Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about healthy lifestyle and healthy eating in general. Remember, if you're not sure about anything, or if you're thinking of starting a diet, always check with your doctor. If you have any further questions, contact us. We'll do our best to answer them.
What's a healthy weight?
There are two quick and easy tests you can do to find out if you are overweight.
You could to measure your waistline and find out if it's within a healthy range or alternatively, you could calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a measure of body weight relative to height.
Visit our BMI Calculator.
A body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 up to 25, or a waistline of less than 80cm or 31½ inches for women, and less than 94cm or 37 inches for men, refers to a healthy weight.
If you are a healthy weight, but feel like you need to shape up, then look to increase the amount of exercise you do, and combine it with eating a healthy balanced selection of foods.
How can I tell if I'm overweight?
A BMI of 25 to 30 or a waist measurement of 80 to 88cm or 31½ to 34½ inches for women, and of 94 to 102cm or 37 to 40 inches for men indicates you're overweight.
If you are overweight, try to lose some weight by adapting your diet for steady long term weight loss. Try and get more active in your daily routine and aim to lose a pound or half a kilo every two weeks.
What's the definition of obesity?
A BMI of 30 or higher or a waist measurement of over 88cm or 34½ inches for women, and over 102cm or 40 inches for men indicates that you're clinically obese. This means that you may be at increased risk of developing diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke.
Losing weight could therefore drastically improve the health and quality of your life. Try to lose weight through steady long term results and try to become more active in your daily routine.
I am training for a race / sporting event, what foods should I eat?
Your body will need extra glucose for energy, and this is formed from the breakdown of carbohydrates - the sugars and starches in your diet - and is stored as glycogen. However, the body can only store a limited amount of glycogen, so the stores may need to be kept topped-up to avoid fatigue. If you don't eat enough carbohydrates, but continue to exercise you may soon become sluggish and dizzy.
How much carbohydrate food should I eat?
Generally speaking about half of your diet should be carbohydrates – mostly starchy sources such as bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, beans and lentils – you should try to eat a variety of these. Also included are the more sugary sources such as fruit and juices. Sugary snacks and drinks may be good for providing you with energy before you exercise, and in helping you restock your glucose stores after exercise ready for your next bout of physical activity. (Diabetics and people with other special dietary needs should seek further advice).
When should I eat if I'm in training?
Although you need to allow two to three hours after a large meal before exercising, eating a high carbohydrate snack (20 – 50 grams) 30 minutes before training may be beneficial. Convenient choices include bagels, honey or jam sandwiches, cereal bars, bananas, watermelon, dried fruit, juice or sports drinks.
What is the role of carbohydrates?
We need to eat carbohydrates as they are converted by the body into glucose, which the body uses for energy. Glucose is formed from the breakdown of carbohydrates (sugars and starches) in your diet and is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. The body can only store a limited amount of glycogen, so to keep it topped up you may need to eat a carbohydrate-rich diet (diabetics and people with other special dietary needs should seek further advice).
Which foods contain carbohydrates?
All sugars and starches are carbohydrates and are found in foods such as bread, breakfast cereals, rice, potatoes, pasta, fruit and vegetables.
They can be divided into three main groups
Monosaccharides
These are single molecules of sugar – glucose, fructose and galactose. Glucose is found in most carbohydrate foods, including sugars and starches. Most carbohydrates are eventually digested or converted into glucose and used for energy. Fructose is also known as fruit sugar and is found in fruits, vegetables and honey. It is converted into glucose in the liver. Galactose is part of lactose, the sugar found in milk.
Disaccharides
These are two linked sugar molecules, which are broken down into the monosaccharides by digestion. The disaccharides are: sucrose (glucose + fructose), lactose (glucose + galactose), and maltose (glucose + glucose).
Sucrose (table sugar) normally comes from sugar cane or beet, but can be found naturally in fruits and vegetables, and also in herbs and spices. Lactose is found in milk and milk products. Maltose is formed when starch is broken down.
Starches
Starch is simply hundreds of molecules of glucose sugar joined together. When starch is digested, it is first broken down into maltose and then into glucose.
How can I balance carbohydrate and fat intake?
Eat a balanced diet – too much of anything, including sugar, salt and fat, can be bad for you. It's usually a good idea to eat a greater proportion of foods that are high in carbohydrate and low in fat, such as bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fruit and vegetables. These products contain less than half the calories of fat (carbohydrate has only 4kcal per gram, while fat has 9kcal per gram).
Remember to eat five portions of fruit and veg every day. These can be fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or cooked, and a glass of fruit juice can also make up one of your portions. You may not want to cut out food types - instead limit the amount of certain foods, such as those high in fat, and replace them with carbohydrate-rich, low-fat alternatives including fruit and vegetables. Eat regularly and don't skip meals.
Is all fat bad for me?
It's essential to have some fat in the diet. Fat is required for energy production and to supply essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Avoiding all foods that contain fat reduces the variety of foods eaten and can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
What are the different types of fats?
Fats can be divided into three types, depending on the fatty acids they contain: Saturated Fatty Acids (SFAs), Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs) and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs). PUFAs contain the Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) n-6 (omega-6) and n-3 (omega-3).
Why are PUFAs known as essential fats?
They're called essential fats because they cannot be made in the human body and must be supplied by the diet. N-6 PUFAs are common in most diets and are present in nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and margarines. N-3 PUFAs are less common in the UK diet, as these are found in oily fish (such as mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring), linseeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Current dietary recommendations suggest consuming 2-3 portions of oily fish per week to obtain the necessary level of n-3 PUFAs.
Why is it important to balance my intake of fats?
Diets containing more unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs and PUFAs) and less saturates (SFAs) have been shown to decrease total cholesterol levels, especially LDL cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with heart disease. Very low fat diets, however, may also reduce the levels of the protective HDL cholesterol in the blood. Eating a balanced diet and incorporating foods that supply unsaturated fats, for example, avocado, nuts, seeds, oily fish and olive oil, into the diet will increase variety and improve the flavour of meals.
Which foods are rich in protein?
Protein is a macronutrient essential for health. Meat, dairy products, fish, eggs, cereals, nuts and pulses (peas, beans and lentils) are all important sources of protein. Choosing low-fat varieties, for example semi-skimmed milk and leaner cuts of meat, may help to keep the total fat content of the diet lower.
Why do we gain weight?
For most people, excess fat is gained over many months or years. Weight is gained by eating more food (or energy) than is burned off in everyday activities. Excess energy is mainly stored in the body as fat. Over time this often accumulates, resulting in excess weight. Getting more active helps keep the pounds off.
How can I prevent tooth decay?
Most food carbohydrates, of which sugar is one, offer a base for tooth decay bacteria to grow and produce potentially harmful acid.
The best way to look after your teeth is to brush your teeth carefully in the morning and at bedtime with a fluoride toothpaste. This will radically cut tooth decay in most people. It's best not to brush too hard so you don't damage your tooth enamel. The fluoride can help your teeth to fight decay. Remember not to eat or drink anything (except water) after cleaning your teeth at night.
There are other things you can do to help – like flossing your teeth, using a protective mouthwash and visiting your dentist regularly for a checkup.
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