What does diet mean to you?

I n this world of miraculous cures, we all think diet means eating less than usual and suppressing the appetite to cut down daily intake of calories.

Diet - the word says it all
Dieting is a process perceived by many as eating calories and not as nutrition and nourishment for the body. For me, there’s no such term as “dieting”. Being away from junk and the comfort foods completely is just a small, impractical and a short term approach that people profess on several occasions.

The real deal
The four letter word DIET is an impactful term which basically portrays the food you eat. It is your food pattern be it the type of food, the timings of your meals and the way you consume it. It also throws light on the combinations one chooses that would complement the body. For example, a South Indian diet would consist of rice & dals rather than paneer and maize which the North Indians consume.

A wider perspective
Most of us misunderstand “diet” for just restricting your food intake mainly starvation and weight loss. But surprisingly diet comprises of unusual aspects such as cooking methods. For instance blanching, grilling, steaming, etc helps the food retain more nutrients to be offered to the body. They also make it easier for the body to absorb them and fetch maximum nutrition of the foods ingested.

To keep it more simple, diet is eating your way to lead a healthy lifestyle be it a family get together or binging on a Sunday brunch. The act of balance in your eating pattern brings about a positive impact. It could be in any form like better digestibility, getting away with bloating or chronic acidity or the universal requirement of fat loss.

One should enjoy all the food he/she likes in moderation to keep the body’s healthy side up.

What actually goes on inside?
Digging into scientific part, the body’s gut (stomach) consists of the gut microbiota (the bacteria in the stomach) which controls the entire body’s health and wellness. They are of three kinds namely - the good bacteria, the bad bacteria and the neutral bacteria.

The aim is to overcrowd the good bacteria over the bad ones in order to be disease free and keep your weight in check. It also enhances your hair, skin, nails and every minute details of the body. The more you feed your good bacteria with healthy foods, the more your body stays pure, clean and work towards your targets.

Bottomline
Therefore, the objective of diet lies in eating to nourish your body and fuel it in the right amount and quality.