Since we have embarked on providing healthy lunches at The Gardens, we have noticed something interesting: local customers have been expressing surprise at the small serving size! However, after lunch every person has informed us that they felt full despite not eating the amount of food they normally would. To explain how this is possible and help produce a series on healthy living through nutrition and exercise, Studio Edirisa has enlisted Physical Training Instructor Corporal Ellie May from the Australian Army.

The key to living a long healthy life is to combine eating the foods your body needs with the correct exercise it requires. Now, we are all aware of the many different fad diets, supplements and the ‘get ripped abs quick’ exercise programs that are available. However, have you noticed that despite all of these there is yet to be a single ‘get fit quick’ product out there that has ever actually worked? Why is this, you ask? It’s simple. Being fit and healthy is not a fad – it’s a common sense, healthy lifestyle.

Unfortunately because of all of the junk advertised and circulated many of us have lost sight of how to eat and live healthy. So here is a summary for you of how to eat for nutrition and gain a healthy body and a healthy mind. When you eat the food your body needs, it gives you brain the right power to keep on going all day and night, whether your doing manual labour or studying hard for exams.

Let’s start with my favourite – food. You need to feed your body with both the nutrients it needs on order to function properly. Healthy eating won’t just make you live longer but it will make you feel better. For example, it will give you more energy, help you recover quickly after a hard training session or make you sleep better.

You should consume a variety of healthy foods each day. You should aim to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Your meals should be regularly spread evenly throughout the day and be low in saturated fat, salt and sugar. Every meal and snack starts with a low-fat protein (meat, poultry without the skin, seafood, eggs - not fried, unsalted nuts, soy products such as tofu and pulses) plus carbohydrates (vegetables, fruit, basmati rice, legumes, whole grain cereals and breads). Also, it incorporates a small amount of good fat (polyunsaturated margarines, fish, avocado, seeds, nuts and oils including sunflower, soybean, olive).

A typical serving size of low-fat protein fits in the palm of your hand and is no thicker than your hand. For most females, this is 3 ounces/ 90 grams of low-fat protein, and for males, this equals 4 ounces/ 120 grams of low-fat protein. A typical snack contains 1 ounce/ 30 grams of protein for both men and women.

Divide your plate in three equal sections. Add the protein portion and fill two-thirds of the plate with fruits and vegetables for a meal. Don’t forget to add a dash of good fat like splash olive oil or a sprinkle of nuts.

In the next edition of healthy living through exercise and nutrition we will look at these proteins, carbohydrates and fats in detail to you in making informed decisions about what you eat. You know the old saying: “You are what you eat!”…

Ellie May