By Christine Jesse

THE HEALTHY DIET - AN INTRODUCTION

The path to a happy and healthy life is regular physical activity and of course a well balanced diet.  Not watching what you eat is a risk as it can bring many chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases as well as certain cancers.

It is not all that difficult to change your lifestyle into a healthier one. The right nutrition helps you become more energetic, active and fit. Additionally it supports your immune system, protects you against health problems and stress. You only need to find the motivation to learn a little bout nutrition, the basics on healthy food and how your diet should look tailor made for you. It is a huge topic, but here is a basic introduction:

• Facts about nutrition
• Basic guidelines for a healthy diet
• The balanced diet

FACTS ABOUT NUTRITION

Nutrition is crucial to our wellbeing, and it includes lots of different factors. Basically there are six categories of specific nutrients the body needs in order to make fuel : carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. The dosage varies depending on different groups of people : Older people, children or pregnant women need different amounts than others.    

• Carbohydrates: Sugar, starch and cellulose are carbohydrates. There are saturated or unsaturated ones resulting from the different chemical structure of fats. Carbohydrates are a good ‘quick fix’ when you need that energy boost. Source : Grain products, potatoes, sugar (glucose) and fruits (fructose)
• Proteins: Proteins consists of different types of amino acids. There are high-quality proteins, which contain adequate amounts of all essential amino acids and low-quality proteins that do not. The body needs proteins for muscle building and all body tissues contain some levels. Source : Fish, milk, eggs, cheese, poultry, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts.   
• Fats : Like the carbohydrates, fats can be saturated (“bad fats”) or unsaturated (“good fats”). They are used by body cells or stored as fat deposits. Source : Nuts, olive oil, sunflower oil (unsaturated); butter, whole milk products (saturated).  
• Water : Water is an essential element and your body needs lots of it.
• V itamins : Vitamins are organic compounds the body needs for growth and health. They are vital, because the body cannot produce them by itself.  Source :Vitamin A (carrots, green vegetables), Vitamin C (citrus fruits, tomatoes, apples), Vitamin D (enriched milk, cereals) and Vitamin E (vegetables oils, milk, eggs) are the most important ones.
• Minerals : Minerals are inorganic substances the body needs to function properly. Some minerals are called trace elements, as we only need them in small amounts in contrast to other ones. Source : We need minerals like Calcium (supplements), Iron (green vegetab les like spinach, red meat), Zinc (red meat, supplements), Magnesium (whole grain, vegetables, fruits) and Potassium (fruits, vegetables).  

BASIC GUIDELINES FOR A HEALTH DIET

There are some things that you should always remember when your goal is to improve your life and eat healthier. Here are some basic guidelines and practical tips for good nutrition :

• A healthy diet includes adequate amounts of water! Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day to stay properly hydrated. Your intake always depends on your activity level, your health and the climate you live in.
• Find a sport or other means of getting out there and moving about that you like and do them as often as you can. This will burn calories whilst supporting and motivating you to follow your new healthier lifestyle at the same time. You become more self-confident and happier with your body!  
• You will be most successful when you plan your meals and snacks in advance! If your weight is normal and you don’t need to lose more, make sure you get three balanced daily meals and add two snacks. Never miss a meal or create an extra one! Eating regularly also helps you resist high calorie temptations like chocolate!
• Enjoy the process of food preparation! Look for recipes and meals you can cook easily and which include healthy ingredients. Things like salad or vegetables are easily and quickly prepared and you can add plenty of variety to your diet.
• Enjoy every meal and eat it slowly. It takes your stomach 20 minutes to signal your brain that you are full. Then stop eating – never just eat out of boredom!
• Your body will tell you what it needs. Listen to it!  
• Use smaller plates : In this way your plate is still filled up, but it is a smaller portion with less calories and fats.

THE BALANCED DIET

Every person has different needs and so the nutrition depends on a large variety of different factors : age, sex, activity level and lifestyle; women for example need more calcium and iron than men.

Good nutrition does not depend on the special diet you choose. There are some really important basic ground rules for healthy eating. As a first step you should always try to measure the ratio between your “calorie intake” and your “calorie use”. If you want to get rid of weight you either have to reduce your calorie consumption or increase your activity level to burn calories.

For the all to work it’s important that you know more about what you are eating. There is a well-known method, the food pyramid , which shows you exactly what foodstuff are what and how much of the different things you should eat every day :

The Food Groups (courtesy of www.medicinenet.com/nutrition/article.htm)

TOP

Level 1:

fats, oils, sweets (sparingly)

Level 2:

milk, yoghurt, cheese group (2-3 servings)   

          meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, nuts group (2-3 servings)       

Level 3:                  

vegetable group (3-5 servings)

fruit group (2-4 servings)

Level 4:

bread, cereal, rice, pasta group (1-6 servings)

BASE

• If you want to watch your weight, eat the m inimum of the specified servings, if you want to gain weight, choose the maximum.
• The base of your daily meals should always be (whole) grain, vegetables and fruit, all from the lower part of the pyramid. Then add some low fat products from the “milk” and also some from the “meat group”. There are many options open in the preparation of delicious meals. Use the foods right at the top of the pyramid sparingly : they are really unhealthy and full of calories and fat.
• Try to select food from every food group. Don’t just prefer one and forget the other. It is important that your nutrition is varied by choosing different food. If you dislike some, there are surely others from the same food group you will like.
• If you don’t want to use fat (eg like butter), try other “healthy fat sources” like vegetables oils (like olive spread) or nuts .
• Eat nutritious snacks with whole grain. The carbohydrates will make you feel full.  
• Always read the information on the packaging about the ingredients food contains. Be aware of ‘hidden calories’ and use of sugar which will often be called “fructose”.  
• Avoid products with added sugar and prepare your meals with less salt or sodium. Salt is essential but too much of it is bad for your health, especially the heart.
• Always make sure that your food has enough of the important vitamins and minerals in it.
• If you like to have a beer or wine for dinner, drink one glass only. A small amount per day is all right.
• Healthy eating and living also includes no or less smoking. Not only does nicotine damage your health but it can also prevent certain food or vitamins from being absorbed properly.

This is for your information only and does not replace professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor for more advice on nutritional topics    

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