Fruit is essential for maintaining a healthy diet

Fats
Fats perform many functions and play a vital role in storing energy. Not all fats contribute to a healthy diet; an excess of saturated fats raises total ‘bad’ blood cholesterol, which clogs arteries and is linked to weight gain and a high incidence of heart disease. Saturated fats are found in meat and dairy products and are added to many processed foods.
Unsaturated fats are a different story: these ‘good’ fats aid in the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, and are important for a healthy heart.

Major sources of unsaturated fats
Avocados
Olive oil
Safflower
Sunflower and corn oils
Almonds
Walnuts
Pistachio nuts
Cashews

The following also contain omega 3 fatty acids, which are known to increase ‘good’ cholesterol and therefore reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel
• Linseeds
• Walnuts

Protein
Proteins are the building blocks of the body. They are made up of amino acids, which form the basis of cells and organs. Some amino acids cannot be manufactured by the body; these so-called essential amino acids must be taken in as part of the diet, either in plant or animal form. Protein rich foods include dairy products, soybeans, pulses, meat, oily fish and wholegrain cereals.

Fibre
Derived from the cell walls of plants, it is also known as roughage, and should be an integral part of your daily diet.
Insoluble fibre—including wheat bran, seeds and nuts—often referred to as ‘nature’s broom’ binds water, making the stool softer and bulkier; it is helpful in the prevention and treatment of constipation, haemorrhoids and diverticulitis.
There is some scientific evidence that soluble fibre—including oat, barley and lentils—lowers blood cholesterol levels, which in turn reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. Soluble fibre also slows down the entry of glucose into the blood, thereby improving blood sugar control—important for people with diabetes, but also supplying others with a steady release of energy between meals. Refining processes decrease the fibre content of foods. Taken in an isolated form as bran supplements, fibre actually reduces the body’s ability to absorb minerals. Natural sources of dietary fibre include fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains.

Water
Two thirds of the body’s weight is composed of water. It is the basis of all body liquids such as blood, saliva, and the fluids surrounding the joints, and regulates body temperature through perspiration.
Water is needed to flush waste products from the body and to enable the body to retain all the beneficial nutrients from foods and drink. Although some liquid is obtained from the foods you eat, it is recommended that you drink at least two litres of water a day to keep skin, hair and body organs healthy and to avoid constipation and dehydration. It is better to drink plain water, weak squashes or herbal teas rather than alcoholic beverages, coffee and tea, as they have a diuretic (water-excreting) effect.

Foods for different life stages
Childhood and adolescence
The foundations of good nutritional health are laid in childhood. The body has to grow and develop and energy and nutrient requirements are high. A diet rich in calcium—milk and other dairy products—is important for healthy bone development.
Girls can be particularly affected by iron deficiency in their teens because iron stores are depleted after their periods. The best source of iron is lean red meat, but wholemeal bread, fortified cereals, dried fruit and green leafy vegetables also contain some iron. Eating foods rich in vitamin C can help the absorption of iron from food—try drinking a glass of orange juice with a meal.

Pregnancy
A healthy diet is important if you are planning to become pregnant, and particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Folic acid supplements (400 micrograms per day) are recommended because this can help to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Increase your fibre, vitamin and mineral intake by eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholemeal bread and cereals, turn to page 52 for more advice on diet during pregnancy.

Menopause
Keeping to a healthy diet helps in your ability to cope with problems associated with the menopause. This is a time when many women put on weight and blood cholesterol levels go up, resulting in arteriosclerosis—blocking up of the arteries. Cutting down on saturated fats and ensuring an adequate intake of polyunsaturated fats helps to control weight. Eating vitamin E rich foods such as olive oil or eggs can reduce hot flushes. Phytoestrogens are oestrogen-like substances obtained from plants, mainly found in soy products and sprouts, but brown rice, oats, barley, wholewheat and corn are excellent sources too. They are also believed to reduce the risk of osteoporosis (loss of bone density), as are vitamins A and D, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. It is advisable to drink less tea and coffee as they promote the excretion of calcium.

Later years
With increasing age, often combined with decreased mobility, energy requirements decline. A reduced intake of saturated fats is recommended to maintain cardiovascular health. It is very important to include fibre in the diet but it is essential to drink plenty of liquid to avoid constipation and bowel problems.
A lack of vitamin D, needed for calcium metabolism, can lead to bone softening. Calcium loss from the bones accelerates with age and calcium rich foods are particularly important. The functioning of the immune system is supported by sufficient intake of zinc, found in meat, shellfish, wholemeal bread and pulses.

Eat for need, not greed
People come in all shapes and sizes, but it is not healthy to be either too thin or too fat. In both cases, the body isn’t getting the correct nutrition. The percentage of overweight people in the UK has increased considerably in the last 20 years, and obesity among young people has become a big problem. Being overweight carries considerable health risks, ranging from elevated blood cholesterol levels, atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), heart and circulatory disease, to stroke, hypertension and arthritis.
Lifestyle and diet are major contributory factors: far fewer adults and children engage in any form of physical exercise. Convenience foods and snacks, laden with refined ingredients and hidden fats, sugars and salts often replace freshly prepared meals. Foods high in fat or sugar rapidly lead to a sensation of fullness, but have no lasting effect; more food is consumed and weight gain is the result.
Miracle diets, rapid weight loss programmes and all other quick fix promises lead to unrealistic expectations. Calorie restricted diets force the body into a ‘starvation response’ and fat gets stored for later use. Weight loss supplements often contain harmful stimulants that lead to rapid weight loss that doesn’t last. There is no ‘magic bullet’ to control weight, and the only way to long term health and wellbeing is to maintain a balanced, healthy approach to diet and exercise. Regular aerobic exercise—anything that gets you out of breath—burns fat and delivers more oxygen to the cells.
Nutritional experts advise that foods should be eaten in as natural a state as possible, not only to obtain full nutritional value, but also because there are no hidden calories as a result of bulking agents and so on. A diet rich in fibre will lead to a feeling of fullness more rapidly and will result in a decreased intake of high energy foods and snacks.
Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Drinking water quells your appetite naturally and it helps to flush out toxins from your body.
A varied diet including all the major building blocks is the foundation of good health, regardless of your genetic make-up. Most health organisations recommend a diet consisting of 55–65% carbohydrates, 10–15% proteins, and no more than 30% fats. If you eat a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals, control the amount of food you eat and engage in regular aerobic exercise, you will increase your chances of staying fit and healthy. And don’t let it become an obsession—bingeing is out, but the odd feast is allowed!

By Sabine Wolff-Counihan - editor of Homeopathy in Practice, the journal of the Alliance of Registered Homeopaths.