also lead to the accumulation of food particles in the wall of the intestine, which is prone to ulcers, followed by cancer. The high sodium content can cause water retention and may cause feeling bloated and bloated. Too much sodium also enlarges the heart muscle and increases the risk of heart disease. A fast-food diet is also high in trans fats that increase the amount of low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol and decrease the amount of high-density lipoprotein, or “good,” cholesterol. Hence problems like heart disease, digestive system disorders, low CNS activities, respiratory disorders, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, hindered bone formation and skin development. Heart attacks and strokes have become increasingly common among young adults in India.
The body requires a combination of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids) and micronutrients to function normally and maintain health.
Carbohydrates (simple and complex), proteins and lipids are also the main sources of energy. Eating proper food as a young person can lead to good health even in old age.
Indian statistics give a poor indication that 40% of girls and 18% of boys in India are affected by anemia. Anemia impairs growth, infection resistance, cognitive development and work productivity. The most effective ways to increase iron are to increase iron from natural foods like kidney beans, urad, sabut malka, chickpeas, whole grains, flaxseed, green leafy vegetables, meat. It is important to note that iron is best absorbed with citrus fruits and vitamin C foods such as amla, guava, lime, tomato, capsicum and sprouted pulses.
Fast food and other street foods can be prepared at home using whole grains. Foods like Whole Wheat Pasta, Whole Wheat Pitta, Whole Wheat Frankie, Multigrain Wraps, Pulse Based Cheela Wraps, Pulsed Maida-Based Cakes and Muffins etc. can be made tasty yet very healthy. They are generally classified into fruits, vegetables, unpolished legumes and pulses, whole grain flour (bran), bran, nuts and seeds.
Foods of plant origin are generally rich sources of calcium, antioxidants and important minerals.
“Eat Your Rainbow” is the simple diet mantra—one that’s bound to deliver a variety of nutrients, rather than just one all the time.
The peak bone mass of calcium occurs by age 30. Young people can bulk up on calcium sources from pulses, nuts, seeds, dairy and lean meats to build healthy bone insurance for a lifetime. It may be noted that after 30 years there is a steady decline in calcium in bones and if calcium is not enough in the diet it can lead to osteopenia and osteoporosis with ageing.
For example, take soya tikki, gram flour veggie wrap, moong dal chaat, crispy Indian chana ki bhel. Seeds like flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds improve chromium, magnesium, zinc and iron, thereby building immunity in youth.
Natural unsalted nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios are great options for high-calorie snacks that can be consumed on short breaks or even on the go. These nuts are abundant in good quality fats and are rich in plant-based ALA omega 3 fats.
Dried fruits such as dates, both nuts and seeds can be consumed with black manuka or added to interesting dishes such as homemade granola bars, protein bars and traditional laddos, chikkis and desserts and before or after exercise. Or can be used as a game.
So let’s fill the junk food with junk food. Eat mindfully to make a fit India and a wonderful you.
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