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Eating your 5 a day -
Five is the magic number. We all know we are supposed to eat five
portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Apart from providing us with
lots of fibre, fruit and veg are full of valuable vitamins, minerals
and antioxidants, which do us the power of good.
If you think you can't possibly fit five into one day, try these
tips:
- Keep a bowl of fruit at your desk to snack on throughout the
day.
- Order a side salad as a starter in a restaurant
(make sure it's a nice one or you'll just feel hard done by!)
- A glass of orange juice for breakfast counts as one portion,
or grab a little carton to drink at your desk when you get into
work.
- A banana chopped onto your cereal will also leave you
feeling more satisfied and boost your energy levels.
- When you feel sapped of energy mid-afternoon, try a bowl of
yoghurt with some chopped fresh fruit.
- Keep a bag of frozen peas in the freezer for those times
when you don't have any fresh vegetables in the house!
- Remember, chips do not count as a portion!
Reduce fat intake -
A healthy diet means cutting back on the amount of fat you eat.
Changing your diet to eat less fat does not have to be drastic or
unpleasant, nor does it mean that you can never have your favourite
treats ever again. More often, it simply involves cutting down on
obvious fats, like butter, oil and margarine, and switching to lower
fat versions of foods like meat, milk, cheese and cakes.
Little and often -
Aim to eat 5 smaller meals rather than 3 larger ones. Food boosts
your metabolic rate so as well as having more energy, your metabolic
rate will be quicker.
Reduce carbs after 7 -
Carbohydrates like pasta, rice and potatoes are one of our main
sources of energy. It makes sense to eat these types of food during
the day when we need most of our energy, rather than in the evening
before we go to bed. Try to cut down on carbohydrates after 7pm,
they take a long time to digest and will only sit in your stomach.
If you’re vegetarian -
Remember that, whilst being a vegetarian can often mean a healthier
diet, vegetarian diets can sometimes be lacking in vitamin B12 and
riboflavin, which are found in meat, dairy products and fish. Other
sources include Marmite, seeds, cereals and nuts but you do need to
eat quite a lot.
Iron absorption -
Plants usually contain non-haem iron which is more difficult to
absorb. To help you absorb your dietary iron you can follow some
useful tips below:
- Vitamin C aids in the absorption of non-haem iron, so have a
glass of pure orange juice with meals. Alternatively, combine
foods rich in vitamin C with meals. Citrus fruits, berries,
green vegetables, peaches, apples, bananas and tomatoes are all
good sources.
- Vitamin B2 also aids in the metabolism of iron, so try
combining foods containing vitamin B2 and iron. Goods sources of
vitamin B2 include liver, breakfast cereals, bananas, poultry,
legumes, cod, egg, spinach and yeast extract.
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