A healthy diet may differ for each person but should involve an eating plan that is well balanced and caters for any chronic disease.
In most cases, a healthy diet simply means plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, in addition to your regular eating habits. The modern diet is usually deficient in fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that are mainly found in fruits and vegetables. Large amounts of processed food, meat and starch which makes up most of the modern diet has limited nutritional value.
The food pyramid is another guide to eating a well balanced meal. It outlines the portions of different types of foods that should be incorporated into your diet on a daily basis.
All too often when we decide to address our weight issues by consulting with a doctor, we are told to “eat healthy and exercise”. The reality is that obesity is a growing problem in South Africa and while it may seem like common sense to know how to “eat healthy”, many of us are quite ignorant when it comes to personal nutrition. Eating healthy does not necessarily mean that you will lose weight. Limiting your portion size will also not guarantee weight loss and while exercise is essential, eating the right foods is an important consideration when structuring your weight management plan.
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Obesity is a growing problem in South Africa as the expanding middle class has greater access to fast foods, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle. While convenience foods are not the only factor contributing to weight management problems across the globe, it has been identified as the single most important consideration when attempting to reduce weight. It is impossible to lose weight while continuing to eat fatty foods and fast releasing carbohydrates (high glycemic index). Similarly, starvation diets will not yield lasting results and can actually contribute to gaining weight in the long run.
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Obesity is defined as the excessive accumulation and storage of body fat, usually measured by the body mass index (BMI) system. Your BMI is a body weight to height ratio and is calculated by dividing your weight (kg) by the square of your height (m). Refer to the online BMI calculator to work out your body mass index. While the BMI is not the most accurate method of assessing weight management problems, it is nevertheless the universal measure of assessing a healthy body weight.
