Looking Good is Feeling Good

Nutritionists and doctors agree that the food we eat has an enormous amount to do with the way look and feel. It affects us directly - a balanced diet means we have the necessary energy to carry on living life to the full. It shows in the clearness of our skin, the brightness of our eyes and the shine of our hair - assets that become more and more valuable when you no longer have the simple attraction of youth on your side. The general consensus of modern medical opinion is that a lower intake of fats, less cholesterol and more fiber in our diets lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, arthritis, gall stones, ulcers, constipation and even, perhaps, certain cancers. There is also evidence to suggest that a diet higher in its and vegetables and lower in red meats and animal protein can reduce stress and slow down the ageing process.

That is not to say that to get the best results you must be a strict vegetarian but, based on contemporary research, a move toward that direction makes sense. Studies of vegetarian groups have revealed that they suffer less from heart disease, strokes and gallstones. Some American analyses have indicated that their average life span may be as much as 10 years longer than that of meat eaters and they spend less time in hospital. They also look leaner and fitter - have you ever seen a fat vegetarian? So even if you can't see yourself cutting out the pleasures of meat entirely, steer toward poultry and fish rather than steak, lamb and pork, increase your intake of wholegrain cereal foods such as wholemeal bread, brown rice and pasta - as well as potatoes and pulses, and cut way down on foods which are high in animal fat and/or sugar. Personally, I don't even eat chicken; I prefer my protein to come from eggs, fish and cheese - but that is a personal choice based on my own unhappiness at the way we raise animals for slaughter.

As you can see, I'm not a fanatic when it conies to eating healthily - I enjoy my food. But I am sensible enough to realize that if I make an effort to understand what different foods actually contain, it will help my body share the benefits of my enjoyment. That knowledge enables you to plan your diet so that the balance of complex carbohydrates, fibre, unsaturated fats, animal and vegetable protein is kept at the maximum level for health and energy, as well as good looks. Let's take a short refresher course in nutrition.

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