Start a Daily Diet Plan

By Jhilmil D Saha @jhilmildsaha
In the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, we often forget to take care of our body. Gone are those days when people say, “You are in the pink of your health.” Unfortunately, the fast-paced life doesn’t allow us to stay fit. However, the most elemental rule of fitness is a blend of balanced diet and regular workout sessions. Obviously, it takes months to get in the perfect shape. One can’t achieve it in just couple of weeks, even with a stringent diet. The two major causes of concern that ring a bell for us are: avoiding healthy food habits and gaining extra weight. Nonetheless, though a crash diet may entice you to follow it religiously, it is just a short-term solution and drains all the energy you have.Many questions pop up in our head: How to reduce weight? What exactly is a balanced diet? What are common fat-burning foods? What are the exercises that help us lose weight? How do we get our hands on a daily diet chart? What are the basic weight loss tips? All these questions will be answered in a while. So, follow these fitness rules to get that perfect model figure:
Daily diet chartThe following is a diet plan for weightloss for an entire day.BreakfastResearch says that regular breakfast eaters have better memory and are extremely fit as compared to those who skip it. Breakfast is considered the most prominent meal of the day. It plays a crucial role in contributing towards our daily intake. So, to start off your day on a high note, your breakfast must be protein-oriented. As proteins shoot up our metabolism rate, include eggs, low-fat dairy, lean ham or salmon in your breakfast. Protein foods not only keep you full for longer but also speed up your metabolism, unlike carbs. Protein rich foods also help us curb our desire to consume high calorie foods.Another advantage in consuming protein food is that it doesn’t take much time to prepare. Couple up your morning toast with smoked salmon or an omelet. Remember, skipping your breakfast leads to low sugar levels. In this case, you subconsciously end up choosing unhealthy food to balance your sugar level.Mid-morning snackThe appropriate way of balancing your blood sugar levels is to eat less quantities at regular intervals. Make sure this doesn’t lead to overeating. Every snack that you have must have a nourishing essence. Having a banana or an oatcake would do the trick. You can also eat a pot of yoghurt as calcium-rich food satisfies your hunger, balances your blood sugar levels and strengthens your bones.LunchTo avoid a mid-afternoon fall-off, add carb-rich food to your lunch as they help to manage blood sugar levels. Consume high-protein food and satisfy your hunger to increase your afternoon alertness! Rather than having a dessert, finish your lunch with nuts, fruits or cheese.Mid-afternoonThe cloud of eating sweets hovers around us all day. But, you have to refrain from having unhealthy food. Instead, satisfy such craving by snacking on a  handful of dry fruits or unsalted nuts. These foods provide rich proteins and keep your hunger at bay, right up till supper.In case you have an exercise planned for the afternoon, you can go for dry fruits. Having dry fruits with nuts boosts your energy for longer.DinnerDon’t limit your food to carbs, as they are fibre-rich and low in fat. Add some healthy fats that are available in oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, and so on. All these healthy fats enhance the body repair process overnight, which is essential for keeping skin and hair radiant and healthy. Consume half-plateful of salad and have meat, fish or beans.Diet Do’s
  • Consume small chunks of food at regular intervals.
  • Choose a meal with high-protein and fiber such as low-fat milk, milk products, beans, oats, broccoli, guava, papaya, orange, whole grains, egg white, pulses, beans and so on.
  • Use only those cooking oils that have high level of mono-unsaturated fat (MUFA) as it helps to manage bad cholesterol.
  • Food with a high level of fats must be forbidden.
  • As soon as you wake up, drink a glass of water. Water helps to eliminate impurities.
  • Eat a fast-releasing carbohydrate food item such as a chocolate bar or two to three bananas 15 to 30 minutes before you work out. The carbohydrate intake should not be more than 50g.
  • Drink atleast 1.5 litres of water every day. Water enhances digestions, removes waste products and regulates body temperature.
  • Drink fresh orange juice. Its vitamin C content improves the absorption of iron from ill-absorbed vegetarian sources such as nuts, beans, green vegetables and nuts. Vitamin C also acts as a fat-burning food.
  • Chew a sugar-free gum that includes xylitol as it decreases tooth decay.
Diet Don’ts
  • Don’t disregard fat completely. Mono-unsaturated and omega 3 fats are essential for our body.
  • Remember, never scale down your basic metabolic rate (BMR). This happens only when you skip meals or when you’re fasting. This leads to loss of energy and doesn’t help to lose weight. Instead, have small meals, exercise and cut down on some weight.
  • Don’t drink tea or coffee with meals, as caffeine and tannins decrease the absorption of minerals.
Break a sweatIt is time to raise the bar, hit the gym and exercise to lose weight. This can only happen if you exercise daily! Tighten your shoe laces, go for a run and lose the extra pounds. Take your cycle and put the pedal to the metal. Try some aerobic exercises. Do everything that will keep you going. Quicken your pulses, tone your muscles, take stairs instead of the elevator and cover an extra mile.Exercise keeps you going all through the day. Exercise uses all the food you consumed and keeps you fit and healthy. It is crucial to inculcate healthy food habits and a healthy weight loss diet to live an active life.
By Amelia SmithAmelia Smith is nutritionist, herbalist, health and fashion writer. She is a professional in the health, nutrition and diet industry.