In India, we all love food and enjoy eating. In fact, if it is our favourite dish, we have a tendency to binge and overeat. Despite our love for food, India has been battling with the growing burden of Malnutrition. It is heartbreaking to learn that more than half the population is suffering from undernutrition in our country, which also contributes to a third of the global burden of undernutrition. While a lot of this has to do with the food that we eat, it is also determined by what is made available to the body/ or what is absorbed by the body. And that is where intestinal health becomes very important, a healthy intestine will ensure that the body gets all the nutrients from the food that is being consumed. And therefore, nutrition and intestinal health go hand in hand, both being equally important to battle the malnutrition epidemic in India.
The month of September is being celebrated as Nutrition Month in the country to improve the nutritional status of children, adolescent girls, and pregnant and lactating women.
It is distressing to learn that more than 2/3rd of the people in India suffer from poor intestinal health and are constantly complaining of indigestion, acidity, constipation, and diarrhea. Therefore, it is quite possible that in addition to a lack of food or nutrition, many are not getting enough energy from the food they eat, because of poor intestinal health. The intestine has a trillion bacteria that play essential roles in the breakdown of food into smaller particles so that the nutrients can be absorbed by the body very easily. The bacteria also help in maintaining a healthy intestinal environment, so that the toxins or poisonous substances can be eliminated from the body. The bacteria were responsible for these beneficial effects are called probiotics.
When there is a decline in these friendly bacteria due to medication, stress, poor eating habits, and an unhealthy lifestyle, the digestive system becomes weak and is unable to function properly. Therefore, replenishing these beneficial bacteria is very important to ensure that they are available to perform the essential function of providing adequate energy to the body for its daily functioning. Probiotics are available as foods and can be consumed as a part of the daily diet for maintaining intestinal health.
Follow these five simple steps, to ensure that your intestine is as healthy as you.
- Include fiber-rich foods as a part of the diet
- Hydrate yourself, drink enough water to lubricate the intestine, and ensure that the food passes easily through the digestive system
- Avoid that lazy streak, be active, and move to keep the intestine active.
- Avoid oily and greasy foods. Binging once in a while is fine.
- Power up on probiotics, the friendly bacteria that help in the digestion of food, facilitate absorption of nutrients, and help in the removal of toxins from the intestine.
This Nutrition Month, we at Yakult, pledge to help in accomplishing the country’s mission of a MALNUTRITION-FREE INDIA and the common goal of improving the nutritional status of the Indian population. We hope through our efforts, we can take the country to another level.
Ingredients
- Yakult – 2 bottles
- Banana – half (1/2)
- Mango – one-fourth (1/4)
- Apple – one-fourth (1/4)
- Berries – Half (1/2) cup
- Carrot – one (1)
- Ice cubes
- Method Cut the fruits and vegetables into small pieces. Blend them in a mixer. Pour the mixture into a glass. Add two bottles of Yakult and stir. Add ice cubes and serve chilled.
You have a healthy, nutritious drink with is laden with vitamins and minerals.