A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition because it protects you from many chronic non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars, saturated fats, and trans fats from industrial sources are also critical for a healthy diet.
It’s natural for anyone attempting to lose weight to want to do so as quickly as possible. People who lose weight gradually and steadily (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) have a better chance of keeping it off. Healthy weight loss is more than just a “diet” or “programme”.
It is a way of life that includes healthy eating habits and regular physical activity.
Once you’ve reached a healthy weight, you can rely on healthy eating and physical activity to help you keep it off in the long run.
Losing weight is difficult and requires dedication. But if you’re ready to get started, we’ve got a step-by-step guide to get you started on the road to weight loss and better health.
A healthy diet comprises a combination of different foods. These include:
- Staples like cereals (wheat, barley, rye, maize or rice) or starchy tubers or roots (potato, yam, taro or cassava).
- Legumes (lentils and beans).
- Fruit and vegetables.
- Foods from animal sources (meat, fish, eggs and milk).
Eat less fat:
- Fats and oils and concentrated sources of energy. Eating too much, particularly the wrong kinds of fat, like saturated and industrially-produced trans-fat, can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Using unsaturated vegetable oils (olive, soy, sunflower or corn oil) rather than animal fats or oils high in saturated fats (butter, ghee, lard, coconut and palm oil) will help consume healthier fats.
- To avoid unhealthy weight gain, consumption of total fat should not exceed 30 per cent of a person’s overall energy intake.
Incorporating more water into your daily routine, or substituting water for sugary and alcoholic beverages, can aid in weight loss.
Increased water consumption is a powerful weight loss tool that can help you cut empty calories from your diet while keeping you fuller for longer.