What are healthy food and their health benefits

Not all foods from this group are healthy, which is why you need to be extra careful about the kinds of fats and sugars you consume. While polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids are considered to be good for your health, saturated and trans fats are not. Similarly, natural sugars in fruits, jaggery and dates may be healthy but refined sugars and refined sugar products like cakes, jams, cookies, pastries and beverages with added sugars are unhealthy. While your body needs fats and sugars to sustain itself, you need to pick the healthier ones to include in your diet to stay healthy. 

There is a good reason why proteins are known as the building blocks of life. Whether it is animal protein sources like chicken, eggs and fish or plant-proteins like soybeans, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds and even grains like quinoa, including these foods in your diet is vital. Most of these sources are also packed with minerals and vitamins. However, it is important to avoid red meat, processed meat and undercooked meat to prevent health issues like high cholesterol, salmonella and listeriosis.

Dairy products like milk, yoghurt, curd, paneer, ghee and cheese are key parts of the Indian diet, especially the Indian vegetarian diet. These dairy products are packed with protein, calcium, vitamins A, D and B12 - all essential minerals and vitamins for your immune health. The same products can provide you with more strength and muscle-building capacity. They can also keep your bones and teeth healthy. People with lactose intolerance, however, need to avoid dairy products so that they don’t get an allergic reaction or go into anaphylactic shock.

(Read more: Ghee or butter, which is healthier for you?)

Whether they are fresh and raw or cooked, vegetables and fruits are necessary parts of your diet. These healthy foods are packed with water, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and play a huge role in aiding digestion and boosting your immune system. What’s more, fruits and vegetables - except starchy ones like potatoes and sweet potatoes - are low in calories and also aid weight loss. It’s very important that you include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet and consume at least five servings every day.

Grains and foods prepared with grains are the biggest sources of carbohydrates and energy in your diet. Some of the most popular grains consumed in India are white rice, brown rice, wheat, barley, millets, buckwheat, amaranth, legumes and lentils. Apart from carbs, most grains are also packed with minerals, phytonutrients and some vitamins. From providing you with energy to aiding weight loss, including grains in your diet can benefit you in a myriad of ways. However, if you have a digestive disorder, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), gluten intolerance or wheat allergy then it is best to consult a doctor about your grain consumption.

(Read more: White rice or brown rice, which is healthier?)

In their natural form, grains are extremely beneficial because they are healthy foods packed with dietary fiber, essential vitamins and minerals and even phytonutrients. Refined grains, on the other hand, are anything but beneficial for your health. The intake of refined grains and their flours like maida has been associated by many studies with adverse health outcomes like increased risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. This is the reason why most doctors and nutritionists recommend the replacement of refined grains with whole grains.

The WHO recommends that the intake of saturated fats should be less than 10% of your daily total energy intake, while that of trans fats must be less than 1%. Industrially-produced trans fats in the form of junk, processed or deep-fried foods should be further avoided since they can cause even more harm. The WHO estimates that the intake of trans fats leads to more than 500,000 deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, which is more reason why you should avoid these foods.

You may not realise this but added sugars have a way of sneaking into your diet through everything from junk food and beverages to those desserts you love so much. Consumption of these added sugars can cause obesity, diabetes and damage to your teeth. The WHO says that the ideal daily sugar intake for both adults and children should be less than 10% of their total energy intake. A further reduction to below 5% or roughly six teaspoons per day can prove to be additionally beneficial. It must be noted, however, that most of your daily sugar consumption comes from fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods, so all you need to do is cut off sources of added sugars.

The main source of sodium in your diet is salt, even though high sodium amounts are also found in processed foods with monosodium glutamate (MSG). The WHO says that most people consume too much salt - in fact, almost twice the recommended maximum levels of intake, which is less than 5g per day. This overconsumption of sodium contributes to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. The WHO insists that sticking to the recommended daily consumption level of less than 5g per day can prevent an estimated 2.5 million deaths every year. 

Phytonutrients, also known as phytochemicals, are natural compounds found in plants. Consuming phytonutrients, many of which have antioxidant properties, can improve your health in many ways. Phytonutrients like carotenoids, flavonoids, curcumin and capsaicin are found in common plant foods like fruits, vegetables, turmeric and even chillies. Antioxidants, which are similar to but not the same as phytonutrients, are also found in green tea, cinnamon and most herbs. 

Trace minerals are the ones that are required in smaller amounts than microminerals. These minerals include iron, manganese, copper, zinc and selenium. Though you need lesser amounts of these trace minerals, they are vital for many functions of your body including nervous system support, healing wounds, defending cells from oxidative stress and supplying oxygen to the muscles.

Common minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and potassium are known as microminerals. These microminerals are present in food sources like milk and dairy products, green leafy vegetables, black beans, lentils, bananas and fish varieties like salmon. These microminerals help in a number of bodily functions like controlling your blood pressure levels, improving muscle strength, and maintaining bone health. 

Unlike water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins only dissolve in fat and are stored in your liver and fatty tissues for future use. Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K. These vitamins play a huge role in strengthening the immune system, providing antioxidants to prevent inflammation and free radical damage, improve your vision and support blood clotting. Fat-soluble vitamins are found in green leafy vegetables, almonds, sweet potatoes, milk and soybeans.

Vitamin B and vitamin C are water-soluble vitamins. Apart from vitamin B12, all other water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and get flushed out through the urine. This is the reason why you need to regularly replenish these vitamins by regularly consuming whole grains, eggs, green leafy vegetables like spinach and capsicum, fish, lean meat and citrus fruits. The main function of water-soluble vitamins is to produce energy, prevent cell damage, reduce metabolic stress and create red blood cells. 

Fats or fatty acids are substances that help your body absorb vitamins from broken down foods. While fats like saturated and trans fats get a bad reputation for being unhealthy, your body needs some amounts of it every day to function properly. The fats your body gets from foods like nuts and seeds, olive oil and other sources provide essential fatty acids called linoleic and linolenic acid. These fatty acids are needed for brain development, cognitive function, inflammation control and blood clotting function. 

Proteins are complex organic compounds which are made of many amino acids linked together through peptide, sulfhydryl and hydrogen bonds. Proteins are classified into simple proteins, conjugated proteins and derived proteins. The synthesis of these proteins helps your body produce everything from hormones to neurotransmitters. These proteins are found not only in animal and dairy products but also in plant sources like green leafy vegetables, some grains, nuts and seeds.

(Read more: Protein deficiency)

Carbohydrates are the molecules of sugar your body breaks down into glucose. This glucose or blood sugar is the main source of energy for your body’s cells, tissues and organs and may be either used immediately or stored for later use. There are three main types of carbohydrates:

• Sugars, which are also called simple carbohydrates and are found in fruits, vegetables, milk, desserts and processed foods.
• Starches, which are complex carbohydrates found in cereal grains, bread, pasta and also in some vegetables like potatoes, corn and peas.
• Fiber, which is also a complex carbohydrate and is one of the most beneficial of all carbohydrates. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and whole grains.