Eating a healthy, balanced diet along with taking regular exercise is key to physical and mental well-being. No foods should be considered as simply ‘good' or 'bad’ as all foods play an important role in the diet. A healthy balanced diet, eaten in moderation, with plenty of variety, will supply the hundred or so essential components that we all need to stay healthy.

'Sugar forms a useful part of
a normal, healthy balanced diet'

The key is to eat a varied diet and not to eat more than we need. It is only when foods are eaten in excess that health problems may result.

Every activity from breathing to running requires energy. We get our energy from the nutrients in food. Carbohydrates, fats and protein are the three main nutrients (known as macronutrients) that provide energy in our diet. The body can be compared to an engine that converts the energy in food into the energy we need to live. The energy in food is measured in Calories, with each of the macronutrients containing differing amounts of energy.

The more active you are, the more energy from food you require. It is important that you have the right amount of energy to meet your needs. If you do not have enough you will lose weight. However, if you take in more energy than you use up, you will gain weight. This is because excess energy from food is converted into body fat.

Current scientific evidence shows that individuals who consume a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, rich in fruit and vegetables, are more likely to be lean rather than overweight or obese.