Improving Your Diet and Eating well

Knowledge is power and knowing what’s in your food makes a huge difference to weight loss. Many people can think they are eating well by choosing foods advertised as ‘low fat’ or ‘low calories’ yet they may have huge amounts of hidden sugar or salt in them.

It can also be de-motivating if you are trying really hard to eat ‘healthily’ and not seeing the results on the scales. Knowing what is in the food you are eating is essential to losing weight and keeping it off.

There can be a lot of mixed messages about what to eat and what not to eat and there are also lots of debates about which diets are the most effective, such as low carb, vegan, low fat, eat clean… the list is endless. Different diets will work for different people.

A healthy diet is a balanced diet and is best represented by the Eatwell Guide below. A balanced diet involves eating from every food group, as they all provide essential vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies healthy, but in different proportions. No food is off limits, it is all about moderation.

Useful resources

Have a look at the NHS Live-Well Eat-Well website which gives lots of great information about all of the different food groups and lots of everyday smart swaps you can make to help with weight loss.

There’s also information about food labels and what to look for so you can make informed choices about what you’re eating.

Visit the Diabetes UK website here for more information and advice about eating well, whether you have diabetes or are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Local services

Check out the Get Local tab to see if there are any nutrition clubs in your area.