Eating a balanced diet for health
As depression
disrupts our body systems and disturbs the appetite, it is important to
pay extra attention to eating healthily and well. All you need to do is
eat from the four main food groups and observe the golden rules. As a
result, you will have much more energy, your skin will be improved, your
hair will be glossier and you will feel better mentally, emotionally and
physically.
You can check that your weight is at a healthy limit for your height by
calculating your Body Mass Index. To do this, note your weight in
kilograms and divide the number by your height in meters, squared. For
example if your weight is 65 kg, and height 1.68 meters, first multiply
1.68 x 1.68 = 2.82 (your height squared). Next, divide 65 by 2.82. Your
BMI is 23.
Most health care professionals agree that a BMI of 20-25 is healthy.
Below 20 is regarded as underweight, over 25 is regarded as overweight,
over 30 is obese and over 40 is a serious hazard to health.
The Four
Food Groups
Variety is the
key to a balanced diet. Eat a selection from each of these food groups
daily.
|
Group One |
Group Two |
Group Three |
Group Four |
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Dried or canned pulses
- Tofu
|
- Eggs
- Milk and milk products, such as yogurt
- Cheese
- Nuts and seeds
|
- Raw and cooked vegetables
- Raw and cooked fruit
- Fruit juice
- Dried fruit
|
- Wholegrain cereal
- Rice
- Wholemeal bread
- Wholemeal pasta
|
The
golden rules to eating for health
-
Never eat
in a hurry.
-
Don't eat
more than you need.
-
Always
drink water with a meal.
-
Never
skip breakfast.
-
Never
embark on a faddy or gimmicky diet.
-
Don't go
for meal replacements in any form.
-
Don't
crash diet.
-
Don't
miss meals.
-
Don't
ever go on a fast.
-
Ignore
cravings and give up highly processed and junk foods.
-
Cut down
on alcohol or stop drinking.
-
Don't go
shopping when you are hungry - eat first.
-
Eating
four, five or even six small meals a day is much better for your body
than two or three larger meals a day.
-
If you
want to lose weight, cut down the size of portions and avoid foods high
in fats or sugar.
-
If you
are overweight, don't buy larger size clothes.
-
If you
wish to gain weight, increase the size of portions and eat healthily
from all four food groups every day.
-
If you
are underweight, don't take in your clothes or buy a smaller size.
-
Eat
slowly and don't try to do something else, such as reading or watching
television, while you are eating: focus on the pleasure of the food.
-
Try not
to resort to convenience foods: cooking even a simple meal gives a lot
of satisfaction.
-
Finish
your evening meal at least three hours before bedtime and drink water
or a soft drink rather than tea, coffee or alcohol during the rest of
the evening.
Key
Facts: You can use scales or a tape measure, but the BMI is the best
way to assess whether your weight is healthy. Don't drink or at least cut
down on alcohol, and reduce your caffeine intake, but be aware that
withdrawal of caffeine can cause headaches and alcohol withdrawal can
cause irritability and disturbed sleep for a week or two. Also avoid
added salt, sugar, convenience meals, crisps, salted nuts, sweets,
chocolate, biscuits, cakes, rich puddings, full cream, alcohol, greasy
take-away meals. Cut down on tea and coffee and substitute with water or
fruit juice. You will feel much better on a healthy balanced diet within
days of starting it. For optimum health, you need to drink eight glasses
of water a day. This is the ultra natural detox diet.
