What does a balanced diet consist of?

Generally, food consists of carbohydrates, proteins and fats including vitamins and minerals. Having a balanced diet requires one to maintain a sensible mix of each component.

Why is diet important?

The importance of the type of food and how much you eat daily cannot be stressed enough. Having a healthy diet is crucial in reducing your risk to diseases, keeps your weight steady and also keeps your mind healthy as well. Having a healthy diet and being active goes hand-in-hand and are great to living a long and pleasant life with less risks to diseases.

Guidelines for a healthy diet:

  • Eating fruits provide anti-oxidants and multiple vitamins. Although some fruits are high in sugar, the sugar is natural and is still more beneficial compared to other foods with added sugar.

  • Vegetables are key sources of essential vitamins and minerals. The most minerals can be found from dark, leafy and green vegetables.

  • Whole grains are a healthy source of carbohydrates as they prepared using the entire grain, including the hill. On the other hand, refined white flour is a poor source of nutrition as the hull of the grain is removed, losing out on a lot of nutrition.

  • Protein is a vital building block for bones and muscles. Good sources of protein would include nuts, beans, tofu and meat.

  • Dairy products are commonly known for calcium and strenghtening of bones.On top of that, they also provide essential minerals and vitamins for the health and maintenance of the body.

Recent Questions

At what age do we stop growing taller?

Both boys and girls stop growing in height at the end of puberty. Girls typically reach the end of puberty around age 17 to 18, and boys at the age of 18 to 20. Girls typically have a growth spurt in the one to two years before menstruation starts. For most girls, puberty occurs between 8 and 13 and the growth spurt occurs between 10 and 14 years old. Puberty is the process of growth and change that happens in the body as boys and girls become adults. Puberty is different for everyone and can start at any age between 8 and 14.

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Answered By

Dr Beng Yeong Ng

Psychiatrist

What can cause glucose, protein and blood to be found in urine?

Glucose in the urine (also known as glycosuria) is associated with diabetes. I would highly recommend doing a fasting blood glucose to screen for diabetes should there be glucose in the urine. Protein in the urine (also known as proteinuria) can be a sign of nephrotic syndrome, or an early sign of kidney disease. You may be more at risk for having it if you have one or more of the risk factors for kidney disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney disease.

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Answered By

Human

Recent Sessions

Diet, Diabetes & Hypertension

Dr Francisco is accredited as a Specialist Nephrologist (with admitting privileges) at multiple hospitals in Singapore. He also has his own private practice, "Francisco Kidney & Medical Centre". His main clinical interests are the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of several kidney disorders.

Diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) are important causes of kidney problems. Overweight and obesity are also linked. In addition, patients with kidney problems due to other causes are more susceptible to develop metabolic problems like diabetes, high cholesterol, gout and hypertension.

Diet, exercise, habit modifications and loss of weight are central in the management of these conditions and kidney problems, and the prevention of disease occurrence or progression.

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