Diet

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. 

Nutrition Tips

• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day 

• Eat higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta. Eat wholegrain where possible.

• Include some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)

• Make sure you eat protein. For example meat, beans, pulses, fish and eggs.

• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat them in small amounts

• Drink plenty of fluids (at least 6 to 8 glasses a day)

Hydration

Fluid is so important in the body that even when levels drop only slightly, we begin to feel the consequences. Low levels of fluid in the body can cause headaches, feelings of dizziness, lethargy, poor concentration and a dry mouth. Over a longer term, dehydration can cause constipation and can be associated with urinary tract infections and the formation of kidney stones. Regular and adequate intakes of fluid can help to prevent these.  Adults and teenagers need to drink around 1.5–2 litres of fluid a day , ideally in the form of water. 

Hydration Tips

• Keep a bottle of water with you during the day.  Use the water fountains in school to refill your bottle. 

• If you don't like the taste of plain water, try adding  fruit such as  strawberries, lemon or lime to your drink.

• Drink water before, during, and after a workout.

• When you're feeling hungry, drink water.