Tips for healthy body

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of
maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. It
doesn't have to be difficult either. Just follow these eight
diet tips to get started.
The key to a healthy diet is to do the following:
Eat the right number of calories for how active you
are, so that you balance the energy you consume
with the energy you use. If you eat or drink too
much, you’ll put on weight. If you eat and drink
too little, you’ll lose weight. The average man
needs around 2,500 calories a day (10,500
kilojoules). The average woman needs 2,000
calories (8,400 kilojoules). Most adults are eating
more calories than they need, and should eat
fewer calories.
Eat a wide range of foods to ensure that you’re
getting a balanced diet and that your body is
receiving all the nutrients it needs.
Get started
These practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating, and
can help you make healthier choices:
Base your meals on starchy foods
Starchy foods should make up around one third of the foods
you eat. Starchy foods include potatoes, cereals, pasta, rice
and bread. Choose wholegrain varieties (or eat potatoes
with their skins on) when you can: they contain more fibre,
and can make you feel full for longer.
Most of us should eat more starchy foods: try to include at
least one starchy food with each main meal. Some people
think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram they
contain fewer than half the calories of fat. Learn more in
Starchy foods.
Eat lots of fruit and veg
It’s recommended that we eat at least five portions of
different types of fruit and veg a day. It’s easier than it
sounds. A glass of 100% unsweetened fruit juice (150ml)
can count as one portion, and vegetables cooked into dishes
also count. Why not chop a banana over your breakfast
cereal, or swap your usual mid-morning snack for some
dried fruit? Learn more in 5 A DAY.
Eat more fish
Fish is a good source of protein and contains many
vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat at least two portions a
week, including at least one portion of oily fish. Oily fish is
high in omega-3 fats, which may help to prevent heart
disease. You can choose from fresh, frozen and canned:
but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in
salt.
Oily fish include salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh
tuna, sardines and pilchards. Non-oily fish include haddock,
plaice, coley, cod, tinned tuna, skate and hake. Anyone who
regularly eats a lot of fish should try to choose as wide a
variety as possible.
Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
We all need some fat in our diet. But it’s important to pay
attention to the amount and type of fat we’re eating. There
are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too
much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol
in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart
disease.
Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as hard
cheese, cakes, biscuits, sausages, cream, butter, lard and
pies. Try to cut down, and choose foods that contain
unsaturated rather than saturated fats, such as vegetable
oils, oily fish and avocados.
For a healthier choice, use a just a small amount of
vegetable oil or reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard or
ghee. When you're having meat, choose lean cuts and cut
off any visible fat. Learn more, and get tips on cutting
down, in Eat less saturated fat.
Most people in the UK eat and drink too much sugar.
Sugary foods and drinks, including alcoholic drinks, are
often high in energy (measured in kilojoules or calories),
and could contribute to weight gain. They can also cause
tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals.
Cut down on sugary fizzy drinks, alcoholic drinks, cakes,
biscuits and pastries, which contain added sugars: this is
the kind of sugar we should be cutting down on rather than
sugars that are found naturally in foods such as fruit and
milk.
Food labels can help: use them to check how much sugar
foods contain. More than 22.5g of sugar per 100g means
that the food is high in sugar. Learn more in Sugars and
Understanding food labels.
Eat less salt
Even if you don’t add salt to your food, you may still be
eating too much. About three-quarters of the salt we eat is
already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals,
soups, breads and sauces. Eating too much salt can raise
your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are
more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.
Use food labels to help you cut down. More than 1.5g of
salt per 100g means the food is high in salt. Adults and
children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt a day.
Younger children should have even less. Learn more in Salt:
the facts.
Get active and be a healthy weight
Eating a healthy, balanced diet plays an essential role in
maintaining a healthy weight, which is an important part of
overall good health. Being overweight or obese can lead to
health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers,
heart disease and stroke. Being underweight could also
affect your health. Check whether you’re a healthy weight
by using our Healthy weight calculator.
Most adults need to lose weight, and need to eat fewer
calories in order to do this. If you're trying to lose weight,
aim to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy,
balanced diet will help: aim to cut down on foods that are
high in fat and sugar, and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Don't forget that alcohol is also high in calories, so cutting
down can help you to control your weight. You can find
information and advice in Lose weight. If you’re
underweight, see Underweight adults. If you're worried
about your weight, ask your GP or a dietitian for advice.
Physical activity can help you to maintain weight loss or
be a healthy weight. Being active doesn’t have to mean
hours at the gym: you can find ways to fit more activity into
your daily life. For example, try getting off the bus one stop
early on the way home from work, and walking. Being
physically active may help reduce the risk of heart disease,
stroke and type 2 diabetes. For more ideas, see Get active
your way.
After getting active, remember not to reward yourself with a
treat that is high in energy. If you feel hungry after activity,
choose foods or drinks that are lower in calories but still
filling.
Don't get thirsty
We need to drink about 1.2 litres of fluid every day to stop
us getting dehydrated. This is in addition to the fluid we get
from the food we eat. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but
water and milk are the most healthy.
Try to avoid sugary soft and fizzy drinks that are high in
added sugars and can be high in calories and bad for
teeth. Even unsweetened fruit juice is sugary, so try to drink
no more than one glass (about 150ml) of fruit juice each
day.
When the weather is warm, or when we get active, we may
need more fluids. Learn more in Drinks.
Don’t skip breakfast
Some people skip breakfast because they think it will help
them lose weight. In fact, research shows that eating
breakfast can help people control their weight. A healthy
breakfast is an important part of a balanced diet, and
provides some of the vitamins and minerals we need for
good health. Wholemeal cereal, with fruit sliced over the top
is a tasty and nutritious breakfast.