You really are what you eat
Shocking truth behind your favourite snacks
THE next time you fancy a takeaway, chew on this shocking fact.
"A recent study showed that if you eat one takeaway meal a week then you could gain one stone in weight in a year." said Maureen Lees, chief dietician with NHS Lanarkshire's Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service.
But you will be relieved to know that eating healthily doesn't mean all your favourite foods are off limits. It is just a question of getting the balance right.
Maureen said: "We emphasise the need to have a healthy diet which is balanced overall. There are no healthy or unhealthy foods only healthy or unhealthy diets."
NHS Lanarkshire's community dieticians, who are based at Strathclyde Hospital in Motherwell, recommend that a healthy diet will have the following features:
One third of your intake is from fruit and vegetables;
One third is from bread and other cereals and potatoes;
One sixth from meat, fish and alternatives;
One sixth from milk and dairy foods;
Very small amount of foods which are high in fats and sugar.
So even takeaways are allowed as an occasional treat if your diet is healthy overall, although Maureen's advice is that once a month is plenty.
Maureen said: "My advice is that if you want to have a small treat a day, do it at the end of the day. Otherwise you might be tempted to have another later on."
Community dieticians give advice to patients with a range of conditions, but there is no doubt that the biggest problem in Motherwell and the rest of Lanarkshire is that many people are overweight.
Eating properly is one aspect of our health we can all take responsibility for. If you do so, there are big rewards:
EATING more fruit and vegetables reduces your risk of cancer;
Keeping to a healthy weight will reduce your chances of getting Type 2 diabetes, which is directly linked to being overweight and to heart disease, strokes and some cancers;
Cutting down on fats, and especially saturated fats, will help reduce your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes.
The key to making positive changes to your diet and your weight is to set realistic and achievable targets.
Maureen said: "Small changes can have big effects. One of the problems is that people think they have to get back to a normal weight to make a difference. But whatever weight you are, if you can lose a stone and a half, you will make a significant difference to your cholesterol levels, blood pressure and risk of heart disease.
"People think that if they are four stones overweight then they have to lose it all straight away to be healthier – and that can seem very daunting. It is important to have realistic expectations and work towards achievable goals."
Here are a few things to get you started:
Try to eat regularly throughout the day starting with a healthy breakfast;
Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day;
Eat foods containing fats and sugars sparingly and select lower-fat options where possible;
Use less salt;
Drink plenty of fluid – six to 10 glasses a day mostly as water.
Visit www.healthyliving.gov.uk for more information and advice about healthy eating.
THE NHS in Lanarkshire has embarked on a big push to improve the health of local residents. The Motherwell Times is backing the efforts of the North Community Health Partnerships with a series of articles like this.
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Weather for Motherwell, Scotland
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 28 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
