The subject of Nutrition & Diet is a vast and often contradictory.
There are
Vegans who do not eat dairy products, eggs, meat or fish, and other people who follow a
Palaeolithic Diet and eat only nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables, fish, eggs and meat.
Both groups believe that they are following the healthiest diet possible.
The thing that both groups have in common is that they don't eat low quality food.
There are many reasons why people follow a particular diet:
Ethics- Health
- Food intolerance e.g wheat or dairy
- Illnesses such as diabetes or obesity
- Cost
- Cholesterol
It is vital for health that you follow a wholesome diet, and get an adequate intake of carbohydrates, proteins, fats & oils, vitamins and minerals.
It is important to eat regularly, having a breakfast, lunch and evening meal, with small snacks throughout the day.
Try to eat a few pieces of fruit each day and make one meal per day a good salad.
The quality of food that you eat is important. It is best to avoid processed foods, choosing fresh products and preparing and cooking them yourself.
It is a good idea to eat proteins and carbohydrates separately, as that way they are more easily digested. An example here would be pasta with pesto sauce and a side salad for the carbohydrate meal and grilled haddock and steamed vegetables for the protein meal.
A correct diet is beneficial for health and lowers the risk of disease such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity and
arthritis.Choosing a diet that suits your tastes is a good idea.
If you have diabetes you would do well on a Palaeolithic type diet, as it removes the glucose elevations and insulin loading found in other diets.
If you wish to lose weight and lower your cholesterol levels, the a whole food vegetarian diet is an ideal method.
Many people find that when they remove wheat and dairy products from their diet they feel a marked increase in their health and energy.
Many people suffer from
Irritable Bowel Syndrome. These people should initially be checked for coeliacs disease and diverticular disease. The results are often negative, but if they then cut out wheat &
dairy products, their IBS often settles down.
