Maintaining optimum health is not a difficult goal to achieve

It means taking responsibility for your health and being aware of the quality of the food that you eat

It means not waiting till symptoms of ill health occur and then expecting your doctor to give you the quick fix

Our hospitals, doctors and dentists surgeries are filled with people who are there with health problems directly associated with the quality of the food they are consuming

Most of the foods people eat each day just fill the gap, do not provide any nutritive value, and only further degrade your health leading to chronic, degenerative disease states

Good health is as simple as following a healthy diet, having a positive attitude and maintaining a level of physical fitness

As a broad guide, a balanced diet can consist of:

• 30% whole grains such as oats, millet, brown rice, buckwheat, barley and maize. Get rid of the white bread, white rice and white sugar. These foods degrade your health
• 40% vegetables lightly steamed or raw depending on the season and your preference. Cooked foods would be more suitable for the colder months
• 10% proteins from vegetable sources if you are vegetarian or from organic meat or fish if you are non-vegetarian. Always choose lean meat. Try to eat vegetable protein regularly rather than relying exclusively on meat
• 10% fruits and nuts. A small hand full of dried fruit or nuts is sufficient for one day
• Oils, polyunsaturated and cold pressed oils. Store them in a dark cool place and once opened refrigerate to maintain freshness. Use these to dress salads and in stir-fries

Some very good reasons why you should include fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet and reduce your consumption of processed and refined foods include

•  the World Health Organization has found that 85% of adult cancers are related to nutritional deficiencies that could be avoided by including fruit and vegetables in your diet
• including one apple a day in your diet you can reduce your risk of heart disease by 20%. If you add two more pieces of fruit per day such as an orange and banana and you may reduce your risk by 50%
• you may reduce your risk of lung cancer by 25% by eating at least 5 portions a week of red fruit or vegetables
• including tomatoes in your diet every other day could reduce the effects of asthma
• eating two to three carrots a day can reduce cholesterol levels
• a diet high in fibre protects against breast and prostate cancer
• one of the best sources of calcium can be found in dark green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli, silver beet, english spinach, and bitter lettuce such as radicchio, and chicory
• onions are also of value in helping prevent bone degeneration. One gram of onions a day can help strengthen your skeleton

These are just a few of the benefits of a healthy diet.

Include higher energy levels, a happier disposition, clearer thinking and less aches and pains and you have some very valid reasons to take responsibility for your health and practice self help by improving the quality of your diet

And don’t fret.

When you are feeling healthy your body can tolerate the occasional treat because good health is also about being flexible and not holding rigid attitudes