Healthywell4uHealthywell4u

E xercise and d ietE xercise and d iet

A good diet is central to overall good health, but do you know the bes t foods to include in your meals , and those bes t avoided?

S tarchy food : Carbohydrates

Fats and sugars

Fru it and ve ge table s

Prote in

Milk and d airy prod ucts

S alt and Flu id s

The food groupsThe food groups

The major food groups that they should be eating every day are:

This food group is your body's main s ource of energy and contains bread, pas ta, rice, potatoes , noodles , chapatti, cereals and other s tarchy carbohydrates .

They should be a part of all meals , filling about a third of your plate.

A high-fibre diet may reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer

S tarchy food : Carbohydrates

Evidence for health benefits of fibre High-fibre foods take longer to diges t, so keep you feeling fuller for longer. The s low and s teady diges tion of food through the gut helps control blood sugar and as s is ts with weight maintenanceFibre helps in the diges tive proces s and can help lower blood choles terolFibre promotes bowel regularity and keeping the gas trointes tinal tract c lean to help reduce the risk of developing diverticular dis ease and cons tipation

Fats and sugarsThes e foods , although an important energy source, often contain few other nutrients , s o it's healthier to limit their consumption.

Fats are lard, butter, hard margarine, cheese, whole milk and anything that contains these ingredients, oils, etc. The sugar group, which includes foods such as cakes, biscuits, sweets, sugar-sweetened drinks and crisps, makes up the smallest section of the 'eatwell plate'.

Fat facts•Fat transports the fat-soluble vitam ins A, D , E and K around the bod y

•It can ofte n im prove the flavour and pe rce ption of food s , incre as ing the ir

palatab ility

•E FAs m ust be s upplie d from the d ie t, and are thought to have a pos itive

e ffe ct on he art he alth and the im m une syste m

•It has a ke y role in m e m brane s tructure

•Fat is a conce ntrate d source of e ne rgy. Just 1 g provid e s n ine calorie s - m ore

than d ouble the calorie s in 1 g of prote in or carbohyd rate .

The two types of Fats

Fat can be divided into two main groups - saturated and unsaturated.

Saturated fat is generally solid at room temperature and is usually from animal sources like butter or hard margarine.

Eating too much saturated fat is associated with increased blood cholesterol concentrations and an increased risk of heart disease

Polyunsaturated fats contain inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and it’s the balance of these with omega-3s which is important.

Unsaturated fat is usually liquid at room temperature and generally comes from vegetable sources. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are both included in this group. Unsaturated vegetable oils are generally a healthier alternative to saturated fat and can be found in sesame, sunflower, soya, olive and rapeseed oil, soft margarine and in foods such as oily fish, including mackerel, sardines, pilchards and salmon.

A jam doughnut contains 10.9g fat A slice of malt loaf contains 0.7g fat A teaspoon of peanut butter contains

5.4g fat A pint of whole milk contains 22.8 g

fat A handful of mixed nuts contains

21.6g fat

Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and eggs, pulses, nuts and seeds, soya products and vegetable protein foods

It's vital our diets contain protein, either from animal or plant sources.

From hair to fingernails, protein is a major functional and structural component of all our cells. Protein provides the body with roughly 10 to 15 per cent of its dietary energy, and is needed for growth and repair.Proteins are large molecules made up of long chains of amino acid subunits. Some of these amino acids are nutritionally essential as they cannot be made or stored within the body and so must come from foods in our daily diet.

Although all animal and plant cells contain some protein, the amount and quality of this protein can vary widely.

Protein from animal sources contains the full range of essential amino acids needed from an adult's diet. But red meat, in particular, should be eaten in limited amounts due to the high level of saturated fat it contains, which may raise blood levels of 'unhealthy' LDL cholesterol.

A high intake of saturated fat can lead to an increased risk ofcardiovascular disease and other related disorders.

As an alternative source of animal protein, choose poultry, fish and shellfish

Fish is a good source of animal protein. Oil-rich fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, trout and sardines are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Shellfish is also a good source of protein and is low in fat.Aim to eat a couple of portions of fish every week, with at least one portion being an oily fish.

Eggs contain all eight essential amino acids, making them a perfect source of protein. However, you'd have to eat at least eight eggs a day to get all the protein you need. Be sensible!!; include them as part of a balanced and varied diet.

Vegetarians rely on plant sources for their daily protein. Plants don’t contain the full range of essential amino acids and so are not as high in nutritional value as animal protein. But by eating a well-balanced diet that contains a variety of different foods, it's possible to consume the required amino acids, regardless of the time of day they’re eaten or in what combinations within a meal.

Foods such as nuts, seeds, beans, pulses, vegetable protein foods and soya products all contain protein. There are also small amounts in grains and dairy products. Due to this variety of protein-rich foods available in the UK, protein deficiency is rare.

H e alth profe ss ionals s ugge st m e n should e at 55.5g prote in a

d ay and wom e n 45g. In practical te rm s , e ating a m od e rate

am ount of prote in - in one or two m e als e ve ry d ay – should

give you all the prote in you ne e d . Most pe ople in the U K e at

far m ore prote in than they actually ne e d .

You should e at two to thre e se rvings of prote in e ve ry d ay from

both plant and anim al source s . H e re are som e e xam ple s of

one s e rving (about the s ize of a stand ard pack of playing

card s ):

1 00g bone le ss m e at (e g le an be e f, lam b or pork)

1 00g bone le ss poultry (e g ch icke n or turkey bre ast)

1 00g fis h (e g salm on, sard ine s or tuna)

2 m e d ium e ggs

3 table spoons of s e e d s (e g sunflowe r or pum pkin s e e d s )

3 table spoons of nuts (e g alm ond s or walnuts )

If you can, choose to eat low-fat protein foods as these will help to:

Keep your heart healthy Keep cholesterol low Minimise the risk of developing

cardiovascular disease and other related disorders

Fruit and vegetables are low in energy and packed with vitamins, minerals, protective plant compounds and fibre, so they're a great source of nutrients and vital for a healthy diet.

D ue to the ir nutritional and he alth be ne fits , it's re com m e nd e d

that fru it and ve ge table s form the bas is of your d ie t, with a

m in im um intake of five portions e ach d ay - about a th ird of

your d aily food consum ption. C urre ntly the U K ave rage s two to

thre e portions a d ay, so we 're falling we ll short of the be ne fits

the y can provid e .

Fru it and ve ge table s should be incorporate d into e ve ry m e al,

as we ll as be ing the first choice for a snack. Population s tud ie s

have shown that pe ople who e at a lot of fru it and ve ge table s

m ay have a lowe r risk of chronic d is e ase , s uch as heart diseaseand som e cancers . H e alth be ne fits can be gaine d

from fre sh, canne d (in natural ju ice ), froze n, cooke d , ju ice d or

d rie d ve rs ions . Potatoe s d on't count though, as the y're a

s tarchy food.

Why are they important?

Blueberries - contain flavonoids that can improve circulation and help defend against infection

Broccoli - rich in the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene, as well as folate, all of which can protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer

Tomatoes - rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can protect against harmful free radicals

But variety is the key. In addition to these phytonutrients, each variety of fruit and vegetables contains its own combination ofvitamins, minerals and fibre. Choosing a variety throughout the day will provide a diverse package of essential nutrients.

Fruit and vegetables of differing colours contain diverse mixtures of phytonutrients (protective plant compounds). These can act as powerful antioxidants, protecting the body from harmful free radicals and helping to protect against certain chronic diseases such as cancer. Some fruit and vegetables are labelled as 'superfoods' because they contain high concentrations of some phytonutrients, particularly antioxidants, which appear to be beneficial to health.

Water makes up 50 to 70 per cent of an adult's total body weight and, without regular top-ups, our body's survival time is limited to a matter of days.Water's essential for the body's growth and maintenance, as it's involved in a number of processes. For example, it helps get rid of waste and regulates temperature, and it provides a medium for biological reactions to occur in the body.Water's lost from the body through urine and sweat, and must be replaced through the diet. If you don't consume enough you can become dehydrated, causing symptoms such as headaches, tiredness and loss of concentration. Chronic dehydration can contribute to a number of health problems such as constipation and kidney stones.

Give out statins with junk food

A junk food diet has a wealth of unhealthy consequences beyond raising cholesterol”Professor Peter WeissbergBritish Heart Foundation