Healthy Living

• Live Well
• Move Well
• Eat Well
  • Diet MOT
  • Farmers Market
• Staff Wellness Programme
• Well Wednesdays
• Relax, refuel, refresh
• A Picture of Health

Eat Well

As the saying goes, "You are what you eat" and we know a good diet is essential for good health and well-being.

A good diet is a balanced diet - one that contains a variety of food from each of the different food groups in the right proportions for your health needs. What we eat affects both our physical and mental health  - our energy levels, ability to concentrate, risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity. So it's worthwhile taking the time to follow some simple guidelines, shop sensibly and learn to enjoy preparing and eating food to ensure we give our minds and body the fuel it needs.

Knowing what to eat, when to it, how much to eat and how to prepare it can be a challenge. That's why we run a number of programmes to help you get your "5 a Day" and everything else your body needs.

• The 5 a Day Challenge
  A fun way to keep track of how much fruit and veg you and your family/housemates are eating.
• Diet MOT
  This hour long workshop looks at what you eat and how you can make simple changes to improve it. This workshop is part of our Wellness Days and Refuel-Refresh-Relax programme but if you'd like to book a lunchtime Diet MOT for a group of friends or colleagues just let us know.
• University Farmers Market - on the second Tuesday of every month (exluding August and January) between 11am and 3pm you can stock up on fresh locally produced seasonal produce at our Farmers Market outside Sport, Exercise and Health on Tyndall Avenue.

The Eat Well plate shows how much you should eat from each food group. This includes everything you eat during the day, including snacks. You don’t need to get the balance right at every meal, aim to get it right over time such as a whole day or week.

Top Tips

1. Eat 5 A Day - that's 5 portions of fruit and vegetables (5 in total, not each!) - fresh, tinned, frozen, dried and juiced all count.
2. Have some oily fish every week - salmon, mackerel, tuna...
3. Cut down on the “bad” fats in your diet. Don’t rely totally on fast food and takeaway meals
4. Have a high carbohydrate breakfast to start the day - you need to refuel your body after fasting the night before - wholegrain cereals are the way forward
5. Choose plenty of other starchy whole-grain and low GI foods - brown bread, brown rice, brown pasta...
6. Try to eat regular meals and pack a healthy snack to refuel the brain as well as the body. Choose options that are lower in fat, salt and sugar when you can.
7. Go easy on the caffeinated and sugary drinks
8. Keep your alcohol intake within sensible levels - 1-2 units a day for women, 3-4 for men - units, not drinks!
9. Enjoy your food! Treats can fit into a healthy balanced diet
10. Drink plenty of fluid - 2 litres a day - water (tap is just as good as bottles -less expensive and no nasty plastic to throw away), juice, squash all count.