Diet
Eating well is a good way to start looking
after yourself. Just by cutting down on junk food can give you more
energy, can help you concentrate better and can even put you in a
better mood. This does not have to cost a lot of money and it
does not mean that you have to completely cut out your favourite
pizza or sweets, just enjoy them occasionally.
Eating a healthy diet can also help you to
avoid illness’s that may well be life threatening such as heart
disease (the biggest killer in the UK, killing 1 in 4 men and 1 in
6 women every year) and bowel cancer (the second most likely cancer
to kill after lung cancer in the UK).
To eat healthily you need to eat at least
five portions of different fruit and vegetables every day.
Also avoid foods that contain saturated fats (processed meat such
as sausages, ready meals and take-a-ways).
You can get information on eating healthily
by picking up an information leaflet from your GP surgery. If
you are very concerned about your diet or would like some health
advice then you can make an appointment to see your GP or practice
nurse.
You can also get information by joining
your local library; free of charge, where you can have up to two
hours free Internet use everyday and access sites such as:
‘Five a day’
One portion is equivalent to 80g of fruit or vegetables. This
means that any of the items listed below will count as one
portion.
- One apple, banana, pear, orange or other similar sized
fruit.
- Two plums, or similar sized fruit.
- Half a grapefruit, or avocado.
- One slice of large fruit, such as melon, or pineapple.
- Three heaped tablespoons of vegetables, which can be raw,
cooked, frozen, or canned.
- Three heaped tablespoons of beans and pulses (however much you
eat, beans and pulses count as a maximum of one portion a
day).
- Three heaped tablespoons of fruit salad, which can be fresh or
canned in fruit juice, or stewed fruit.
- One heaped tablespoon of dried fruit, such as raisins and
apricots.
- One cupful of grapes, cherries, or berries.
- A dessert bowl of salad.
- A glass (150ml) of fruit juice (however much you drink, fruit
juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day).
To increase your intake of fruit and
vegetables you can:
- add dried fruit to your breakfast cereal,
- drink a glass of fruit juice, or make a fruit smoothie,
- have salad for lunch, or a fruit salad for dessert,
- add vegetables, or pulses, to your curry, soup, sandwich, or
stir fry,
- ensure that you have at least two types of vegetables with your
dinner, and snack on fruit rather than crisps, or chocolate -
try exotic or unusual fruits to add variety