Diet for Health and Exercise by Sharon Madigan, INDI
1. An Introduction
When we flick through magazines, newspapers, turn on the TV or radio we see and hear huge amounts of information about diet, food and nutrition. What to eat, what not to eat… Some of the information is good and factually correct and some is not but it can often be a minefield trying to sort out what you need to know. For most people when they think of diet they automatically think of weight loss. Our diet is what we eat and drink every day with the Irish Diet being different to the Greek diet which is different to a vegetarian diet.
What we eat and drink can have a big impact on our health and well-being. Some of the most common diseases (diabetes, obesity, heart disease etc.) can possibly be prevented and treated if we adapt our eating habits. There are common principles but everyone is different. What suits Mum will not suit Dad who has a labour intensive job and will not suit the teenager who is still at school and training for Football, Basketball and likes to go out dancing twice a week.
The most important thing to remember is balance. We need to eat enough to give us energy (calories usually from carbohydrates and fats) to do all the things we do everyday (working, playing, sports, body functions, concentrating at school), we need the protein to grow and repair any damage that has been done by these things and we need the vitamins and minerals to release the calories from the foods and protect our body from colds, flu, other diseases and general wear and tear. We also need to take in enough fluids to prevent dehydration. To get all these things we need to eat a good variety of foods and drinks. If you don’t like oranges or carrots or celery its not a problem but if you don’t eat fruit and vegetables at all it can be. If you eat chips occasionally it’s not a problem but if you have them twice a day it can be. If you have the recommended units of alcohol per week its fine but all in one go can cause problems.
Think of your body as a finely tuned engine. You would not consider putting dirty fuel in your car and you certainly will know if its there; your car will not run as well and may eventually stop. It’s the same for your body. If we take in too much of the wrong type of foods and drinks then eventually over time problems can arise: the walls of the blood vessels in the heart can thicken when too much of the wrong type of fat is consumed. Carrying around an extra stone of weight puts extra pressure on lots of areas (the heart, our joints). Where is that extra weight located? If its round the tummy you are more likely that this can lead to health problems. Excess weight can also lead to diabetes as the hormone (insulin) which regulate our blood sugars either is not working properly or the increased weight means that there is a bigger area for it to cover. Even small weight loses and changes in eating habits which can be maintained in the long term can have significant health benefits.
Over the next few months we will cover a range of nutrition topics which may help you understand some nutrition issues in relation to health and well-being such as:
1. Healthy eating
2. Facts on fats
3. Weight watching
4. Getting the day off to a good start: Breakfast ideas
5. Packed healthy lunches
6. Food labels and what they tell you
7. Healthy hearts
8. Food intolerance and allergy: what you need to know.
9. Food choices for Diabetes
10. Pre and probiotics, what are they and what do they do?
11. Antioxidants: why are fruit and vegetables important?
12. When your ill, just take a pill: are supplements the way to go.
13. Fad diets
14. Glycaemic Index
15. Eating out
16. Fast food nation: comparing what you get
17. Vegetarian diets.
18. Salt and health
19. Fuelling sport
20. Recovery after training and competition
21. Baby and you: what to eat during pregnancy
22. The trouble with teeth.