When we are young, we think we can eat anything. Actually, this could not be further away from the truth. The truth is that, when we are young, our arteries and organs are new and performing at their peak. As children or young adults, instead of healthy eating habits we often prefer to eat junk food. To a certain extent, if our lifestyle is very active then the fats in the food are utilized by conversion to energy. However, even in the case of highly active youngsters, not all the facts are utilized. A major portion begins to accumulate. However, since our internal organs and arteries are still young and robust, the damage does not show up. As we continue our unhealthy healthy eating meals for a healthy diet, the sludge keeps accumulating and one fine morning we end up at the hospital where the doctors are pleased to diagnose you with a critical blockage or kidney or liver damage. Of course being humans, we all want to indulge in modern day delicacies. The occasional indulgence does no harm. If however, we love to eat ice cream, burgers and French fries every day or even four times a week that would be sufficient to cause significant damage in due course.

The problem with unhealthy food eating habits is that it packs too much energy. If you fill a car with gas beyond its capacity, the gas simply overflows. In the case of humans however, the body stores the excess energy as fat. The more we eat, the more it stores. Since the human skin is elastic, as our internal ‘store’ fills up, the skin stretches and we become obese. The only way to utilize these massive quantities of stored energy is to use it for some physical activity i.e. exercises. This however, is easier said than done. Two scoops of plain vanilla ice cream have 350 calories, calories in a banana 2500 have. To utilize 350 calories so it is not added to your existing fat content, you would have to run approximately 8 miles! Most ordinary non-athletic folks would find that impossible. It is therefore better and easier to adopt a healthy food eating habit than to indulge and sweat it out at the jogging track or in some gym.

Healthy eating menu are one that includes 30% vegetables, 25% fruit, 20% whole grains and pulses, 15% protein and 10% milk or milk products. As you can see, the bulk of your health food should come from vegetables and only 15% from meats.

One of the best ways to ensure you follow the food portion sizes is to utilize a portion control plates. These days, portion control plate are elegantly designed and made from porcelain china. Each 10-inch plate has a neat design that divides the plate into three segments for veggies and fruit, grains and proteins. Food portion plate are readily available at most crockery outlets or even online and are an elegant way to keep a control on quantity and quality of food we eat and to ensure we do not stray too far from our healthy food eating habits.