MAINTAINING A GENERAL HEALTHY DIET FOR YOUR WELL-BEING

• Wales has one of the worst records when it comes to eating healthily. Indeed, recent reports have revealed that Welsh children are eating more fast foods and ready meals than ever before thus potentially risking obesity by the time they reach adulthood. Anyone who’s concerned about their health should ensure that they cut down on foods that are detrimental to their well-being.


• Unfortunately there are simply far too many diet plans around, many of which are ‘fad’ diets that should be avoided because they can make life difficult and are regarded by professional dieticians as being far too strict on the individual. Fad diets are usually conveyed as being fashionable but can end up doing more harm than good in the long run.


• The first thing to do is to look at how much and what it is you actually eat. Also an important facet of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is exercise. Basically there needs to be a balance in that, generally speaking, people should be eating a little less and exercising a little more. In addition, a healthy diet is also based on moderation and variety.


• The key is to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables whilst eating less fat and sugar. On the whole you can eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you like because they contain a minimal amount of fat ­ if at all ­ and are very good for you due to a high vitamin and mineral content. Of course, a certain amount of fats are necessary but the advantages lie with a moderate intake.


• Maintaining a healthy diet is vitally important if you suffer from a high cholesterol level, are in danger of CHD (Coronary Heart Disease) or are diabetic. Potentially fatal consequences would likely arise if a suitable diet is not observed in any of these conditions.


• Our fat intake ­ especially saturated fats ­ is the biggest problem that we have to tackle when considering our diet. If you can, choose lower fat alternatives to the food that you’d normally eat and look out for foods that are naturally low in fat. Other tips for cutting down on fat include:
  
  - Use semi-skimmed or skimmed milk instead of full cream.
  - Instead of butter, use a low-fat spread or margarine.
  - Reduce your cheese consumption. Most are high in fat. Examples of lower-fat cheeses include Edam and Brie.
  - Reduce your consumption of pastries and pies
  - If possible, avoid frying if you can.
  - Choose fat-free salad dressings instead of oily salad dressings.
  - Cream is high in fat so try using natural yoghurt, fromage frais or Greek yoghurt.
  - Eat lean meat, trim the fat from fatty cuts and, no matter how delicious it is, remove the skin from chicken.
  - Try and cut out on fatty meat products, such as some sausages and burgers (although there are lower fat alternatives available).
  - Try and use a few more vegetables in stews and casseroles.
  - If you tend to snack on crisps you can substitute them for lower fat alternatives such as pretzels, rice cakes and breadsticks.
  - Moderate your alcohol intake. Cut down on the amount you drink, especially if you tend to ‘have a few’ on the weekend.


• The sheer volume of diets in existence has introduced a culture where people feel impelled to lose weight quickly. Once this aim is achieved people usually return to former eating habits, which results in weight gain and, inevitably, the cycle of dieting begins anew.


• The best thing to do is to lose weight gradually in order for you and your body to get used to the change. Dieticians recommend losing 1 to 2 pounds in weight per week through a combination of healthy eating and exercise. People expect an immediate alteration in their appearance, which is usually the reason why so many diets fail. However, by persevering with a healthy diet in tandem with regular exercise then significant weight loss can be achieved. Obviously it is far easier to gain weight than it is to lose it and, therefore, both persistence and self-discipline are necessary for you to reach your goal.


• The number of calories that we need to consume per day is usually a bone of contention. Dieticians recommend that, on average, men should have 2500 calories (and no more than 95g of fat and 7g of salt) per day whilst women should have 2000 calories (and no more than 70g of fat and 5g of salt) per day. This figure can and does vary from person to person but for the most part we should look at taking in around 400 calories per meal.