Diet and Nutrition form the basic foundation for health and its development. Good nutrition means stronger immune systems, less illness and better health. Healthy people are stronger, are more productive in their day to day activities.
Better nutrition is a prime entry point to better life and is the milestone for achieving quality life.
Diet and Nutrition plays a vital role in the maintenance of good health and in the prevention and cure of disease. The right kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of health ; and the wrong does the opposite effect.
The human body builds and maintains healthy cells, tissues, glands and organs only with the help of nutrients. The food which provides these nutrients is thus one of the most essential factors in building and maintaining health. The primary cause of disease is a weakened organism or lowered resistance in the body because of nutritional deficiency.
Its assumed that 45 chemical components and elements are needed by human cells including oxygen and water. Others are classified into five main groups, namely carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins. All nutrients are vitally important and they work together and the absence of any of them will result in disease.
It has been found that a diet which contains
seeds, nuts, and grains ,
vegetables and
fruits,
would provide adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients. These foods have, therefore, been called basic food groups and the diet contains these food groups as optimum diet for vigour and vitality.
(I) Seeds , nuts and grains :
They contain the germ, the reproductive power which is of vital importance for the lives of human beings and their health. Millet, wheat, oats, barley, brown rice, beans and peas are all highly valuable in building health. Wheat, mung beans, alfalfa seeds and soya beans make excellent sprouts. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts and soya beans contain complete proteins of high biological value. Seeds, nuts and grains are also excellent natural sources of essential unsaturated fatty acids necessary for health. They are also good sources of lecithin and most of the B vitamins . They are the best natural sources of vitamin C, which is perhaps the most important vitamin for the preservation of health and prevention of premature ageing. Besides, they are rich sources of minerals and supply necessary bulk in the diet. They also contain auxones, the natural substance that play an important role in the rejuvenation of cells and prevention of premature ageing.
(ii) Vegetables :
Vegetables are extremely rich source of minerals, enzymes and vitamins. Faulty cooking and prolonged careless storage, however, destroy these valuable nutrients. Most of the vegetables are, therefore, best consumed in their natural raw state in the form of salads. There are different kinds of vegetables. They may be edible roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds. Each group contributes to the diet in its own way. Fleshy roots have energy value and good sources of vitamin B . Seeds are relatively high in carbohydrates and proteins and yellow ones are rich in vitamin A. Leaves, stems and fruits are excellent sources of minerals, vitamins, water and roughage. To prevent loss of nutrients in vegetables, it would be advisable to steam or boil vegetables in their juices on a slow fire and the water or cooking liquid should not be drained off. No vegetable should be peeled unless it is so old that the peel is tough and unpalatable. In most root vegetables, the largest amount of mineral is directly under the skin and these are lost if vegetables are peeled. Soaking of vegetables should also be avoided if taste and nutritive value are tobe preserved.
(iii) Fruits :
Fruits are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and enzymes. They are easily digested and exercise a cleansing effect on the blood and digestive tract. They contain
high alkaline properties, a high percentage of water and a low percentage of proteins and fats. Their organic acid and high sugar content have immediate refreshing effects. Apart from seasonable fresh fruits, dry fruits, such as raisins, prunesand figs are also beneficial. Fruits are at their best when eaten in the raw and ripe states. In cooking, the loose portions of the nutrient salts and carbohydrates. They are most beneficial when taken as a separate meal by themselves, preferably for breakfast in the morning. If it becomes necessary to take fruits with regular food, they should form a larger proportion of the meals. Fruits, however, make better combination with milk than with meals. It is also desirable to take one kind of fruit at a time. For the maintenance of good health, atleast one pound of uncooked fruits should form part of the daily diet. In case of sickness, it will be advisable to take fruits in the form of juices.
Others:
Foods such as milk, vegetable oils and honey can also be supplemented with regular intake. Milk is an excellent food. It is considered as " Nature’s most nearly perfect food." The best way to take milk is in its soured form - that is, yogurt and cottage cheese. Soured milk is superior to sweet milk as it is in a predigested form and more easily assimilated. Milk helps maintain a healthy intestinal flora and prevents intestinal putrefaction and constipation. High quality unrefined oils should be added to the diet. They are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin C and F and lecithin. The average daily amount should not exceed two tablespoons . Honey too is an ideal food. It helps increase calcium retention in the system, prevents nutritional anaemia besides being beneficial in kidney and liver disorders, colds, poor circulation and complexion problems. It is one of the nature’s finest energy-giving food. A diet of the three basic food groups, supplemented with the special foods, will ensure a complete and adequate supply of all the vital nutrients needed for health, vitality and prevention of diseases. It is not necessary to include animal protein like egg, fish or meat in this basic diet, as animal protein, especially meat, always has a detrimental effect on the healing process. A high animal protein is harmful to health and may cause many of our common ailments.
Nutrition Zone 
