With the New Year comes a new chance to get healthier and lose that weight once and for all. Easier said than done! We all start off a new year with great expectations. But all too often, we fall right back into those old habits within a few months. This year, why not give your EATING STYLE a fresh start by emphasizing foods that you should eat more of instead of focusing on foods to avoid? At the top of your list should be foods that not only taste great and are good for you but are also energizing. That’s right, foods that can boost your energy.
That will help you stay on track and energized. Energy boosting foods can help you maximize your workout, keep you feeling great and keep you on track! Keep reading to learn more about natural foods that can give you that extra boost. Energy is required at all stages of life whether it is for growth, development or to sustain an activity. As a car cannot function without petrol, our bodies require energy through food to function well.
Here are certain energy foods that are required by different age groups to enhance development and carry out different stages of life cycle.
| Age groups | Energy Foods required | Reason to consume these foods |
| Infants and Toddlers | Mothe’s milk Ghee Ragi Porridge Mashed dals Curd Potato/sweet potato and carrot Jaggery and garden cress seeds (Haleem) | Infants need good immunoglobulin at this stage to build up their immunity mother’s milk is the best food, Ghee helps in brain development. Ragi and garden cress being rich in calcium, helps in bone strengthening of the toddlers. Mashed moong dal gives good protein and easy to digest by baby. Potato gives good energy and B- vitamins and good texture to food Jaggery, rich in iron, helps in development of RBC. |
| Children (3-10 years) | Rice Milk Banana Whole egg | Banana and Rice gives instant energy and required B vitamins and calcium for growth. Milk is balanced meal in itself with all required fat soluble vitamins like A,D,E,K Yolk in the egg gives required fat and iron. |
| Teenagers (11- 18 years) | PaneerWhole grains Nuts Green leafy vegetables (spinach) and mushrooms Chicken | Calcium and iron in paneer helps in skeletal growth Whole grains like wheat jowar, bajra gives energy and soluble fibre Nuts give the required essential fat and keeps one away from unnecessary fats like butter and cream. Spinach and chicken being rich in Iron and energy dense helps in muscle building and maintaining hemoglobin level. Mushrooms being rich in vitamin D helps in absorption of calcium. |
| Adults At this body has reached its maximum maturation and can be divided into young and late adulthood (18 -35 years) (35-50 years) | Egg whites Bhindi and cabbageBerries Soya Pistachios and almonds Quinoa | Egg whites give good protein and maintain weight. Bhindi and cabbage, being low in energy and High fibre, help in maintaining weight and prevent constipation. Antioxidants in berries help in reducing stress and fight chronic diseases. They also have anti-ageing properties Pistachios and almonds are considered good source of COq10 that helps in protecting our cells from free radical damage. Soya helps during menopause due to phyto-estrogen properties and also gives good protein. Being rich in isoflavones they are good source of antioxidants. Quinoa being low glycemic and good in protein gives good satiety and slow release of energy. |
| Elderly (60 and above) | Moong Whey Curd Fish Gourds | Moong sprouts being rich in B vitamins helps in preventing degeneration of neurons. Whey helps in maintain energy balance muscle strength Fish rich in omega helps in disorders like arthritis and heart disorders. Gourds being alkaline in properties are easy to digest and provide stomach cleansing. Curds being rich in probiotics gives good gastric health. |
Certain stages like pregnancy and lactation requires additional calories due to lot of metabolic changes. All foods give energy, some gives less where as some are energy dense. One must learn to add the right food at right age to benefit the most. So, pick up your right food this year, and work towards your health goal.
Be Happy Be healthy always.