Food and Health

> Staying Healthy is all about getting the right balance. The old saying “a little of everything does you good” might just be true.
> It’s important that you look good. And many people think that to look good, you need to be thin, so you should go on a diet.
> However all the evidence shows that diets just don’t work.
> You might lose some weight for a short time, but the odds are you’ll just put the weight back on once you stop dieting.
> The important thing is to feel good about food and, even more importantly, to like and be kind to yourself, both who you are as a person and your body.

The Five Food Groups

> No one food is perfect, but a good combination of the five major food groups will contain everything needed for health and well being.
> If you eat a varied and balanced diet most of the time, the occasional binge won’t hurt; it’s just a case of getting the balance right...
Milk and Dairy Foods: This group includes milk, yoghurt and cheese. These foods contribute protein, vitamins and calcium (essential for healthy teeth and bones). Choose low fat varieties if you can.
Meat, Fish and alternatives: These foods, along with dairy foods, are the main source of protein in the diet. Protein is needed for building and repairing body tissues. Meat, eggs and pulses also contain iron – essential for healthy blood. Try to choose lean meat and take the skin off chicken, that way you get the goodness without the fat. If you are a vegetarian, you should take care to eat plenty of pulses (like beans and peas) so that you get enough protein and iron.
Fruit and Vegetables: These foods provide a whole range of vitamins (particularly vitamin C) and minerals, as well as fibre. Green vegetables contain iron and many green or orange fruits and vegetables contain vitamin A for a healthy skin and night vision. Don’t boil your vegetables for too long, or you’ll leave all the goodness in the water. Why not try stirfrying, microwaving or roasting them for a change? Remember that tinned, frozen or dried fruit and veg contains all the goodness of the fresh stuff – and is often cheaper.
Bread, Other Cereals and Potatoes: This group is one of the largest and contains foods like bread, pasta, rice and breakfast cereals. Along with potatoes, these foods provide the bulk in our diets, and are good sources of protein, B vitamins and fibre. They also are an excellent and usually healthy source of the daily energy that we all need, so fill your plate with these foods!
Fats and Sugars: This food group includes fats such as oil, butter and margarine as well as hidden fats in mayonnaise, crisps, biscuits, pastries and cakes. Some foods containing fat will be eaten every day, but keep to small amounts. Too much fat, especially saturated (animal) fat can cause cholesterol to build up in the blood, which can eventually lead to heart disease. Foods containing sugar such as sweets and soft drinks should not be eaten too often as they can contribute to tooth decay.

Links:
www.mindbodysoul.gov.uk

Eat Well. Helping you make healthier choices. Teenagers page has info on healthy diet, health issues and teenager issues.
www.eatwell.gov.uk

Foods Standards Agency
www.food.gov.uk

British Nutrition Foundation (Click on 'Information', 'Nutrition Through Life' then 'Teenagers')
www.nutrition.org.uk

 

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