Healthy Lifestyle

Nutrients:

A healthy balanced diet contains a variety of foods including plenty of fruit and vegetables, starchy foods such as whole grain bread, pasta and rice, some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and lentils and some dairy foods. It should also be low in fat (especially saturated fat), salt and sugar.It is essential that the body gets a variety of nutrients, and having a balanced. The main nutrients in the diet are: carbohydrate, protein, fat, sugar, salt, fibre

Carbohydrate:

Most of the energy (calories) we need should come from carbohydrate foods. Carbohydrates, along with fat and protein, provide energy so we can perform and go about our daily lives.

Carbohydrate can be split into two types:
simple and complex

Simple carbohydrates are sugars and provide the body only with calories and no other nutrients. Complex carbohydrates are plant-derived starchy foods such as bread, cereals, potatoes, etc.

Simple sugars are easily absorbed by the body and provide instant energy which is known as a sugar rush, whereas complex carbohydrates are broken down more slowly and help us feel full for longer, especially if you choose the whole grain varieties that contain more fibre.

Starchy foods are a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet. As well as starch, these foods contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins.

Protein:

Protein is needed for growth and development. Protein is made up of amino acids. Some amino acids cannot be made by the body and must be supplied by the diet, these are known as essential amino acids.

Protein is present in both animal and plant foods and a well balanced diet will provide enough for our bodies needs. Foods from animal origin such as milk, cheese, yogurt, meat, poultry, fish and eggs are particularly good sources of protein.

A vegetarian diet however can provide enough protein by including plenty of pulses, beans, nuts, bread, cereals and soya products e.g. tofu.

Fats:

There are two main types of fat found in food:
saturated and unsaturated.

Some types of meat are high in fat, particularly saturated fat, which can raise cholesterol levels. Having high cholesterol increases the chances of developing heart disease.

Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat – about 20% more than the recommended maximum amount.

Saturated:
The average man should have no more than 30g saturated fat a day.

The average woman should have no more than 20g saturated fat a day

High is more than 5g sat fat per 100g
Low is 1.5g sat fat per 100g

Sources of unsaturated foods:
oily fish
avocados
nuts and seeds
sunflower, rapeseed, olive and vegetable oils, and spreads made from these

See cooking methods for tips of cutting down fat when cooking and healthier tips when buying meat.

Fibre

Fibre is only found in foods that come from plants. There are two types of fibre: insoluble and soluble.

Insoluble fibre
This is the fibre that the body can't digest and so it passes through the gut helping other food and waste products move through the gut more easily.This keep the bowels health and stops constipation.

Good fibre sources include whole grain bread, brown rice, whole grain breakfast cereals and fruit and vegetables. Foods rich in this sort of fibre are more bulky and so help make us feel full, which means we are less likely to over eat.

Soluble fibre
This fibre can be partially digested and may help to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Particularly good sources of soluble fibre include oats and pulses such as beans and lentils. Soluble fibre can also help control blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar. This may help in managing diabetes

Salt

Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which increases the chance of developing heart disease.

High is more than 1.5g salt per 100g
(or 0.6g sodium)

Low is 0.3g salt or less per 100g
(or 0.1g sodium)

High salt intake has been linked to a number of health problems including high blood pressure (hypertension) and osteoporosis. Some people, including the very young and people with kidney disease, are unable to excrete sodium efficiently and regulate body fluid.

To calculate the amount of salt from sodium, simply multiply the sodium content by 2.5. E.g. if the food has a sodium level of 0.2g per serving, the amount of salt will be 0.2 x 2.5, which is equal to 0.5g salt per serving.

Tips for cutting down:

Add less salt to your cooking.
Use herbs and spices, lemon and lime juice to flavour foods.
Choose stronger flavoured cheese for cooking. You use less but still have the flavour.
Get out of the habit of adding salt to your food automatically. Try to remember to taste it first.
Cut down on salty snacks such as crisps and nuts.
Watch out for soy sauce, brown sauce, mayonnaise and ketchup because these can be high in salt.

Sugar:

Sugars occurs naturally in food such as fruit and milk, but it is also added to many foods and drinks which can cause tooth decay such as:

Fizzy drinks, fruit juice, sweets, biscuits, jam, cakes, pastries, puddings, and ice cream

High is more than 15g sugars per 100g
Low is 5g sugars or less per 100g

Tips to cut down sugar in your diet:

Have fewer sugary drinks and snacks.
Instead of sugary fizzy drinks and juice drinks, go for water or unsweetened fruit juice. If you like fizzy drinks then try diluting fruit juice with sparkling water.
Instead of cakes or biscuits, try having a currant bun, scone or some malt loaf with low-fat spread.
If you take sugar in hot drinks, or add sugar to your breakfast cereal, gradually reduce the amount until you can cut it out altogether or use a sweetener.
Rather than spreading jam, marmalade, syrup, treacle or honey on your toast, try a low-fat spread, sliced banana, or low-fat cream cheese instead.
Check food labels to help you pick the foods with less added sugar or go for the low-sugar version.
Choose whole grain breakfast cereals rather than those coated with sugar or honey.

Water:

As your body works it produces waste products and some of these waste products are toxic. The body gets rid of these toxins through the kidneys in urine, and urine is mainly made up of water.

We also lose water through evaporation when we breathe and sweat. As the temperature rises and as we do more activity, this increases the amount of water the body loses.

To stay healthy, you need to replace the fluids you lose. And don't forget, if the weather is hot or you are exercising, you will be losing even more water

Daily the average person need 1.2 litres/6-8 glasses per day.

Signs of dehydration one of the first signs of dehydration is feeling thirsty, other common signs include:

dark coloured urine and not passing much when you go to the toilet
headaches
confusion and irritability
lack of concentration

Fish:

Oily fish such as sardines, herring, mackerel, trout and salmon are all rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids, which helps prevent heart disease Oily fish is also a good source of vitamins A and D.

Sources of oily fish	Sources of non-oily fish
Salmon	Cod
Trout	Haddock
Mackerel	Plaice
Herring	Lemon Sole
Sardines	Skate
Kipper	Halibut
Tuna (fresh)	Tuna (tinned)

How much oily fish?
Even tough oil fish is very good for you and can help to prevent heart disease it does contain low levels of pollutants that can build up in the body.

For this reason there are recommendations for the maximum number of portions of oily fish we should be eating each week (a portion is about 140g):

Recommended daily values:

Each day	Men	Women	Children
Calories	2500	2000	1800
Fat	95g	70g	70g
Saturates	30g	20g	20g
Sugar	120g	90g	85g
Fibre	24g	24g	15g
Salt	6g	6g	4g

The table above highlights the nutrients recommended for males and female per day.

Balanced diet:

In order to be healthy it is important to ensure you have a balanced diet. Ensuring all nutrients are consumed, as they provide a range of different nutrients necessary for the body to function effectively free from illness.

Red meat

Red meat, is a good source of protein also a good source of easily absorbed iron. Lean meats, especially pork, provide the B-vitamins. Vitamin C, found in vegetables, aids absorption of iron from meat, when eaten at the same meal. However, iron found in non-animal sources, such as vegetables and grains, is less efficiently absorbed by the body.

Poultry

Poultry is high in protein and is a useful source of B vitamins. It is also low in saturated fat, especially if you remove the skin.

Fish and seafood

Fish and seafood are high in protein and packed with nutrients.Fish is a valuable source of vitamin D and polyunsaturated fats called omega-3 fatty acids. These help reduce your risk of heart disease, and are thought to be important for the development of the brain of the unborn child, and for children. They may also help to ease inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis.

Fruit and vegetables:

Fruit and veg should make up about a third of the food you eat each day. And it's also important to eat a variety. Five-a-day is a good, achievable target.

Fruit and veg are good sources of many vitamins and minerals, yet most of us don't eat enough of them. There is mounting evidence that people who eat lots of fruit and veg are less likely to develop chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and some cancers. and also very low in fat!

Portion examples:

ONE portion = 80g = any of these
1 apple, banana, pear, orange or other similar sized fruit
2 plums or similar sized fruit
½ a grapefruit or avocado
1 slice of large fruit, such as melon or pineapple
3 heaped tablespoons of vegetables (raw, cooked, frozen or tinned)
3 heaped tablespoons of beans and pulses (however much you eat, beans and pulses count as a maximum of one portion a day)
3 heaped tablespoons of fruit salad (fresh or tinned in fruit juice) or stewed fruit
1 heaped tablespoon of dried fruit (such as raisins and apricots)
1 handful of grapes, cherries or berries
a dessert bowl of salad
a glass (150ml) of fruit juice (however much you drink, fruit juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day)

See cooking methods for tips on how to avoid loss of vitamins and minerals when preparing and cooking