Food you should avoid this year.

 People have different preference for various food,some which are very good to the body and others proven to be inimical to the body systems.

2018 is gone,here is 2019.What are your resolution for the new year as regards what you consume?
According to WHO,what we eat and drink can affect our body’s ability against infections, as well as how likely we are to develop health problems later in life, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes and different types of cancer.
The exact ingredients of a healthy diet will depend on different factors like how old and how active we are, as well as the kinds of foods that are available in the communities where we live. But across cultures, there are some common food tips for helping us lead healthier, longer lives.

Eat a variety of food: Human body is made up of complex interrelated parts and organs each of which needs different classes of food to function well.Except for breast milk,no particular food is sufficient enough to provide all balance diet.

Balance diet can only be achieved by eating varieties of food with different nutrients.

Some tips by WHO to ensure balanced diet:

• In your daily diet, aim to eat a mix of staple foods such as wheat, maize, rice and potatoes with legumes like lentils and beans, plenty of fresh fruit and veg, and foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk).
• Choose wholegrain foods like unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice when you can; they are rich in valuable fibre and can help you feel full for longer.
• For snacks, choose raw vegetables, unsalted nuts and fresh fruit, rather than foods that are high in sugars, fats or salt.

Reduce salt intake:Salt which a good source of sodium  is needed by the body but in a very minute quantity(recommended limit of 5 grams,equivalent to a teaspoon a day).

Any excess can be catastrophic to the important organs of the body.

On average, we consume the double of the recommended quantity,which has consequently increased it related ailments in recent time.

Most processed foods and drinks contain high amount of salt which may not check your salt intake even if you don't add extra to your food.

Some tips to reduce your salt intake:

• When cooking and preparing foods, use salt sparingly and reduce use of salty sauces and condiments (like soy sauce, stock or fish sauce)
• When using canned or dried vegetables, nuts and fruit, choose varieties without added salt and sugars.
• Avoid snacks that are high in salt, and try and choose fresh healthy snacks over processed foods.
• Remove salt and salty condiments from the table and try and avoid adding them out of habit; our tastebuds can quickly adjust and once they do, you are likely to enjoy food with less salt, but more flavor!
• Check the labels on food and go for products with lower sodium content.

Reduce fat and oil:We all need some fat in our diet, but eating too much – especially the wrong kinds - increases risks of obesity, heart disease and stroke. Industrially-produced trans fat are the most hazardous for health. A diet high in this kind of fat has been found to raise risk of heart disease by nearly 30%.

Some tips to reduce fat consumption:

• Replace butter, lard and ghee with healthier oils such as soybean, canola (rapeseed), corn, safflower and sunflower.
• Choose white meat like poultry and fish which are generally lower in fats than red meat, trim meat of visible fat and limit the consumption of processed meats.
• Try steaming or boiling instead of frying food when cooking.
• Check labels and always avoid all processed, fast and fried foods that contain industrially-produced trans fat. It is often found in margarine and ghee, as well as pre-packaged snacks, fast, baked and fried foods.

Reduce intake of sugar: Sugar is not only know to damage the teeth but also increases the risk of unhealthy weight gain and obesity, which can lead to serious, chronic health problems.

Just like salt, it’s important to take note of the amount of “hidden” sugars that can be in processed food and drinks. For example, a single can of soda can contain up to 10 teaspoons of added sugar!

Some tips to reduce sugar intake

• Limit intake of sweets and sugary drinks such as fizzy drinks, fruit juices and juice drinks, liquid and powder concentrates, flavoured water, energy and sports drinks, ready-to-drink tea and coffee and flavoured milk drinks.
• Avoid giving sugary foods to children. Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods give to children under 2 years of age, and should be limited beyond that age.
• Choose healthy fresh snacks rather than processed foods.

Avoid hazardous and harmful alcohol use: Alcohol is not a part of a healthy diet,and no little amounts of it is recommended for body because it's not useful to the body at all.

Drinking alcohol increases your immediate risk of injury, as well as causing longer-term effects like liver damage, cancer, heart disease and mental illness.

WHO advises that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption; and for many people even low levels of alcohol use can still be associated with significant health risks .

Tips,

• Less alcohol consumption is always better for health and it is perfectly OK not to drink attached all.
• Stay away from alcohol if you are: pregnant or breastfeeding; driving, operating machinery or undertaking other activities that involve related risks; you have health problems which may worsen by alcohol; you are taking medicines which directly interact with alcohol; or you have difficulties with controlling your drinking.

For guidance and counseling on stopping the consumption of alcohol, visit WHO

To sum it all, regular exercise is also a key to healthy living irrespective of your food intake 

Source: Who.int