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Our Nutritionist’s top tips for keeping healthy and hydrated

breakfast

With the British Nutrition Foundation’s (BNF) Healthy Eating Week and the NHS’ Nutrition and Hydration Week both underway 14-21 June, 2021, ISS Nutritionist, Isabelle Lloyd, tells us more about the campaigns and shares some of her top tips for keeping healthy and hydrated! 

Events

What is the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF)’s healthy eating week?

BNF’s Healthy Eating Week aims to get people to reflect on their current diets and lifestyles and consider if they can make any changes to help improve their health and wellbeing. It’s about empowering people by offering information on how to lead healthier lives and is absolutely nothing to do with dieting! Examples of advice shared include encouragement to drink the recommended daily amount of water and promoting home cooking. Research shows that that such changes can have big impacts on overall health. 

…and nutrition and hydration week?


The annual NHS Nutrition and Hydration Week and is designed to highlight, promote and celebrate improvements in nutrition and hydration locally, nationally and globally.

Its main aim is to educate people on how valuable food and drink are in maintaining health and wellbeing, in health and social care settings but also more widely – especially given the widespread impact of Covid-19 on the health of so many. 

drinks

Themes

Both events have daily themes for the week which highlight key areas in nutrition, hydration and healthy lifestyles. I’ve picked some of my favourites which will suit our colleagues and customers who work both from home and the workplace. 

Isabelle's Top Tips

1. Make Time for Breakfast

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day – it helps you to concentrate, gives you energy for the morning and replenishes the body after sleep. Try and have a breakfast which is high protein, fibre and contains a portion of fruit and/or veg. Some examples are poached egg on wholemeal toast with tomatoes; porridge with peanut butter and a banana; or yoghurt with granola and berries.

2. Snack Smart

Healthy snacks can be a great way to increase your fruit and veg intake between meals. They are good for preventing drops in blood sugar levels and can help reduce overeating at mealtimes. Try to include snacks which are high in fibre, such as apple and peanut butter, carrot sticks and hummus, fruit and yoghurt, dried fruits and unsalted nuts.

3. Plan for Success

Make a food plan for the week and keep it varied, trying out new recipes each week. When you make meals from scratch, make extra so you can freeze them; a stock of healthy meals in the freezer means you always have good food available at short notice. Batch cooking can help save money too! Some of our favourites include bolognaise, sweet potato curry and tomato and lentil soup.

For more healthy cooking tips, visit the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) website.

4. Drink Up

In the UK it’s recommended that we drink a minimum of 6-8 glasses of liquid a day. Water, lower fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count (but not alcohol!). Hydration is needed for digestion, heart health and circulation, as well as temperature control and brain functionality. Our bodies are two thirds water, so there’s no doubt that it’s super important to our physical and mental wellbeing. Make sure you always have a full glass or bottle nearby, especially in the warmer weather!

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5. Keep Moving

The UK government recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week (such as walking, dancing and slow cycling) or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week (like running and aerobics). It’s best to try and be active every day. Find physical activities you enjoy; any movement is better than none. Try to break up long periods of sitting with activities like housework, stretching, walking or exercise. The benefits of keeping active include better heart health, reduced stress, improved quality of sleep and stronger bones and muscles:

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/hew.html

Further information

For more information and resources for both these events visit the BNF website.

Remember, the important thing is to look at what healthy habits you can add to your diet and lifestyle – not about taking away and restricting!

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