How to Eat Healthy

 

We are what we eat.

Cut down your consumption of red meat to reduce the chance of heart disease; and if you do eat red meat make sure it is lean and cooked by a healthy method, such as grilling.

Eat fish at least three times a week. It is a good source of protein and the oily varieties give us essential fatty acids. 

Eat at least five portions of vegetables, salads and fruit a day. One portion is an average size fruit like an orange, an apple, a pear, etc. A small glass of juice, about ⅔ cup, is a portion, but restrict juice to one glass a day. A small bowl of salad greens, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, etc. is a portion, or two tablespoons of vegetables such as peas, beans, spinach, sprouts or cauliflower. The more fruits and vegetables you eat the better.

Restrict excess fat in your diet, particularly saturated animal fats from meat and dairy products. Resist spreading butter too thickly on your bread and piling it on your vegetables. In some cooking, oil can take the place of butter. Try adding olive oil to your mashed potatoes and enjoy the flavour. Lower-fat cheeses are available, or stick to the normal ones and reduce the amount you eat. The same applies to yoghurt and cream. Low-fat and skim milk are sensible options because they are lower in fat but still contain all the valuable nutrients of full-fat milk. 

Hidden fat is the greatest enemy in prepared foods like cakes and snacks. Try to avoid these foods if possible, or read the label and try to choose lower-fat alternatives. Remember, though, that a low-fat diet is only a healthy option for those aged 5 and over - below this age a child needs easily accessible energy.

Eat more whole-grain cereals. Instead of white bread, eat whole-wheat and multigrain varieties and change to a high fibre breakfast cereal or granola. Try whole-grain pastas and brown rice.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. You will feel healthier and your body will benefit. Limit tea and coffee because they contain caffeine, a stimulant that will keep your body in overdrive. 

Always taste food at the table before you add extra salt. Restrict salt in cooked dishes and try to cook vegetables without salt in the water. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure.

Remember, eating healthily will not stop you getting some diseases but it will affect how your body deals with them. A healthy diet will help you have a healthy life.

Danie de Villiers - Freelance Writer

What are unhealthy diets?

There is a great deal of controversy about what constitutes an unhealthy diet and how precisely to define ‘junk food’. In general, however, it can be stated that an unhealthy diet is one which does not contain a good balance of all the components of the diet which are necessary to health, or which is eaten in excess of the body’s requirements, or which places a strain on the body’s metabolic system by introducing toxins and chemicals such as preservatives and colouring which interfere with the natural processes of the liver and intestine. Particularly toxic components of many people’s daily diets are tea, coffee, and alcohol.

Both tea and coffee contain caffeine, which is a nervous system stimulant, and which can be habit-forming. Cola-based drinks also contain caffeine, and children in particular can become addicted to them. Alcohol on the other hand is a central nervous system depressant, which exerts its effects by loosening the inhibitions, which usually prevent us from acting in an anti-social fashion. Whether stimulants of depressants, all these agents have two things in common - they all have a rebound effect (hangover) when their effects wear off, which can only be countered by waiting for them to eliminate themselves from the body , or more commonly, taking more of them; secondly, they are harmful to the body’s metabolism, particularly when taken in excess.

Tip: A pleasant and satisfying hot drink can be made by soaking a slice of lemon in hot water and drinking it. Alternatively, herb teas such as rooibos tea, chamomile tea, or hibiscus tea or any of the herbal tea mixtures can be pleasant and refreshing without being toxic to the body.

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