Benefits of Good Nutrition

A healthy diet cannot only help reduce cancer risk, but also protect against heart disease, stroke and other health conditions.

If you've made the decision to alter your lifestyle high on the list of changes is adopting a healthy eating plan. The Healthy Eating Pyramid developed by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), is built on a foundation of daily exercise and weight control; the two elements that most strongly influence our ability to stay healthy.

The HSPH pyramid is built on a base of whole grain foods; plant oils, vegetables (in abundance) and fruits; fish, poultry, and eggs; nuts and legumes; with other foods such as red meat, white bread, white rice, and potatoes eaten sparingly.

Interestingly, the Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid also recommends a daily multivitamin, multimineral supplement as a kind of nutritional backup. Ideally, we should derive all of our vitamins and minerals from foods, but a multivitamin may be effective if the dietary intake is inadequate. Alcohol was recommended but only in moderation since many studies have reported that having an alcoholic drink a day lowers the risk for heart disease. Note the emphasis on “drink” not “drinks”.

More fresh vegetables and fruits

Health authorities recommend that we try to have five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit everyday. The fruits and vegetables that do the best job in reducing the health risk for chronic disease are dark green leafy vegetables; those that are yellow or orange; citrus fruits and 'cruciferous' foods such as cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy, they provide variety and you can eat them in quantities because they’re low in kilojoules. When cooking, steam the vegetables in order to retain they’re nutrients and avoid frying wherever possible.

More fibre

Unprocessed foods are generally more nutritious and contain more fibre than processed foods. Dietary fibre is found only in plant foods and consists of the indigestible, fibrous part of fruit, vegetables, cereals, and beans. There are two types of dietary fibre: soluble fibre that dissolves in water and insoluble fibre.

Dietary fibre has a laxative effect in that it absorbs water, helping food pass through the digestive system faster. A higher fibre intake usually means larger and softer stools which can help reduce constipation and protect against colon cancer.

A diet high in fibre can also help lower blood cholesterol and regulate blood glucose. A further benefit of a high fibre diet is that it adds bulk to the diet - making you less likely to fill up by snacking on fatty or sugary foods.

Some of the richest sources of dietary fibre include bran, peas, beans, fruit, nuts, seeds, and wholemeal grains. Foods such as meat, fish, chicken, and eggs, contain no fibre, so there’s a hint– if your diet is rich in these foods; make sure you pay close attention to your fruit and vegetable intake!

Reduce your red & processed meat intake

There is significant evidence to suggest that eating a lot or red meat (beef, lamb, pork, veal) and particularly processed meats increase your risk of bowel cancer.  Try and cut out processed meat products such as sausages, salami and hamburgers.

Reduce your saturated fat intake

There is a large body of evidence indicating that many cancers are preventable through simple lifestyle choices, such as careful attention to diet. One major culprit is an excess intake of saturated fat.

We can reduce the amount of saturated fat in our diet by eating only small portions of lean meats with fat trimmed from red meats and skin removed from chicken.

Grill, steam or bake rather than fry foods. Use tomato based sauces in preference to cream sauces when preparing pasta dishes and reduce the amount of oil, dressing or mayonnaise added to salads. In regards to dairy foods, replace high fat with low fat options when it comes to milk, cream, and cheeses.

Eat fish

It is well established that fish are a rich source of healthy unsaturated fats called omega-3 fatty acids and can be beneficial for people at high risk for heart disease. The incidence of sudden cardiac death is much lower in those countries where ocean fish forms a major component of diet.

As we age and with diseases such as diabetes, our arteries become stiffer and more narrow, which can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart disease. Supplementing the diet with fish oils can increase the elasticity of the arteries. Researchers recommend two servings of ocean fish a week or, if you don’t like fish, taking omega-3 supplements.

Drink water

Adequate fluid intake is essential for good health and for most of us water is usually best. Authorities recommend that we drink up to two litres of water each day or more when exercising strenuously and in warm weather. At rest, our intake is often dictated by thirst but when we start exercising and losing a lot of water in the form of sweat, we need to replace it at a faster rate in order to avoid dehydration.

One way to estimate whether we’ve had enough fluid intake is to monitor the colour of your urine. If its dark it often indicates dehydration, whereas if it’s the colour of weak apple juice (or gin) you've probably got the balance right. Generally when we’re drinking too much water we spend a lot more time going to the toilet as the body adjusts to keep the right fluid balance.

Sports drinks are good for replacing electrolytes and nutrients lost during strenuous exercise. Soft drinks generally contain large amounts of sugar and should be consumed in moderation. Also, if you’re trying to lose weight, remember that fruit juices, beer, wine and spirits can often be high in kilojoules.

Reference: Foundation 49