NUTRITION

Good nutrition, physical activity, and a healthy body weight are essential parts of a person’s overall health and well-being.

Together, these can help decrease a person’s risk of developing serious health conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. A healthful diet, regular physical activity, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight also are paramount to managing health conditions so they do not worsen over time .According to the World Health Organization: Nutrition is the intake of food considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs.

Good nutrition – an adequate, well-balanced diet combined with regular physical activity – is a cornerstone of good health. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development and reduced productivity.

Consuming a healthy diet throughout the life-course helps prevent malnutrition in all its forms as well as a range of noncommunicable diseases and conditions.

The increased production of processed food, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles have led to a shift in dietary patterns.
People are consuming more foods high in energy, fats, free sugars or salt/sodium, and many do not eat enough fruit, vegetables and dietary fibre such as whole grains.

The exact make-up of a diversified, balanced and healthy diet will vary depending on the individual needs (e.g. age, gender, lifestyle, degree of physical activity), cultural context, locally available foods and dietary customs. But basic principles of what constitute a healthy diet remain the same

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Q1. Is vegetarian (or keto, or . . . ) the best way to eat?

In any given class, the subject may be "keto" or "the Mediterranean diet" or "vegetarian," and the answer is always the same: There's not one best way to eat. We are all different, and it would be impossible to choose one plan that would be right for everyone. The best plan for you is the one that meets your medical and nutritional needs while also being affordable, accessible, enjoyable and something you can stick with for the long term. Sometimes that may not be clear, but seeing a dietitian can help you figure it out.

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Q2. Is sugar (or salt, or fat) the biggest problem in our diets?

No single nutrient or ingredient is the cause of poor diets. We live in an environment where highly palatable and cheap food is available everywhere. Pizza, chips, pastries and  soft drinks are dietary staples. What's most problematic is eating too much of those ultra-processed foods and not enough whole foods (such as vegetables, fish and nuts) over a long period of time.

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Q3.Can you eat too much fruit?

about 40 per cent of the food we eat should be fruits and vegetables and we should aim for at least five portions a day. It’s best to have a variety, but there’s no specific advice on how the five should be split between fruit and vegetables. It’s possible to have too much of anything, even healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. But as around three-quarters of us don’t meet the 5-a-day recommendation, most of us shouldn’t cut back on fruit or veg

 

Q4.. How much caffeine is too much?

While there is often concern about the links between caffeine and heart health, a moderate amount of tea or coffee (four or five cups a day) should be fine for most people. Research shows that this level of caffeine intake shouldn’t be detrimental to your heart health, affect your cholesterol levels or heart rhythm. Although drinking coffee has been shown to increase blood pressure, this effect is usually temporary and is minimized over time if you drink caffeinated drinks regularly. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine and can experience palpitations. If this is you, then it’s sensible to avoid caffeine. Remember that caffeine is found in quite a few sources including: tea, green tea, coffee, energy drinks, cola and chocolate.

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