Healthy Eating Today

MY DIET TODAY

Being a nutritional therapist I like to eat healthily, today I will share my menu with you and point out the benefits of the foods.

Breakfast – 1 no-fat cherry yogurt, this contains calcium and bifidus digestivum (a good bacteria to aid digestion) 1 slice of wholegrain toast with soya spread and honey. Soya spread is a butter alternative and contains no saturated or trans fat – these two ‘bad’ fats have no place at our table. Wholegrain breads like soya and linseed have a low G.I*, great taste and give extra fibre. One glass of orange juice, 1 glass of water and 1 mug of tea (no added sugar). Did you know that if sugar were a new product bought out today it would be marked with an E number as it is an unnecessary additive.

*G.I. = glycaemic index, a ranking of carbohydrate foods, low no. foods help to stabilise blood sugar levels.

Lunch – Ate at a café with friends; with care you can still be healthy if you wish. Tuna sandwich on brown bread, small salad, mixed fruit juice to drink. Remember to have some fruits when you get home, although some cafes sell them they are always exorbitant prices. We need to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables for fibre, anti-oxidants and minerals.

Snack – Nuts, seeds and raisins, have you tried pumpkin seeds, they’re the green ones? What little beauties – they contain omega 3 (an essential fat that protects your heart and stimulates your metabolism) protein, fibre and zinc. Cup of tea, glass of water. I usually have 6 glasses of water a day, this keeps all parts lubricated, prevents headaches and constipation.

Dinner – salmon fishcakes, baked beans and a side salad. Beans are a healthy carbohydrate and a valuable source of vegetable protein, salmon is a source of protein and omega 3 and the salad gives minerals and vitamins. Glass of red wine – vital for your taste buds and anti-oxidants.

Snack – I love chocolate and had 4 squares of dark chocolate – it’s been officially declared as good for you despite the fat and large number of calories. The over 70% cocoa mass has considerable amounts of polyphenols, copper, fibre and calcium. I am trying to convert myself from milk chocolate to dark to get the benefits. The calories can be burnt off through exercise –seize the day!

What’s in your child’s lunchbox?

More than half of British school children take a packed lunch rather than buy food at school but with improved menus for hot lunches is this wise. If you are the sort of parent that knows about food and nutrition then you probably pack a good snack. Here’s some advice for the non-foodies among you and those of you who rush out without doing a lunchbox and pick it all up at the garage on route to school.

The bigger part of any meal should be complex carbohydrates i.e. bread, pasta, rice, savoury biscuits. Whole-wheat or granary bread would be good, multi-grain the best – these all give fibre. I realise the younger ones prefer white, try using a slice of each when making sandwiches, for fat use a low fat alternative not butter. Have different fillings each day and try and avoid adding ketchup, mayonnaise or salt. The fillings should be lean protein – ham, turkey, tuna, chicken, egg, hummus; cheese is full of saturated fat and salt so please limit use of this. Add a salad item to the sandwich to give vitamins and minerals. Give different fruits or carrot and celery sticks each day to provide, important B and C vitamins. Grapes are strawberries contain anti-oxidants and children love their sweet taste. If you have some left over pasta or rice this can be made into a tasty salad with the addition of nuts, salad and chopped cooked chicken.

Children love chocolate and sweets in their box but these provide empty calories and should be kept as a treat. Look out for fruit and nut snack bars with less than 10% fat; get used to reading the nutrition label on the reverse, there are many available and they contain sweet tasting fruits e.g., cranberries. Whilst it is true that children burn up a lot of calories through exercise and play it is good to start healthy eating at an early age. Foods marketed at children often have a good-for-you slogan on the front but read the nutrition label and you will find oodles of saturated fat (that’s the bad one). Nuts and seeds are good snacks; they contain omega 3 & 6, make some granola if your children find them boring. Yogurts are a healthy snack, the probiotics ones are a good idea if your child has digestive problems, they help to prevent growth of unfriendly bacteria in the intestines.

Water, milk and fruit juice would all be appropriate drinks. Water should be available throughout the day and your child encouraged to drink; we are all thirsty before we realise it. It is vital as a lubricant and to keep us supple. Milk contains calcium and vitamins B2, D and H.

Shopping for a bikini can be worse than a visit to the dentist

Does the above statement apply to you? If yes, you are probable one of the 62% of people who are overweight or obese. Being overweight, that is a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 25 (and if you’re over 30 you’re obese), is not only unsightly but leads to health problems. These can be mechanical e.g. joint pain or metabolic e.g. diabetes and heart disease. Try to lose weight gradually (1kg per week) and exercise daily. Vary your activities to improve overall fitness and keep your interest up – guided walks are available from the walking for health group (www.whi.org.uk), exercise videos and DVD’s can be purchased for those who do not feel comfortable in the gym. With the onset of summer a daily walk can be enjoyed by all, 1 hour’s fast walk burns up 382 calories see http://www.ramblers.org.uk/INFO/everyone/health.html for more details.

So what should you be eating – a balanced diet consisting of 3 meals and 2 snacks, the bulk of the diet should come from carbohydrates with 25% fats and 18% from proteins. Sweets, cakes, pies and pastries are treats not items to be consumed daily. Did you know one slice of cheesecake has 390 calories? Saturated fat (derived from animals) needs to be kept to a bare minimum; these are in pastries, cakes, fat on meat, cheese, butter and cream. Good fats are called polyunsaturated, these are derived from fish oil – that’s omega 3, nuts and seeds – that’s omega 6, corn and sunflower oil etc. Flax seed oil is good for your skin, heart and immune system however you cannot use this one in cooking.

Taking care of your health now may prevent premature diseases of aging.

Welcome to my nutrition blog

Hi I'm Wendy and I want to bring you the latest news and debate in nutrition and healthy eating. I'll be writing articles on a regular basis to

• Keep you informed and up to date
• Give you my ideas and tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle
• Provoke debate on any aspect of nutrition
• Provide advice on specific topics such as eating to protect yourself against heart disease
• Practical advice such as recipes and how to stay motivated

As a nutritional therapist my purpose is to help people lead a healthy, long life, free from disease. I also aim to help the overweight and obese lose excess fat through diet, healthy eating for life and exercise. A healthy diet is not just lettuce and boiled fish but a diet high in complex carbohydrates, low in fat and sugar and high in fruit and vegetables and it can be enjoyable. I believe that by understanding your food, where it comes from and how it interacts with your body you can learn to make lifestyle choices and make healthy eating a part of your normal day to day life. Once you start to eat properly the whole of your body and mind works better, its a multiplier, the more you look after yourself the better you feel and the more you look after yourself. I bet you won't want to go back to your old eating habits once you feel so much better about yourself and your life.

And I want you to add to this discussion, join in and send a comment, ask questions and take part. I'm looking forward to meeting you all in the blogosphere.