Many people wonder what can be an ideal balanced diet, especially when over the years the concept of an ideal diet has changed! Now, when we speak about a balanced diet we not only talk about the micro level of food components but also the macro level of food spacing, timing, etc.
A balanced diet should consist of all the elements of food which are health giving to the body, it should be:
- Consisting of all the food components like proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The ratio could depend upon the prakriti (constitution) activity and age. For example, pitt prakriti / body builders / pregnant mothers and growing children would need more protein and similarly vata prakriti, can indulge a little more in oils vis a vis a kapha or pitt prakriti.
- Food should be eaten at regular intervals to sustain a steady energy level state and eating all the calories at one meal can be as detrimental as not eating the correct diet.
- Food should be prepared / cooked in a way which is health giving, therefore overcooked vegetables, deep fried cooking can not be health promoting.
- Food quantity should, over the years become lesser to keep pace with the reduction in metabolism so that one does not accumulate weight.
- Food should consist of a correct balance of enzyme rich foods and enzyme deficient foods. Enzyme rich foods are fruits, salads, sprouts, and vegetable juices and enzyme deficient foods are all cooked foods.
- A balanced diet should also have all the rasa’ or tastes which lead to emotional satisfaction after eating. The 5 rasa are salty, sweet, sour, astringent and bitter, these can be acquired by
- Salty - spinach / leafy vegetables are naturally salty
- Sweet - all fruits
- Astringent - all salads
- Sour - citrus fruits
- Bitter - methi seeds, karela, etc
These rasas not only provide meal satisfaction but also help to balance the constitutions. For example in summers the sweet and the astringent tastes bring down the effects of heat.
- Food should be as natural and unprocessed as practical and over processing destroys nutrients and reduces fiber.
Though giving examples of a balanced diet can run into many pages but an indicative and not comprehensive example is as follows:
BREAKFAST
- Fruits and nuts only
- Milk and egg
- Dhokla
- Idlis with nimbu pani
- Multigrain atta bread / roti / porridge with light tea or herbal tea
- Sprouts and herbal infusion (also known as tea)
LUNCH
- Brown rice with vegetables dal / non-veg (less in summer) and salad
- Multigrain rotis with vegetables, dal / non veg / raita (one should not eat too many food types in one meal like chicken and dal and raita)
One can also eat oat rolls of vegetables one day and wheat sandwich another day and keep bringing variety on a day to day basis instead of eating everything in one day.
DINNER
- Salad or soup (can have cold soups in summer)
- Vegetables and either cereal or protein as mixing both are heavy at this time as the metabolism dips at the end of the day
Besides the diet, one can use many health promoting herbs / non-foods like tulsi, amla, wheat grass juice, ginseng, etc.
