Maintaining a healthy diet is key to ensuring a well functioning system. This project was created by the Web Editing Team in the hope that you will use the information here to make the right choices for you and your body.

The topics we will cover are as follows:

• How to use a Food Diary
• Healthy Recipes to Try at Home
• A Balanced Diet & The Eat Well Plate
• The Importance of Breakfast
• Nutritional Values Explained
• 5 a Day

If you feel we have missed something or you're looking for more information, please feel free to contact us. 

Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has collect to the extent that it may have a serious effect on health, leading to a shorter life expectancy and increased health problems. People are considered obese when their body mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of the person's height in metres. There are four main goals in the treatment of obesity:

• to prevent further weight gain

• to gradually lose weight through a combination of a calorie-controlled diet and regular exercise

• to avoid regaining any lost weight

• to improve your general state of health and reduce your risk of obesity-related complications

See the rest of our Healthy Eating page on our website to find out more on how you can reduce the risks of your gaining unhealthy weight in your later years.

Food Diary

Our food diary is a great way how you can manage what you eat. You can use the diary for yourself or for a family member. People use the food diaries to maintain a positive look on what they are eating and at the end of the week, it is a good way for you to review what you have eaten and what your calorie intake has been for the past week. If you keep all of your food diaries in a safe place, then at the end of the month, maybe you could get a family member / close friend to write you a food plan for the next month and see if you lose / maintain your weight. 

Top Tips:

Making sure that you're eating the right balance of the right foods is the key to a healthy diet. Here are a few top tips to make sure that you're having a good mix of foods:

• Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, including servings of fruit juice and baked beans
• Base your meals on starchy foods like potatoes, brown rice and wholemeal bread
• If you eat meat every day of the week, try substituting it with oily fish like mackerel, salmon or tuna on a couple of days
• Always go for low-fat cheese, milk and yoghurt
• Try and cut down the number high fat or high sugar snacks and drinks you have every week
• You should also keep an eye on how much salt you're eating. As most salt we eat comes from processed foods, make sure you read the label. Snacks or meals that contain more than 1.25 grams of salt per 100g is a lot.
• It's also a good idea to get out of the habit of adding salt to food when you're cooking or at the table. Do you really notice a difference if it's missing?

Its up to you now, good luck and eat well!