How to eat well and stay healthy
Convenience foods are not the way to go, according to a leading dietitian
CHEAP and filling foods like mealie meal, white rice, white bread and “slap” chips are staples for many South Africans. However these foods lack nutritional value, and may end up doing more harm than good in terms of health. Local non-profit organisation the Witkoppen Clinic is raising awareness around how to eat healthily at an affordable price.
Convenience foods are the nation’s leading cause of poor nutrition.
“South Africa has the highest obesity and overweight rate in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Health Organisation,” said Elmaré Theron, a registered dietitian working at Witkoppen Clinic.
With the new year upon us, the Fourways-based non-profit Witkoppen Clinic is urging South Africans to make healthier lifestyle choices, especially when it comes to food.
Theron offers advice on how to eat a healthy diet at an affordable price:
Choose whole foods: Foods that have undergone excessive processing lose their nutritional value. Include protein with every meal: Protein is essential for building and repairing tissues, muscles and skin. Eat tinned fish three times a week: Dark-fleshed fish is a good source of both protein and omega-3 fatty acid. Spread out starch portions: Diets high in refined starches are linked to a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease. .
Based at 105 William Nicol Drive, Fourways, Joburg, the Witkoppen Clinic is open from 7.30am to 4pm every weekday. A patient’s first visit is free. For more information on the other services Witkoppen Clinic provides, visit their website at www. witkoppen.org. Interesting facts and service updates can be found on Facebook (@WitkoppenClinic) and Twitter (@Witkoppen105).