  What we put into our mouths is big news these days. Obesity is the health problem of the new millennium and it seems as if the guys devising fad diets are making millions each year, yet all it takes is a change in your eating habits.
Healthy eating is so simple. You needn’t waste time ploughing through all the stories about good carbs and bad carbs, good fats and bad fats. All you need to do is ensure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs by following a few simple guidelines.
Start with the basics
Two decades ago healthy eating meant little more than munching on tasteless “rabbit food” like lettuce and raw carrots. Now, however, healthy eating is trendy, tasty, tantalising, and even a little daring.
All foods are not created equal. Our bodies turn food into energy, but we need the right foods to manufacture this energy fuel. How often have you felt sluggish after eating a heavy meal, or felt your energy drop an hour or so after eating a high-sugar snack? Healthy eating comes down to one basic principle ― tucking into a balanced meal every time you sit down to eat.
“Learn to eat smaller portions and choose from a variety of foods,” advises Dr Sean Gomes, MD of Wellness Warehouse. “Load up on foods naturally high in fibre, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Limit portions of foods high in fat, which includes dairy products like cheese, butter, and whole milk; red meat; cakes and pastries.”
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Benefits of healthy eating
Research has proven those who eat less saturated fats or processed foods live a longer and healthier life.
When you eat healthy foods you’re less prone to suffering from depression.
Healthy eating combined with exercise will give you the vitality you need to leap from task to task each day.
Put the skids on ageing with a healthy diet. The way we age is partially due to our lifestyle choices. Healthy eating results in healthy skin, hair, nails, and teeth ― helping you stay gorgeous for longer.
“If you eat healthily, you won’t have anymore weight issues as a balanced diet and sensible, regular exercise are the keys to maintaining your ideal weight,” Sean says.
Some healthy brands
Look for these specific brands when you go grocery shopping;
• Kikkoman soy sauce
• Tofu
• John West tuna in brine
• Pyotts Crackerbread
• Parmalat fat free milk
• Jungle Oats oats
• Bokomo Up & Go
• Simply Cereal organic oats
• Miso soup
• Toj organic noodles
Tips for choosing the healthiest food
“Choose whole, basic foods as often as possible,” is dietician Jennifer Cronjé’s advice. “Fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are always good choices. Processed, packaged foods also provide most of the sodium and trans fat in our diets. By choosing fresh foods and preparing meals at home, you’ll reduce your intake of these unhealthy ingredients,” she says.
Choose nutrient-dense foods. For each food or beverage you choose, ask yourself what you’ll get that is nutritious. Look for foods that provide important nutrients and fibre. Minimise foods and beverages that provide calories but little or no nutrition like soft drinks, fruit drinks, sugary candy, crackers, and certain desserts and baked goods.
Read the labels. Be critical of health claims on food. Packaged foods that are marketed as healthy are often merely a better alternative to existing packaged foods. They may not be healthy in the context of the overall diet.
Keep calories in mind when eating out. Restaurant and fast food meals are notorious for being excessive in calories and portion size. The key is to make small choices to reduce the calorie level of the meal. Avoid dishes with lots of cheese, creamy sauces, or high-calorie dressings and condiments. | Some of the healthiest and most nutritious foods | | Take a look at these super foods and find out why you need them. | Tuna
Fatty fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, while also playing a role in preventing conditions like hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, depression, dry eye syndrome, and possibly cancer. | Eggs
Eggs do contain cholesterol but for as little as 75 calories, an egg provides 12% of the daily recommended value for protein, as well as a wide variety of other nutrients such as vitamin A, B6, B12, D, foliate, iron, phosphorous and zinc. | Beans
Baked beans, black beans, lima beans or kidney beans can all reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke and help prevent cancer. This is mostly due to the fact that beans are a rich source of antioxidants. | Garlic
Garlic could help prevent heart disease, hypertension and cancer, and can possibly improve lung function. Garlic is also a great way to boost one's immunity ― especially during the winter. | Yoghurt
Yoghurt contains bone-building calcium, and is also a great source of probiotics which improves the intestinal bacterial balance to boost the health of the host. Probiotics thwart the overgrowth of harmful bacteria by competing for attachment sites and nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract. | Citrus
Citrus contains zeaxathin (like eggs) that maintains healthy vision. These fruits are rich in flavanones that play a role in preventing cancer. Citrus fruits also contain caffeic acid that may reduce the risk of heart and eye disease. | Bananas
High-potassium foods, of which the banana is a prime example, may lower the risk of stroke and plays a vital role in the functioning of the muscles, heart and nerves. It ensures that the body’s fluid levels remain balanced and that the body is neither too alkaline nor too acidic. It also prevents calcium from being lost in the urine. |
Leoni Benghiat is a freelance journalist with 25 years experience in the publishing industry. If she’s not in front of her computer writing, you’ll find her outside, exercising her dogs and enjoying the simpler life offered by the rural areas of South Africa.
Disclaimer: Harmonious Living is written for and read by a community of individuals with strong and independent opinions. While the publishers of Harmonious Living are dedicated to providing a forum in which views can be openly expressed, those views do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.
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