Health is wealth! This age old adage holds true even today. The usual practice of 3 meals a day needs some tinkering and 5 small meals a day seems like a good way forward. Go to any dietician or any nutritionist and they will vouch for its benefits.

So, let us now take a look at the many advantages that come up with this multiple-meal plan:

- Alters the food schedule and instils a sense of discipline

It helps in altering your food schedule. When you spread your meals throughout the day, it allows you to try different dishes without over consuming any one dish. With more opportunities to eat healthy, you can develop proper diet charts and follow it properly across the entire day. Moreover, it teaches you discipline to keep a check on your diet.

- Keeps a check on binge eating and over eating

Five meals a day plan can help you control your weight. Intake of small meals prevents binge eating. You don't need to consume in large quantity at once if there are more meals to look forward to , throughout the duration of the day. Smaller meals condition you in such a way that you do not indulge in overeating even if you are outside.

- Something in every meal

Since you're opting for five meals a day, you will indulge in different types of food items throughout the day right from vegetables, fruits, cereals, eggs, milk-shakes and much more. This will not only keep your palette satisfied, but will also make sure that you get all the right amount of nutrients as nothing healthy will be left out.

- Goes hand in hand with all the diet charts and plans

Eating healthy and in small portion ensures that you are on course for your diet plan. Five meals a day will give you a chance to screen your nourishment intake and manage it more viably. It also helps in keeping your appetite under check. It maintains a healthy balance between healthy eating and satiating your hunger.

Disregard the three-feast model; it has now become obsolete. Your busy schedule requests that you take a more dynamic approach to your nourishment. Five meals a day is just the right way to ensure that you have your share of proper nutrients every day.

The heart is one part of your body that pumps blood relentlessly; to be grateful to the most important organ, it’s your duty to look after its health. Cardiovascular diseases and heart ailments can be prevented by making minor changes in your lifestyle.

Here are a few tips to keep your heart healthy:

Add fiber to your diet: Making fiber a part of your regular diet is a great idea as the heart works best when it runs on natural fuel. You can achieve this by adding more raw fruits and vegetables in your meals as they are an excellent source of fiber and nutrients.

Engage in physical activity: Your heart is a muscle and to make it healthier, you need some form of physical exercise. Engaging in cardiovascular forms of exercise for an hour daily keeps your heart in good condition. Engaging in physical activity also reduces the risk of getting a heart disease and acts as a stress buster.

Cut down on the salt intake: The sodium content in salt disrupts the balance of fluids in your body leading to high blood pressure. This can affect the functioning of the heart; that is to pump blood, which is a major cause of a heart attack. So, cutting down on salt can reduce stress and the risks of heart attacks.

Manage your weight: People on the overweight side run a risk of getting heart diseases more often than fit and leaner ones as they tend to be more inactive and sluggish. The heart diseases caused due to obesity can be avoided by making minor changes to your diet and exercising on a daily basis.

Quit smoking: If you are a regular smoker, quitting is the best thing you can do for your heart. The main reason for coronary heart diseases is nicotine present in the cigarette. Once, you quit smoking completely, you will be 50% less likely to run the risks of a heart attack as compared to a regular smoker.

The nine days of Navaratri comprises of nine days of explicit celebration be it regarding meeting friends, hanging out with family, eating food, or going for pandal hopping. During these nine days, the enjoyment quotient is at its peak, so a lot of dietary imbalances are seen as an individual is either fasting or groping on high-calorie food or going on whole night trips. Overall, it is a total phase of biological discrepancy that is pretty welcoming as everybody loves going beyond time conventions once in a while.

The importance of following a diet post celebrations-

Our body does take a toll in these nine days. Moreover, after the 9-Days fasting in the Navratri and after all the pomp and show has ended, a person feels a lack of energy. So, after these nine days, one should follow an energy boosting diet that will replenish the tired soul and body. Non-vegetarians may become protein-deficit during these fasting days, hence during the post-Navaratri diet, one should also back up his or her non-vegetarian protein content as majority follow fast rituals or prefer eating vegetarian foods during these days.

Food with soy content: Soya beans contain phosphorus, vitamin B, and copper - all three are beneficial for boosting energy. Phosphorus and copper convert food to energy and vitamin B breaks down carbohydrates for energy. Soya curries can be accommodated in meals.

Eggs: Having eggs for few days is important. The yolk of the egg is a high source of vitamin D and B and is rich in protein as well. Vitamin B fragments down food to promote energy and vitamin D makes bones stronger.

Lean meat: Meat eaters will love this one. Whether you love chicken, pork, beef or turkey, you're assured of sustained energy. It also contains norepinephrine and dopamine that apart from boosting energy uplifts mood as well.

Beetroot juice: Drinking a glass of beetroot juice before a workout will make your body work for long hours without making you fatigued. Beetroot is abundant in vitamin A and C both of which helps in reducing fatigue and building stamina which is needed in these phase as all the holidays are over.

Have some chocolates: Yes, you read it right. Have some chocolates without any guilt. The entire fasting period and the celebrations getting over apart from taking a toll on the health issues also do affect our mood. Chocolate act as a great mood elevator apart from rendering us with the boost of energy.

Water: A diet can never be complete without a proper amount of water intake. During Navaratri people neglect on their daily 7 to 8 glasses of water so during these days it is important to fill it up.

Detox and Cleanse are the two buzzing words in the health community for some time now. Navratri diet is essentially one of the native processes to cleanse our body internally. We can utilize our hands and soap to clear our skin, but for internal clearance, diet plans like Navratri are being used since ancient times.

It is a very simple and transparent process our body follows. Our body needs energy all the times. So, if we stop or minimize the intake of food in any form, the body’s internal metabolic system starts searching for for stored energy. Fats are the godown of energy, and hence, the body starts utilizing them in running itself. In this manner, we can gradually lose all the fat content within a span of 9 days of Navratri festival.

Navratri fasting – Doing it right
Proper fasting techniques help us to set us back on track when it comes to good health. But unhealthy practices such as consuming deeply fried or sugary food during the festival period was not an ancient process but which somehow developed along the way and hence, should be avoided. Going salt-free and including fruits and vegetables in our diet help our bodies pass this time with ease. A Navratri diet plan was actually made to detoxify our body.

Incorporating Variety of Grains: Amaranth, Chestnuts, and Samak are equivalent to cereal and are rich in proteins and carbohydrates. Recently scientists have found that these pseudo-cereals have high nutritional content as compared to wheat. They are also the best sources of minerals and vitamins and free from gluten. The practice of including such foods with us in the past which might have been lost as we evolved and the festive occasion is a good opportunity to bring about the change.

Similarly, khichdi made from Kuttu also serves the need of a balanced diet with proper carbohydrate minerals and other vitamins. It's effortless to cook which helps to make time for celebration as well. Chapati made up of Kuttu is also a great option for those who prefer parathas and puris.

The potato which is also a rich source of carbohydrate in a baked form can suit the need of Navaratri diet plans. Sabudana, either as Khichdi or mixed with milk not only enhances the taste buds but also provides quality nutrition. It's better to have these alternate grains at regular intervals instead of an extended period of fast.

Drinking plenty of fluids: Plenty of fluids like water, buttermilk, fruit juice should be taken. Lime diluted with warm water helps to detoxify your body at faster levels. A variety of such foods should be eaten to satisfy the taste buds and providing proper nutrition to the body.

Hence, it would be good to incorporate such foods into the regular diet, even after the Navratri celebrations are over. It not only helps in minimizing weight but also to maintain it. This diet promotes digestion, improves energy, prevents diseases and fosters a feeling of lightness and well-being throughout the year and entire life. Celebrate the Navratri in a healthy way, not compromising the pomp and grandeur.

A person, in order to be a successful sportsman or sportswoman needs to take a good care of his or her diet plans on a daily basis. They need more energy, proteins, vitamins, calories, minerals, carbohydrates and fats than other people, who are not involved in sports. Also, the requirement of energy varies in different sportsperson.

On an average, a sportsman below 30 years of age needs 3000 Kilo calories of food whereas those beyond 30 years need 2800-3000 Kilo calories of food daily.

The different requirements in the diets of a sportsman are explained as follows:

1.Carbohydrates: It is found in whole grains and fruits. Also the diet should comprise of foods rich in fiber.

2.Proteins: Proteins are the building blocks of the body which is why a sportsperson need it the most. It builds their immunity and increases the ability of the body to handle physical stress and strain. It is found in chicken, fish egg whites, milk, yoghurts, beans etc.

3.Fats: They are required for the proper lubrication of the bones. They also help in the absorption and transportation of fat soluble vitamins. Have foods with saturated fats like nuts, olive oil, fatty fish, low fat milk and low fat dairy products.

4.Vitamins & Minerals: Adequate amount of vitamins maintain the health and integrity of the cell bodies in the body. It also fights against the stress by destroying few unnecessary substances in the body and increasing antioxidants.

5.Hydration: Proper hydration of the body is essential for a sportsperson in addition to other necessary nutrient requirements since it increases the functionality of the person. This is because proteins might result in constipation in the body the effect of which is nullified by the supply of
adequate amount of water.

6.Fiber: Apart from these, foods rich in fiber are also required since presence of adequate amount fiber in the body helps in having regular bowel movement in a person.

7.Salt intake: Salt is an important ingredient in the diet of the sportsperson since salt is the key source of sodium which has contribution towards keeping one healthy.