For some time now most people, empowered by bits and pieces of knowledge gleaned thanks to the Internet revolution, have known what a healthy diet is and that Indians in general have hardly made moves to get closer to that ideal.
The medical council and the national nutrition institute, in their latest guidelines based on research also on the latest dietary trends in India, have simply reiterated the importance of a healthy diet.
It is up to people to heed the advice after studying the details of the recommendations, take measures to cut sugar intake and oils and eat fat only in moderation and avoid ultra-processed foods that contain a huge amount of chemicals and preservatives.
All that must be done while undertaking proper physical exercise in combination with a more active lifestyle to avoid the non-communicable diseases that burden more than half the 1.4 crore Indians because of their unhealthy diet patterns.
There is a huge amount of good advice among the 17 dietary recommendations, many of which we may have all known already but still struggled to adapt and follow from sheer force of habit or due to economic circumstances or existing medical conditions.
It is never too late to switch to a healthier diet pattern that may help fend or stave off altogether lifestyle diseases like hypertension, obesity and diabetes that haunt Indians to such levels as to label the country the world’s diabetes capital, etc.
The battle against malnutrition may have been won to a certain extent but under-nutrition is prevalent in Indians and only a change in diet patterns paying greater attention to nutrient intake might help retrieve the situation.
The advice against taking protein supplements because of their content beyond healthy proteins might sound jarring to younger generations, many of whom are inveterate gymnasium enthusiasts. Maybe, greater attention to the information on labels would help them find the right source of proteins.
The very thought that a significant proportion of premature deaths can be averted by following a healthy lifestyle should wake the general population to something that is being said for the good health of the nation.
In the end, you are what you eat, and the old maxim should suffice as a reminder that there is a better way to eat so that we may live better. More fruits and nuts, more nutritious combos, less sugar, less carbs and less red meat is the way to go and to stick to this is a challenge people must accept if they wish to live longer and, more importantly, healthier.
