Balance and Variety

We often get scared about news on foods that can damage our health and if we are to believe all these, we'll end up with nothing on our table. The keys are "balance" and "variety". You need not ban foods like bacon, snacks, fast food, alcohol, salty foods, etc. as long as you have them in moderation. The recent food scares make us think "superfoods" is the answer, Goji berries, Acai berries, blueberries, pomegrenate, seaweed, and wheat grass have been tagged as superfoods. All these are hailed for their disease-fighting, anti-aging and cancer-beating properties. There is nothing wrong if you want and you can afford to eat these "superfoods", but the old staples of ornages, apples, avocados, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, pepper and even potatoes, which provide us about 1/3 third of our vitamin intake, will do just as well. It is important to have a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and other foods.

Here's a list that you can use as a guide for your family's optimum nutrition.

EAT MORE OF:

• Fruit and vegetables. They help protect against heart disease and contain important dietary fiber, which may protect against several cancers including mouth, stomach and bowel cancer.
• Fish. Eat at least 2 portions a week, one of them oily. Girls and women who could become pregnant can safely eat up to two portions of oily fish a week; everyone else can eat up to 4 portions.
• Beans. Rich in protein and iron, they also contain dietary fiber, which can help lower cholesterol levels and may protect against certain cancers.

EAT LESS OF:

• Red meat. No more than 500 gms a week and as little as processed meat as possible.
• Salt, salted foods, and processed foods that contain a lot of salt. Too much salt can increase blood pressure, raise osteoporosis risk, and probably increase the risk of stomach cancer.
• Fast food, snacks, and sweeetened drinks. They contain saturated and trans fats, which increase the risk of heart disease.
• Alcohol. The World Cancer Research Fund advises limiting your intake to one unit a day for women and 2 for men.