Mother's Day: Top Nutritionist gives the Best Healthcare Tips for Moms

Mothers, especially, have a lot going on in a day. They have their children and family to take care of. And in between the rush, they forget about themselves. To begin with, it is important for everyone to take a well-balanced diet. That is, in fact, the first step towards a healthy lifestyle. For a woman, a well-balanced diet comprises of a variety of food that adequately meets women's needs for vitamins, minerals and energy. For good health, women need to pay special attention to calcium, iron and protein intake. A healthy diet should also minimize the intake of fat and sugar. Diets high in saturated or trans-fat can promote high levels of blood cholesterol and increase risk for heart disease.

The number of calories that an individual need varies for each person and is based on age and activity level. As a general recommendation, women between 20 and 50 years of age generally need between 1,500 and 1800 calories per day to maintain their energy needs and body weight. A good idea is keep some energy food like almonds handy that you can snack on whenever you are in a mood to eat. Almonds are easy to carry along with you in a small box or your pocket. A handful of almonds not only ensure that you maintain a healthy weight, but research has proven that almonds also help prevent other health problems like diabetes and heart diseases. Incorporating small changes in your life like eating a handful of almonds every day and working out regularly will help you maintain a healthy life.

The ideal way to lose weight and sustain the weight loss is by modifying the diet by taking 15-20% of the total calories from protein of good quality, 50-55% from healthy carbs and the rest from fats. Diet and exercise should go hand in hand, and a daily activity of 45-60mins is recommended. Lifestyle modification is equally important which includes reducing stress, being happy, adequate sleep etc. as research has shown that all these are equally important for effective weight loss and maintenance. Do not overindulge while snacking. One of the best foods to eat while snacking are almonds. Munching on 30 grams or 23 almonds as a daily habit gives you and your family to take on the power to take on the day.

1500 Calorie Diet Sample Menu

Breakfast:

• 1 bowl Oatmeal
• 1 glass skim milk
• 1 bowl fruits
• 1Tbsp of Flaxseeds+ 5-10 almonds

Midmorning snack:

• Fresh lime water/coconut water/ Lassi
• Fruit( bowl)

Lunch:

• 2 chapatti or bowl of rice with Dal
• Bowl of vegetables
• Curd

Tea snack:

• Tea

Snack: Almonds/ Steam corn/Bhelpuri

Dinner:

• A large bowl of salad
• 1 Chapatti
• 1 Katori Dal/Chicken curry
• Bowl of vegetable
• Yogurt

(Dr Ritika Samaddar is chief nutritionist at Max Hospital Saket in Delhi)

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