Nutrition

Studies show that good nutrition increases resistance to stress. To eat more healthily it is recommended to :

1. Eat more fruit and vegetables -the Department of Health recommends “an intake of at least five portions of fruit or vegetables per person per day to help reduce the risk of some cancers, heart disease and many other chronic conditions.”
2. Eat more fibre -fibre helps to keep the bowels working regularly and provides important nutrients. Food sources include granary bread and high fibre breakfast cereals.
3. Eat less fat -a small amount of fat is necessary in the diets in order to obtain enough fat soluble vitamins. Fats provide fat soluble vitamins and are essential for normal functioning of the body. The main types of fats are Saturated fat from animal foods and Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated fats from vegetable foods. Most individuals need to cut down fat intake but also they should try to eat mainly Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats from vegetable foods rather than saturated fat.
4. Eat less sugar -sugar is not essential for a healthy diet. It just provides empty calories and contains no other nutrients. Too many sugary foods and drinks can lead to excess weight and tooth decay.
5. Eat less salt -a small amount of salt is needed to keep the body healthy. However,most people eat more salt than they actually need. Some salt occurs naturally in foods. But salt is also obtained from adding it to food when it is cooked or heated.Convenience foods also contain particularly high amounts of added salt. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure.

Specifically for stress - magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin B5 are vital nutrient stress-busters . The body’s adrenal glands utilise these three nutrients to produce adrenalin, cortisol and DHEA during the stress response. These chemicals can become exhausted if the stress response is prolonged so maintaining a healthy supply of these nutrients in the diet can help the body cope more effectively.Magnesium is present in green leafy vegetables, molasses, nuts and seeds. Vitamin C is rich in citrus fruits, parsley and berries, and B5 can be found in brown rice and other wholegrains. Foods rich in fatty acids omega 3, 6 and 9 are known to be beneficial to general health, particularly for the heart and brain – a good food source is oily fish.

The Government’s eight tips for healthy eating, published in October 2005:

• Base your meals on starchy foods
• Eat lots of fruit and veg
• Eat more fish (especially oily varieties)
• Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
• Try to eat less salt – no more than 6g a day
• Get active and try to be a healthy weight
• Drink plenty of water
• Don’t skip breakfast

Source: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/home.asp?siteId=43§ionId=874&subSectionId=320&parentSection=299&which=1

The average diet contains too little fibre and too much salt
Energy requirements vary depending on age, gender and activity level of the individual
Source:http://www.nutrition.org.uk/printArticle.asp?dataId=909

Facts & Advice by Food Group

A healthy, well balanced diet contains:
Plenty of fibre-rich, starchy foods and fruit and vegetables, Moderate amounts of meat or its alternatives, milk and milk products, Small amounts of fat and/or sugar.

Fruits - The main nutrients provided by this group of foods are vitamin C, carotenes, folates,carbohydrate and dietary fibre.

Tips:

• Eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables and aim to have at least five portions every day.
• Try not to eat the same ones every day.
• All types of fruit and vegetables count, including fresh, frozen, canned and dried.
• Fruit juice counts but only as one portion, however much you drink in a day.
• Beans and pulses count but only as one portion however much you eat in a day.
• Increase consumption of fruit and vegetables by adding them to dishes such as curries and stews or blend them into soups or smoothies.
• Add vegetables to the top of pizzas and add fruit purees and stewed fruit to puddings.
• Try to avoid adding fat or creamy sauces to vegetables, or adding sugar or syrup to fruit.

Bread, other cereals and potatoes - Main nutrients: carbohydrate (starch), some calcium and iron and B vitamins and dietary fibre.

Tips:

• Include them at each meal.
• Eating more foods from this food group will help to reduce the amount of fat and increase the amount of fibre in the diet.
• Try to eat wholemeal, wholegrain and brown or high fibre versions as well as white or refined versions.
• Foods from this group are often vehicles for fat, so try to avoid having them fried or adding too much fat.
• Changing the balance of carbohydrate to fat can be achieved at each meal, for example having more rice or pasta with less sauce.

Milk & Dairy Foods - Main nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin B12, vitamin A and vitamin D.

Tips:

• Eat and drink moderate amounts of foods from this group and choose lower fat versions where possible.
• Choose semi-skimmed or skimmed milks, low fat yogurts, fromage frais and reduced fat cheeses.

Meat, Fish and Alternatives- Main nutrients: iron, protein, B vitamins (especially vitamin B12), zinc and magnesium.

Tips:

• Eat moderate amounts of foods from this group and choose lower fat versions where possible.
• Choose lean meats and remove visible fat.
• Take the skin off poultry.
• Avoid poultry and fish cooked in batter or breadcrumb coatings.
• Cook these foods without adding fat.
• Aim to eat at least two portions of fish per week, one of which should be oil-rich (fresh tuna counts, but canned tuna does not).

Foods containing fat/sugar - Main nutrients: fat and carbohydrate (sugar), some also provide other nutrients e.g. fat soluble vitamins and some contain salt.

Tips:

• Eat these foods in small amounts.
• Some of these foods, such as oils and spreads, are typically eaten every day, so try to use sparingly and look for lower fat alternatives where possible.
• Other foods, such as cakes and biscuits, should be not be eaten too frequently and again try to choose lower fat versions where available.
• Try to have food and drinks containing sugar as part of meals, rather than between meals.

Source:http://www.nutrition.org.uk/home.asp?siteId=43

Recommended websites:
British Nutrition Foundation-http://www.nutrition.org.uk
Food Standards Agency-http://www.food.gov.uk/healthiereating/

Finding a dietician:
The professional association for dieticians is the British Dietetic Association (BDA)-http://www.bda.uk.com