HEALTHY EATING
What you eat affects how you look and feel. A healthy diet is one that is balanced and varied, and includes:
- plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables - it's recommended that you eat 5 portions a day
- lots of high fibre, starchy foods (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes)
- some protein - fish, nuts, cheese, beans and pulses, lean meat
- a little fat - choose olive oil, sunflower oil and margarine
- some dairy food - yoghurt, cheese, milk
- but doesn't include much sugar, salt or fat!
If you are a vegetarian or vegan
There is no reason why your diet should be less healthy than a meat-eater's. However you do need to pay more attention to what you eat to ensure that you are still getting everything that your body needs. Your local library or bookshop should have lots of cheap and tasty ideas for what to cook, and to balance your diet.
EATING DISORDERS
See also: self harm
If you have a problem with what you eat - or do not feel that you are in control of your eating, you may want to seek help. Eating disorders can affect both men and women.
Anorexia can be: a fear of fatness, under-eating, losing a lot of weight, too much exercise. It can make periods stop in women.
Bulimia can be: a fear of fatness, binge eating, normal weight but with fluctuations, induced vomiting after eating and/or use of too many laxatives. It can make periods irregular in women.
Binge eating can be: eating uncomfortably large amounts, eating a lot when not hungry, being embarrassed at how much you eat, feeling ashamed after eating a lot.
If you or someone that you know has a problem with eating and you want to talk to someone about this or to ask about getting the right help, you can contact your doctor or:
Castlegate who offer a free and confidential counselling service.
beat (formerly Eating Disorders Association, EDA) who run an adult helpline (over 18's) and a youth helpline (under 25's), website and message boards. You can also email for personal correspondence with a worker.