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Which Food Types To Choose When Eating For Good Heart Health

Foods That Slow Down Ageing and Keep You Looking Young

This section of the site summarises some key nutrients that you should factor into your healthy diet. This is a very brief guide, and we breakdown step by step strategies and tips in our downloadable book. There you'll find much more information on how to lose weight by dieting sustainably (without eliminating the nice stuff altogether!). You should never try to eat a totally 'perfect' diet. Most dieters on these quickly lose motivation. Fad diets are not successful! Successful eaters continue to enjoy their favourite foods in moderation, but make sure to include the below food groups in their diet.

Fiber

Wholegrains, fruits and vegtables are all excellent sources of fiber. Fiber is essential to digestive health and reduces the risk of colon disease. Some of the best sources of dietary fibre include:

According to the scientists the most fibrous foods on the planet include beans, lentils and peas at up to 19 grams per cup! Other exceptional sources are wholegrain wheat, prunes, raspberries and quinona. If you don't like any of these foods, fear not. So long as you include some fruit and veg in your diet and opt for wholegrains over refined carbohydrates (like white bread) whenever you can, you'll be getting sufficient to stay healthy.

Technically, fiber is a type of carbohydrate, and it plays an important role in digestion although it cannot be digested itself. Diets high in fiber may also reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Fats

Good fats are not your enemy. They can actually reduce cholesterol and help in weight loss. Fatty acids can be sub divided into the essential and non essential. The non essential acids can be produced by the body. Essential fatty acids, however, as the name suggests, are crucial in maintaing good health. Fats known as polyunsaturated fats are essential fatty acids, and these play an important role in heart health. Research also suggests that omega 3 fatty acids help reduce, and even treat major depression. Some excellent sources are listed below:

While the above are excellent food sources, you can also take flax seed and cod liver oil in supplement form. These are fantastic sources of essential fatty acids. Getting sufficient fatty acids is believed to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and various other illnesses.

Protein

Proteins are broken down in the stomach to provide amino acids to the body. Proteins help the body remain strong, and without essential amino acids the body's capacity to grow and heal is severely compromised. Some great sources include:

Women should include at least 45 grams of protein in their daily diet, whilst men should aim to reach at least 55 grams. Try to stick to lean meats and fish wherever possible!

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are crucial nutrients needed by the body. The body cannot synthesize all the vitamins we need to stay healthy and therefore including nutritious foods in the diet is extremely important. It isn't sufficient to take a supplement pill! Fresh fruits and vegtables contain thousands of anti oxidants and phytochemicals, along with many essential vitamins and minerals that are strongly correlated with good health. Although vitamin supplements are very useful in the case of deficiency, you should always look to get your vitamins and minerals from foods. Most nutritious foods contain vitamin goodness, but different foods contain different vitamins. Good sources, generally, include:

Cod liver oil is a great source of vitamins A and D, and is often recommended as highly beneficial. Using multivitamin pills is down to the individual, but beneficial effects are disputed.

Fluids

You may have heard this statistic before but it is worth reiterating, the human body is 2/3 water, give or take 10%! Women should aim to consume 2 litres per day (or 8 glasses), whilst men should aim for 3 litres. Staying hydrated through regular water consumption keeps you alert through the day and can improve the appearance of the skin. Nutritious foods contain water so a healthy diet will also contribute to properly hydrating the body. Generally, around one fifth of water intake comes from foods.

Bare in mind though that the recommended figures are just average guidelines. The true water requirement of humans depends on a host of factors including the temperature, exercise and humidity. You should always adjust your water consumption up if you enter a hot climate or take part in physical activity. Pregnant women, and also those who are breastfeeding, require more fluids to stay properly hydrated at all times of day.

In the western world water is safe and disease free so it should be freely consumed. Once you feel thirsty your body is already telling you that it requires water, and you are sub optimally hydrated. It is never necessary to be dehydrated. Sipping a glass of water while you work is a great way to provide fluids to your body throughout the day.

We pride ourselves on being different and although our site is packed with tips and information on healthy living, we also supply a high quality package of downloadable PDF books to help you reach your goals. Our aim is to help support you in feeling healthy - inside and out. We don't believe in fad diets and miracle weight loss products. We do, however, value the trust of our readers so we make it our goal to provide the most honest and helpful information on the web.

Across each of the three books you will find accessible, easy to digest and realistic advice and tips that will help open your mind to small lifestyle changes that yield big results. We don't, for example, believe people should cut out the foods they enjoy, but we do suggest practical ways to fit more healthy activities into each day. Losing weight and staying healthy is a multidimensional pursuit. There are many different components to a healthy lifestyle and so we provide you all the resources to learn about each aspect of your wellbeing in detail. We don't bombard you with confusing statistics and information. We tell you the facts and spend our time helping you make manageable changes!

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