Stay healthy. Stay happy.

"I just need to drop those last 2-3 kgs, and then I'll be happy/satisfied with my weight" - said almost every other person I've ever talked to, about nutrition.

Guess what? Being healthy has nothing to do with how much you weigh. So do yourself a favor and lock up that nightmare we call a weighing scale!
'Healthy' means how you feel about yourself, how fit you are, what your stamina level is and so forth.

A friend of mine suggested I write this blog about some tips and basics of nutrition. I could drone on for hours on this subject, but I'll try to keep this to the bare minimum.

Foods You May Want To Avoid:

• Fats - Yeah, the ultimate enemy right? Not quite. Our bodies actually DO need fats. But the good kind of fats. The ones that will actually help you lose weight! Things like: avocados, nuts, lean meats, olive/canola oils, flaxseeds, cheese, peanut/almond butter, sunflower/pumpkin seeds, etc are all really good for you! In limited quantities, ofcourse. What you want to really minimize eating are foods like butter/margarine, cakes/cookies/pies, red meats, deep fried foods, hydrogenated oils etc. Those are definitely your enemies. 
• Sodium - Why reduce sodium intake? Because it retains water and that makes you look bloated! Not to mention, it is associated with higher blood pressure. So do yourself that favor. 
• Refined food - It makes a BIG difference when you switch your favorite white bread to wheat bread. Or eat food made from whole grains, compared to white flour. Why? Because refined foods lack the fiber, vitamins, minerals that whole grains contain.
• Alcohol and Smoking - You must have heard this SO many times, you're probably tired of reading this again. But really, your body will thank you in the future if you reduce (if not stop) both of these. 

So then what DO you eat? And how?

• PLENTY of water!!! Almost 2-3 liters per day! Again, you must be tired of hearing about the goodness of water all the time. But as a nutritionist, I couldn't stress on this enough. Drinking a lot of water helps, in every way possible. Trust me :)
• Fruits. Eat 2 fruits per day! Start your day with 1 and then eat the other one between lunch and dinner. But dont consume any after 6 or 7pm. 
• Vegetables. They have so much goodness in them! ALL of them do. So incorporate lots of veggies in your daily diet. Vegetable juices, salads, sabzis, however you like them.
• Pulses. Your mom used to force you to eat your dal everyday for a reason. A damn good reason, that too. There are so many pulses to choose from (rajma, chole, moong, channa, sprouts, etc). Pick a new one each day if possible. That's where you get most of your protein from. Watch your hair and nails get stronger and glossier within days of eating adequate protein ;)
• Drink your milk. Again, most of us were forced to, in our childhood. I know I was! But we all need that calcium and Vitamins D and A. 
• Variate. Pick different fruits, vegetables and pulses everyday! Dont get into a boring routine. Go surprise your body and it will surprise you! Color matters in nutrition too, so pick from a WIDE range of colorful foods. :D
• Eat something every 2-3 hours. Never go hungry! If you're on the move, carry something with you. Doesn't have to be a complicated meal. Just some mixed nuts, or coconut water or even a block of cow cheese will do!
• Workout. Even 30-45 minutes 4 times a week is good enough, for a beginner. Just as long as you get your heart rate up. 

There are so many more things I can come up with, but these are some good starter points. 

Just remember 2 things: when it comes to health, always think long term. Short term diets and all those crash-crap is never the solution. (Infact, that will make you put on more weight later on).

Also, the happier you are, the healthier you will be. Too cheesy right? Lol, I know. But its true!! Try it out ;)