Your nutritional habit is a big part of your health and off course development.

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According to World Health Organization (WHO), "Better nutrition is related to improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), and longevity."
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Some times we have difficulties in choosing the amount of nutritional information that is now available especially since too many sources give their differing views. This post could help lead you to a healthier lifestyle.

A. Nutrition tips for diet

1. Add protein to each meal;
There are studies suggesting that higher protein meals may be beneficial for "type 2 diabetes". That means including protein for each meal helps to balance the blood sugar levels AND you also tend to manage weight more and strengthen your cardiovascular health when you are able to balance blood sugar.

2. Eat whole grains;
It is higher recommended that instead of refined grains, you eat whole grains. Reason being that these whole grains consist of nutrients like iron, vitamin B, and fiber which are necessary for our body functions like to carry oxygen in the blood, to regulate the immune system, to balance blood sugar etc.

3. Eat a rainbow;
Who doesn't love a rainbow. You probably heard the saying of "eat a rainbow" before. This some tells us to eat various colored vegetables and fruits.
That way, you gets a huge variety of beneficial antioxidants for your health such as carotenoids and anthocyanins.

4. Eat your greens;
Our green leafy vegetables are a good nutritional source as they contain minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.
The USDA implies that the folate present in leafy greens could help protect us against cancer and the vitamin K in it prevent osteoporosis.

5. Include healthful fats;
While we are adviced to limit our saturated fats(sausages,cake,buscuits) intake and avoid trans fats(fast food, fried food), they can be replace with unsaturated fats, which are found in foods like vegetable oil, avocado and oily fish.

6. Use extra virgin olive oil;
Extra virgin olive oil is beneficial for the heart, it's good for blood pressure, and also weight. You can add this extra virgin olive oil to your diet like maybe adding it when making salads or adding it to your vegetables or food. But then extra virgin olive oil is expensive and not every one can afford it.

7. Get enough fiber;

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Fiber is one of the things that helps to improve blood cholesterol levels and it also reduces the risk of having a heart disease, reduces obesity, and helps for type 2 diabetes. By eating foods like whole grains(rice, beans etc), vegetables etc.

B. Nutrition tips for what to drink

8. Drink water;
Generally, drinking enough water daily is good for health as it helps in managing body weight. Drinking water also limits dehydration, which could be risky for older adults. Well in case you do not feel like drinking plain water, you can add few citrus slices or mint leaves to add its attractive or flavour or appeal, or better still you could drink any herbal tea.

9. Enjoy coffee;
I'm no big fan of coffee but according to [a 2017 study]("Coffee health benefits: Diabetes, heart health, liver cancer, and more" https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270202#risks), the consumption of 3–5 cups of coffee a day could reduce the risk of some diseases like type 2 diabetes, alzheimer’s disease that could affect thinking, memory and even behaviours, parkinson’s disease which is a brain disorder leading to stiffness, difficulty in walking etc and also cardiovascular diseases. It's also recommended that for pregnant or lactating people the amount of coffee reduces to 2 cups daily.

10. Drink natural juice;

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We have orange juice which is a great source of vitamins C and even potassium. There is also beet root juice which provides nitrates, folic acid and magnesium. My mom always does this at home mixing it with apple and carrots. Coconut water is also one healthy drink that can keep you hydrated while providing you potassium(maintains healthy heartbeat and regulates blood pressure)

C. Foods and drinks to avoid

It is very necessary to reduce those food or drinks that may be harmful to our health.

11. Reduce sugar;
Sugar and foods with high fructose corn syrup like candies, ice cream, soda etc add the risk of cardiovascular diseases. That's why we have to should always check the amount of sugar in the foods we eat especially those that have names ending with “-ose,” like sucrose, glucose and the rest. Similarly, eating too much natural sugars such as maple syrup or honey will only play a role in weight gain.

12. Drink alcohol in moderation;
It is highly recommended that if at all you consume alcohol, then do so in moderation. Drinking in excess will increase risk of chronic disease and in the long run, it can impair cognitive function.

13. Avoid sugary drinks;
The drinking sugary drinks often is associated with type 2 diabetes, weight gain, heart disease, kidney disease, obesity, tooth decay, gout and the list goes on. So for your own good limit the intake of sugary drinks and maybe take water instead.

14. Eat less red/processed meat;
Those who replace meat with other protein sources like fish or eggs have a reduced death risk. Eating red meat is often associated with heart disease, stroke etc because of the high cholesterol present in it.

15. Avoid processed foods;

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Consummimg ultra-processed foods like cereals, candy, chocolate, fast food etc can increase risk of a lot of diseases like cancer, depression, diabites and high blood pressure. Instead, you could more of whole foods like veggies, egg, fish and avoid those foods that come with a long lists of already processed ingredients.

HEALTH IS WEALTH