Some people go to extremes and get so worked up about it that it becomes almost impossible to eat “right” and hold down a full-time job, and if you’ve got a family, you can forget that!

So while the basic principles of eating right are good, you need to be careful not to become orthorexic, which is when you develop an unhealthy obsession with eating “pure” food. Just eat right from each food group; it’s not about going on a diet, it’s about changing the way you eat.

The “secret” is that by following these basic rules, you’ll maintain a healthy weight, and yes, you’ll still need to exercise – and prevent certain diseases for which poor nutrition is a major risk factor.

1. Eat More Fruits And Vegetables

According to the expert recommendations, half of what’s on your plate should be fruits and veggies because they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibre while being low in calories. Buy local produce when you can: it’s more eco-friendly and fresher, and you’ll be supporting the local economy.

Seek out farmers’ markets, where you typically find better fruits and vegetables for less than you’d pay at the supermarket

Organic food baskets are another convenient solution, but in winter, frozen vegetables are the eco-friendly choice. And when it comes to freshness, nothing beats growing your own sprouts! You can use a wide range of seeds for home sprouting, and the results are tasty and packed with vitamins and minerals.

There are so many more options than just wheat – quinoa, brown rice, spelt, barley, oats, chia and so on – and each has its own unique flavour. Whole grains contain more fibre and leave you feeling full longer than products made with white flour do.

And, as an added benefit, as life often gets in the way of healthy eating, get into the habit of making healthy smoothies but make sure you find the best juice/smoothie blender that extracts all the vitamins and minerals – we recommend the Tefal PerfectMix as it’s easy to use, affordable and makes the perfect drinks and soups – perfect for Uni 😉

You don’t need to go vegetarian, but eat less red meat, which is high in saturated fat.

Instead, opt for fish, poultry, tofu and legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas, so start a new tradition: a meat-free day! In fact, this is already a well-established part of certain religious traditions.

Until 1966, when Pope Paul VI lifted the obligation, Catholics weren’t supposed to eat meat on Fridays. As long as you don’t see it as some kind of penitence, adopting a meatless day is easy!

These are generally very high in salt and contain too much added sugar and fat.

Take the time to read food labels: if the list of ingredients is long and looks like it’s more about chemistry than food, leave it on the shelf.

But remember, some processed foods are perfectly good for you – whole-grain pasta, canned beans and lentils, frozen fruits and vegetables.

Cut down on saturated fats, which you find in cheese, butter, and meat, and go for olive, canola, or flax oil, nuts and fish instead.

Good fats promote good cholesterol, which is essential to your health. Saturated fats are easy to spot because they’re solid at room temperature. So try replacing cheese and mayo with peanut butter (the natural kind with no hydrogenated oil), hummus, or avocado.

The latest recommendations are a maximum of one drink per day for women and two for men.

One “drink” means 150 ml of wine, 354 ml of beer, or 44 ml of hard liquor. Coolers, premixed cocktails, and cocktail mixes are usually highly sweetened and contain colouring.

Cut back on Coffee, Soft Drinks, and Juices and drink more water!

It’s much better for you, and it costs less too, so when you get the nibbles and are thinking of snacking, drink a glass of water, you might just forget you were hungry in the first place.

Avoid soft drinks, sweets, and prepared desserts, and watch out for foods not typically thought of as dessert but which contain huge amounts of sweeteners, like yoghurt, breakfast cereals, and sauces.

Your best bet, by far, is to sweeten foods yourself by adding a teaspoon of maple syrup or honey to plain yoghurt.

Most of us eat too much salt – our bodies do need salt, but only in a certain amount.

The recommended daily allowance of salt for the average adult is 1500–2300 mg, and yet, the national average is closer to 3400 mg a day!

Eating too much salt increases your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease. Replace table salt with sea salt, such as Celtic Salt: it’s far healthier, tastier, packed with natural minerals, unlike the salt you buy in the shops, which is packed with aluminium!

So you’ll use less! What’s more, sea salt contains less sodium chloride than regular table salt.

Here’s something you may have experienced: having eaten a Domino’s Pizza – you start gagging for water – this is due to the high levels of salt!

Go for variety and don’t give up all your favourites, or else you’re bound to fail.

And remember, everything in moderation – feeling deprived and unhappy is bad for your health too!

Eating a balanced organic and healthy diet can make all the difference to your overall and mental health.