According to the World Health Organization in 1984 “health” is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity.” One chief factor that personal health mainly depends upon is proper food habits. In order to have good health and to maintain it, one should follow proper food habit. Having proper food habits means one should eat good food in the proper quantity at the proper time.
It is important our food should include items that can provide us enough energy, helps in growth and keep our body healthy and free from disease. Definitely, our body needs fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. No single food can provide all these substances, so it is very important, we should include various types of food in our daily diet. According to their action in the body, foods are classified broadly into 3.They are
1) Energy giving foods: Carbohydrates (such as cereals) and the fats (such as butter, ghee, oil)
2) Body building foods: Proteins, such as pulses, milk, egg, meat etc.
3) Protective foods: Minerals (vegetables, eggs, fish, meat) and vitamins (green leafy vegetables and fruits) Thus a person should take a diet containing pulses, chapattis, vegetables, rice, curd, fish or meat according to their choice.
In a healthy balanced diet, in addition to energy giving foods combined with proteins and protective foods, it should also contain some amount of roughage (indigestible fibers of plants, like raw vegetables and fruits) to prevent constipation. A balanced diet must meet the nutritional requirements of the body, consist of a variety of food items and provide an adequate amount of energy. Our food should be prepared in clean and neat kitchen or healthy surroundings and kept covered to avoid contamination.
Doctors say everyone should eat more vegetables and fruits than rice or wheat. They contain nutrients like vitamins, calcium, iron, folic acid etc. Green leafy vegetables contain a lot of nutrients, especially calcium and iron. One type of leafy vegetable that should find a place in our daily diet is spinach. Spinach is quite good for health. Vegetables like cabbage and carrot contain fibrous substance which gives relief from constipation.