HEALTHY DIET TIPS

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. It can be simple, too. Just follow these eight diet tips to get started.

These practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating, and can help you make healthier choices:

1.      Base your meals on starchy foods

 Starchy foods include potatoes, cereals, pasta, rice and bread. Eating them can make you feel full for longer.

2.      Eat lots of fruit and vegetables

It’s recommended that we eat a least five portions of different types of fruit and vegetables a day. A glass 100% unsweetened fruit juice can count as one portion, and vegetables cooked into dishes also count.

3.      Eat more fish

Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish is high in omega - 3 fats, which may help to prevent heart disease, including salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh tuna and sardines.

4.      Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

We all need some fat in our diet. But it’s important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat we’re eating. There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease. Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as hard cheese, cakes, biscuits, sausages, cream, butter, lard and pies. Try to cut down, and choose foods that contain unsaturated rather than saturated fats, such as vegetable oils, oily fish and avocados. For a healthier choice, use a just a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. When you're having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat. Learn more, and get tips on cutting down, in Eat less saturated fat. 

5.      Eat less salt

Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. Adults and children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt a day.

6.      Get active and be a healthy weight

Eating a healthy, balanced diet an important part in maintaining a healthy weight, which is an important part of overall good health. Most adults need to lose weight. If you are trying to lose weight, aim to eat less and be more active. Physical activity can help you maintain weight loss or be a healthy weight.

7.      Don’t get thirsty ( Drink more fluid for healthy life)

 We need to drink about 1.2 litres of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water, milk and fruit juices are most healthy.

8.      Don’t skip breakfast

Some people skip breakfast because they think it will help them lose weight. In fact, eating breakfast can help people control their weight. A healthy breakfast in an important part of balanced diet.

 Source of information:    http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eight-tips-healthy-eating.aspx

Prepared by: Sibel Sali