Health: Nutrition. 18 June 2014Last updated at 16:26 The human body needs a balanced diet to deliver vital nutrients What's your idea of a perfect meal? Sushi? A large piece of cake followed by hot chocolate? Cutting through the myriad of diet plans and faddish eating regimes, the human body needs a balanced, healthy eating plan to keep functioning properly. Grow and build Repair and heal Reproduce successfully Repel illnesses and infections Avoid weight-related health problems Eating a variety of foods can also reduce the risk of getting conditions including heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes and osteoporosis. The foods we need to eat can be divided into five separate groups. The reason we need a diet drawn from all of the groups is that they all deliver different, but vital, nutritional benefits to our bodies.
Fruit and vegetables are one of our main sources of vitamins and minerals, which the body needs to perform a variety of functions well. For more information and advice, go to NHS Choices. Eight tips for healthy eating - Live Well. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. It doesn't have to be difficult either. Just follow these eight tips to get started. These practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating, and can help you make healthier choices: Base your meals on starchy foods Starchy foods should make up around one third of the foods you eat.
Starchy foods include potatoes, cereals, pasta, rice and bread. Choose wholegrain varieties (or eat potatoes with their skins on) when you can: they contain more fibre, and can help you feel full. Most of us should eat more starchy foods: try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal. Eat lots of fruit and veg It’s recommended that we eat at least five portions of different types of fruit and veg a day. Eat more fish Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish include salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh tuna, sardines and pilchards. Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet & Sticking to It. Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change.
If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think. Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. This way it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Think of water and exercise as food groups in your diet. Water. Exercise. Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. For most of us, moderation or balance means eating less than we do now. Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.” Some great choices include: Sugar. A balanced diet - Live Well. Despite what you see in some diet books and TV programmes, healthy eating can be really straightforward.
Food groups All the food we eat can be divided into five groups. Try to choose a variety of different foods from the first four groups. They are: Fruit and vegetables. Starchy foods, such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. Choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can, or eat potatoes with their skin on for more fibre. Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, and too much fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables and fibre. 1. Fruit and vegetables are a vital source of vitamins and minerals. There's evidence that people who eat at least five portions a day are at lower risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
What's more, eating five portions is not as hard as it might sound. Having a sliced banana with your morning cereal is a quick way to get one portion. See 5 A DAY for more tips to help you get your five portions of fruit and veg. 2. 3. 4. 5. Healthy Eating. Your body needs energy to work normally and keep you alive. You get this energy from nutrients in the food that you eat - mostly, carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Minerals and vitamins are other nutrients that are also important in your diet to help your body stay healthy. It is important to get the right balance between these different nutrients to get maximum health benefits (see below). Your diet should contain food from each of the following food groups: Starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, etc.Fruit and vegetables.Milk and dairy foods.Protein foods. Fatty and sugary foods are the fifth food group that you eat. A healthy diet may help to prevent certain serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. As a general rule, starchy foods and fruit and vegetables should provide the bulk of most of your meals.
Below, the principles of a healthy diet are explained. Eat plenty of starchy foods (complex carbohydrates) Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables NHS Choices. Introduction. Healthy eating. A healthy diet can help reduce your risk of developing coronary heart disease and stop you gaining weight - reducing your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also help lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of some cancers. Even if you already have a heart condition, a healthy diet can benefit your heart. Six secrets to diet success Our dietitian Victoria Taylor reveals her top tips for long-term, sustainable weight loss. The best way to understand it is to think of foods in food groups.
Everyone should aim for a well balanced diet. Try to eat: plenty of fruit and vegetablesplenty of starchy foods such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. Choose options that are lower in fat, salt and sugar whenever you can. Fruit and vegetables A well-balanced diet should include at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. A portion is about a handful (80g or 3oz), for example: 4 broccoli florets1 pear3 heaped tablespoons of carrots7-8 strawberries Fats So to help keep your heart healthy: Healthy eating - information from Bupa on healthy eating. The amount and type of food you eat has a major influence on your health. If you eat a well-balanced diet, it can reduce your risk of various diseases as well as help you to maintain a healthy weight.
There are certain times when it can be particularly important to make sure that you follow a healthy diet, for instance, if you want to lose excess weight or if you’re watching what you eat because you’re pregnant. However, it’s important to eat a healthy diet throughout your life, no matter what age you are – there’s never a bad time to make some changes and improve your eating habits. Why is healthy eating important? There is good evidence that eating a healthy diet can reduce your risk of obesity and illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and some types of cancer.
The food you eat contains several different types of nutrients, which are all required for the many vital processes in your body. Carbohydrates provide you with energy. A balanced diet Starchy foods. Good food and healthy diet - Live Well. Health | Healthy Eating | Age Concern is now Age UK.