Top 5 healthy diet secrets you need to know in your 20s

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• One of the most increasingly common conditions in the elderly is arthritis
• Indian cuisine boasts a plethora of spices on the place that add flavor and increase the health quotient of food
• Salads are the unsaid alternative to regular cooked meals for many when it comes to weight loss

The 20s are that time of life when one wants to experiment – from workout routines to diet fads. Fitness enthusiasts try it all during their 20s, thinking that it’s their time to find out what suits their body best. However, little do they realize how these years lay a foundation for a later stage in life. Much like childhood, when parents insist on drinking milk regularly, eating vegetables and other healthy foods to up the nutrient intake, the 20s is when one needs to stick to a healthier diet and develop certain habits that would promote longevity and keep chronic diseases at bay.

While late-night dinners, pizza parties, and wine tasting have their charm, there’s a lot you can do to keep yourself free from inflammation and disease risk in the long term. Take a look.

1. Include calcium in your diet: One of the most increasingly common conditions in the elderly is arthritis. To safeguard yourself from risk, we recommend strengthening your bones starting in your 20s by including calcium-rich foods in your diet. For stronger bones and teeth, resort to dairy products like milk, curd, cheese, and cottage cheese. The lactose intolerant group can resort to green leafy vegetables like mustard greens, turnip, kale, and even sweet potatoes.
2. Don’t eliminate spices: One of the mistakes that millennials often make is giving up on spices. Indian cuisine boasts a plethora of spices that add flavor and increase the health quotient of food. Besides salt and pepper, there are spices like turmeric, coriander, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, and many more that raise the tasting bar of meals and make them a tongue-tickling treat that also strengthens the immune system and organs without us realizing it. 

1. Don’t overdo the salads: Salads are the unsaid alternative to regular cooked meals for many when it comes to weight loss. However, the fact remains that mixing up vegetables, small quantities of corn, lettuce, grilled chicken, and cottage cheese may not be a lasting solution to diet problems. Over time, the same may get monotonous. To keep things interesting, add some boiled pasta, roasted veggies, or cook up a vegetable crust pizza that includes all the essential that nutrients your body needs – from healthy fats to vitamins, calcium, and protein.

1. Don’t eliminate fats: Fats are considered an enemy of weight watchers. However, fats are both healthy and unhealthy – the healthy variety being those present in nuts, clarified butter (desi ghee), fatty fish like tuna, salmon, and mackerel, and seeds like flaxseeds and sunflower seeds. This helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels and lubrication in joints which cut arthritis risk later in life.
2. Maintain a healthy relationship with wine: Alcohol intake in the 20s is needs to be regulated to strike a healthy balance. One or a maximum of two glasses of red wine in a day is linked to better heart health, gut health, lower risk of diabetes, and better blood pressure control.