28 September 2020 – 4 October 2020 is the British Nutrition Foundation’s ‘Healthy Eating Week’.
The timing couldn’t be better as summer gives way to the glidepath to Christmas and all that means for our waistlines! Combine that with changing weather and reduced opportunies for outdoor exercise and thinking about eating healthily suddenly seems the obvious thing to do. So what does BNF suggest?
Well firstly, it’s not just about food. Its about making tolerable changes to improve our general quality of life giving us ideas around taking a little exercise and thoughtfully calibrated to age groups, as again this isn’t just about the middle-aged, overweight or sedentary amongst us. Part of its aim is to instil good habits in the little ones and encourage the parents among us to encourage them. But where food is centre stage, try wholegrains such as brown rice, pasta and bread and avoid the processed stuff that packs in the carbs but fails in terms of essential vitamins and minerals. Don’t forget fruit and veg of course and the much and rightfully publicised five-a-day.
While occupational health services such as our own at OccHealth Direct are there to support organisations and their colleagues with absence management and health screening etc, so much is about the subtler benefits of promoting the choices and habits that can help prevent some forms of ill health in the first place. Let’s also not forget about the general sense of well-being that can flow from healthier choices, and its dividends to our mental health.
The seven steps are neatly self-explanatory on first look, but well worth a click on each heading to access BNF’s well-presented information and tips to help us reflect on and changehow we treat our bodies, and our minds by natural extension. There’s something for each day in our week so please read on below and take a few minutes to click on BNF’s link at the bottom.
• Eat more wholegrains (Monday);
• Vary your veg (Tuesday);
• Drink plenty (Wednesday);
• Move more (Thursday);
• Be mind kind (Friday);
• Get active together (Saturday);
• Eat together (Sunday).
Hard to disagree with anything really! Click and read: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/hew.html