Eating your way to good health

Eating your way to good health

Eating a balanced diet can help to reduce the risk of obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease, as well as making you feel good about yourself.

A balanced diet contains elements of each of the five food groups:

• Carbohydrate foods – e.g. bread, pasta and potatoes

• Fruit and vegetables – five portions a day

• Dairy foods – e.g. cheese and milk, twice a day

• Proteins – e.g meat and beans, twice a day

• Small amounts of fats and sugar

As our bodies are 75% water it is essential to keep yourself hydrated. The average person needs to drink around six or seven glasses of water a day in order to avoid dehydration, which can cause tiredness and headaches. Caffeine drinks such as coffee and tea are diuretics, however, and will dehydrate you more, so be wary of drinking too many. On the other hand overhydration can be just as harmful as having too little to drink, so be aware of how many fluids you consume.

Keeping active is also essential for maintaining a healthy body. The Department of Health recommends that you do half an hour of moderate physical activity five times a week. Moderate physical activity increases your breathing and heart rate, but is not physically demanding. This can include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, gardening and doubles tennis.

Mental Health 

One in four people will suffer from mental health problems at some stage in their life, so looking after your mind is just as important as keeping physically fit.

Try to make time for yourself, to forget about work and engage in activities which you enjoy. Doing things which you are good at can help to increase your self-confidence, as well as helping you to relax.

Talk about your problems, instead of keeping them bottled up inside you. Just being listened to can make you feel better, and sometimes another perspective on an issue can be helpful. If there is no-one you feel that you can speak to, know that you can call the CiC Confidential Care Adviceline, 24 hours a day. No matter what your difficulty, you’ll be able to talk it over with an experienced counsellor, who’ll help you think things through and identify the best way forward.

Finally, think positive! If you are facing a problem then sit down and try to work out the best way around it. Keep a diary, writing positive thoughts in blue pen and negative thoughts in black. Aiming to have as much of the page as possible coloured in blue trains you to think more positively.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are more common among women, although men can suffer from them too, and normally develop during teenage years. Anorexia and bulimia, for example, can lead to kidney problems, osteoporosis, impeded growth and an increased risk of other mental health problems, such as depression.

The symptoms of anorexia include: 

• Weighing too little for their height

• Obsession with body image and a fear of putting on weight, losing weight through dieting,    excessive exercise, inducing vomiting and/or taking laxatives

• Rules may be invented as to how much food may be eaten and how much exercise to take  afterwards

• Women may cease to have periods due to being underweight

• They may also feel bloated after eating, even if only a small amount of food has been consumed  The symptoms of bulimia include:

• Persistent craving for food and a preoccupation with eating

• Overeating

• Trying to counteract overeating by inducing vomiting, excessive exercise, starving themselves and  taking laxatives

• Fear of putting on weight. Sufferers should not be afraid of seeking help from a professional, there  are also support groups run by people who have suffered from eating disorders, as well as self-help  books.

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