Healthy living
Here are some things to consider if you want to improve your weight and feel healthy:
- Healthy stable eating and regular exercise together is effective in toning up your body shape but remember, it is important to maintain a balanced diet;
- if a young person is under weight, recommending a healthy eating programme may help. There are also specialist organisations who can put them in contact with someone locally;
- it is important to be aware that some local slimming classes are sponsored by companies which sell slimming products.
Eating healthily means feeling healthy. A healthy diet helps you to fight illness and reduce the risk of medical conditions including heart disease and some cancers.
If you are worried or depressed about your weight discuss the issue with your GP, practice nurse, youth worker or school nurse. They will be able to give them information on healthy eating or local support groups.
If you are planning to take up a rigorous exercise programme make sure that you get advice and follow a training programme. This will include an appropriate diet. Your doctor may also be able to advise you about this too.
5 a Day - fruit and veg
5 A DAY is easy. The main idea is simply "Just Eat More (fruit & veg)". So, why should we all be eating more fruit and vegetables?
Eating more fruit and vegetables is vital for your health. The more fruit and vegetables you eat, the better your chances of staying healthy and beating disease now and in the future. Currently the average person in the UK is eating less than 3 portions of fruit and vegetables a day instead of the recommended 5, and this is even lower amongst young people. Visit the Just Eat More website for tips for healthy eating, quirky facts about fruit and vegetables, and help to work out what counts as a portion.
3 A Day - dairy products
In Britain at least two and a half million young people and women do not eat enough calcium in their diets.
Calcium is the foundation on which strong bones and teeth are built. Over time a diet low in calcium can increase your risk of developing brittle bone disease (osteoporosis).
The best way to safeguard your bones is to pack in enough calcium before your mid-to-late 20s and thereafter eat a well balanced diet with plenty of weight-bearing activity like walking, running, aerobics, tennis, football and dancing which will strengthen your bones.
One of the easiest ways to meet your daily calcium requirement is to consume three portions of milk, yogurt or cheese (3-A-Day).
This could be:
- an average glass (200ml) of semi-skimmed or skimmed milk.
- a small pot (150g) of low-fat yogurt.
- a match-box sized (30g) piece of cheese.
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