In today’s society, it can be difficult to understand what a healthy diet is due to the amount of information available at our fingertips on numerous platforms. It is important to understand the risks and benefits associated with different dietary approaches before adopting them, so you can make informed choices which will be beneficial to your health.
Our aim is to help you choose a safe and sustainable approach that works for you, which suits your lifestyle and individual preferences and is not overly restrictive or nutritionally incomplete. The approaches discussed below can be adapted for your goals: weight loss, weight gain or weight maintenance, depending on the portion sizes and number of calories consumed.
Intermittent fasting involves splitting your day or week into eating and fasting periods. One popular method is the 16:8 approach, also known as time-restricted eating, where you fast for 16 hours and eat within an 8-hour window in one day. You might choose to eat between 12 pm and 8 pm, then fast until 12 pm the next day. Another common approach is 5:2, which involves eating without time restrictions for five days during the week, and then eating around 500-600 calories per day on two non-consecutive days. During fasting periods, you should consume minimal to no food and stick to hydrating drinks like water and unsweetened coffee or tea with no milk.
Intermittent fasting may work for you if you are seeking flexible meal timings and weight loss is your primary goal. If you are unsure whether this approach is for you, it may suit you if:
Benefits of intermittent fasting include weight management, blood sugar levels regulation, and improved gut health, as long as you are mindful of the meals you have during your eating window – meal planning is great to ensure healthy food is readily available! Remember to still apply the healthy eating knowledge from the programme, as intermittent fasting will only provide the benefits described above if you eat well during your eating windows.
This dietary approach will not be ideal for everyone, particularly those with certain health conditions e.g., pharmacologically controlled diabetes. Please consult with your GP before adopting this dietary approach.
A lower carbohydrate approach is a way of eating that focuses on reducing your overall intake of carbohydrate-containing foods such as breads, grains, pasta, as well as sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, such as cookies and soft drinks. Instead, you’ll be choosing foods that are higher in protein, healthy fats, and veggies. This approach does not mean saying goodbye to all carbs! You should aim to have 50-130g of carbs per day and focus on a variety of wholegrain carbohydrates to ensure you are getting all the fibre and nutrients that you need.
A lower carbohydrate approach may work for you if your primary goals are to manage your blood glucose levels and weight loss. This approach will not be suitable for very active people, such as endurance athletes, as carbohydrates are important to ensure appropriate levels of energy.
A lower fat approach focuses on reducing the intake of saturated and trans fats, while consuming unsaturated fats in moderation. Saturated and trans fats can be found in fried foods, pastries, and processed snacks, whilst unsaturated fats can be found in foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and oily fish. Healthy fats are essential for our health, so in order to avoid nutritional deficiencies, these should not be completely excluded from our diet. Avoid deep fried foods or adding a lot of butter to your meals. Instead, try to add a source of healthy fats to your meals e.g., nuts, avocado, seeds, olive oil. These can be more expensive, but remember you only need very small portions (e.g., 1tsp of olive oil, 30g of nuts).
This approach may work for you if you wish to focus on your heart health or on weight loss. It may also allow you to have more voluminous meals, as fats have more than double the number of calories per gram when compared to carbohydrates and protein. For example, you can reduce the calorie content of a tuna mayo jacket potato by at least 150kcal if you don’t add butter and choose a low-fat mayo or swap the mayo with low fat yoghurt, depending on the quantities used. This way you still have a large filling meal but for much less calories.
The Mediterranean diet originates from traditional eating habits in Mediterranean countries like Greece, Italy, and Spain. It emphasizes plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains, and olive oil is used as the main source of fat. This diet also includes dairy, chicken, eggs, and fish in moderation, and can be described as low in red and processed meat. The Mediterranean lifestyle is not just about what you eat, but also about how you live, as it promotes an active lifestyle and a focus on mindful eating.
This approach may work for you if you wish to focus on chronic disease prevention and if you enjoy diverse cuisines. It is also great if you wish to strengthen bonds with your family and friends over meals, and it can be made budget-friendly with the help of meal planning and by opting for seasonal or frozen fruits and vegetables.
The Eatwell Guide is a tool developed by public health experts to help us to achieve a balanced diet. It provides a visual representation of the various foods and the proportions we should include in our diet. Aim to include a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, lean protein sources, calcium-rich dairy products or dairy alternatives, and healthy fats from oils and spreads into your diet. Limit the consumption of foods high in fat, salt and sugar for better overall health.
This approach may work for you if you are looking for a flexible and varied diet. It is important to understand this approach well and tailor it to your individual needs, for example by adapting your portion sizes for your goals, or by increasing your fibre intake if needed. Here are the titles of a few resources you can find in the app to get you started with understanding your current eating habits and how you could improve these:
Finding the dietary approach that works for you may take some trial and error, and that’s completely normal! If you are interested in one of the dietary approaches described above and would like to explore it further, you will be able to find more information about it in the resources section in the Wellbeing Way app. For your safety, remember to consult with your GP or medical team before adopting a dietary approach.
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