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Are you tired of being tired? Is weight loss a goal of yours? Are you worried about heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and other similar medical conditions? Do you just want a healthier lifestyle? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then it’s time for you to improve your diet and nutrition.

Where do I start?

Simply start by drinking lots of water (at least 1.4 litres a day), lowering your salt intake, and going easy on the alcohol.

The second step in improving your nutrition is choosing very carefully what you eat. It’s easy, and believe it or not, really inexpensive. You don’t have to make a drastic lifestyle change to eat healthy. You just need to remember that eating a variety of foods ensures that you get all the nutrients you need. Don’t only eat fruits and vegetables; remember that there are some good carbohydrates that provide your body with nutrients. The easiest way to gauge which foods to eat more or less of is to use the food pyramid.

The food pyramid

The food pyramid is a system that divides food into sections that make up the 5 food groups. It is important to eat foods from all of these groups, as together they provide you with all the nutrients you need for a balanced diet. The pyramid sections are:
   
Fat and sugar
0-3 servings a day (1 serving = 1 teaspoon)
Foods like salad dressing and butter are high in fat, and things like soft drinks and sweets are high in sugar. Chocolate is high in both. This is the smallest section of the pyramid. This means that the foods in this section are necessary, but need to be consumed the least.

Protein
No more than 2-3 servings a day (1 serving = 1 cup)
This includes dairy products and foods like chicken, fish and eggs. These are all good sources of protein, but some can be high in fat. This is an important group, but you need to choose carefully which of these foods you eat regularly.

Fruits and vegetables
No more than 5-9 servings a day (1 serving = 1 medium or ½ cup)
This is an obviously important group. Since childhood our mothers have told us to eat our veggies, and they were right. This group is a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre and contain almost no fat at all. Remember to vary the colours of the fruits, as this allows for a more balanced diet.

Starches and grains
No more than 6-11 servings a day (1 serving = ½ cup or 1 slice)
These are foods like bread, cereal, rice and pasta. This section is at the bottom of the pyramid, meaning it’s a bigger section, and that these foods should be the foundation of your healthy diet. Whole grains are a fantastic source of fibre and most are naturally low in fat.

Now that you know what your body needs, you need to look at your current eating habits and see which sections you are lacking in. When you come to making those adjustments, remember to include foods that you enjoy eating. Making smaller changes increases the likelihood of sticking to your healthier lifestyle choice.

Bestmed cares about your wellness, so check back to this page weekly to get more tips on how to improve your lifestyle.