HEALTHY EATING DIET

What is a Healthy Eating Diet ?

Over the last few years the publicity about healthy eating has quite often been confusing. However, there is wide spread agreement about the principles of a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle. We now have a better understanding than ever before of the relationship between diet and health. The main message is that there are no good or bad foods just good or bad diets. Food should also be enjoyed!

What is a Healthy Eating Diet used for ?

Healthy eating is used as an approach to reducing the risks of some of the major diseases in later life. For example, people who eat a lot of fat certainly do tend to get more heart attacks. Breast cancer has also been linked to a higher fat diet. Continuing research shows clearly that being overweight increases your chances of developing diabetes, joint problems, heart disease and high blood pressure. High blood pressure causes kidney disease as well as strokes or heart disease. Low fibre diets also seem to lead to a higher risk of bowel cancers and other bowel disturbances. By keeping your weight down and following a healthy diet you can reduce the risk of developing some of these disorders.

How does a Healthy Eating Diet work ?

A healthy diet works by supplying the correct mix of nutrients, vitamins and minerals for the body to perform correctly. There are four major food groups: protein, fat, carbohydrate, and vitamins and minerals. The well balanced diet includes a mixture from these food groups which is high in starchy and fibre foods, fruit and vegetables but low in fat. This does not mean that you cannot enjoy a higher fat meal occasionally, but that it should be in moderation. The most important thing is getting the balance right. As well as considering the types of foods to eat, the quantities are also important. A big help to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is keeping your weight down. This type of eating does not have to be more expensive. Larger portions of starchy foods are recommended such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta etc., which tend to be less expensive, and smaller portions of meats, cheeses and dairy products which cost more.

What does a Healthy Eating Diet involve ?

STARCHY HIGH FIBRE FOOD SHOULD BE INCLUDED REGULARLY . Roughage is the old name for fibre. To simplify matters, let us divide fibre into two groups: insoluble fibre and soluble fibre. Insoluble fibre is good for the bowels: it will help prevent constipation and may reduce the risk of bowel cancer. You will find it in wholegrain and wholemeal breads and cereals, stringy bits in celery. Soluble fibre is good for the heart: your cholesterol level tends to be lower and it may help to prevent some types of diabetes. If diabetes is already present, blood sugar control may be improved. It is found in beans, pulses, oats, bananas. Many foods contain a mixture of the two. Include five portions of fruit and vegetables daily for a well-balanced diet. Remember to increase fibre into your diet slowly to give the bowel time to adapt. You should also drink plenty of fluids on a higher fibre diet. EAT LESS FAT AND FATTY FOOD. All types of fat are high in calories. Fat contains 9 calories per gram while protein and carbohydrate contain 4 calories per gram. Therefore use fat in moderation especially if you are overweight and to prevent weight gain. Reduce the saturated fat in your diet which comes from foods such as lard, butter, cheese, fat on meat, cream, suet, and meat produce such as sausages, burgers and pate. Where necessary replace fat used in cooking with mono- or poly-unsaturated oil. Discard your frying pan. Grill, bake, microwave, poach or boil meals instead. Eat fish and chicken more often and red meats less often. Buy lean cuts of red meat. Limit portion sizes to 120 to 180 grams (4 to 6 oz). Roast poultry or meat on a rack to drain the fat. Remove skin from poultry before cooking. Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk instead of full cream milk. Try low fat yoghurt instead of cream. Try low fat spreads rather than butter or margarine. Spread it thinly. Buy low fat cheese or Edam, Camembert, Brie or cottage cheese. Avoid high fat cheese like cheddar. Limit hard cheese to a matchbox size portion a day. Grated cheese goes further. REDUCE SUGAR INTAKE A high sugar diet causes tooth decay. Teeth should be brushed at least twice a day. Sugar is a nutrient which has no other goodness (e.g. vitamins or minerals) along with it also known as empty calories. Many snack high sugar foods are also high in fat beware! There are many low sugar, sugar free or diet products available. These are better but some may still contain many hidden calories. Diet drinks no longer contain sugar and are very low in calories but some of the fizzy diet drinks can still cause tooth decay due to the acid which they contain. REDUCE SALT INTAKE Research suggests that on average we consume ten times more salt than is required. In people at risk of blood pressure problems (for example if there are other people in your family with high blood pressure or if you are overweight) salty foods can make blood pressure worse. This increases the risk of heart and kidney disease or stroke. Add salt at the table but not to the cooking (or vice versa). Cut down on as many processed or packaged foods as possible because they contain high amounts of salt as preservatives, e.g. cheese, crisps, bacon, sausages. Instead use more herbs and spices to flavour food such as potatoes and chives or roast beef and mustard. ENJOY ALCOHOL IN MODERATION Follow the government guidelines for safe limits of alcohol: men 21 units per week, women 14 units per week. One unit is equivalent to half a pint of lager, a small glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits. Alcohol is another form of empty calories so beware if watching your weight. Drinking alcohol is not recommended during pregnancy. Research shows that red wine contains chemicals called anti-oxidants. They have a protective effect against heart disease. Anti-oxidants are also found in fruit, vegetables and wholegrain products. Alcohol is not recommended as a necessary health benefit to the younger generation (because the main cause of death in this age group is from accidents). However in the over 40s where the risk of heart disease and stroke is much higher, research suggests that it could be an advantage. In this age group a "medicinal" drink before bed-time can do no harm and may be of real benefit!

What to watch out for with a Healthy Eating Diet

The health food industry was worth 220 million in 1988, and is certainly worth a lot more each year. There is much truth in the observation that there are is no such thing as a health food; rather a health food industry. This is a difficult area to advise upon as there is little research being done to dispute the claims of some of the hundreds of products that are available. The effects of excess vitamin supplementation are unknown and there is still much work to be done on the claims about some of these products before they will be recommended by health professionals.

What if a Healthy Eating Diet is not followed ?

Some people appear to be little affected by what they eat. Our genes may determine who will and who won't react badly to certain foods, but as yet we cannot predict this. Diet is just one part of the equation. For a healthy lifestyle other factors such as alcohol intake, smoking, stress and lack of exercise play a part. All of these risk factors are avoidable. By following the suggestions above you can reduce your chances of getting some of the many diseases and conditions already mentioned and still enjoy food !