Heavy breakfast, light dinner, no smoking: 9 easy habits that’ll help prevent obesity

Here’s a detailed list of the lifestyle changes to make to keep obesity and related health problems like diabetes, hypertension and hormonal disorders away.

You can prevent obesity and related health problems like diabetes, hypertension and hormonal disorders by changing a few lifestyle habits. Stop smoking, eat right at the right time, have a balanced diet and meditate, suggest experts.

A balanced diet should be a healthy mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Here’s a detailed list of the lifestyle changes to make to keep obesity away:

* Eat healthy: A balanced diet should be a healthy mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It should include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, low fat dairy and nuts to take care of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, fibre and probiotics.

* Eat right: Have a healthy breakfast. This is the time when your muscles are absolutely depleted and hungry after a 10-hour fast since dinner. Eating well in the morning helps you revitalise your muscles and prevents excess calorie intake in the second half of the day. A light breakfast like cereals, milk with honey and nuts would suffice. Lunch: Pick up a piece of fruit, handful of soya nut or an oatmeal bar and see the difference for yourself.

Pre-workout: To sustain throughout the workout and to get the maximum out of it, it is mandatory to fuel your system with the right kind of food like fruits, nuts and eggs.

Post-workout: Feed your hungry muscles after 30- 45 minutes of your workout with fruits and proteins.

At night: Most people skip their meals due to their busy schedules and tend to gorge during dinner which is the main culprit of added on calories and feeling of sluggishness throughout the day. The trick is to keep the dinner light with soups, salads, lean meat and yoghurt.

Learn to manage stress to prevent obesity as lower metabolic rate leads to weight accumulation. Physical activity, socialising, meditation and time with children and pets – all keep stress at bay.

During parties: It is wise to opt for salads, veggies, barbecued or roasted snacks rather than fried snacks and creamy dishes.

* Drink water: Drinking water at regular intervals helps in better digestion and also keeps the body hydrated. This leads to better metabolism and subsequent weight loss.

* Get active: Physical inactivity raises the risk of obesity. Exercise renders cells more sensitive to insulin. A mere brisk walk makes the difference. An ideal workout designed by a health professional is a suitable mix of resistance and aerobic training for optimum muscle building along with weight loss.

* Eliminate stress: Lower metabolic rate leads to weight accumulation and thereby tendency towards obesity. Physical activity, socialising, meditation, enjoying music, nature and time with children and pets – all keep stress at bay.

* Sleep well: It’s a well-known fact that when asleep the human body produces growth hormones that increase metabolism and repair tissue. Sleep deprivation not only hampers this bodily activity but also makes the body lethargic and unable to focus on any other physical or mental activity planned during the day.

* Keep regular medical appointments. After a certain age, it’s important to get lipids checked as these are the indicators of any future obesity-related risk that might befall.

* Stop smoking and drinking alcohol: Tobacco interferes with the production of enzymes for effective digestion. Limiting alcohol intake, if not a total ban, will also make a difference.

* Avoid fad diets that recommend unsafe practices such as fasting (going without food for long periods of time) or cutting out entire food groups such as meat, fish, wheat or dairy products. There are chances of putting those extra kilos back once the fasting is over.

– Inputs from nutritionist Neha Ranglani and Anju Ghei, wellness expert at VLCC.

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