The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Swasthya Suraksha Mission is a new and groundbreaking initiative of the Government which aims at providing easily available medical insurance and health services to the poor

It is extremely worrying that nearly 60 million Indians are pushed into poverty because they are,  unfortunately, compelled to shell out half of their annual household expenditure to meet medical needs, especially when it comes to hospitalisation. Even after 70 years of independence, there is no real health insurance scheme for 80 per cent of the Indian population.

One of the major healthcare scheme, ‘Ayushman Bharat’, announced by the Union Government in this year’s Budget, is as a game-changer. It aims to ensure better healthcare to the people, particularly from the lower strata of the society. The scheme has two components — the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Swasthya Suraksha Mission (PMRSSM) and health and wellness centres. The PMRSSM, a  mega healthcare scheme, aims to provide free health treatment up to five lakh rupees to the poor and vulnerable sections of the society. More than 10 crore identified families, covering more than 50 crore, are entitled to benefit under this mission.

For a focused approach and better implementation of the scheme, a dedicated society, called the National Health Agency (NHA), has been formed to administer and implement the PMRSSM under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

As a first step, to roll out the PMRSSM, several Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been  signed between four States — Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Union Territory of Chandigarh with the National Health Agency. Rest of the States are expected to follow suit soon.

PMRSSM is expected to provide cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at both public and private empanelled hospitals across the country.  There will be no capping on family size. This will ensure that all members of designated families, specifically girl child and senior citizens, get maximum coverage.

Besides, preference is also being accorded to make woman as the head of the family to ensure gender justice. More than 1,300 medical packages have been defined, that covers surgery, medical and day care treatments, including medicines, diagnostics,  among others.

The PMRSSM is designed on entitlement basis. This means every family figuring in defined Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC), 2011 database will be entitled to claim benefit under the scheme. States will have an option to use an existing trust/society/not-for-profit organistaion or set up a new trust/society/NGO.

States will also be at liberty to  choose the modalities for implementation. They can implement scheme through insurance company or directly through the trust/society or a mixed model.

Notably, a well-defined complaint and public grievance redressal mechanism will be instituted, actively utilising electronic, mobile platform, Internet as well as social media and robust safeguards to prevent misuse, fraud or abuse by providers and users. Pre-authorisation will be made mandatory for all tertiary care and selected secondary care packages.

Almost 1.50 lakh primary healthcare centres across the country will be upgraded and well-equipped with diagnostics, drugs and doctors laying the foundation of India’s new healthcare system. These centres aim for early detection of diseases. Universal health checkup will be ensured of every individual before they attain 30 years of age.

The Government enlists cooperation of State Governments in the true spirit of cooperative federalism, insurance companies, hospitals and diagnostic centres, pharma companies, health fund managers and the corporates. This will transform Indian health sector in a significant manner as it will make healthcare easily accessible and effective to the poorest of the poor.  It is the need of the hour.

(The writer is Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare)

Writer: Ashwini Kumar Chawbey

Courtesy: The Pioneer

Our planet - The Earth has conducive atmosphere for life in our solar system by virtue of ecological balance between Living & Nonliving and Flora & Fauna, since the evolution began.

Living ones have been provided with 4 natural instinct and 'Indris' for use of resources provided by Nature to live healthy life span ,to continue the progeny and peaceful passing away for recycling of energy.

One species of living kingdom brought about tremendous changes and developed one more tool - Intellect. By using intellect, they developed at much faster pace than other living being - they are referred to as Homo Sapiens- Most Advance Auto-programmed computer of our planet - HUMAN BEING'.

Human being established harmony with Nature- by framing Basics rules of Lifestyle to restore stress free life on wheels of spirituality.

By virtue of wisdom, since ancient time, visionary people visualized STRESS ( Physical , Mental & Oxidative) is an instrumental component , which governs the human health.

STRESS

1. To a lay man :Stress is a situation which causes emotional upset & tension
2. To a Psychiatrist : Stress is a situation which alters the psychological haemostatic process.
3. To a Anthropologist : Stress is an adversity between people & environment.
4. According to Hans Selye (Endocrinologist) : Stress is a non specific response of the body to any demand made on it.

The food plays an important in managing stress, specially, Oxidative STRESS, the most damaging type of stress - it may cause Cancer, Auto-immune disease by gene mutation, Diabetes, Arthritis, Osteoporosis Libido, Hypertension even Psychiatric disorders, if goes beyond the thresh-hold limit .

(1) Yogic Food: The Yogic food are those edible substances, which are available for meal as good as in natural form accordance to particular geographical conditions, environment & season. Brief Scientific deliberation about Oxidative Stress.

The Human being existence is not possible without energy, produced by food digestion in intestine with help of enzymatic reaction and combustion at cellular level in both processes can't be takes place without oxygen. The oxygen content of air has its negative character for living organism. After reacting with other element in body at cellular level produces- the super oxide radical, hydrogen peroxide & extremely reactive hydroxyl radicals are common. The radicals are responsible for oxygen toxicity

(2). These radicals are known as free radicals. More complex food - more enzymatic - more oxygen requirement and in result more free radicals formation creates the Oxidative Stress. The oxidative stress damages the cell membrane, DNA, precipitate as chronic disease or problem, whenever the amount of radical cross beyond control of inbuilt defense mechanism. All living beings generate water & lipidsoluble antioxidants & syn- thesized antioxidant enzymes called as Super Oxides Dismutase(SOD) to nullify the reactive oxygen free radicals

(3). To deal with oxidative damage number of repair enzymes produce in the body for proteins, lipids & DNA repair (4). The oxidative stress is non-static, always fluctuate, God, provided the human being the adaptation mechanism to deal with such fluctuating stressors by initiating antioxidants & damage repair/removal enzymes

(4). Traditional Management to Deal with Oxidative Stress

By virtue of wisdom, since ancient time, visionary people visualized an individual is compel to face stress, unknowingly off course willingly too. The body is capable of maintaining the internal environment with in very narrow range called 'Normal Range'. For example in Hindu Mythology - Frame an unique 9 day systematic religious fasting system biyearly during Navratri ( In April & October ) along with deferent mode of worship.

For fasting period, visionary people have laid down guidelines for the meal pattern & food item restriction and linked them with religious Astha, so, community in mass can fallow that and remain healthy, manpower can contribute at optimum level in development..

In April & October month, the season in under window period of change from winter to summer, summer to winter-The Human body is in process of making adjustment according to change in outer environment, so many chemical reaction are going on , In result heavy amount free radical are being produced and body self mechanism busy to deal with these free radical to keep the oxidative stress with threshhold limit.

So, any kind of extra demand made on body may lead produce more free radical taking oxidative stress beyond threshold limit, may leads to any permanent damage or chronic aliments or acute ailments may convert in chronic one.

Prescribed Meal pattern & food item during, fasting period

Meditation: The meditation is not only few minute state of closed eye static posture but it is a state of meditative posture throughout the day to keep the Central Nervous system in proper order to achieve the positive health i.e. Mental, Physical, Social & spiritual health.

1. Worship / Reading Religious Original Text - This is a type of Meditation , lowers BMI , conserves energy - Lower the Free radical production .
2. Sat Sang: Bests stress reliever activity - Lower the free radical production.
3. Meditation: Help in taking voluntary control over involuntary physiology activities.
4. Fruits: Provide simplest form of glucose ( fructose - ready energy)., Vitamins , Minerals ( as anti oxidants , Roughs -good for cleaning GIT & help in clearing bowel. And Potassium for lowering stress at cellular level
5. Dry Fruits: Provides essential oil, minerals, Vitamins required in traces, for skin & visceral muscles toning
6. Vegetable: Are calories free food item which provides plenty of water, vitamins, minerals lowers the burden of digestion & combustion - minimizes free radical production.
7. Spices: Clove (Syzygium Aromaticum) - provides oral hygiene, prevention from clod & cough & Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomu ) - Checks the acidity problem, help in digestion, & works as mouth Freshener.
8. Rock Salt: Rock salt provides high Potassium & low Sodium - it releases the internal fluid stress on cell membrane & lower the chances on untamed death of cell from rapture.It help to the functioning of sodium potassium pump at cell membrane.

Problem of today: In today's world, very scientific concept of bi-yearly fasting formula to keep healthy life, taken either as fashion or mistaken or wrongly taken people taking more heavy or taking no food or not aware about biological base of concept.

Conclusion: Fasting is an activity, to provide space to our body systems to rearrange the physiological activities to you away fro so many ailments at same time provides you healthy life & economy, formulated by visionary people .

Suggestion : Due to hectic life schedules, environmental imbalance, irrational use of medicines the level of Oxidative Stress is much higher in human body .

So, weekly fasting is advisable.

(Writer is a Lucknow-based naturopathy consutant)

Our planet - The Earth has conducive atmosphere for life in our solar system by virtue of ecological balance between Living & Nonliving and Flora & Fauna, since the evolution began. Living ones have been provided with 4 natural instinct and 'Indris' for use of re- sources provided by Nature to live healthy life span ,to continue the progeny and peaceful passing away for recycling of energy.

One species of living kingdom brought about tremendous changes and developed one more tool - Intellect. By using intellect, they developed at much faster pace than other living being - they are re- ferred to as Homo Sapiens- Most Advance Auto-programmed computer of our planet 'HUMAN BEING'. Human being established harmony with Nature- by framing Basics rules of Lifestyle -to restore stress free life on wheels of spirituality.

By virtue of wisdom, since ancient time, visionary people visualized STRESS ( Physical , Mental & Oxidative) is an instrumental component, which governs the human health.

STRESS

1. To a lay man: Stress is a situation which causes emotional upset & tension.
2. To a Psychiatrist: Stress is a situation which alters the psychological haemostatic process.
3. To a Anthropologist: Stress is an adversity between people & environment.
4. According to Hans Selye (Endocrinologist): Stress is a non specific response of the body to any demand made on it.

The food plays an important in managing stress, specially, Oxidative STRESS,the most damaging type of stress - it may cause - Cancer, Auto-immune disease by gene mutation, Diabetes, Arthritis, Osteoporosis Libido, Hypertension even Psychiatric disorders, if goes beyond the thresh-hold limit.

(1) Yogic Food: The Yogic food are those edible substances ,which are available for meal as good as in natural form accordance to particular geographical conditions, environment & season.

Brief Sientific deliberation about Oxidative Stress

The Human being existence is not possible without energy, produced by food digestion in intestine with help of enzymatic reaction and combustion at cellular level in both processes can't be takes place without oxygen. The oxygen content of air has its negative character for living organism .After reacting with other element in body at cellular level produces- the super oxide radical, hydrogen peroxide & extremely reactive hydroxyl radicals are common, The radicals are responsible for oxygen toxicity 

(2). These radicals are known as free radicals.

More complex food more enzymatic more oxygen requirement and in result more free radicals formation creates the Oxidative Stress.

The oxidative stress damages the cell membrane, DNA, precipitate as chronic disease or problem, whenever the amount of radical cross beyond control of inbuilt defense mechanism. All living beings generate water & lipid- soluble antioxidants & synthesized antioxidant enzymes called as Super Oxides Dismutase(SOD) to nullify the reactive oxygen free radicals

(3). To deal with oxidative damage number of repair enzymes produce in the body for proteins, lipids & DNA repair

(4). The oxidative stress is non-static, always fluctuate, provided the human being the adaptation mechanism to deal with such fluctuations

Religious activity

1. Worship
2. Reading Religious Books
3. Sat sang
4. Meditation

Meal Pattern

2 times /day But last meal before sunset

Food Item

1. Fruits (seasonal)
2. Dry Fruits
3. Vegetable (Seasonal)
4. Spices (Clove, Cardamom)
5. Rock Salting stressors by initiating antioxidants & damage repair/removal enzymes

(4). Traditional Management to Deal with Oxidative Stress

By virtue of wisdom, since ancient time, visionary people visualized an individual is compel to face stress, unknowingly off course willingly too. The body is capable of maintaining the internal environment with in very narrow range called 'Normal Range'. For example in Hindu Mythology - Frame an unique 9 day systematic religious fasting system bi-yearly during Navratri  ( In April & October ) along with deferent mode of worship.

For fasting period, visionary people have laid down guidelines for the meal pattern & food item restriction and linked them with religious Astha, so community in mass can fallow that and remain healthy, manpower can contribute at optimum level in development.

In April & October month, the season in under window period of change from winter to summer, summer to winter, The Human body is in process of making adjustment according to change in outer environment, so many chemical reaction are going on, In result heavy amount free radical are being produced and body self mechanism busy to deal with these free radical to keep the oxidative stress with thresh-hold limit.

So, any kind of extra demand made on body may lead produce more free radical taking oxidative stress beyond threshold limit, may leads to any permanent damage or chronic aliments or acute ailments may convert in chronic one. Prescribed Meal pattern & food item during, fasting period.

Meditation: The meditation is not only few minute state of closed eye static posture but it is a state of meditative posture throughout the day to keep the Central Nervous system in proper order to achieve the positive health i.e. Mental, Physical, Social & spiritual health.

1. Worship / Reading Religious Original Text -

This is a type of Meditation , lowers BMI , conserves energy - Lower the Free radical production .

1. Sat Sang: Bests stress reliever activity - Lower the free radical production.
2. Meditation: Help in taking voluntary control over involun- tary physiology activities.
3. Fruits: Provide simplest form of glucose ( fructose - ready energy)., Vitamins , Minerals ( as anti oxidants , Roughs -good for cleaning GIT & help in clearing bowel. And Potassium for lower- ing stress at cellular level
4. Dry Fruits: Provides essential oil , minerals , Vitamins re- quired in traces , for skin & visceral muscles toning
5. Vegetable: Are calories free food item which provides plenty of water , vitamins , minerals

Lowers the burden of digestion & combustion - minimizes free radical production.

1. Spices : Clove (Syzygium Aromaticum) provides oral hygiene, prevention from clod & cough & Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomu ) - Checks the acidity problem, help in digestion & works as mouth Freshener
2. Rock Salt: Rock salt provides high Potassium & low Sodium - it releases the internal fluid stress on cell membrane & lower the chances on untamed death of cell from rapture.It help to the functioning of sodium potassium pump at cell membrane.

Problem of today: In today's world, very scientific concept of bi-yearly fasting formula to keep healthy life, taken either as fashion or mistaken or wrongly taken people taking more heavy or taking no food or not aware about biological base of concept.

Conclusion: Fasting is an activity, to provide space to our body systems to rearrange the physiological activities to you away from so many ailments at same time provides you healthy life & economy, formulated by visionary people. Suggestion: Due to hectic life schedules , environmental im- balance, irrational use of medicines the level of Oxidative Stress is much higher in human body. So, weekly fasting is advisable.

(Writer is a Lucknow-based naturopathy consutant)

Indian tends to ignore the importance of diet & nutrition in their daily life. The problem is acute at the primary stage of life wherein Indian parents are obsessed with education priority ignoring health aspect. Indian women are largely ignorant on dietary issues making themselves victim of lifestyle diseases.

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you.

Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”—it’s not just what you eat, but how you eat. Your food choices can reduce your risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, as well as defend against depression. Additionally, learning the habits of healthy eating can boost your energy, sharpen your memory and stabilize your mood. You can expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a satisfying, healthy diet.

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. This way it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious. Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time.

Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.

Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet. The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy, and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you— every healthy food choice you make counts. Think of water and exercise as food groups in your diet.

Water: Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many people go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.

Exercise: Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries, or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.” When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. If you are drawn towards sweet, salty, or unhealthy foods, start by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. Later you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences. Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms, and start small. Visual cues can help with portion sizes—your serving of meat, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards. A teaspoon of oil or salad dressing is about the size of a matchbook and your slice of bread should be the size of a CD case.

Healthy eating tip 3: It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat

Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating. Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of our food. Reconnect with the joy of eating. Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly. Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.

Healthy eating tip 4: Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet. They are low in calories and nutrient-dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.

Try to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day and with every meal—the brighter the better. Colorful, deeply colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits, so eat a variety. Aim for a minimum of five portions each day.

Some great choices include:

Greens: Branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce. Kale, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options—all packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K.

Sweet vegetables: Naturally sweet vegetables—such as corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, and squash—add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets.

Fruit: Fruit is a tasty, satisfying way to fill up on fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on.

The importance of getting vitamins from food—not pills

The antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types of cancer and other diseases. And while advertisements abound for supplements promising to deliver the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables in pill or powder form, research suggests that it’s just not the same.

A daily regimen of nutritional supplements is not going to have the same impact of eating right. That’s because the benefits of fruits and vegetables don’t come from a single vitamin or an isolated antioxidant.

The health benefits of fruits and vegetables come from numerous vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals working together synergistically. They can’t be broken down into the sum of their parts or replicated in pill form.

Healthy eating tip 5: Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains

Choose healthy carbohydrates and fiber sources, especially whole grains, for long-lasting energy. In addition to being delicious and satisfying, whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. Studies have shown people who eat more whole grains tend to have a healthier heart.

A quick definition of healthy carbs and unhealthy carbs

Healthy carbs (sometimes known as good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar, and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

Tips for eating more healthy carbs

Include a variety of whole grains in your healthy diet, including whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley. Experiment with different grains to find your favorites.

Make sure you're really getting whole grains. Be aware that the words stone-ground, multi-grain, 100% wheat, or bran can be deceptive. Look for the words “whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” at the beginning of the ingredient list. In the U.S., check for the Whole Grain Stamps that distinguish between partial whole grain and 100% whole grain.

Try mixing grains as a first step to switching to whole grains. If whole grains like brown rice and whole-wheat pasta don’t sound good at first, start by mixing what you normally use with the whole grains. You can gradually increase the whole grain to 100%.

Avoid: Refined foods such as breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals that are not whole grain.

Healthy eating tip 6: Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats

Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart, and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA are particularly important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood, and help prevent dementia.

Add to your healthy diet:

Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans), and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).

Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega -6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold-water fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn, soybean, flaxseed oils, and walnuts.

Reduce or eliminate from your diet:

Saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole-milk dairy products.

Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Healthy eating tip 7: Put protein in perspective

Protein gives us the energy to get up and go and keep going. Protein in food is broken down into the 20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy, and essential for maintaining cells, tissues, and organs. A lack of protein in our diet can slow growth, reduce muscle mass, lower immunity, and weaken the heart and respiratory system. Protein is particularly important for children, whose bodies are growing and changing daily.

Here are some guidelines for including protein in your healthy diet:

Try different types of protein. Whether or not you are a vegetarian, trying different protein sources—such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu, and soy products—will open up new options for healthy mealtimes.

Beans: Black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and lentils are good options.

Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and pecans are great choices.

Soy products: Try tofu, soy milk, tempeh, and veggie burgers for a change.

Avoid salted or sugary nuts and refried beans.

Downsize your portions of protein. Many people in the West eat too much protein. Try to move away from protein being the center of your meal. Focus on equal servings of protein, whole grains, and vegetables.

Focus on quality sources of protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans, or nuts. When you are having meat, chicken, or turkey, buy meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics.

Healthy eating tip 8: Add calcium for strong bones

Calcium is one of the key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy. It is an essential building block for lifelong bone health in both men and women, as well as many other important functions.

You and your bones will benefit from eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, limiting foods that deplete your body’s calcium stores, and getting your daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D and K— nutrients that help calcium do its job.

Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Take a vitamin D and calcium supplement if you don’t get enough of these nutrients from your diet.

Good sources of calcium include:

Dairy: Dairy products are rich in calcium in a form that is easily digested and absorbed by the body. Sources include milk, yogurt and cheese.

Vegetables and greens: Many vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are rich sources of calcium. Try turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, fennel, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and crimini mushrooms.

Beans: For another rich source of calcium, try black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, black-eyed peas, or baked beans.

Healthy eating tip 9: Limit sugar and salt

If you succeed in planning your diet around fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and good fats, you may find yourself naturally cutting back on foods that can get in the way of your healthy diet—sugar and salt.

Sugar

Sugar causes energy ups and downs and can add to health and weight problems. Unfortunately, reducing the amount of candy, cakes, and desserts we eat is only part of the solution. Often you may not even be aware of the amount of sugar you’re consuming each day. Large amounts of added sugar can be hidden in foods such as bread, canned soups and vegetables, pasta sauce, margarine, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, fast food, soy sauce, and ketchup. Here are some tips:

Avoid sugary drinks: One 12-oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it, more than the daily recommended limit! Try sparkling water with lemon or a splash of fruit juice.

Eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter to satisfy your sweet tooth.

How sugar is hidden on food labels Check food labels carefully. Sugar is often disguised using terms such as:

Cane sugar or maple syrup: crystallized or evaporated cane juice

Corn sweetener or corn syrup: fruit juice concentrates, such as apple or pear

Honey or molasses: maltodextrin (or dextrin)

Brown rice syrup: Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, or Sucrose

Salt

Most of us consume too much salt in our diets. Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health problems. Try to limit sodium intake to 1,500 to 2,300 mg per day, the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt.

Avoid processed or pre-packaged foods. Processed foods like canned soups or frozen dinners contain hidden sodium that quickly surpasses the recommended limit.

Be careful when eating out. Most restaurant and fast food meals are loaded with sodium.

Opt for fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned vegetables.

Cut back on salty snacks such as potato chips, nuts, and pretzels.

Choose low-salt or reduced-sodium products.

Try slowly reducing the salt in your diet to give your taste buds time to adjust.

Experts agree the key to healthy eating is the time-tested advice of balance, variety and moderation. In short, that means eating a wide variety of foods without getting too many calories or too much of any one nutrient.

Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.

Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually, you may find you like skim, too.