Information on Healthy Food: 100 Nutrition Facts That You Should Know in 2023 to Eat Healthy

Eating healthy may be the most important part of BEING healthy.

With so much of conflicting information out there, it can be difficult to figure out what foods are best for your body.

Here are 100 things that you should know in 2023 to eat healthy

1. Clinical trials have repeatedly proven that chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity are preventable, treatable and sometimes even reversible through a healthy enough diet and lifestyle. Discover the science in this article.

2. Dairy products can be high in saturated fat. This may be great for calves, giving them a concentrated energy source, but for human beings, especially adults, this can increase the risk of heart diseaseand stroke.

3. Dairy products may contain injected hormones that have been given to cows, which could potentially disrupt the body’s natural hormone balance.

4. What about organic milk from grass fed cows? Unfortunately today most cows are pregnant which they are lactating. Because of this, their milk may have hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which may disrupt your hormonal balance.

5. What about organic milk from a grass fed in your own home? It still has growth hormones like Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) meant to boost growth for her baby calf, which can increase the risk of cancer for you and me.

6. Most adults are naturally lactose intolerant. This is because milk is meant for babies in nature, and all mammals lose their ability to digest milk as they grow up. If you are lactose intolerant and avoid milk, you may have escaped some more serious chronic disease risk along with the bloating and gas!

7. Dairy products may contain antibiotics that have been given to cows, which could potentially disrupt the body’s natural microbiome balance.

8. Good gut bacteria are usually the ones that feed on fiber. This means, the more fiber-rich foods you eat, the healthier your gut microbiome gets. Fiber-rich foods are whole plant foods.
9. Paneer contains zero fiber. Because of this, it may disrupt your gut microbiome.
10. Animal products increase Trimethylamine N-oxide production by your gut microbiome. TMAO increases chronic disease risk, like the risk of heart disease.
11. If vegans ate animal foods, they may not produce much TMAO, because they don't have many TMAO producing bacteria in their gut!
12. Most health professionals focus on drugs and surgery in their medical courses. Nutrition science study is limited. This is something that is slowly changing around the world with all our efforts today in the Lifestyle Medicine movemet.
13. Fruit juice is a processed food, because it has been stripped of its fiber. This means it is quickly absorbed and can cause a spike in blood sugar levels.

14. Fruit smoothies are whole foods, and may be just as healthy as whole fruits if sipped slowly.

15. Fruit smoothies with acidic fruits like citrus fruits may harm the teeth if you drink them the regular way because acid causes erosion. To prevent dental issues, try using a straw while drinking sour tasting smoothies.
16. Raisins don't cause tooth decay. Scientists tested candy versus raisins. They found that raisins did not cause tooth decay while candy did, perhaps due to their fiber and phytonutrient content.
17. Organic foods are not necessarily healthier than conventional foods. The organic label only means that the food was grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. For example, organic energy drinks may still contain sugar, which is not healthy in any portion sizes.
18. Organic produce is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, which are linked to health problems like cancer and endocrine disruption. India has organic certification as well as PGS system to identify farmers who grow organic nutritious foods.
19. Eating a variety of whole plant foods is the best way to get all the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs for optimal health, except Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D.
20. Vitamin B12 is made by bacteria and is found in soil and natural water bodies, so if you live in a city, you need to supplement with it or get it from fortified foods like the Flaxseed B12 Laddu.
21. Vitamin D is produced by the body when exposed to sunlight, face and arms for 20-30 minutes a day in most parts of India. It can also be obtained from fortified foods like plant-based milks and cereals, as well as supplements.

22. The recommended Vitamin D supplementation as of January 2023 is 2,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily after the biggest of the day for adults, and half the dosage for children below age 10 years.

23. Lean meat may be less unhealthy than other types of meat, but it is still high in saturated fat and cholesterol, as well as animal protein, which may raise your risk of chronic kidney disease.. It is best to limit your intake of lean meat and opt for plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds instead.

24. Eating a variety of whole grains is important for optimal health as they provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. Whole grains include oats, barley, quinoa, brown rice , all varieties of millet, buckwheat, whole wheat and amaranth.

25. Fresh fruits may be healthier than canned fruits because some sensitive vitamins may get destroyed by the canning process.
26. The first step for moving to a healthier diet is to make a new healthy choice daily and include more plant-based foods in your daily diet. Removing unhealthy foods like oil can come later when you feel ready.
27. A2 milk may not be a healthy choice. Research shows that it may be healthier for pigs, but for human beings, A1 milk and A2 milk seem to carry similar health risk. As far as food choices go, neither may be the best option.
28. One way to read a food label is to divide the number of calories by the grams of fiber. If you get a number bigger than 5, that food may be too processed to be healthy. Healthier foods will have a score less than 5.
29. Always ask a health care professional before following any advise on healthy eating. Having said this, choose the right health care professional with an evidence-based and holistic health approach.

30. It is important to drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and flush out toxins from your body. Aim for at least 8 glasses of water a day.

31. You can drink other healthy beverages instead of water too, like herbal tea, green tea, or ginger tea.
32. Do not drink more than 2 glasses of 500 ml of fluids at a time, because it can cause a strain on the heart and kidneys.
33. It is important to eat a variety of foods from all the food groups in order to get all the essential nutrients and vitamins your body needs. Use Dr. Greger's FREE Daily Dozen checklist to check your health score.
34. One easy way to eat enough fiber is to ensure everything you eat has fiber. If a food comes from plants and has not had anything removed from it, it is a whole plant food and has fiber in it.
35. Fiber feeds good gut bacteria. This can help you reduce cholesterol levels, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, and even help you lose weight.
36. Replace sugary drinks with healthier choices sweetened with dates, raisins, or stevia. Check out the NutritionScience.in Plant Based Kickstart to get access to 200+ recipes, including healthier beverage options.
37. Get on a consistent physical activity plan that is achievable and sustainable for you. Anyone can exercise for one day, but it doesn't give you much results. Consistency is key. Make a plan that lasts you until 31st December 2023!
38. Don't worry about which fatty acids you are eating. Focus on getting your fatty acids from a healthy source instead, like nuts and seeds.
39. Fresh produce vs frozen produce - which is healthier? If harvested on the same day like FarmFreshBangalore.com provides, fresh produce may be healthier. Otherwise, because frozen produce like frozen fruits is frozen immediately after harvesting, it may actually be healthier than a lot of fresh produce!
40. There is a higher risk of other metabolic disease among patients with one metabolic disease. This is because they have similar root causes in your diet and lifestyle. This also means when you treat one, you can prevent the others!
41. Protein powders are ultra-processed foods, making them unhealthy. Especially when they come from animal sources like whey protein, protein powders have been shown to increase risk of cancer and kidney disease.
42. Choose healthy protein sources like dals, pulses and legumes instead of ultra-processed foods like protein powders. You can improve your physical and mental health while achieving your fitness goals this way.
43. Food shopping can be a daunting task. To make it easier, create a grocery list before you go to the store. You can also choose a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) initiative like Farm Fresh Bangalore and get them to do the planning for you, and always make healthier food choices by default!
44. Eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive. You can save money by buying in bulk, using coupons, and shopping at farmer's markets or local stores for seasonal produce. You can also choose a CSA subscription like Farm Fresh Bangalore and get discounts every day while supporting small and marginal farmers.
45. Look for trans fats on nutrition facts labels on packaged foods. Trans fats are unhealthy and can increase your risk of heart disease.
46. Some animal foods like curds may contain natural trans fats. This may not be present on the nutrition facts label, so watch out!
47. One easy way to boost your gut microbiome is to choose whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals over refined grains. Whole grains contain more fiber and phytonutrients than refined grains.
48. The most important diet advice you could share with your loved ones in 2023 is to eat more whole plant foods. Whole plant foods are packed with key nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant phytonutrients that can help protect against chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.
49. When eating out, choose healthier options like salads or vegetable-based dishes. Avoid fried foods and opt for grilled or steamed instead. You can also ask the restaurant to customise a dish and make it whole food plant based for you.
50. 3.75 grams is the maximum daily salt intake recommended by the American Heart Association.
51. Higher salt intake has been associated with higher risk of high blood pressure, stroke, kidney disease, and stomach cancer.
52. The average Indian salt intake is 10 grams per day! This is way higher than the recommendation for a healthy eating pattern.
53. The best way to reduce salt consumption is to cook your own meals and use herbs and spices to flavour them. Avoid processed packaged food.

54. Adding salt after cooking a dish can significantly salt intake while cooking. You need less for the same level of savoury taste if you add salt after cooking.

55. When you order a Balanced Meal on Sampoorna Ahara, you can put a Delivery Instruction asking for a low salt meal or even a no salt meal!
56. Restaurant meals can contain more than double the amount of salt you use at home. Try asking for salt-free dishes and add your own salt if needed at the table.
57. The most effective weight loss strategy is called Calorie Dilution. This is when you replace calorie-dense foods with nutrient-dense options. For example, replacing dairy curds with a plant-based curds or using whole wheat bread instead of white bread. This way, you can lose weight & gain health.
58. Cruciferous vegetables are the most powerful anti-cancer vegetables. Choose larger portions of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, radish, turnip, and mustard leaves to improve your vegetable consumption daily.
59. The active components of cruciferous vegetables get destroyed by cooking. For this particular vegetable consumptions, it is healthier to eat them raw than to cook them.
60. There is a trick to re-activating cooked cruciferous vegetables. Just mix in a small quantity of minced raw cruciferous vegetables, mustard powder or roasted mustard seeds!
61. Omega-3 fatty acids are healthier than omega-6 fatty acids because today's diet contains much more of the omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids. To balance this out, choose foods higher in omega-3 fatty acids such as flaxseeds and walnuts.
62. If you practice strength training, ensure you get your protein from plant based sources because they are safer for your kidneys and also better for cancer prevention compared to protein from animal sources.
63. Bread can be healthy - if it's made from whole grains. Chapathi can be unhealthy - if it's made from maida. The ingredients are far more important than the final dish. That's why Sampoorna Ahara meals and products use exclusively whole food plant based ingredients.
64. Mushrooms have some key nutrients that you don't get from any other plant based sources. These are fantastic for your health. That's why we recommend including mushrooms in a whole food plant based diet.
65. White button mushrooms are the best food ever researched for breast cancer prevention and survival. Just half of a single mushroom daily may be enough.
66. Nutrient-dense foods are naturally calorie-dilute in many cases. For example, spinach is a nutrient-dense food that's also calorie-dilute.
67. Major food groups like whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are all nutrient-dense foods. These should be included in your diet for optimal health.

68. A healthy food environment can help promote health and well-being. It is important to create an environment that encourages healthy eating habits and provides access to nutritious foods, including explicit health messages in the consumer environment. This can be done by providing education on nutrition science, creating food assistance programs, and involving the health care professionals, especially doctors, in promoting healthy eating.

69. Education on nutrition science is key to helping people understand the importance of a balanced diet and making informed decisions about what they eat. The NutritionScience.in Plant Based Diet Masterclass can help you choose more nutritious foods for your family in 2023 and upgrade to Healthy Food or Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet easily.

70. The nutrition source of caloric intake is more important than total caloric intake. If you get all your calories from healthy whole plant foods, your total caloric intake is automatically take care of.
71. The Dietary Phytochemical Index is a measure of the percentage of your caloric intake from healthy whole plant foods. It is the simplest way to measure how healthy your healthy eating routine actually is!
72. Oil-free cooking is a simple way to cut down your processed fat intake. Try to avoid cooking with oil and instead use water, vegetable broth or other plant-based liquid to make your stir fries, sambar, dal, and masala gravies.
73. Baking snacks instead of frying them can help you reduce fat intake too. Try baked pakoda, baked vada, or baked bajjis.
74. Alcoholic drinks are not healthy in any amount. Even small quantity of alcohol can increase your lifetime risk of chronic disease risk, especially cancer risk.
75. Adding one healthy dish is a good way to enjoy more nutritious meals. Try adding a healthy side dish like oil-free roasted vegetables, steamed greens, or a salad with a vegan dressing to your meals.
76. Include more plant-based protein sources in your diet. Plant-based proteins such as legumes, nuts, and seeds are rich in fiber and other essential nutrients, making them healthier choices.
77. As long as you eat a well balanced diet and consume enough food everyday, it is nearly impossible to get a protein deficiency. Most people eat 50-70% excess protein everyday. So don't worry about protein - think about where you're getting your fiber from instead!
78. Dietary cholesterol can increase the levels of cholesterol in your blood. If you looking to achieve better levels of cholesterol, try avoiding dietary cholesterol sources like meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products.
79. Saturated fat can instead your levels of cholesterol too. Apart from animal foods, saturated fat can come from coconut oil and palm oil too.
80. Bitter foods can help lower your blood glucose levels through many body processes. Try adding some bitter foods in your meals like bitter gourd, cumin seeds, methi leaves, and fenugreek seeds to improve blood glucose levels.
81. One way to ensure all the food you buy are healthy products is to check the ingredient list. Are all ingredients from plants and not animals? Are all ingredients whole foods and not processed foods? All Sampoorna Ahara Healthy Products are made from whole plant foods. What about the other brands you know?
82. Carb counting or carbohydrate counting is not a sustainable method for weight loss. It gives you short term results, but results in a net weight gain in the long term. Instead, try moving towards more nutrient dense foods that are naturally calorie dilute, like the Sampoorna Ahara Weight Loss Diet Program.
83. You don't need to specialise in clinical nutrition to serve healthy food for your family. Just learn the basics of plant based nutrition from NutritionScience.in to start cooking healthier at home today. Start with one small step today for a healthier tomorrow.
84. Healthy meals don't have to be tasteless and boring. Try adding some spices and herbs to your meals for added flavor. Spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic and chillies can add a lot of flavor without adding any extra calories.

85. If you are bored of Indian cuisine, try adding some olives, jalapenos, basil leaves and oregano for an Italian flavour in your favourite dishes. Mix it up!

86. Eating healthy doesn't mean you have to give up all your favorite foods. You can still enjoy your favorite dishes without even worrying about moderation as long as you use healthy ingredients to make them.

87. Fruit juice without the fiber can be as unhealthy as a soft drink, and does not have a place on a healthy diet. Try fruit smoothies instead.
88. Adding fruits fruits to every meal helps you boost your blood antioxidant levels for several hours after every meal! Fresh fruits can help blunt the inflammation that accompanies the intake of ultra-processed foods too. Of course, it is ideal to avoid ultra-processed foods entirely!
89. Nutrition labels for vegan products in India may have a new Vegan Logo going forward! Have you see the logo on Sampoorna Ahara products yet?
90. Here are some tasty ways to boost vegetable consumption: add grated carrots to your dal, add spinach to your roti, and add mushrooms to your pasta, make vegetable cutlets, vegetable noodles, and vegetable sticks with tasty dips.
91. Can you eat occasional foods that are unhealthy? This is not the question to ask - instead, ask "How healthy do you want to be?" If you want to be as healthy as possible, you diet needs to be as healthy as possible.
92. Ensure you eat healthy whether you eat at home or order takeaway foods, by ordering from whole food plant based restaurants like Sampoorna Ahara.
93. Food deserts and food insecurity look very different today than they did many years ago. It is no longer about just eating food - it is about eating enough healthy food.
94. Often, smart food choices are about what you buy from the grocery store and not about the actual dish you prepare at home. This is because it is the ingredients that make your cooking healthy more than the actual dishes. Choose healthy grocery stores like Farm Fresh Bangalore.
95. Refined grain foods are more widely eaten than you think - for example, white rice and maida are both refined grains. A curd rice made with white rice may have a combination of two unhealthy foods - white rice and dairy yogurt - making it even worse.
96. The best herbs are the ones growing in your backyard - or balcony! Do you have a herb garden at home? If you don't, don't worry - all you need is a window sill. Head over to our friends at Urban Mali Network to get a herb garden set up and maintained for you at home.
97. Your best health care team, apart from your doctors and nurses, are the fruits and vegetables in your kitchen! Get a variety of healthy foods in stock and ensure you eat them daily for a longer, healthier life.
98. Despite knowing may of these facts, if you find it difficult to make practical lifestyle changes, perhaps diet counseling may help. We offer a FREE 15 minute Discovery Call to understand your challenged and help you get started. You can schedule one now, here.
99. A whole food plant based diet forms 80% of a healthy lifestyle. The remaining 20% comes from physical activity, mental relaxation, positive relationships, deep sleep, and avoiding environmental toxins.
100. Perfection is the enemy of the good. Don't wait another year to start eating healthy. Do what you can, today. If you do just this much everyday, you can be sure to achieve better health in 2023!

Conclusion

Eating healthy is an important part of achieving better health in 2023.

Eating a whole food plant based diet, avoiding refined grains and processed foods, and incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your meals are all ways to make sure you are getting the nutrition you need, apart from exercise and relaxation practices.

Finally, having a supportive team of healthcare professionals and making consistent, small lifestyle changes can help you reach your goals easier.

Don't wait another year to start eating healthy - do what you can today!

Next Steps - Get Started Today

Are you looking to eat healthy? We may be able to help you

1. Book an online consultation with Dr. Achyuthan Eswar to learn how best to deal with it.
2. Sign up for our Plant Based Diet Masterclass on NutritionScience.in to better understand the numerous benefits of adopting a whole food plant based diet.
3. Access our free course to help kickstart your plant based food journey.
4. Subscribe to our 100% whole food plant based balanced meal plan, delicious & doctor designed to help you get all your macro and micro nutrients, from the comfort of your home - Bengaluru only
5. Our Healthy Executive Thali Subscription is packed with variety and affordable too - Bengaluru only
6. Stock up on delicious sweets and snacks that are sugar/jaggery-free, oil-free, maida-free and plant-based - Available Pan-India
7. Pizzas, Biryani, Parathas, Burgers and more! Check out our instant meals and special meals here

Yours in health,
Be blessed,
Dr. Achyuthan Eswar
Co-founder, SampoornaAhara.com & NutritionScience.in