The basics of good nutrition

Your body is a biochemical organism. The chemicals you add into this system dictate how efficient it functions. Or in other words: You are what you eat!

Your food intake helps dictate your energy levels, your moods, your ability to handle stress, and your ability to fight off infections and stay fit.

Research suggests that your diet can also have a measureable positive influence on your life-expectancy. Some suggest eating the right food could enable you to live up to 10 years longer.

So here are some basic guidelines to help you stay fit.

Eat food as fresh as possible, go for variety and avoid processed foodstuffs. Check out our Nutritional Guide, and choose foods from the yellow and green sections.
Eat six small meals spread throughout the day, and not three main meals. This helps your digestive tract process your food more efficiently, ensures you absorb nutrients properly, keeps your blood sugar levels more stable, and helps maintain your mood and energy levels. It is a good idea if one of these meals is made up of only fresh fruit.
Avoid going hungry. Starving yourself leads to low blood sugar levels and 'catabolic' loss of muscle tissue.
Drink at least 2 litres of healthy fluids per day: water, herbal teas, fresh fruit juices, broth, soup. When taking part in a sporting activity which makes you sweat a lot, you should drink roughly 500 ml per 30 minutes.
Avoid refined read more