Easy tips and tricks on how to better your nutrition

Introduction

Trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet isn’t an easy task in Pakistan, and for that, you can’t blame the people. People don’t have much of a choice, as prices for healthy options are increasing. Thus, they have to resort to other, cheaper, long-lasting options. Unfortunately, many of these food options include industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFAs) and high amounts of sodium, making them extremely unhealthy. Apart from that, beverages such as processed juices and soft drinks are promoted as “healthy,” but they include unhealthy amounts of added sugars and preservatives. To combat this, today I’ll be sharing a few tips on how to improve your diet and achieve your goals.

Are soft drinks and juices what they seem?

The first and most obvious tip would be to avoid processed juices and soft drinks. At first glance, juices seem healthy to drink, because why wouldn’t they be? They’re fruit juices after all. What many people don’t realize is that they contain high amounts of added sugars. These greatly increase the calorie count while also posing health risks to consumers as they contribute to an increased risk of diabetes and obesity. Alongside these, soft drinks pose the same risks. The only way they attempt to mask their risks is through their “diet” versions of the drinks. The calorie count might go down if you drink these, but the added sugars and preservatives do not change greatly and are more or less the same. Thus, it is smart to avoid these altogether and stick to natural options such as fresh juices or water. Don’t get me wrong, I love a soft drink as much as the next person, so I understand if you have it once in a while.

What’s hidden in your food and why is it harmful?

Secondly, industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFAs) are one of the most dangerous components in today’s food supply. The primary source for these iTFAs is Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs), and Pakistan is the 2nd highest consumer of iTFAs in the WHO-EMRO region. This is because using iTFAs enhances the taste and shelf-life of food items more than other alternatives. Large food chains and processed foods are rich with industrial trans fats that are linked to numerous non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease. Statistics show that cardiovascular diseases cause 58% of deaths in the country. As these circumstances become more dire, the World Health Organisation (WHO) encourages Pakistan to take strict action by limiting the use of industrial trans fats in foods or even banning PHOs entirely. Avoiding such foods is a difficult job since almost everything from the vanaspati ghee and oil we use to make our food in, to the bakery goods, includes these iTFAs.

Alternatives

After identifying all these faults in Pakistan’s food supply, it only seems right that I provide you with safe, healthy, and local alternatives. As I already stated above, it’s best to avoid juices and soft drinks and replace them with fresh juices and water. Water is the best alternative since it’s cheap and available almost everywhere. You can also drink cucumber water or freshly squeezed lemonade on those hot, humid days.