Healthy Eating
In Scotland, eating habits are the second major cause, after smoking, of poor health. The national diet contributes to a range of serious illnesses which include coronary heart disease, certain cancers, strokes, osteoporosis and diabetes.
With so much conflicting information out there, it is easy to become confused about healthy eating. This section is therefore designed for employees who want to find out more about healthy eating based on the latest scientific research and the UK government recommendations for the general population
Eatwell Guide
The Eatwell Guide [10MB] help us make informed choices about the foods, drinks and dietary patterns that promote good health.
The Guide shows the different types of foods and drinks we should consume - and in what proportions - to have a healthy, balanced diet.
The following video podcasts, looks at the key messages in the Eatwell Guide and provides some top tips to help you put these into practice.
Eatwell Guide Podcast (opens new window)
If you do need to lose weight, making long-term changes to some behaviour like what you eat and drink, and your level of physical activity can make a big difference to your health.
You can check if you need to lose weight by looking to see if your body mass index (BMI) is above the healthy weight range. You can do this using the BMI calculator available on the NHS website (opens new window).
Small Changes, Big Gains! [434KB] chart highlights some of the different areas that can affect your energy balance. These include social, psychological (affecting mental wellbeing) and environmental factors, as well as those related to physical activity, eating and drinking, physiology (how the body works) and the media. It also provides some useful tips to help you increase your motivation and identify opportunities to help you make positive changes to your everyday life.
Eat Better Feel Better (opens new window) is a Scottish Government initiative aimed at helping parents with children make healthier food choices. From meal planning, right through to shopping and food preparation; the website provides easy, quick and cheap recipe ideas, as well as useful tips, discount offers and video demonstrations.
Staff Weigh2Go Sessions
The Council's Staff Weigh2Go are free drop in sessions held for employees looking to monitor and maintain a healthy weight. The sessions are open to everyone, with no need to book and are held every week at the following locations:
- Strathbrock Partnership Centre, every Monday between 12.15pm - 1.15pm (Room 10)
- WLC Civic Centre, every Tuesday between 12.30pm - 1.30pm (Room 1N4)
Dietetics and nutrition
Dietetics and nutrition are based in Outpatient Department 1 at St John's hospital in Howden, Livingston. They aim to:
- Give advice on therapeutic diets
- Provide a specialist dietetic service for those with medical conditions
- See people on a one to one basis as well as in a group setting, for example, diabetes, weight management or cardiac classes
You can be referred to the service by your general practitioner (GP), hospital consultant or other health professional. Once they have enough information you would be given appropriate relevant information to assist you to make choices and decisions regarding your diet. A plan of care will be drawn up and you will be informed of how many future visits you will require.
For further information click on this link, or contact the main office on 01506 523174 or click on Dietetics and Nutrition (opens new window)
West Lothian Leisure
West Lothian Leisure as part of their Total Wellness Journey programme have information on healthy eating (opens new window) available along with their exercise regimes. To find an Xcite Venue near to you click on this link (opens new window)
If you don't wish to attend your GP or go it alone, there are a number of weight management classes/programmes as well as on-line options available across the region. Below are links to some of the more well known brands and the various options:
Top tips for women's health
- Maintain a healthy body weight - being underweight or overweight is not good for health. Maintaining a healthy body weight can help to reduce your risk of diseases such as breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.
- Increase your fibre intake - make sure you include some high fibre starchy carbohydrates in your diet such as whole wheat pasta, high fibre breakfast cereals (e.g. porridge, whole wheat flakes, lower sugar granola) or potatoes with their skins.
- Increase your fruit and veg intake - try and get in at least 5-a-day. Chopped dried fruit with your breakfast, veggies with your lunch and dinner and fruit as a snack is one way to reach that target.
- Meet your calcium and iron needs - these nutrients are important for your health.
- Calcium: Include some dairy products or calcium-fortified dairy alternatives in your diet.
- Iron: As well as red meat, iron can be found in beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, quinoa, wholemeal bread and dried fruit.
- Get active - 10 minute brisk walks can count towards your weekly 150 minute activity target
- Watch your alcohol intake - if you do drink alcohol, limit yourself to no more than 14 units of alcohol over the course of a week. So, no more than 6 medium glasses of wine or 6 pints of beer or lager or 14 single shots of spirit a week
- Try to make sure you eat when you are hungry and not because of emotional reasons like when you are feeling sad or stressed - 'comfort' eating on a regular basis may lead to weight gain.
- Check your blood cholesterol and blood pressure - having a high blood cholesterol or blood pressure can raise your risk of heart disease and stroke. Your GP, Practice Nurse or Pharmacist can tell you more.
It is important to eat a healthy, varied diet to maintain health and wellbeing throughout life and to help to reduce your risk of diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers. For further information on current issues in women's diets and lifestyles click on this link (opens new window)
Nutrition for Pregnancy
As a revised Cochrane review concludes that pregnant women can improve their health by maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise, in this section we provide some key information on diet and pregnancy. For further information click on this link (opens new window)
Healthy Eating and The Menopause
After the menopause, the long-term effects of lower oestrogen levels increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (i.e. heart disease and strokes) and osteoporosis (thinning of the bones which increases the risk of breakage). For more information on healthy eating and the menopause click on this link (opens new window)
Top tips for men's health
- Maintain a healthy weight - being overweight or obese is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and mental health problems. It can also decrease fertility.
- Eat more fibre - base your meals on high-fibre and whole grain foods like whole grain breakfast cereals, whole wheat pasta, wholemeal bread, brown rice and include pulses (e.g. lentils and beans), unsalted nuts and seeds in your diet.
- Keep track of your red and processed meat intake - if you on average eat more than 90 grams (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day (that's around 600g a week) cut down to 70 grams a day (that's less than 500g a week).
- Cut down on saturated fat - reduce your intake of biscuits, cakes, pies, pastries, chocolate and cream, choose unsaturated oils such as rapeseed, olive and sunflower oils and spreads made from them for cooking, salad dressings and spreading and choose low-fat dairy foods.
- Eat more fish - try to eat at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily (e.g. salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout).
- Eat more fruit and veg - try to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. Fresh, canned, frozen, dried and 150 ml of unsweetened juice all count.
- Watch your salt intake - aim for less than 6g a day. Check the nutrition label on foods, choose reduced salt versions of foods, and don't add salt in cooking or at the table.
- Keep active - aim for at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate activity - that's the type of activity where you raise your heart beat plus muscle strengthening exercises e.g. sit ups/press ups two days per week.
- Limit alcohol intake - If you drink alcohol, try to drink no more than 14 units a week, with several alcohol-free days each week.
- Seek help if you need it - if you are worried about any aspect of your health don't keep quiet, speak to your GP.
For further information on lifestyle changes specific for men click on this link (opens new window)
According to an Equality Scotland publication minority ethnic community groups (including Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, African, Caribbean and Chinese) are more likely to experience poorer health than the mainstream white population. Long term conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer are more prevalent in some BME groups. People from South Asian backgrounds, for example, are 6 times more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes and people from African/African- Caribbean origin are 3 times more likely to develop the condition compared to people of White backgrounds.
In response to an extensive consultation that shows BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) older people can face barriers to accessing information on diet and lifestyle, The Older People Services Development project has produced this clear advice on healthy eating [7MB] . Multilingual publications of this guide can be obtained through Equality Scotland (opens new window).
Top tips for older people for healthy ageing:
- Eat an enjoyable and varied diet
- Watch your weight and waist size
- Eat plenty of fruit and veg
- Opt for healthier fats
- Include oily fish in your diet
- Get enough fibre
- Reduce your salt intake
- Eat calcium-rich foods
- Boost B vitamins
- Keep well hydrated
- Take a vitamin D supplement if you are over 65
- Remember supplements and functional foods don't replace a healthy diet
- Be physically active
- Go easy on alcohol
- Look after your teeth
- Don't smoke
- Get enough sleep
- Keep your brain stimulated
For further information on lifestyle changes specific for older people click on this BNF Nutrition for Older People (opens new window)
Eat Well Age Well (opens new window) is a new national project tackling malnutrition in older people living at home in Scotland and provides a wealth of information specific geared to support older people. Malnutrition is a significant problem for older adults. It is estimated that 1 in 10 older people living in the community are suffering from or at risk of malnutrition. This equates to approximately 103,000 older people in Scotland.
Those who are malnourished are twice as likely to visit their GP, more likely to require hospital admission, and have a greater number of health issues. The causes of malnutrition are complex, risk factors include: social isolation, loneliness, food poverty, increasing frailty and oral health problems. The problem of malnutrition [1MB] , and associated health costs, are predicted to get worse with an ageing population.
NHS provide Eight Tips For Healthy Eating (opens new window) which includes basing your meals on higher fibre carbohydrates, eating lots of fruit and veg, eating more fish, cutting down on sugar and saturated fats, being more active and keeping hydrated.
Another resource from the NHS is Understanding Calories (opens new window) which gives advice and support on what the average calories we require and knowing how to check the calorie content of food and drink.
Try the British Nutrition Foundation's Swap or Change Planner (opens new window) for free. It is a personal resource to help you try something new, swap your old habits for better one and change your lifestyle with easy to follow suggestions to choose from to help you develop a healthier lifestyle.
The British Heart Foundation (opens new window) provides a Youtube video (opens new window) on how to eat healthy which features n how to produce easy freezer meals. Also take a look at their Heart Matters Magazine (opens new window) which explores the challenges of healthy eating on a budget including some top tips and advice for healthy eating from a qualified dietitian. It also features some sample meal plans.
BBC Food also provide healthy recipes (opens new window) as well as advice on portion control. They also provide a diet and exercise calculator (opens new window) to help calculate how many calories you need to how many your exercise sessions will burn.
Age UK (opens new window) also provides information and Healthy Eating Guides (opens new window) in their Health & Wellbeing website including how to prepare and cook wholesome food. Although some sections are specifically targeted for older people the general advice and guidance would span all ages.
Always make sure to keep yourself safe whilst online
Listed below are some apps in relation to healthy eating. Whilst these apps can be useful, they are not a replacement for seeking medical advice, if you have concerns about any health issues you should discuss with your GP in the first instance.
Please check the suitability of each App, and if there are any cost implications or compatibility issues. Whilst most of the apps listed below are free to download, please be aware of potential in-app purchases.
Apps for Healthy Recipes
- One You Easy Meals (opens new window) - recipe app for helping everybody to eat tasty healthier meals. Available on iOS and Android, free
- FitMenCook (opens new window) - app that helps you eat healthy that are budget friendly and eat to prepare. Available on iOS and Android, £2.49, pro £0.79 monthly, £4.49 annually. Also has a free website (opens new window) with blogs and recipes nd available on amazon prime.
- SideChef (opens new window) - over 2,500 recipes all carefully explained to make them accessible, as well as nutritional tips and video instructions. Available on iOS and Android, free
- MealIQ (opens new window) - a tool that allows you to search recipes on the web that fit the criteria you select and even excludes ingredients you dislike. You can review the recipes, swap dinners out you like and generate shopping lists taking into account things you have already have in your cupboards.
Apps for Specific Diets
- Changing Health (opens new window) - loose weight, eat better and move more, a lifestyle coaching programme for people with type 2 diabetes. Available on iOS and Android, free however requires a GP referral
- Low Carb Program (opens new window) - app lets can help anyone with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes take better control of their condition using educational information and healthy recipe ideas. Available on iOS and Android, free with GP referral or from £14.99 monthly
- FoodSwitch UK (opens new window) - scans a products barcode and shows if there's a healthier alternative using a traffic light symbols also includes a SaltSwitch tool to highlight lower-salt alternatives, recommended for those with high blood pressure
- VNutrition (opens new window) - developed by The Vegan Society this app is aimed at new vegans, and those trying out a Vegan diet, but it's also useful for someone who wants to assess the quality of a well-established Vegan diet. Available on iOS and Android, free
Apps for Weight Loss
- Noom (opens new window) - A simple traffic light system helps you track what you're eating, while support comes from the small group of "Noomers" you're joined with in your dietary quest. Available on iOS and Android, £7.99, pro monthly, £14.99 for three months, £39.99 annually.
- FatSecret (opens new window) - easy to use food diary for you to track as well as plan in advance what you're going to eat. Available on iOS and Android, free
- LooseIt! (opens new window) - is an app that will devise a custom weight loss plan, setting you a daily budget and goal to aim for. Its image recognition means it'll identify the food you're eating automatically, saving you from entering it yourself. Available on iOS and Android, free
- My Diet Coach (opens new window) - an app that helps you find your inner motivation, stay on track, make healthy lifestyle changes, resist food cravings, avoid exercise laziness and other weight loss difficulties. Available on iOS and Android, free
Apps for Calorie Counting
- myfitnesspal (opens new window) - track calories, breakdown ingredients and log activities. Available on iOS and Android, free or pro £7.99 monthly
- Change4Life FoodScanner (opens new window) - scan the barcode of a food and it'll break down the sugar content into how many cubes it equates to in a bid to shock you out of buying anything too sweet. Available on iOS and Android, free
- MyPlate Calorie Tracker (opens new window) - app designed to help the user reach diet, weight-loss and fitness goals by tracking daily exercise and daily calorific, fat, carbohydrate, and protein intake. Available on iOS and Android, free
- Calorie Counter + (opens new window) - allows you to search for foods and meals from tons of UK supermarkets and restaurants and to scan foods by barcode. It will also help you set calorie and nutrient intake goals based on your height, weight, activity levels and personal goals. Available on iOS, free
Disclaimer
The app developer is solely responsible for their app's advertisement, compliance and fitness for purpose. Unless stated otherwise, apps are not supplied by West Lothian Council, and West Lothian Council is not liable for their use.
