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Diet and Nutrition

Diet and nutrition is always in the news these days, we are, after all, a nation of fatties who rely far too heavily on junk food and processed sugar filled snacks, it’s killing us and it’s time we all took a long hard look at ourselves, in the mirror, took all of our clothes off, jumped up and down and focused on the wobbly bits – Yuk, that should be enough to make anybody change their ways!

There is one very important thing to remember when you start thinking about diet and nutrition however, there is no such thing as bad food, only a bad diet. We are allowed to eat whatever we want to – in moderation (we don’t know what that word means in our house), but Mark Twain had the right idea when he said “everything in moderation, including moderation”.  That opens things up a bit doesn’t it?

Food Types to Include in Your Diet

A good diet is a balanced diet, and by balanced diet it means that you need to eat an amount of each of the food types every single day:

• Carbohydrates - are the energy foods which we need to keep active. Most of our carbohydrates are found in starch, so eat a good portion of potatoes, pasta, rice, bread or cereals every day.
• Proteins – are for growth and repair (and they usually taste good too). Eat a nice portion of meat, fish or eggs, or if you’re a veggie you can get your proteins from nuts, lentils and legumes, that sort of thing.
• Fats – give us energy too, as well as lots of fat soluble vitamins. Many people think that if you avoid eating fats you’ll lose weight, but this is not a good idea because you won’t be getting the correct vitamins either. Anyway, bodies are clever and if you don’t include any fat in your diet your body will convert some of your protein and carbohydrates into fat – it keeps you warm in the winter time too.
• Vitamins – are only necessary in small quantities, but they are still very necessary. You need Vitamin A for your eyes for example, and Vitamin C helps the body to repair itself.
• Mineral Salts – again you only need small quantities of mineral salts, but you do need them to stay healthy. Iron is good for the haemoglobin in your blood (you become anemic without sufficient iron), Calcium is vital for health teeth and bones, Sodium is good for the nerves and Iodine makes a hormone called thyroxine.
• Fiber - is essential to keep things moving, you know, you have to be regular. Fiber is found in cellulose which is a carbohydrate which plants use to make their cell walls, we cannot digest cellulose so you need to eat plenty of foods which contain roughage to avoid problems of the rectum or colon.

A Healthy, Balanced Diet

In order to stay fit and healthy, you must eat the correct amount of all of these food types, in the correct proportion. If you don’t get enough protein you won’t be able to grow properly, and wounds won’t heal well for example. If you don’t eat enough of the energy foods you’ll feel tired all the time, but if you eat too many energy foods and don’t move enough, you’ll start to gain weight. It really is a balancing act, trying to eat a well balanced diet.

• Fruit and Vegetables – you don’t need me to tell you that you should eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day, but even though you know that you should, do you? Fruit and vegetables should account for round about a third of your diet and be included in every meal. Whenever you’re feeling peckish, reach for a piece of fruit instead of a cookie, it’s much better for you. Fruit and vegetables are packed with nutrients and fiber, and have even been shown to protect against heart disease and cancer, if you eat enough of them.
• Bread, potatoes, pasta and rice – the energy food should also make up about a third of your daily diet. The unrefined carbohydrates found in wholewheat bread, pasta and brown rice are much better for you and can also safeguard against cancers, heart disease and diabetes.
• Milk and dairy foods - should make up about a third of the remaining third of our food intake. They’re high in calcium which is good for the bones, but also high in fat if you don’t buy the reduced fat types.
• Meat, fish, beans and eggs – our protein foods also make up a third of the last third of our food intake (I bet you were hoping it would be higher weren’t you?)
• Naughty extras – the final third of the final third can be made up with naughty things if you like, you know, those sugary drinks and snacks that you just know are bad for you but they taste so good! Try to keep them for an occasional treat and you won’t go far wrong.