From Spices To Wellness: How An Indian Diet Supports Healthy Ageing

Given our fast-paced lifestyles, it's difficult to eat healthy. The surge in preference for convenience foods and packaged eatables plus the stress and environmental pollution makes people more prone to health issues. This is where clean eating and fresh foods become important.

If we follow a healthy Indian diet along with exercise routines, we may become fitter versions of ourselves. While we cannot control the environmental contaminants to which we are exposed, adopting a healthier diet is certainly doable. As an increased number of people realize this, Dr. Irfan Shaikh, Head, Medical & Scientific Affairs at Abbott’s Nutrition business focuses on hearty and healthier foods that form a balanced diet and some steps you can take to age healthy.

1.       Start Out Young: As teens grow, three essential systems in their bodies change: muscle mass along with long bones, hormonal maturity and blood, and immunity. To ensure these areas grow properly, you need the right nutrients.

Bone development: Most people think of adequate proteins and calcium when they think of bone development, but vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin K, collagen and essential fatty acids are also necessary for bone health and turnover. Consumption of these nutrients can help reduce bone fracture risk for teens. Fish[i]/egg[ii]/chickpea[iii] curry, mixed vegetable sabzi, dal[iv] tadka and even some chutneys like flaxseed[v] chutney is rich in these nutrients.

Blood: Iron, vitamin B-12 and folate are essential for the formation of healthy red blood cells. Without adequate iron, teens are unable to produce the red blood cells they need to carry oxygen throughout the body. Preparations made from spinach[vi], [vii] like palak paneer, palak rice palak dal, lentil[viii] soups, methi[ix] paratha, and beetroot[x] poriyal are some dishes that are rich in these nutrients.

Hormonal maturity: Balanced diet, adequate proteins, high fibers, stress-free life, regular exercise, weight control and sound sleep are critical for a successful transition of the hormonal foundation during the early years.

2.      Preventative Care in the 30s and 40s:  People in their 30s and 40s should focus on preventive care, particularly when it comes to their hearts.

Cholesterol: To lower cholesterol, eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, protein-rich meals (particularly fish and seafood), legumes (such as beans and lentils), nuts and seeds, and so on.

Stress: Career, income, and family responsibilities create several possibilities to experience stress. Regular exercise and coping abilities to handle stressful situations are crucial to protect your health and mind. Some of the best ways to cope with stress are exercising, yoga, journaling and meditation.

Blood Pressure: Many people are unaware that they have high blood pressure because it has no symptoms, and the only way of finding out is to get examined. Reducing your sodium and chai or caffeine intake is vital to controlling high blood pressure, additionally, it is important to stay active and lose fat around the waistline.

3.      The Importance of Prioritizing: As we age, what we eat can impact our health, so it's important to put some thought into what we eat and drink. Some key ingredients for future healthy ageing are:

Protein is essential at every age, whether you want to build muscle, retain strength or recuperate from surgery. One can find protein in meats, beans, dairy products, fish, nuts, seeds, and cottage cheese and can serve these in the form of various curry preparations.

Fibre-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains can help with lowering cholesterol and managing body weight simply by keeping you full. Chana[xi] masala, baingan[xii] bharta and oats[xiii] upma are some ways in which you can add fiber to your meal.

Calcium, As we age, our bones lose some of their calcium and mass, heightening the risk of fractures and weaker bones. Consuming milk, dahi, and cheese is a good source of calcium uptake. Ragi[xiv] dosa, til[xv] chutney and paneer[xvi] masala are some Indian dishes which are high in protein due to their ingredients.

Vitamin D is important for healthy bones and is the only one that can be synthesized when the skin is exposed to sunlight. It can be found in fatty fish, eggs, and vitamin D-fortified dairy products.

Nutritional supplements: A regular, balanced diet is crucial to meet daily nutritional requirements and also build stronger muscles as you age. However, while we recognize that muscles matter and eat accordingly, some nutritional gaps may exist. To fill these gaps, one can include a balanced nutrition supplement like Ensure HMB which is a science-based nutritional supplement formulated with 32 vital nutrients and a special ingredient – HMB or ?-hydroxy-?-methyl butyrate – that helps counteract muscle loss and restore strength and energy.

Every person passes many milestones throughout life and health should stay top-of-mind every step of the way. By embracing your cultural dishes which are prepared through locally and organically sourced foods, you can stay healthy as you age.