Putting Together a Healthy Diet

A Revised Food Pyramid

The traditional food pyramid placed cereal and grain foods at the bottom based on the recommendation that it was beneficial to eat more complex carbohydrates and less fat. However this approach did not take into account the latest scientific information on the quality of carbohydrates (the glycaemic index) or the growing evidence in support of higher protein diets with more moderate amounts of carbohydrate. This revised version of the pyramid takes these findings into account and instead promotes a greater consumption of vegetables and fruits. These wonderful plant foods are low in energy but rich in micronutrients, fibre and disease-fighting phytochemicals such as antioxidants. Make these the basis of your diet and you are well on the way to improved health and effortless weight control.

On the next level of the pyramid are the quality (low GI) carbohydrates and quality proteins. We need the carbohydrates to give us the energy to exercise and to maximize our brain function and concentration throughout the day. These foods also provide much of the fibre in our diet and are rich in many vitamins and minerals. The proteins are essential for muscle growth and repair, but are also excellent foods to curb your appetite as they tend to be very satisfying. They also provide numerous vitamins and minerals such as iron and zinc.

Add to this a smaller amount of good quality fat – olive oil, avocado, nut and seeds are all good choices.

And finally at the top of the pyramid are your own treats – whatever they may be. A little of what you fancy almost always does you good!

Click on each food group in the pyramid for further info – as below:

This is group 1 and at the base of our Food Pyramid for two reasons. Firstly these foods have a low energy density which means that if you make them the basis of every meal you will keep your energy intake down making weight control effortless. Secondly these foods are rich in the micronutrients (such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre) vital to keeping you looking, feeling and functioning at your best. This is the one food group to indulge in – the more variety the better. Everybody should aim for at least seven a day, including 2-4 fruits and five+ vegetable portions.

Fruits provide more carbohydrate than vegetables. However almost all fruit has a low GI and is slowly absorbed due to the fibre and other nutrients present in whole fruit. This is not the same when the fruit is consumed as fruit juice. A bottle of fruit juice or a large glass served in a café or bar contains the juice of several fruits, without the benefits of eating the whole fruit. The energy content of juices can therefore be substantial. If you do have fruit juice, stick to a small glass of ~150ml which is the equivalent of one piece of fruit. But remember it is much better to consume the fruit whole.

Carbohydrates include both sugars and starch and are abundant in the plant foods that make up an important part of our diet. Research over many years has shown that eating a plant-rich diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancers. One of the reasons for this is that wholegrain cereals provide many vital nutrients including fibre, B group vitamins, minerals, as well as providing significant amounts of protein.

Never the less the health recommendations pushing low fat, high carbohydrate diets have resulted in many people over eating the wrong kinds of carbohydrate-rich food. The processing and refining of grains not only results in a loss of nutrients but also affects the way they are processed by the body, substantially changing their effect on our health and, as the most recent evidence suggests, our body-fat levels. In general therefore the best carbohydrates to choose are the wholegrain ones which have been minimally processed and have a low glycaemic index.

The glycaemic index (GI) is a useful tool to help you to choose the best quality carbohydrates. In essence the lower the GI, the more slowly the carbohydrate is digested and absorbed and the more gentle the rise in blood sugar. As a result low GI foods are more filling which encourages you to eat less. They may also help you to burn more and store less body fat. For this reason the recommended carbohydrate-rich foods are wholegrain, low-GI choices which will fill you up and provide sustained energy release. This is turn will make you feel more active and able to exercise and maximize your body fat loss.

A WORD OF WARNING: LOW FAT SNACK FOODS
There are numerous low fat snack bars on the market which can be useful when you need a quick snack on the run, or something you can put in your gym bag for after your workout. However despite their low fat status, many are not in fact low in energy. They are packed with carbohydrates (usually from sugar and syrups) which are used to replace the fat flavour and can be surprisingly energy dense. In addition these products tend to contain rapidly absorbed carbohydrates and therefore have a high GI. While they can be useful for highly active people who need the additional energy, they are not the best choice if you are watching your weight or aiming for fat loss.

Aim to choose a good quality source of protein at every meal. This will help to satisfy your appetite and stop you from feeling the need to snack between meals. Be aware that many protein-rich foods are often also rich in fat, particularly unhealthy saturated fat. To avoid this opt for lean meats and low fat diary options. Fish and seafood are particularly healthy choices providing essential omega-3 fats and a rich source of minerals such as iron and zinc.

The years of low fat advice have led some of us to be fat phobic, intent on eliminating all sources of fat from our diet. Others have abandoned the fat message and ignore the fat content of a food or meal. The real answer to the fat question lies somewhere in between. Think again about quality and quantity.

We need small amounts of fat in our diet to supply essential fats for various bodily functions and also to transport fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants from the gut into the body and on to the cells where they are needed. Therefore focus on including healthy unsaturated fats in your diet and reducing your intake of the less healthy fats, such as saturated and trans fats. Good choices include olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado and the type of fat in oily fish.

These foods are usually energy-rich but not nutrient-rich. Hence they are not the best choices, particularly if you are trying to lose body fat.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: ALCOHOL
This group also includes alcoholic drinks. Recent research has shown that small quantities of alcohol consumed on a regular basis can be beneficial to health. Those who drink in this way have a reduced risk of heart disease and also tend to have less fat around their middle (the worst kind for your health). However, binge drinking and/or chronic heavy drinking are disastrous for both your health and body fat control. For good health men should stick to no more than four standard drinks per day, women no more than two standard drinks per day and everyone should ensure they have at least two alcohol-free days per week.