A dietician has revealed the things we should all do to add years on to our lives - including eating more plant-based foods and oily fish. Helen Bond, 49, said a healthy diet was one of the "best weapons" we have to fight disease and live a long life.
Increasing your fibre intake, slashing the salt, monitoring your saturated fat and staying within the recommended alcohol limits were all key to a long life, Helen said. She said we should be eating around 30 different plant-based foods a week to keep our bodies healthy, alongside eating more oily fish, making sure we get our five a day and cooking more.
Helen, a registered dietician said: "There’s a lot of conflicting advice out there about what we should and shouldn’t eat to look after our health. But one thing most people agree on is that eating more plant-based foods is good for our health.
"Research shows that people who closely follow diets that include a lot of plants, such as the Mediterranean diet, are less likely to develop health problems later on in life, like cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Plant foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nut and seeds provide a valuable mix of vitamins, minerals, soluble fibre and beneficial plant compounds. They all work together to keep our bodies healthy – we should ideally be eating 30-plus different plant-based foods a week."
According to Helen, we also need to be consuming a lot more oily fish, with the dietician revealing our current intake falls well short of the recommended weekly portion.
She said: "Whether white or oily, fish is a great source of protein and provides an array of different vitamins such as vitamins A and D, and minerals like calcium, zinc, iron and iodine, which many of us aren’t getting enough of. Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout, pilchards or sardines are also packed with long chain polyunsaturated fats called omega-3 fats, which help the heart to work normally and maintain normal blood pressure.
"Sadly, dietary surveys reveal that oily fish intake is well below the recommended one portion (140g) per week - at around 56g/week for adults aged 19 to 64 years. Slightly higher in adults aged 65-74 years (91g/week) and 75 years and over (77g/week) but still falling short."
Next up on Helen's list of tips for a long and healthy life is fibre intake, and she said we should be consuming more - with health guidelines recommending we consume 30g a day to help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes and bowel cancer.
Helen said: "On average we are only managing about 20g a day. Upping our intake of fibre is definitely a must, but staying healthy for longer isn’t just about increasing your fibre intake, it’s about varying your fibre intake too as different fibres have different properties.
"We need to be eating more wholegrain or higher fibre varieties, such as brown rice, oats, whole-wheat pasta and wholemeal bread. It’s also good to try your hand at some of the less familiar wholegrains available such as quinoa, whole barley, bulgur (cracked) wheat."
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Perhaps the most common of Helen's tips is to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day, which she said should sit "right at the heart of our diet".
Helen said: "Studies have shown that people who eat plenty of fruit and veg have a lower risk of developing many diseases, including high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and stroke. To live a long, healthy life, fruit and veg should always sit right at the heart of your diet – at least 400g or five daily portions of fruit or vegetables.
"But the reality is that just 33% of UK adults (19 to 64 years) meet the ‘five a day’ target - with the typical number of portions consumed is 4.3 each day. So we have some work to do."
Helen said people needed to reduce the amount of salt they consume.
She said: "We need to slash the salt. Salt is linked to high blood pressure – a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke and in turn premature death.
"In fact, around 50% of heart attacks and strokes in the UK are associated with high blood pressure. Simply put, we’re eating too much.
"Adults should eat no more than 6g a day. But research shows that adults consume 8.4g salt a day –around a third more than the maximum recommended.
"So if you want to improve your diet and your long-term health, make lower salt choices. Start reading food labels, as most (75%) of our salt intake is already in the foods we buy. And remember, that all salt – rock, sea, pink or Himalayan, is the same."
When it comes to alcohol, Helen recommends not to exceed the standard 14 units a week and if you do drink that much, to spread it throughout the week.
She said: "Don’t save them up for Friday night - spread them out evenly across the week, ideally with a couple of alcohol-free days in between. Why? First off, drinking too much can increase our risk of developing conditions, including some cancers and liver disease.
"Alcohol is high in calories, an excess of which can lead to unwanted weight gain – and being overweight increases the risk of other conditions like heart disease. It can also hinder our good intentions to eat more healthily. In short, too much booze and in particular binge drinking is not good for your heart and overall health too."
A lot of us have a sweet tooth and while it's OK to enjoy chocolate and cakes from time-to-time, Helen said it was important to pay attention to how much hidden saturated fat we're consuming.
She said: "Saturated fat is the fat to watch out for when it comes to looking after your cholesterol levels –and remember, you’re never too young to start looking after your cholesterol levels, as levels start to rise with each decade of life. Swap saturated fat found in butter, lard and coconut oil for small amounts of unsaturated fats such as rapeseed and olive oils and spreads.
"You can also remove visible fat and skin from meat and opt for lean cuts where possible, use low fat milk and dairy products. It's also important to pay attention to how much hidden saturated fat you’re consuming in things like chocolate, puddings and pastries too."
Helen's last piece of advice for living a longer life was to get in the kitchen more often and have control over what we're eating.
Helen, who is based in Melbourne, Derbyshire, said: "Cooking from scratch as much as possible can help you eat healthily by allowing you to control the amount of fat, salt and sugar you add. So get in the kitchen more and move away from too many ultra processed foods and takeaways."
Helen's eight tips:
1. Eat a wide variety of different plant-based foods
2. Reel in the oily fish
3. Increase your fibre intake
4. Get your five portions of fruit and vegetables every day
5. Slash the salt
6. Stay within the recommended alcohol limits
7. Keep an eye on your saturated fat
8. Get cooking
