3.2.3.4 Diet, nutrition and health GapFill

What you eat – both in terms of  qualityproportionamountdose and quantity – can greatly affect your  weight lossminddigestionhealth and well-being. Scientific studies have proven that basing a diet on healthy foods and following dietary guidelines can reduce the risk of major  relativeosteoporoticdiet-relatedfood-borne diseases, such as coronary heart disease.

A  balancedbiologicalbiasedsatiety diet should be based on wholemeal food products, vegetables and fruit. These healthy foods provide  simplecomplexsolidcomplete carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. According to the NHS, one in every four British people are overweight or obese. Obesity is a  risk factorwagerhazardthreat factor for other conditions and increases  sugarlife expectancyexposuremortality from such conditions as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke and some types of cancer.

One of the most important nutrients for health is  fibroiddietary fibredietary fusionfibromatosis. It is found in wholemeal products such as bread or brown rice, oatmeal, vegetables and fruit. It regulates bowel movements, slows down  starchmineralvitaminsugar absorption and  lowersdilutesequalsincreases blood cholesterol levels. It gives bulk to the food and provides the feeling of  satietyconvectionsatisfactionhealth for longer. A diet rich in fibre is beneficial especially for those suffering from constipation, but can also reduce the risk of  diverticulitisdurumdry-heatdermatitis and bowel cancer, and alleviate the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

The World Health Organization stated that  freehealthbalancedintrinsic sugars should provide no more than 10% of daily energy intake. This means that a healthy adult shouldn't consume more than five teaspoons of sugar a day. Meanwhile, a small can of cola contains seven spoons of sugar, while 500ml of fruit yoghurt can contain up to eight teaspoons of sugar.

There are many food products which look healthy, but aren't. Examples include breakfast cereals, which contain up to 35g of sugar in 100g. It is best to replace such products with their healthier alternatives, such as rolled oats or home-made granola.

It is also very important to avoid eating  transessentialbalancedpolyunsaturated fats, as they can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke and bowel cancer. Trans fats are created when vegetable oils are hardened in the process called  reformationoxidationhydrogenationhydrolysis. The particles of hydrogen attach to the wrong side of the molecule, and this turns the fat from a healthy and nutritious oil into a carcinogenic, harmful substance. Trans fats are present in smaller or larger amount in food products which list hydrogenated vegetable oils or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils on their label, even if their amount is not specified in the nutrition table.