TOP 5 TIPS FOR GOOD NUTRITION

Dr Kate Gregorevic’s top healthy eating and drinking tips:

No soft drink or fruit juice. Soft drink is full of empty kilojoules, has no effect on satiety and its consumption is strongly linked with obesity. Fruit juice has a similar amount of readily available sugar. It’s better to eat the whole fruit so you get some fibre to slow down glucose absorption. If you are thirsty, drink water.

No added sugar. Don’t add sugar to beverages – it soon stacks up. Sugar is added to the majority of ultra-processed foods and some brands of yoghurt. If enjoying something with added sugar, like cake, do it consciously and don’t rely on it as a hunger fix.

No refined carbohydrates. When grains such as wheat are refined to make white flour, the bran and germ (the nutritious bits) are removed, leaving only the starch.

Without fibre, refined carbs are quickly metabolised, spiking our blood sugar and insulin levels.

Choose 100 per cent wholegrain versions of foods like pasta and bread or include more legumes in your meals.

No eating after dinner. It’s easy to reach for crackers or chocolate while relaxing in the evening after dinner. But this can quickly lead to consuming more than we need. Do all your eating within eight to 12 hours to assist with metabolic control and allow cells to shift into repair and protect mode. Clean your teeth and tell yourself you are done eating and drinking for the day.

Have alcohol-free days. Moderating alcohol intake is particularly important for women since they are smaller and with different body composition. Women are recommended to have no more than two standard drinks per day, with at least two alcohol-free days a week and no more than 10 drinks a week.