PMS: THE INGREDIENTS OF A HEALTHY DIET

The basic principle of healthy eating are to choose your foods from four main food groups:

1. starchy foods - particularly wholegrain breads, cereals, rice, potatoes, pasta
2. fruit and vegetables
3. lean meat, including poultry, fish, nuts and pulses (peas and beans)
4. lower fat dairy products.

Dairy products. Dairy products are an important source of calcium in j our diets. If you are not eating any dairy products then you risk long-term problems of weak and brittle bones.

Other foods, such as green leafy vegetables, dried fruits and wholemeal bread, do contain calcium but in much lower levels than dairy products. For example you would have to eat nearly l1\2lb (600g) of broccoli to obtain the same amount of calcium as in a 5oz (140g) pot of yoghurt

Many women regard milk and dairy products as fattening but if you choose reduced-fat varieties you will still obtain all the good nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D without earing too much fat.

If you are still not convinced by the benefits of dairy foods then you should consider taking a daily calcium supplement to provide your body with this vital mineral

At least two to three portions of milk and milk products should be included in your diet each day. A portion is:

• 'A pint (200ml) of milk
• a small tub of yoghurt
• 1 oz (30g) (about the size of a small matchbox) of hard cheese
• a small tub of cottage cheese

As you have probably noticed already there is a major omission from this list of foods. Yes, all those 'nice' things like cakes, chocolate, biscuits, croissants, pies, pastries, crisps are not on the list of healthy foods. These are the very foods which contain 'hidden' sugars and fats and should be avoided.

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Women's health