The basics of healthy nutrition

There are some things which seem to be broadly applicable foundations of healthy nutrition.

Nutritional Therapy needs to be personalised to the individual, but here are some basic ideas of a good general place to start if you want to improve your nutrition and support your wellbeing (1).

1. Eat more unprocessed foods, eat less processed foods.

   If you could grow it in your garden, if it has one ingredient and looks like recognisable food from a farm, it’s probably fairly healthy and full of good nutrients.

   Examples of unprocessed foods are vegetables like potatoes, carrots, broccoli or tomatoes, fruits like bananas, berries, apples and oranges, fresh meats like fish or chicken, eggs, nuts and seeds, whole dairy like butter, cheese, milk or yogurt, wholegrains like brown rice or oats, legumes, pulses and minimally processed fats like cold pressed olive oil, coconut oil or avocados.

   If it’s highly processed from a package or if the ingredients look like a foreign language, it’s probably best to eat it only occasionally for pleasure rather than nutrients.

   Examples of processed foods are white bread, cookies, margarine, sugary cereals or long life bakery items (2).

2. Eat a balance of nutrients.

   We need a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates with a variety of vitamins and minerals to thrive.

   Different people do better on slightly different ratios of these nutrients, but most people need some of all of them.

   I’m not a fan of excluding a whole group of foods as this can result in excessive cravings for that type of food, because of a physiological or psychological need for certain nutrients (3).

   I therefore suggest most meals contain some protein, some carbohydrate and some fat in order to support optimal nutrition.

   A balanced meal or snack could look like salmon and potatoes and a big salad with lots of colourful vegetables and olive oil, or whole oats with full fat natural yogurt and berries.

3. Eat when you’re hungry.

   Don’t wait until you're famished, you might be so in need of energy you eat ten times more than you meant or fall face down in a bowl of sugar.

   Don’t eat if you aren’t hungry, listen to your own body and your own needs and try to take good care of yourself.

   There are many purported benefits to mindful eating, including a better relationship with food (4).

4. Eat food you like.

   Pleasure is a nutrient.

5. Drink water.

   It’s amazing how much better we can feel when we are adequately hydrated.

   Nothing crazy here, just roughly drink the suggested 8 glasses daily (5).

6. Get some exercise.

   I think with exercise balance is the key.

   Different people will feel good doing different levels of exercise.

   Moderate exercise improves our wellbeing but overtraining can be a stressor on the body (6).

   The general guideline is to aim for about 30 mins of moderate exercise 5 times a week (7).

   Do exercise which you like, it’s about being good to yourself not punishing yourself.

7. Get good sleep.

   Get as much sleep as you need if possible.

   Go to bed earlier if you can.

   This is more a lifestyle suggestion but it’s part of the healthy whole (8).

8. Destress.

   Try to reduce your stress load.

   Do things which help you relax.

   Have fun.

   Unwind.

   Being happy is part of being healthy.

References

1. BANT. Bant wellbeing guidelines. https://bant.org.uk/bant-wellbeing-guidelines/ (Accessed: 23 July 2023).

2. The Nutrition Source. Processed Foods and Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/processed-foods/ (Accessed: 23 July 2023).

3. Ross, J. The diet cure. London: Penguin; 2001.

4. Shaw R, Cassidy T. Self Compassion, Mindful Eating, Eating Attitudes And Wellbeing Among Emerging Adults. The Journal of Psychology. 2022; 156(1). 33-47. DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2021.1992334

5. British Nutrition Foundation. Hydration. https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthy-sustainable-diets/hydration/#:~:text=Quick%20facts%20on%20hydration&text=We%20need%20about%206%2D8,acids%20that%20can%20harm%20teeth. (Accessed: 23 July 2023).

6. Cadegiani F. A, Kater C.E. Hormonal aspects of overtraining syndrome: a systematic review. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2017;9(14). https://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13102-017-0079-8

7. NHS. Benefits of exercise. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/ (Accessed: 23 July 2023).

8. Kudrnacova M, Kudrnac A. Better sleep better fife? Testing the role of sleep on quality of life. PLOS ONE. 2023. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0282085