Healthy, Happy, Lifestyle.
We all like to try to lead a healthy, happy lifestyle. Here are some tips to help get you on the healthy eating track.
Eat plenty of starchy foods (complex carbohydrates)
Complex carbohydrates provide a slower and more sustained release of energy than simple carbohydrates. For most meals, include portions of rice, pasta, baked potatoes, or bread. Use high fibre wholegrain cereals as part of your breakfast and use wholemeal bread for your toast. As a guide, your plate should contain twice as many carbohydrates as protein.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
Eating the recommended 5 a day servings of fruit and vegetables is the most important element of any healthy eating plan. Fruit and vegetables contain lots of fibre which help to keep your bowels healthy. They also contain plenty of vitamins and minerals and are naturally low in fat and calories. To increase fruit and vegetables in your diet, slice some fresh fruit over your breakfast cereal or toss in a handful of dried apricots / raisins. Have a glass of 100% pure, unsweetened fruit juice, or make a fruit smoothie from fresh fruit. Include at least two different vegetables with most main meals. Try to encourage children to snack with fruit rather than with sweets. Include fibre in your diet
Eating foods that are high in fibre will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Fibre also helps the bowels to move regularly, which reduces constipation and other bowel problems. Fibre is only found in foods that come from plants. You won't find any fibre in other types of food, such as meat, fish, or dairy products. Good sources of fibre include fruit, vegetables, wholegrain rice, wholegrain pasta, wholemeal bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals, seeds, nuts, lentils, beans and oats. Have plenty to drink when you eat a high fibre diet (at least 6-8 cups of fluid a day).
Eat protein foods in moderation
It is vital that we eat enough protein. Proteins are the building blocks of the body. Meat, fish and chicken are high in protein however you can also get protein from cereals, dairy products, nuts, lentils, pulses and some vegetables. Look for lean (low fat levels) of protein and cut off any excess fat.
Do not eat too much fat
A low-fat diet helps to reduce the chance of developing diseases and may also help you to reduce weight. Most foods contain some kind of fat (saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, trans fat) and in varying amounts. Your body needs certain, “good,” fats to function properly. The trick is to find foods with healthy fats and enjoy those in an overall healthy diet. Choose fats that are either monounsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats. Avoid saturated fats most commonly found in animal protein. The easiest way to do this is to remove the skin from poultry and any visible fat from beef, pork, and poultry before cooking. Also avoid adding unnecessary fat to food. Have low-fat or fat free milk, cheeses, yoghurts and other dairy foods rather than full-fat varieties. Avoid cream. Use low fat salad cream, or low-fat yoghurt as a cream substitute.
Do not have too many sugary foods and drinks
It's a good idea to try to cut down on foods and drinks that contain lots of added sugar, such as sugary fizzy drinks, sweets and some biscuits. Sugary foods and drinks are high in calories, and too much may cause weight gain as well as tooth decay. Try not to add sugar to tea, coffee and breakfast cereals and get children to have water as their main drink.
Limit your salt intake
Too much salt increases the risk of developing high blood pressure. If you are used to a lot of salt, try to gradually reduce the amount that you have by substituting herbs and spices to flavour food rather than salt. But you also need to be careful about the salt you can't see. So, before you assume that you don't eat too much salt, take a look at what you're buying, as well as how you use salt at home.
Drink alcohol in moderation
Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation. 1 drinks a day for women and 2 drinks for men. However, it is not a good idea to drink every day – 2 drinks a day adds up to 14 drinks a week, still a lot of alcohol for the liver to process. Remember it is important to combine a healthy balanced eating program with a good exercise routine.
Eat plenty of starchy foods (complex carbohydrates)
Complex carbohydrates provide a slower and more sustained release of energy than simple carbohydrates. For most meals, include portions of rice, pasta, baked potatoes, or bread. Use high fibre wholegrain cereals as part of your breakfast and use wholemeal bread for your toast. As a guide, your plate should contain twice as many carbohydrates as protein.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
Eating the recommended 5 a day servings of fruit and vegetables is the most important element of any healthy eating plan. Fruit and vegetables contain lots of fibre which help to keep your bowels healthy. They also contain plenty of vitamins and minerals and are naturally low in fat and calories. To increase fruit and vegetables in your diet, slice some fresh fruit over your breakfast cereal or toss in a handful of dried apricots / raisins. Have a glass of 100% pure, unsweetened fruit juice, or make a fruit smoothie from fresh fruit. Include at least two different vegetables with most main meals. Try to encourage children to snack with fruit rather than with sweets. Include fibre in your diet
Eating foods that are high in fibre will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Fibre also helps the bowels to move regularly, which reduces constipation and other bowel problems. Fibre is only found in foods that come from plants. You won't find any fibre in other types of food, such as meat, fish, or dairy products. Good sources of fibre include fruit, vegetables, wholegrain rice, wholegrain pasta, wholemeal bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals, seeds, nuts, lentils, beans and oats. Have plenty to drink when you eat a high fibre diet (at least 6-8 cups of fluid a day).
Eat protein foods in moderation
It is vital that we eat enough protein. Proteins are the building blocks of the body. Meat, fish and chicken are high in protein however you can also get protein from cereals, dairy products, nuts, lentils, pulses and some vegetables. Look for lean (low fat levels) of protein and cut off any excess fat.
Do not eat too much fat
A low-fat diet helps to reduce the chance of developing diseases and may also help you to reduce weight. Most foods contain some kind of fat (saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, trans fat) and in varying amounts. Your body needs certain, “good,” fats to function properly. The trick is to find foods with healthy fats and enjoy those in an overall healthy diet. Choose fats that are either monounsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats. Avoid saturated fats most commonly found in animal protein. The easiest way to do this is to remove the skin from poultry and any visible fat from beef, pork, and poultry before cooking. Also avoid adding unnecessary fat to food. Have low-fat or fat free milk, cheeses, yoghurts and other dairy foods rather than full-fat varieties. Avoid cream. Use low fat salad cream, or low-fat yoghurt as a cream substitute.
Do not have too many sugary foods and drinks
It's a good idea to try to cut down on foods and drinks that contain lots of added sugar, such as sugary fizzy drinks, sweets and some biscuits. Sugary foods and drinks are high in calories, and too much may cause weight gain as well as tooth decay. Try not to add sugar to tea, coffee and breakfast cereals and get children to have water as their main drink.
Limit your salt intake
Too much salt increases the risk of developing high blood pressure. If you are used to a lot of salt, try to gradually reduce the amount that you have by substituting herbs and spices to flavour food rather than salt. But you also need to be careful about the salt you can't see. So, before you assume that you don't eat too much salt, take a look at what you're buying, as well as how you use salt at home.
Drink alcohol in moderation
Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation. 1 drinks a day for women and 2 drinks for men. However, it is not a good idea to drink every day – 2 drinks a day adds up to 14 drinks a week, still a lot of alcohol for the liver to process. Remember it is important to combine a healthy balanced eating program with a good exercise routine.
