The medical profession always stresses the importance of a balanced diet for healthy living. This should draw our attention for we treasure healthy living more than anything else.
Our body is a machine which has to be fed and well maintained through the supply of necessary nutriments forits use. A balanced diet is one which has all the essential nutriments in required quantities. Generally, these are
- carbohydrates,
- proteins,
- fats,
- mineral salts and
- vitamins.
The problem we usually face is that we do not find all these substances in any single item of food we the take.
The carbohydrates which are organic sugar compounds, however, are found in many of foods, for example, rice, bread and yams we eat are full of these and rice being our staple food, we have no difficulty in obtaining an ample supply of them. The purpose of carbohydrates in the diet is to provide energy for bodily Junctions and physical labour. Fats, too, provide energy and are found in animal products.
Proteins build body tissues and are required for the growth and repair of the body tissues. Their importance for body tissue growth makes them particularly necessary for growing children. Proteins are found in meet, eggs, butter cheese and animal products and also in vegetables as dhall, soya, beans and wing beans, cereals like green gram and kurakkan also contain proteins. The presence of any of these food items in our diet ensures our supply of proteins.
Mineral salts and Vitamins maintain health and are found in various vegetables, fresh fruits green leaves in addition to in milk and eggs which are sources of proteins, too. The absence mineral salts and vitamins gives rise to various diseased conditions. For example, deficiency of A causes blindness and iron salts when lacking in the diet causes bloodlessness.
A knowledge of the different nutriments, their functions and sources should move any person to a balanced diet for himself and his loved ones. A most respected principle of medicine is prevention and a balanced diet does a great deal in preventing many diseases and undesirable Conditions that make living a misery.