What is a healthy diet? (part 1)
Lyndel Costain is a registered dietitian and nutritionist with 18 years’ experience
both within the NHS and as an independent consultant. Her work and experience now
encompass speaking, writing and broadcasting on food and health, as well as seeing
patients and contributing to advisory boards. Lyndel was also an expert for the
the BBC1 Diet Trials series.
Food is definitely one of life’s pleasures. It tastes wonderful, helps us share
good times, and is our energy provider. But with constant headlines about the latest
‘wonder diet’ or debates about whether wheat or meat is bad for you, you may well
wonder what you should be eating! Want to know more? Then read on.
The second part of this article will be published in the next issue of the GastroClub
newsletter.
Why bother to eat healthily?
Combine an active lifestyle with a healthy, balanced diet and it will help you to:
- Stay in shape
- Feel fit and energetic
- Keep your digestive system regular
- Concentrate
- and optimise memory and mood
- Support your immune system, to keep infections at bay and recover quickly after
illness
- Reduce your risk of health problems as heart disease,
- obesity, cancer and osteoporosis
- Add years to life and life to years!
The Balance of Good Health
‘The Balance of Good Health’ is the Food Standards Agency’s guide to a healthy diet.
The size of each segment, as illustrated in the figure opposite, represents the
proportion that each food group contributes to a healthy diet.
Most of us could do with eating more fruit and vegetables and cutting right back
on fatty and sugary foods - not to mention big portions!
But the emphasis is really on enjoying more of the foods that suit you as well as
providing protection and nourishment for your body. So choose a variety of foods
from each of the different groups each day:
- At least five portions of fruit and vegetables – fresh, frozen, canned, dried and
juiced all count.
- Healthy energy foods like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals and noodles as part
of meals; include satisfying wholegrain types.
- Two to three servings of milk and dairy products (or calcium-fortified soya alternatives).
A serving could be 200ml/1⁄3 pint of milk, a small pot of yoghurt or 30g/1oz (small
matchbox sized) piece of cheese.
- Two to three moderate servings of protein-rich lean meat, fish, chicken, eggs, pulses,
tofu, nuts or seeds. A serving could be 90g/3oz (size of a deck of cards) of cooked
meat, a medium fish fillet, two eggs (up to six eggs a week), four to five tablespoons
of beans, two tablespoons of nuts or seeds.
- Modest amounts of unsaturated oils, such as olive, rapeseed or soya oil and spreads
made from them, fatty foods, sugary foods and drinks.
Five key tips to boost your nutrient intake
- Have a bowl of fortified breakfast cereal with fruit or juice every day.
- Vary the colours of your daily fruit and vegetables for an optimal mix of vitamins
and body-protecting antioxidants. Antioxidants work to mop up excess ‘free radicals’
that whiz around the body, with the potential to damage healthy cells and may contribute
to a wide range of health problems, such as heart disease, cancer, cataracts and
lung disorders.
- Don’t skip carbohydrates, but do try to include wholegrain breads, cereals, and
crackers. Satisfying and nutritious, eating three or more servings daily has been
linked to lowering the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes by up to 30%,
thanks to their nutritional benefits. A serving could be a slice of wholemeal bread,
a bowl of porridge or wholewheat cereal, two to three oatcakes or rye crispbread,
three tablespoons of cooked brown rice or wholewheat pasta.
- Enjoy fish at least twice a week and make one portion an oily fish (salmon, sardines,
mackerel, trout, pilchards), as these contain omega-3 fats that are beneficial to
the heart and immune system
- Remember dairy foods. Low fat milk and yoghurts have just as much bone-building
calcium.Why not try a daily bioyoghurt or probiotic; they help to promote a healthy
balance in the bowel.
