Suggest me healthy, fibre and low calorie diet.

Pankaj Kumar Ojha

1 year ago

Suggest me healthy, fibre and low calorie diet.

Fibre Intake Nutrition Physical activity

Happy Tummy Expert

1 year ago

Dear Pankaj Kumar Ojha, Thank you for the question

Dietary fiber also known as roughage is a type of carbohydrate, It’s a component of the plant which is resistant to digestion by the enzymes in the human system thereby making it indigestible. It is edible and considered to be an essential nutrient in your daily diet.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of fiber for male is 30g per day

There are many kinds of fibers like soluble (as in oats, apple), insoluble (whole grain) , prebiotic (onion, green banana, chicory) which occur naturally in various foods we eat in our daily diet and all of them are beneficial for us in their own unique way. Diets with a high content of fibre tend to have a positive effect on health like-

Improves bowel function
Adds bulk to stool and promotes regularity
Helps reduced calorie intake due to the feeling of satiety (as fiber promotes a feeling of fullness).
Regulates blood sugar level
Regulates blood pressure
Helps lowers total and LDL cholesterol thereby reducing the risk of heart diseases.
Helps support growth of healthy gut bacteria and overall digestive health.

Some of the good sources of fiber are as follows:

Vegetables such as green beans, peas, cauliflower, garlic, carrot, tomato etc.

Fruits including banana, apple, and citrus fruits like orange & sweet lime.
Whole grains- whole wheat, millets, multigrain, wheat bran, oats etc.
Dried beans, Legumes, Nuts & Seed

You can look out for products with claims on being “source or rich in” fiber also to be included as a part of an overall diversified balanced diet.

As a general dietary guideline, for an apparently healthy individual/ with no specific health or nutrition needs and/or metabolic condition it is recommended to consume 2000kcal/d and the RDA for protein requirement is 54g/d for men.

However, if you intend to lose weight then a sustainable weight management requires a holistic approach which involves lifestyle management which includes Dietary modification, Physical activity, hydration, and stress management. With any weight loss plan changes take time to reflect as your body requires sufficient time to adapt to the changes in order to show results.

An ideal weight loss meal plan should include calorie deficit diet with appropriate exercise regime followed under professional guidance.

However here are few objectives to be considered when planning to start with a weight loss program.

Count Your Daily Calories

It is recommended to consume 500kcal less than your average, daily, current dietary intake of calories to target on 2-3kg weight loss per month (ideally 0.5kg per week).
This target is a healthy& sustainable way of reducing and then maintaining the weight loss.
The first step hence is “counting your daily calorie intakes”. Counting your daily calorie intake is proven to be effective when on a weight loss diet. You can use applications/apps freely available, that will help you count your calories to keep a track on your daily calorie intake and physical activity levels.
These apps will also help you to track your hydration & sleep patterns which also impact your weight.
Ideal body weight for an individual can be calculated using the Broca Index (BI) which is: Ideal Standard Weight (kg) = Ht (cm) – 100
WHO has given different BMI (Body mass index) classifications to categorise adults into different weight categories. BMI is a simple index of weight-for-height. It can be considered as a 2nd level indicator of overall health.

It can be calculated using a simple formula of BMI = Weight (kg) / Height (m²)

Following is the WHO BMI Classification

18.5 to 24.9 - Normal

Less than 18.5 - Underweight

25 to 29 - Overweight

Above 30 – Obese

General Dietary Guidelines for weight loss that can be considered:

Eat a well-balanced diet that includes all the 5 food groups (cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk & milk products).
Do not skip your meals. Have small quantity of meals at regular intervals.
Choose healthy snacking options in between your meals.
Monitor your portion size.
Include protein in your diet. Some of the sources include pulses, lentils, milk, paneer, soybean, eggs, lean meat, nuts & seeds, etc.
Fiber in your meals can potentiate the satiating property, suppress excess hunger and control food intake. All fruits and vegetables, whole grains, multigrains, millets, nuts & seeds etc., are a good source of fiber.
Try switching from saturated fats and trans fats to MUFA (mono-unsaturated fatty acids) & PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) as they are essential fatty acids and are good for your health.
Consume fresh, seasonal fruits as they contain many essential nutrients and are good sources of fiber.
Carbonated and alcoholic beverages to be limited or preferably avoided.
Deep Fried foods to be restricted. Method of cooking like baking, grilling, boiling, steaming is preferable over deep frying with excess fat/ oil.
Minimum of 8 glasses of water should be consumed to keep yourself hydrated.
Have your last meal at least 2-3 hours before Bed time.
Try to follow a good sleep regimen in terms of both quantity and quality.