Tips on keeping healthy with a good diet
Although Australians have the second longest life expectancy in the world, are we experiencing quality of life?
Many Australians live with a long-term health condition and nine millions adults are overweight with over a third of these obese. On top of that, four million (1 in 5) have some degree of disability and 3/4 of them die before the age of 75 years.
In 2003, it was recorded that 2.6 million people in Australia lost years off their life due to a disease or disability. These included cancer, mental disorders, neurological disorders, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.
We are living in a super sized world these days and too much sugar, leads to fat and this is what can cause us to suffer bad diseases. An increased consumption of refined grains and sugars causes insulin surges, and this means more fat. Insulin drives sugars into cells. As your blood sugar decreases your appetite increases.
Insulin also promotes fat storage and more body fat results in higher insulin levels. Protein, however, is good for the body because of the following functions:
- It contains vital body constituents
- Maintains fluid balance
- Provides regulation of pH
- Provides hormones and enzymes
- Helps the immune system
- It forms glucose and fat
- Provides energy needs
But too much protein can lead to weight gain. In this modern era, with food super sized up and in such abundance, we need to exercise more, make sure we have enough sleep and make sure we eat properly. There are many problems associated with skipping meals, such as:
- It slows down metabolism
- Increases the likelihood of binge eating
- Makes us miss out on important vitamins and minerals
- Leads to increased weight
- Reduces concentration and alertness
Perceptions have also changed over the years, with studies showing that 25% of overweight people think thy are of normal weight. A lot of people just want to ignore the fact that they are overweight. Excess weight is a problem because it can cause a number of physical problems, including:
- Metabol syndrome
- Type 2 diabetes,
- Sleep apnoea,
- Liver problems,
- Hypertension
- Abnormal Lipods,
- Heart disease,
- GI Problems
- Gallstones
- Cancer
- Athritis
As for psychological problems, it can cause negative self image, low self esteem, social stigma and depression. So what should we be eating? We should be eating more plant-based foods and we should reduce the amount of processed foods that we eat.
We should also have a high fruit and vegetable intake. 2.7 million lives could be saved each year with sufficient fruit and vegetable consumption. In fact in Australia, the average adult eats 1-2 serves fruit and 2-3 serves of vegetable per day. The World Health Organisation says that low fruit and vegetable causes:
- 19% of GI cancer
- 31% IHD
- 11% strokes
So why are fruit and vegetables good for us? This is because they have a low energy density but they are high in nutrient density. They include micronutrients, fibre, phytochemicals and essential non-nutrient substances, such as antioxidants.
The benefits of fruit and vegetables include helping to prevent coronary heart disease, some forms of cancer, overweight and obesity and constipation. Non-starch vegetables are good for the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus and stomach. Allium vegetables are good for the stomach. Garlic is good for the colorectal. Fruit is good for the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, lung and stomach. Folate is good for the pancreas. Carotenoids are good for the mouth, pharynx, larynx and lungs. Beta-carotene and Vitamin C are good for the oseophaguys and lycopene and selenium are goo for the prostate.
In regards to organic foods, there is no evidence that organic is nutrionally better than conventionally grown produce. However, it is environmentally better than conventional produce, but it has its limitations. Before we worry about eating organic or conventional produce, we should reach the recommended intake for fruit and vegetables first.
There are many benefits to having plenty of fibre in your diet. These include keeping us feeling fuller for longer, keeping our bowels healthy, reducing constipation and it also reduces cholesterol reabsorption. In addition, it helps to prevent against diverticular disease, colon cancer, heart disease, diabetes and IBS.
Probiotics
Probiotics are very useful for the body. They are a friendly bacteria that help to maintain a healthy gut. They also help to keep a healthy immune system through th optimal absorption of nutrients and the production of vitamin K. Probiotics can be found in yoghurst and fermented milks. As well as boosting immunity, they can reduce symptons of IBS, treat diarrhoea, improve lactose intolerance and reduce the risk of colon cancer. However, they need to survive food processing, storage and our digestive enzymes before they can work.
Prebiotics
As for prebiotics, these are carbohydrates that pass through the body undigested until they reach the colon. In the colon, they are fermented, which leads to increased bowel function. They are also a fuel source of probiotics, helping them to grow in numbers. Prebiotics can be found in garlic, asparagus, onlons, leeks, breakfast cereals, table spread, drinks and yoghurts.
They help with the treatment of constipation, as well as being useful to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. In addition, they also reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes. Having a healthy gut helps to prevent potentially bad bacteria attaching itself to the gut lining; it reduces the availability of nutrients for potentially bad bacteria; it achieves the right acid balance for the intestine; supports the gut lining and it provides ongoing support for the immune system.
What are the benefits of wholegrains?
They contain all parts of the grain, including bran, endosperm and germ. They also include vitamins and minerals, such as B-group vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus. The health benefits include the ability to help control weight management, reduce heart disease risk, lower type 2 diabetes risk and reduce cancer.
You should eat 48g per day, 4+ serves of grain-based food per day and look for products containing at least 51% wholegrains.
Here are some examples of foods that have a substantial amount of wholegrain in them:
- Wholemeal bread is made out of 100% wholegrain flour - 2 slices adds up to 60g.
- Wheat flake biscuits - two biscuits adds up to 30g.
- 50% wholegrain cereal - 30g for a serving.
- Porridge - 1/3 cup of oats adds to about 31g.
- A wholegrain crispbread (95% wholegrain rye flour) - four slices adds up to 30-40g.
- Brown rice - one cup cooked adds up to 80g
- Wholegrain pasta - one cup cooked adds up to 53g.
If you want to get more wholegrains in your diet, then you need to do the following:
- Replace white pasta with brown pasta
- Serve brown rice instead of white rice
- Enjoy wholegrain bread as toast, sandwiches or a snack
- Choose wholegrain tortillas
- Enjoy porridge for breakfast
- Serve wholegrain crackers with soup
- Purchase wholegrain couscous instead of white couscous
- Enjoy wholegrain crackers with reduced fat cheese as a snack
Legumes also have plenty of nutritional benefits. They contain carbohydrates, fibre, protein, B vitamins, iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc and phytonutrients. They also help to control BSL, ease constipation, help with appetite control, protect you against bowel cancer and lower cholesterol.
Eating lean meat is good for you because it contains nutritional elements, such as protein, iron, zinc, Vitamin B12 and Omega-3. The recommended intake is no more than 500g of cooked meat per week. It is advised to avoid processed meat.
Fish is good for your heart, mental health, inflammatory conditions, diabetes and eye conditions and it is also a good source of omega-3. Omega-3 is needed for every cell in the body. Docosahexaenoic acid is a type of omega-3 fat. It is critical for brain growth and visual development. In addition, it is also important for signalling processes in the brain. It forms hormone-like substances which help reduce inflammation, increase flexibility of blood vessels and help the blood flow. It also plays a part in reducing depression.
It is also advisable that you should drink plenty of water too to enjoy a really healthy lifestyle.
