Eating well: general guidelines

Sunday 31 October, 2010

 Reviewed: Jessica Passador and Kate Kaegi, Oncology Dieticians at Austin Health

Eating well means having a variety of foods every day from each of the food groups. Dietary guidelines for Australian adults, from the National Health and Medical Research Council, provide general advice on healthy eating to remain well.

Dietary guidelines for Australian adults

  • Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods.
  • Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. soy and other beans).
  • Eat plenty of cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles), preferably wholegrain.
  • Include lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives.
  • Include milks, yoghurts, cheeses and/or alternatives. Choose reduced-fat varieties where possible.
  • Drink plenty of water.

And take care to:

  • Limit saturated fat (found in meat, full cream dairy and some vegetable oils) and moderate total fat intake.
  • Choose foods low in salt.
  • Limit your alcohol intake if you choose to drink.
  • Consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars.

It is also important to:

  • Prevent weight gain: be physically active and eat according to your energy needs.
  • Care for your food: prepare and store it safely.
  • Encourage and support breastfeeding.

See also our healthy eating guidelines for full details of how many serves of vegetables, fruit, cereals, meat and dairy you should be including in a balanced diet (and what comprises 'a serve' of each).

Physical activity guidelines for Australian adults

The following guidelines, from the Department of Health and Ageing (2010), are for healthy Australian adults. If you are or have been ill with cancer, talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

Movement is an opportunity, not an inconvenience.

People don't exercise as much as they used to, thanks to cars, machinery, TVs and DVDs and computers. Yet our need for exercise is as important as it was for our ancestors. Exercising reduces the risk of obesity and other health problems.

Think of exercise as a good thing: it is! Be active every day in as many ways as you can. Being active in small ways is likely to provide health advantages to almost all people, irrespective of age, body weight, health condition or disability.

Increase your daily activity

Here are some ideas about how to increase the amount of exercise you do every day:

  • Make a habit of walking or cycling instead of driving or riding in a car.
    Do some gardening.
    Walk up stairs instead of using the lift or escalator.
    Do things by hand instead of using labour-saving machines.

Remember: some activity is better than none, and more is better than a little.

Do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most days

Moderate-intensity activity includes such things as a brisk walk or cycling. It's exercise that causes a slight, but noticeable, increase in breathing and heart rate. A good example is brisk walking at a pace where you are able to comfortably talk but not sing. Other examples include mowing the lawn, digging in the garden, or medium-paced swimming or cycling.

Combine short sessions of different activities of around 10 to 15 minutes each, to a total of 30 minutes or more.

Moderate-intensity activity doesn't have to be continuous. Improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and body weight can result from moderate-intensity activities of at least 30 minutes a day on most days, or doing 30 minutes continuously.

To keep it enjoyable, make the exercise part of work, family, community or social life.

Add some regular, vigorous activity

Vigorous exercise makes you ‘huff and puff': it's when you're exercising and find that talking between breaths is difficult. Good examples are football, squash, netball and basketball, and activities such as aerobics, circuit training, speed walking, jogging, fast cycling or brisk rowing.

For best results, this should be added to the above guidelines on three to four days a week for 30 minutes or more each time. Vigorous exercise will increase your fitness (moderate-intensity exercise probably won't). It also provides extra protection against heart disease.

Children and teenagers under the age of 18 should do regular vigorous activity. Women who are pregnant are not advised to exercise vigorously.


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