sensible eating
When it comes to eating, sensible doesn't have to equal boring, and a healthy, balanced diet doesn't mean living like a monk. A little bit of what you like is part of a balanced diet; many people who give up trying to change their eating habits do so because they have denied themselves everything they like. Life is for living, so if you want some chocolate, have some! Just don't eat several bars in one go!
Eating healthily is about a lifestyle change - not a short term crash diet. Crash diets do not work!! Sensible eating patterns combined with regular exercise will help you remain fit and healthy, and also to lose weight if that is your goal. Once you are in the habit of eating well and exercising, it really does become part of everyday life.
You need to eat a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fruit, vegetables,pulses and grains. The daily requirements of each food group can be put together to create a food pyramid, with what you need most of at the base and the smallest amount forming the pinnacle. Carbohydrates form the base, followed by fruit and veg, then dairy produce, meat & fish, and finally fat. The percentages you should be roughly aiming for in your daily diet are:
Carbohydrates......40%
Vegetables...........17.5%
Fruit....................17.5%
Dairy Products......10%
Meat/Fish/pulses...10%
Fats/Oils...............5%
When it comes to maintaining energy levels throughout the day, eating the right amounts at the right time is the most important factor - the cliché is to ‘breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper’. Unfortunately most of us get it the wrong way round - no time for breakfast, grab a bit of lunch, and eat a feast at night.
Eating at the wrong times, and skipping meals altogether, leads to low blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia). This results in tiredness, irritability, a lack of co-ordination, headaches, and a sudden urge to eat half a pound of chocolate!
Snacking on chocolate or sweets sends the blood sugar soaring (hyperglycaemia), resulting in the release of a large dose of insulin, designed to help the body disperse excess sugar. But the body always overcompensates - sending blood sugar levels too low, and putting you back where you started: hungry, tired, and irritable.
So use your common sense when deciding what to eat and when - 10 pints of lager and a curry before bedtime is not going to do your waistline any favours. Arm yourself with a little knowledge, and just concentrate on getting it right every day - before you know it you won't even have to think about it.
