Nothing in moderation is unhealthy.

Healthy, hearty eating....

Food provides the fuel that keeps the body in good working order, supplying energy for all its activities.  Food is composed of a number of components, each of which performs a specific function within the body. The good news is that there’s no single food that contains all the nutrients necessary for good health, and we have to eat a substantial variety to ensure a balanced diet. It’s the cornerstone of good health, and an opportunity to expand your culinary horizons - especially vegetables, grains, or fruits – (prepared in an unlimited number of ways) that you haven’t experienced yet!

• Don't skip meals. Plan your meals and snacks and enjoy three meals and two additional snacks if you're hungry in-between.
• Learn ways to prepare food. Healthy eating doesn't have to mean complicated eating, and you can keep meal preparation easy. Eat more raw foods such as salads and vegetable juices, and steer clear from becoming a calorie counter. At the same time there are ways of making boring foods adventurous – find them, plan for them and enjoy!
• Avoid sweets. If you feel peckish or tired in the afternoon, rather reach for fruits, veggies or a high protein snack rather than sweets, which actually rob your body of energy.
• Drink smaller cups of coffee/tea. Espresso size is all you need – the rest is just a waste.
• Listen to your body. Take a nap when you get 15mins, eat something when you want to, and chuckle whenever you can!
• Reward hard work! Nothing in moderation is unhealthy (albeit that you could do without too much indulgence!)

WATER

Water is the most essential requirement in the human body - its required in every bodily process - making up about 50 to 55% of your weight. Water carries nutrients to and waste away from cells, and is necessary for proper cell function.  Drink about 1.5 - 2 litres a day (from the tap, tea, or coffee or low-calorie drinks) or more, as excess liquid is not stored as fat (a part might be retained within muscle fibre) and is basically expelled in urine.

In addition to water, there are basically five categories of food essential to life on earth:

PROTEIN

Protein is required within the building, maintenance and repair of body tissue. Protein is also a hormone synthesis and can be used as a source of calories if inadequate carbohydrate levels exist. Protein should constitute 10 – 15 % of your daily calorie intake, but anything more is either expelled or stored as fat.  Good sources of protein include poultry, white fish, eggs, soya, cottage cheese and yoghurt, cereals, bread, rice, and potatoes.

CARBOHYDRATES

A nutrition al source of stored calories constituting a primary energy source burned during low-level activity. Carbohydrates should account for 55-60% of your daily calorie intake, and like any intake exceeding the requirement the excess is excreted or stored as fat. Carbohydrates are found in:

• Sugar:  Sugar occurs naturally as fructose in fruit and lactose in milk.  Refined sugar (sucrose) - used in tea, coffee, biscuits and sweets - is an “empty” food:  it has little nutrient value and is superfluous to dietary needs.  Consuming sucrose spikes blood sugar levels, but drops again just as quickly leaving you hungry. Generally speaking refined sugar is better to avoid than to use.
• Starch: Starch is found in bread, potatoes, paste, rice, cereals and beans. It adds volume to food, and is useful for making the stomach feel full. 
• Fibre: Fibre / “roughage” is an indigestible carbohydrate that cannot be absorbed by the body.  It simply passes through the digestive tract, helping its efficiency.  Fibre is good eating as, when consumed with liquid, it fills up the digestive tract. Good sources of fibre include bran cereals, sugar-free muesli, wholemeal products, jacket potatoes, (lightly cooked) vegetables and fruit (with skins whenever possible).

FATS & OILS

Fat is a massive source of calories, constituting the primary energy source when exercising hard. Most people can cut their fat intake considerably, as it has a higher calorific value than any other food. Some foods have a “hidden” fat content:  cakes, biscuits, pastries, ice-cream, chocolate and meat (even when visible fat has been removed), and you’ll do well to avoid them!

Fats / oils can be divided into three categories, being saturates, mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated.  (All fats contain a mixture of these components, but are labelled according to the type that dominates.)

• Saturated fats are not essential part of the diet, and are found in dairy products, meat (especially red), hard fats and coconut oil.  They are often accused of causing an accumulation of bad cholesterol in the blood, and support conditions that will attack the heart.  Steer clear!
• Mono-unsaturated fats / oils should be consumed in preference to saturates, and can be found in products derived from olives, nuts and seeds. 
• Polyunsaturated fats contain two essential acids (that our bodies cannot produce), however, we don’t need a lot thereof (the requirement is a mere 40g per day).

VITAMINS

Vitamins are metabolic catalysts that regulate chemical reactions, enabling the body to process food.  Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) are stored in the liver and fatty tissues, but water-soluble vitamins (B group, C and folic acid) cannot be stored. Your body can neither manufacture nor store them for long, and amounts must be taken daily (through eating!)

• Vitamin A Found in carrots, liver, milk, butter, margarine, egg yolk, cheese, tomatoes, dark green vegetables, yellow and orange fruits, halibut and cod liver oils. 
• Vitamins B1 (thiamine) - Found in milk, lean bacon, pork, cod’s roe, liver, kidney, pulses, peanuts, oatmeal, flour and bread, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, enriched breakfast cereals.  
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - Found in milk, yogurt, cheese, liver, kidney, egg, bran, brewer’s yeast, curd cheese.
• Vitamin B3 (niacin) - Found in peanuts, peanut butter, whole-wheat bread, brewer’s yeast, meat, liver, coffee, beer, pulses, yeast extract, potatoes, enriched cereals.
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) - Found in potatoes, leafy vegetables, whole grains and cereals, nuts, fresh and dried fruits.
• Vitamin B12 - Found in liver, heart, sardines, cheese, eggs and milk.
• Vitamin C - Found in all fresh fruits and vegetables (which content will be drastically reduced by prolonged cooking or storage).  Good sources include blackcurrants, greens, raw cabbage, tomatoes, gooseberries, citrus fruits, guava, parsley, green and red peppers, sprouts and watercress.
• Vitamin D - Found in herrings, kippers, salmon, sardines, mackerel and pilchards, egg yolks, margarine, butter and liver.  It is also produced by the action of sunlight on the skin.
• Vitamin E - Found in dark green vegetables, wheat germ, vegetable oils, whole grains, nuts and eggs.
• Vitamin K - Found in leafy vegetables, yogurt and egg yolks.
• Folic Acid - Found in liver, fish, avocados, green vegetables, whole-wheat bread, eggs, bananas, oranges, bran, beetroot and peanuts.

MINERALS & ELECTROLYTES 

Minerals and electrolytes are elements that combine to form structures to regulate body processes, vitally responsible for controlling the osmotic pressure of the intracellular and extra-cellular environment.

• Calcium: Found in dairy products, sardines, Soya beans, molasses, broccoli, peanuts and white bread.
• Iodine: Found in seafood, milk, eggs, meat and vegetables. 
• Iron: Found in liver, kidney, beef, wholemeal bread, potatoes, watercress, dried apricots and soy sauce.  Menstruating females need a good supply of iron to lessen the chances of becoming anaemic.
• Magnesium: Found in vegetables and grains. 
• Phosphorus: Found in nuts, eggs, soya and whole grains. 
• Potassium: Found in milk, vegetables and fruit.
• Sodium: Found in most vegetables, often added as salt. 
• Zinc: Found in milk, hard cheeses, wholemeal bread, meat, offal and shellfish, especially oysters.

CHOLESTEROL

Be kind to you heart. Someone has to die before you can get a pre-owned…

Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and cells used for producing cell membranes and some hormones. Too much cholesterol is a major risk for coronary heart disease and it’s also a risk factor for stroke.

The majority of cholesterol is produced by the body itself (based on heredity), and the rest comes from animal products (meats, poultry, fish, eggs, butter, cheese and milk). Food from plants doesn't have cholesterol; some foods that don't contain animal products may contain ‘trans fats’, which - just like saturated fats - cause the body to make more cholesterol.

Cholesterol (and other fats) can't dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers, called lipoproteins.

• Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as the "bad" cholesterol. Too much LDL cholesterol clogs arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as the "good" cholesterol. Your body makes HDL cholesterol for your protection as it removes excess cholesterol from plaque in arteries - thus slowing build-up – carrying it back to the liver, where it's passed from the body.
  In managing cholesterol one must steer clear from saturated fats, minimise consumption of high-cholesterol foods (egg yolks and liver), and simply eat healthy food.

Better food choices

• Grains – Whole grains include whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain barley, millet, and popcorn. Whole grains are more nutritious than refined grains that include many breads, pastas, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits.
• Vegetables – Go for the brightest examples: the deeper the colour the greater the concentration of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Dark green and orange vegetables, from broccoli, kale and mustard greens to butternut squash and sweet potatoes, are several excellent choices.
• Fruits – Fruits can be enjoyed a number of ways: fresh, canned, frozen, dried, whole, cut-up, or pureed. Go easy on the fruit juices as they can contain a lot of natural sugars. Besides the standards such as apples, bananas, oranges, peaches, pears and plums, try mangoes, blackberries, papayas, hybrid melons and avocados.
• Milk and other dairy – As part of a healthy diet rather choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
• Chocolate suggestions - Chocolate is brimming with (unhealthy) fat, but here’s a couple of suggestions! Dark chocolate is marginally healthier than its counterparts.  A cereal based chocolate benefits insofar as you’ll be getting some nutrition from the cereal, whilst satisfying that craving for chocolate. Wafer chocolates are great tasting with less kilojoules & fat than solid chocolate bars. Chocolate raisins are a great way to get in some fruit whilst succumbing to the chocolate craving. NOTE! Diabetic chocolates are higher in kilojoules/fat, despite being lower in sugar.

This is where the fun starts, and we have collected a couple of mouth-watering ideas - see our link to various recipes we've found!