A
healthy diet can help people healthy, live longer and reduce the risk of major
chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity
and some cancers.
And
we should eat a wide range of foods to make sure we are getting a balanced diet
and our body is receiving all the nutrients it needs:
• Carbohydrates
o Sugar, starch and fiber are types of
carbohydrates.
o Serve as a major source of energy of
our body.
o Choose higher fibre or wholegrain
varieties, such as whole wheat pasta, brown rice or potatoes with their skins
on. They contain more fibre than white or refined starchy carbohydrates and can
help you feel full for longer. Besides, fruit, root vegetables, dry beans and
dairy products also contain carbohydrates.
o Eat lots of a variety of fruit and
vegetables. Fruits and raw vegetables have high water content. This can make us
feel full and prevent us from overeating.
• Proteins
o Meat, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy
products, dry beans and bean products are good sources of protein. Its major
functions include building, repairing and maintaining healthy body tissues.
o Choose lean meats, poultry, fish,
beans, nuts and low-fat dairy products.
o Eat more fish, including a portion of
oily fish. Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and
minerals. And oily fish are high in omega-3 fats, which may help prevent heart
disease. Examples of oily fish are salmon, trout, herring and sardines.
• Fats
o Found in foods such as meat, fish,
seafood, dairy products, nuts, seeds and oils. Fats serve as an energy source.
They are responsible for making up part of our body cells and transporting
fat-soluble vitamins.
o All types of fat are high in energy,
so they should only be eaten in small amounts.
o When eating meat, choose lean cuts and
cut off any visible fat. Choose foods that contain unsaturated fats such as
vegetable oils and spreads, oily fish and avocados.
o Saturated fat is a bigger culprit for
raising blood cholesterol in general than dietary cholesterol, which increases
our risk of developing heart disease. Thus for a healthier choice, use a small
amount of vegetable or olive oil, or reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard
or ghee.
• Vitamins
o There are many kinds of vitamins from
various food groups and they participate in different body metabolism such as
maintaining healthy skin and hair, building bones and releasing and utilizing
energy from foods. Vitamins can be classified into water-soluble and
fat-soluble vitamins.
• Minerals
o Minerals are a group of essential
nutrients which regulate many body functions such as fluid balance, muscle
contraction and transmission of nerve impulses. Some minerals also contribute
to body structure and build strong and healthy bones, such as calcium
• Dietary fibre
o It is in the indigestible parts
of cereals, fruits and vegetables to help stablise blood sugar and prevent constipation. As in order to have gastrointestinal
health, we need good bowel movements. And so eating more foods high in
fiber such as fruits and vegetables are necessary. Dietary fibre can be
classified into soluble and insoluble fibre:
Soluble fiber absorbs water from food,
which slows down digestion. Foods rich in soluble fiber include beans, avocado,
nuts, oatmeal, flax seed and apples.
Insoluble fiber (or called cellulose,
lignins or hemicelluloses) accelerates the passage of waste and food. Foods
high in insoluble fiber include whole wheat, whole grains, wheat bran and dark
leafy vegetables.
Some foods such as carrots and
cucumbers have both soluble and insoluble fiber.
• Water - Drink lots of water
Although
each of the above major groups of nutrients performs different and unique
functions in our body, they are all essential because they work together and
contribute to our good health.
In
addition, we need to cut down on salt, added sugars and oil when preparing
meals and limit the alcohol intake.
