Health Matters

Many common health problems including heart disease are linked to what you eat. So healthy eating is one of the most important ways you can help yourself to feel well and be well.

So what does "healthy eating" exactly mean?
This article examines what constitutes a healthy diet and what one should try to be achieving in balance. A healthy diet often means only small changes in the meals you already eat, eating a little more of some items and a little less of others -sounds common sense but how many of us actually do this?

In actual fact healthy eating does not mean cutting out every food that tastes nice. Popular meals can be made healthier simply by preparing them in a slightly different way. For example, cutting down on the fatty foods and have a larger portion of rice, pasta, or bread and some extra vegetables, salad or fruit instead.
What is really important is to eat enough of healthy combinations of foods so that overall you are not eating too much of one type of food -fried food for example. A good mix is essential -different foods supply different mixtures of essentials and with a balanced diet, you can ensure that you get all the vitamins and minerals that one needs.

Bread, other cereals and potatoes
Starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice, cereals, potatoes should be main part of most meals. As well as energy, they provide vitamins, minerals and fibre and are not high in calories.

Fruits and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables provide valuable vitamins (A and C), minerals and Fibre, with little fat. It is recommended practice that you eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day -at least some at every meal or in between snacks.
It is now known that eating plenty of foods rich in starch and fibre leads to a better health and reduces the risks of certain diseases associated with later life.
Oats, beans, lentils, fruit and vegetables contain a different kind of fibre which may help to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood.

Milk and Dairy foods
These foods are rich in calcium, for strong bones and teeth. Having a reduced fat version e.g semi-skimmed have just as much calcium, protein and B vitamins.

Foods containing fat and/or sugar
These foods are not essential to a healthy diet (though not all fat is bad) but add a little extra choice of interest. Other food containing fat such as cakes, pastries can form part of a healthy diet provided they are not eaten too often.
Foods containing sugar such as cakes, fizzy drinks, sweets should mainly be eaten at mealtimes to reduce the risk of tooth decay.

If you would like more information on other food matters, you can telephone the Foods Standards Agency on 0845 6060667.

Health Tips

Healthy arteries
Keeping your arteries healthy to avoid heart failure and stroke is one of the best things you can do to keep young, says RealAge author Michael Roizen -and healthy eating helps in many ways.

-Lower high blood pressure by eating less sodium and more potassium, as well as garlic (which also fights against clogged arteries).
We all know the dangers of high cholesterol -too much of this in the blood increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

- Fibre, whole grains (especially oats), soy products lower the risk of heart disease.

-Red wine taken in moderation keeps arteries clog free.

Bone Health
Avoiding bone loss, or osteoporosis is one way to guarantee an active older age. Around 1200mg a day of calcium is important but that is not all.

Vitamin D is essential for intestinal absorption of calcium -it comes from food and sunlight.

Get enough magnesium -together with calcium and vitamin D will help prevent bone deteriorating.