Chennai: Every year, we celebrate National Day of Sports on 29 August to honour and commemorate the spirit of legendary sportsperson, Major Dhyan Chand who is regarded as the nation’s greatest hockey playerever.
The day was instituted to educate India’s youth on the importance of being fit and healthy, by practicing sports and other physical activities.
Along with a focused approach towards one’s fitness levels, it is equally important to supplement this routine with good nutrition, a balanced diet, and healthy snacking. Good nutrition paves the way to a healthy lifestyle, and is a small investment towards long-term health. This can be achieved, by simply making small, yet relevant and impactful changes to the diet like adding a handful of almonds.
According to Madhuri Ruia, pilates expert and diet & nutrition consultant, “Sports and physical exercise are very important for the body’s overall growth and development. But, to optimise your physical training it’s essential to consume balanced and nutritious diets including healthy snacks. Fuel your routine with a handful of almonds, which along with being nutritious also promote heart health.”
“According to a recent research from King’s College London, snacking on almonds everyday improved endothelial function of the arteries and also lowered ‘bad’ LDL-cholesterol – both key indicators of heart health 1.”
Sheela Krishnaswamy, nutrition and wellness consultant, said, “people in India are increasingly understanding the significance of sports and regular physical activity. More so now, as there is a greater interest around immunity especially with regard to foods and practices that can help strengthen it. Research has also suggested that regular moderate intensity exercise can also strengthen immunity. This is important more so for children, as they continue to attend online classes at home without much physical activity.”