Good Eating: Simple rules to live by
What do I need to eat?
There are 6 basic parts that are essential to a healthy diet. These are:
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fat
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Water
But we will look mainly at the first three:
Carbohydrates - 1gram = 4 Calories:
This is the best source of fuel to power the movements of our body. Around 50-60% of our diet should be carbohydrates. You can divide them into “simple carbs” (natural and refined sugars) and “complex carbs” (mostly found in foods that are plant based, as opposed to animal based). Eating plenty of complex carbs are not linked to any illnesses, but eating too much simple carbs is linked to type 2 diabetes and dental problems.
Common sources of simple carbs are: fruit, milk, honey, sweets. Common sources of complex carbs are: whole grain seeds, veggies, dried peas & beans, seeds, cereals, potatoes.
Protein - 1gram = 4 Calories:
This is what is turned into most of the soft tissue of our body (muscles, tendons, ligaments etc). Around 10-15% of our diet should be proteins.
Common sources of proteins are: meat, dairy products, eggs, fish, beans, seeds, nuts, whole grains.
Fat - 1gram = 9 Calories:
Along with other roles, stored fat is by far the bodys largest store of energy, helps insulate and cushion the body and play vital part in making our nerves actually work. Remember, fat is essential and should make up 25-30% of our diets.
We can divide fats into “saturated” (comes mainly from animal & dairy sources and is solid at room temperature) and “unsaturated” (comes mainly from plant and fish sources and is liquid at room temperature). Saturated fat has a strongly linked to getting Chronic Heart Disease, so choose unsaturated fats whenever you can.
Common sources of saturated fats are: beef, lamb, pork, chicken, coconut & palm oil. Common sources of unsaturated fats are: olive, sunflower and fish oils.
10 basic rules to live by
1. The less processed the better.
As a general rule, the less processed the food, and the closer it is to its natural state, the healthier it is for you. When food is processed (when it has additives, colours, preservatives & flavours added, or its texture is changed) it usually looses lots of its goodness, and has sugars and fats added. For example, a simple baked potato is much better than its processed version, a bag of crisps.
2. Always have a good breakfast every day.
In the morning it has been many hours since you last ate anything and your body is in “hibernation” mode. Your energy levels are at their lowest and your body is conserving all the calories it can. It is like a campfire just smouldering away. But when you have the first meal of the day, its like putting some logs on the fire. Your whole body bursts back to life, your energy levels are recharged, your digestion fires up and your body stops worrying about conserving calories and kicks into overdrive! If your first meal is around midday, you have spent the whole morning working on reduced power.
3. Eat little and often
Instead of eating 1 or 2 big meals a day, have small snacks every 3 hours or so. By doing this, your body has a constant supply of energy to keep it in top gear, and because you never actually get hungry, when you do eat, you are less likely to over-eat. Think of it like having a steady trickle of traffic on the roads & everyone getting to their destination, or rush hour when there is a sudden surge resulting in chaos.
4. Learn how to use the kitchen.
Some of the worst foods we have are “convenience” foods such as fast foods, take aways, sugary/salty snacks and drinks. By preparing our own meals we can make sure they are much healthier and much cheaper. It also makes the next rule much easier…
5. Make packed lunches.
Spend 10 minutes and make yourself a packed lunch and some snacks for the day. This will save you lots of money, you can make sure its healthy and will make sure you are able to eat little and often throughout the day, boosting your metabolism.
6. Include colourful fruit & veg in every meal.
Complex carbs in the form of veggies should be a major part of every meal. They are low in calories, contain loads of vitamins & minerals and help fill you up. The different coloured veggies have different vitamins & minerals, so having a good mix of colours means a healthier, tastier meal!
7. With meat, the fewer the legs, the better.
As a general rule of thumb, fish (no legs) are very good sources of lean protein. Poultry (2 legs) are good depending on how you prepare them, while you should be more choosey with dairy & pork products (4 legs).
8. Choose good fats.
Make sure the majority of the fat you eat are unsaturated fats from non-animal sources. These include avocados, nuts and seeds, oily fish such as salmon, fresh tuna and mackerel, and sunflower and olive oils.
9. Drink plenty of water.
Everyone is different, but in the British climate, it is recommended that we drink 1.5-2.5 litres of water every day. Try to avoid fizzy drinks as these tend to have loads of sugar and artificial additives in them. Remember the first rule - “The less processed the better”.
10. Break the rules once a week.
Be honest, but if your eating habits have been good throughout the week, then give yourself a special treat and break the rules. Go out for a celebratory slap up meal with your family/friends and let your hair down once a week. But remember, this is a treat, and they are only special if they are rare!
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* These rules have been adapted from those of Amanda Carlson, Director of Performance Nutrition at www.athletesperformance.com.
