Nutritional Basics
With many Australians preparing for the summer holidays just around the corner, many will forget about nutrition in favour of less than healthy diet choices. But if you’re looking to maintain your health, then this nutritional information is just what you need for the silly season!
Nutrition is just the beginning
In order to lead a healthy lifestyle, a balance of physical activity and nutrition is important.
Eating healthy foods plays a big part in physical, mental, emotional and physical health. The Australian guide to healthy eating contains the national food selections guide, which is a helpful tool that explains ratios of food groups that will ensure a balanced diet.
The five major food groups are:
- Breads/cereals/rice/pastas
- Vegetables/legumes,
- Fruits
- Lean meats/poultry/fish/nuts/legumes and
- Milk/yoghurts/cheeses
- Water included as an important dietary element.
Maintaining a balanced diet
As shown in the nutritional guide, balance of the food groups is not equal portions of each but amounts that represent the typical persons nutritional requirements. It is also important that a variation of foods within each group is consumed from day to day and week to week as different foods contain unique combinations of nutritional value.
Foods that are not covered in the groups mentioned above are deliberately left out as they are not essential for the body’s nutritional needs and may contain excessive amounts of added salt, fat or sugar.
An example for ideal portion size is also available in the guide that is based on age, sex, activity level and size.
Some nutritional tips for healthy eating and a balanced diet*:
- Choose bread based on a variety of grains
- Try to eat rice or pasta more often than breads or cereals as they contain less salt
- Vegetables and legumes provide vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and carbohydrates (remember variety is the key)
- Try to include a variety of coloured vegetables as they often contain different levels of nutrients
- Fruits are a good source of natural sugars and packed with essential vitamins and minerals
- Try to eat the fruit skin where possible as it contains fibre
- Milk and other dairy can contain excess fat if choosing the full cream option
- Red meats should be eaten three to four times per week (or regular iron supplements) especially for females, vegetarians and athletes as they required optimal levels of iron
- To reduce fat content choose lean meats, trim visible fat off meat and avoid frying or roasting with fat and oil
- Water is the best drink to quench thirst
- Eight glasses of water should be consumed daily – more in hot weather or if physically active
*These are generalised tips, for certain dietary requirements or specific information see a health care professional registered with the Dieticians Association of Australia or GP.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a store of fat that is carried around in the blood in the form of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) known as ‘bad’ cholesterol and high density lipoproteins (HDL) known as ‘good’ cholesterol. Excessive LDL leaves a build-up of plaque (fatty material) within the blood vessels, resulting in increased work rate of the heart and leading to heart attack, or blockage of blood flow to the brain causing stroke. HDL is thought to take the deposits in the blood back to the liver and good levels of HDL have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack.
Unsaturated Fats
While fat is essential for good health and nutrition, not all kinds of fats are the same. Unsaturated fats help lower ‘bad’ cholesterol and raise ‘good’ cholesterol, among other health benefits and are found in foods such as fish (omega-3), olive or canola oil, and avocado to name a few. Saturated fats often referred to as ‘bad fat’ as they increase ‘bad’ cholesterol levels.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are found in fatty meats, chicken skin, and processed meats like salami, as well as dairy such as cheese, regular milk and butter.
Trans-fats are unsaturated fat that have been changed to behave like saturated fat, this change occurs when food is processed although (rarely) can also occur naturally in some foods. These types of fats are the most Athrogenic of all, meaning they significantly increase the amount of fatty deposits in arteries about the body.
They are even more effective that saturated fatty acids as reducing level of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol while increasing LDL cholesterol. Foods that commonly contain trans fats include pastries, deep fried/take-away food, commercial biscuits and food preserved for longer shelf life.
Consult a Professional
For more information on nutrition contact a health care professional registered with the Dieticians Association of Australia or visit the following links:
Australian guide to healthy eating
Dieticians Association of Australia
Australian Government Department of Health and Aging
Jake Pizzatti - Physiotherapist, Back In Motion Bribie Island
Jake graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy developing an interest in the musculoskeletal field. He has had experience in hospital and private practice settings in metropolitan, regional and rural settings including Brisbane, Townsville and Mount Isa. Jake has worked with high school rugby union/volleyball/ basketball teams as well as senior men’s football. Jake received the Hector Award for excellence in clinical service delivery and client fulfilment within Back In Motion Queensland.