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Whole foods are foods to which nothing has been added or taken away, that haven't been unnecessarily processed or loased with additives, colourings or flavourings.

It is important to choose unrefined foods whenever you can because in doing so you get the greatest intake of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. When food is processed some of the nutrients are lost.

A whole foods diet should include a variety of foods such as fruit, vegetables, dairy products or alternatives (soy milk, almond milk), healthy fats and oils, natural sweeteners, grains, pulses, beans and seeds.

Basically, eating fresh is the way to go!

It is actually quite easy to eat well and cook simple meals that are satisfying and use fresh produce.


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Carbohydrates are a major source of energy and supply the body with protein, vitamins minerals and fibre.

Good carbohydrate choices include unrefined complex items such as wholegrain cereals, wholegrain breads, wholegrain pastas and brown rice, as well as plantains, yams and potatoes.

These high fibre foods are broken down more slowly by the body and provide a steady supply of energy are not stripped of their nutrients the way that white flour, white rice and sugar.

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Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds are the main sources of fibre.

Soluble fibre is found in legumes, vegetables and oats and facilitates regularity and helps lower blood cholesterol.

Insoluble fibre is found in whole wheat, brown rice, bran and nuts and provides bulk to the diet and helps to prevent constipation.

Both types of fibre help reduce the risk of health problems such as, colon and rectal cancer and irritable bowel syndrome. (*bran has been known to aggravate IBS so check with your doctor before consuming bran if you have IBS.)


Increasing your intake of fibre:

1) consume wholegrain bread & pasta, brown rice anc fresh fruit and vegetables.

2) avoid processed foods as they contain less fibre than their wholegrain counterparts.

3) start the day with a breakfast of wholegrain cereal, porridge or bran flakes.

4) eat plenty of dried fruit by using as a topping for cereals and yougurt.

5) add beans and lentils to soups and salads.

6) avoid peeling fruits and vegetables if possible as the skin can contain valuable fibre.

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Fat:

Fat provides essential vitamins such as A, D and E and other fatty acids to the body. However fat does contain a lot of calories and it has been recommended that fat should not make up more than 30 percent of your diet.

Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products (dairy) and eating too much of it can raise blood cholesterol.

Unsaturated fats, which can help lower harmful cholesterol (LDL) and increase beneficial Cholesterol (HDL) can be found in healthy oils such as olive oil, sesame oil and rapeseed oil.

Polyunsaturated fats provide omega-3 and can be found in walnuts, soy beans, wheatgerm and rapeseed oil. Omega-3 has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease.

If you are trying to reduce the fat in your diet some good choices are low fat cheeses, low fat yogurts and milk products and using smaller amounts of strongly flavoured cheese in recipes.

Reducing dietary fat:

1) Use strong tasting cheese such as fresh parmesan or smoked cheese as a little will add a lot of taste to your dishes or use lower-fat versions of your favorite cheeses.

2) Make your own dressings for salad using orange juice, yogurt, herbs and spices instead of mayonnaise or oils.

3) Use very little oil for stir frying or use vegetable or chicken stock in place of oils.

4) Use plain low-fat yougurt instead of cream in recipes when you can. If it is a cooked recipe then put a tsps of cornflour mixed into a little water to form a paste into the yogurt to prevent it from curdling when heated.

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Protein:

Protein is essential in helping the body maintain and repair its cells and helps keep enzymes, hormones and antibodies functioning.

The most obvious choices of protein are red meat, poultry, fish and seafood but other sources include eggs, dairy produces, soy beans, nuts, pasta, potatoes, legumes, cereals and brown rice. Although nuts are high in fat and should be consumed in moderate amounts they can still be a part of a healthy diet.

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Water transports nutrients, regulates the body's temperature, transports waste via the kidneys and acts as a lubricant.

It is important to make sure you drink enough water throughout the day to keep your body hydrated.

It is important to limit the intake of caffeinated beverages such as sodas, coffee and tea as they all act as diuretics and can cause dehydration by speeding up the body's loss of water.

A good trick to jazz up the flavour of regular water is by adding a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon to it.

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1) Buy the freshest produce available and try to shop seasonally.

2) Buy produce loose rather than in pre-packed form as it is easier to check the quality.

3) Buy in small quantities - only what you are sure you are capable of eating- to avoid produce going bad and having to throw it out.

4) Do some research as to how to store fruits and vegetables and then store accordingly to maximize freshness and shelf-life.

5) Avoid peeling fruits and vegetables if possible and don't prepare them to far in advance of using them so that you can avoid losing nutrients.

6) Try steaming or roasting vegetables rather than boiling. Boiling can cause the water soluble vitamins such as B and C to be destroyed.

7) If you are boiling vegetables use as little water as possible and avoid overcooking them. You can also save the water to use a stock for soup.