Nuances of Nutrition
NATIONAL NUTRITION WEEK CELEBRATED IN THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER HAS A THEME OF “FEEDING SMART RIGHT FROM START” THIS YEAR.
Feeding smart right from the start inculcates and motivates people to ensure they keep a balanced diet with adequate hydration from the start of their days, as well as teach the young ones to follow The theme the same for for the their course of National life. Vikas Nutrition Chawla, founder Week emphasises and director, the significance Vedas Cure says, of “The theme is proper nutrition highly resonating intake and significant right from with the childhood. ongoing societal “Through conditions from various the last year awareness since pandemic activities that struck our lives. are usually The professionals conducted to educate people on were previously the need for nutrition in our bodies, spending 10-12 the national nutrition week is hours working on laptops a big enabler when it comes to and now that timeline with guiding people towards proper work from home has risen without nutrition habits and choices. The any boundaries.” government also took up initiatives Dr Susanta Kumar Badatya, focused on nutrition and Consultant Neonatology and good food, healthy body, mind, Pediatrics, Apollo Cradle & and lifestyle,” says Dr Babina N M Children's Hospital - Motinagar Chief Medical Officer Jindal adds, “Feeding the healthy food Naturecure Institute. from the start is a right fuel for
Divya growing, learning and developing. Kotwani, Malnourishment including founder, both under-nutrition and overnutrition health culture, is the reason for many clinical dietitian, chronic health conditions in obesity adulthood. Plenty of balanced management nutrients are a must and not too specialist and many calories, fats or sugars are sports nutritionist required in order to build a strong adds, foundation for a healthy life.” “Feeding Khyati Rupani, founder and smart means chief nutritionist, Balance making the Nutrition says, “In younger generation urban regions, it is aware the influx of packaged about the food foods mainly that they eat. Sharing knowledge processed junk with them and guiding them food high in about the pros and cons of each preservatives, food. They should know the bread, importance of our home foods, for refined food example pulses are important for consumption a child’s growth, rice is one of that good carbs that can be easily needs to be digested, vegetables are an essential addressed. source of vitamins and minerals The solution and fruits provide our body to both these with the required fluids.”
Vikas Chawla, founder and director, Vedas
The pandemic fueled work from home has brought the focus on health and nutrition to the forefront. Routines have been disrupted, health has been neglected and results are visible in terms of people suffering from physical and mental illnesses.
GET THE BASICS RIGHT
DOING IT RIGHT
issues is to eat smart.”
NUTRITION CHALLENGES
Malnutrition is a complex issue. India has the dubious distinction of being ranked at 94th out of 107 countries in the 2020 Global Hunger Index. “The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the malnutrition status of the marginalised section of society. The government has undertaken many initiatives such as Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and POSHAN Abhiyan. However, scaling up infrastructure, accurate identification of beneficiaries and strengthening Information, Communication and Education
Deccan Chronicle
Through various awareness activities that are usually conducted to educate people on the need for nutrition in our bodies, the national nutrition week is a big enabler when it comes to guiding people towards proper nutrition habits and choices. The government also took up initiatives focused on nutrition and good food, healthy body, mind, and lifestyle,” says Dr. Babina N M
Good food acts as a fuel to your body and brain.
Having a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner with a balanced diet and exercise regularly helps to prevent various diseases boosting strong immune power
— Dr Divya Malik, Senior Nutritionist, Apollo Spectra Nehru
Enclave, Delhi
efforts in such programmes is the need of the hour,” says Dr. Priyanka Gupta Manglik, Practicing Gynecologist, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Lucknow.
Paraj Primlani, founder, ParaFit adds, “The first and foremost issue is low awareness regarding nutrition which we have been trying to deal with through national nutrition week since 1973. Along with this, high levels of malnutrition affect the health of masses badly, be it a child or an adult. We are observing a high number of infants with low birth weights due to maternal malnutrition.”
STRENGTHENING THE CAUSE
Spreading awareness about the right feeding practices and awareness about the government-run nutritional programs and their importance in the community can lead more people to avail the benefits of the same. “Professionals and grass root level workers like Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, and ANMs can be trained on the national nutritional programmes and can be useful in implementing them at the community level,” says Dr. Himani Narula, developmental and behavioral pediatrician, director & co-founder of Continua kids.
Indian diets are traditionally heavier on the carbs side as compared to traditional western diets. “Foods like paneer, chicken, sea food, soya, eggs, tofu a n d sprouts should b e incorporated in your diet and one should aim to eat 1 gram of protein per kg body
weight. In simple terms, if you weigh 70 kgs then you should aim to consume 70 grams of protein daily” says Pallav Bihani, Founder, Boldfit.
Soumita Biswas, chief nutritionist, Aster RV Hospital adds, “Nutrition is essential for an individual’s entire growth. Because a healthy mind dwells in a
healthy body, we must include nourishment such as salts, vitamins, proteins, and so on in our daily diet.”
EAT RIGHT
Feeding Smart right from the start is the best way for a healthy life. Nutrition brings in macro nutrients like protein, fat, carbohydrates, fibers and about 0.025 to 0.5% of active biological compounds needed for the body to perform at its optimal. “Good nutrition is what you invest for something unseen or unpredictable and when a situation arises, then the disciplined good nutrition comes to play in enabling the body to cope up with a health situation,” says Amit Srivastava, chief catalyst, Nutrify Today. The importance of good food should be added in the school syllabus as a special subject with creative projects and workshops, highlighting the importance of good food. “Whereas now due to pandemic social distancing guidelines and virtual learning have meant big shifts in family routines, and that may include how you feed your family. Good food acts as a fuel to your body and brain, especially true for younger and school-aged children. Having a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner with a balanced diet and exercise regularly helps to prevent various diseases boosting strong immune power,” concludes Dr Divya Malik, Senior Nutritionist, Apollo Spectra Nehru Enclave, Delhi.
erial offenders are suddenly backing into their holes after the recent appointment of Stephen Ravindra as the CP of Cyberabad. The man, known for his strict adherence to law and order has put the fear of God among our city’s mischief mongers who have all of a sudden corrected their ways.