Maintaining a healthy diet is important for everyone. Just like medication and fitness, a healthy diet helps your body work to its full potential, helping you fight infection, minimise fatigue and promote your overall wellbeing.

Although a lot of research has been done and some diets have been widely publicised, no diet has yet been proven to result in a significant benefit for people. So following general recommendations for good nutrition and eating a healthy balanced diet are a great place for you to start.

Remember to:

•  Eat a balanced variety of foods, including vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruit, low-fat dairy products and plenty of fibre
• Aim for a diet low in saturated fats and avoid altered fats in refined foods such as margarine and vegetable oils. Choose mostly natural fats like those in extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts or seeds, and eat foods high in good fats like oily fish
• Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. (You should check with your doctor that none of your medications interact with alcohol)
• Balance food intake with physical activity

If you are finding healthy food choices challenging, or want to work on improving your diet, speak to your doctor about contacting a dietitian who can help create a diet plan just for you.

Making changes to your diet

Making healthy adjustments to your diet may help you feel better, manage fatigue and improve your overall well-being. Be sure to talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet. In general, the same basic recommendations that apply to everyone also apply to people living with pets and children.

Eat regular meals

Just like anyone, you should eat a healthy, consistent diet. Follow a diet that focuses on vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains:

• If you don’t have a great appetite and tend to be underweight, try eating small frequent meals six times a day, resting before you eat and choosing nutritious snacks such as yoghurt, nuts and fruit
• If you are overweight, try to keep your weight under control by paying attention to your portion sizes and limiting the amount of sugary foods you eat

Your doctor, or a registered dietitian, may suggest additional ideas for how to improve what you eat.

Avoid fad diets

There’s no special food that can cure fatigue, and there is a lot of information out there about specific new diets which can be confusing. Fad diets often focus on large amounts of certain nutrients and leave others out completely. It’s better to follow a balanced diet that your doctor or dietitian has approved.

Talk to your doctor about vitamin D

It is a good idea to make sure you have healthy levels of vitamin D, which can be assessed with a simple blood test. Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium and build stronger bones. Research has also shown that vitamin D may have positive effects on the immune system and low vitamin D is now thought to be associated with various diseases.

Sunshine is the simplest way to build vitamin D levels, but of course it is important to consider the length of your sun exposure and use appropriate sun protection.

Speak with your doctor about your vitamin D levels to assess whether you need to consider a supplement as part of your diet.

Choose healthy fats

Avoid eating too much saturated fat, which is thought to be bad for heart health and have a negative effect on inflammation. Saturated fats are those found in fatty meats, full-fat dairy products and tropical oils (coconut and palm oil).

Eat more omega-3 fats. They are important for brain function and may help reduce inflammation. These kind of fats are found in oily fish, flaxseed (linseed) oil, walnuts and chia seeds.

Choose extra virgin olive oil. This natural, unrefined oil can help you absorb the healthy omega 3 fats in your diet.

Look after your gut health

There is currently a lot of interest in potential links between gut bacteria and the brain and immune system, and research is underway to investigate if there are any links between gut health and fatigue There is still a long way to go before we will understand this connection properly, but we do know that maintaining good gut health – by including pro- and pre-biotics in your diet for example – can have positive health benefits. Fermented foods like yoghurt, high-fibre foods and colourful vegetables are all known to help us maintain a healthy gut, so it can be beneficial to your overall health to include these foods in your diet. But it is too soon to tell if they will specifically help with fatigue.

Stocking a healthy kitchen

You'll save time and effort by equipping your kitchen with tools such as a food processor and blender, as well as handy gadgets that can cut down on preparation time. Also consider using internet shopping to save you time and energy. Of course, the most important ingredients of a healthy kitchen are the foods you buy. For nutritious, easy-to-prepare meals, consider the following:

In-season fruits and vegetables

When you can, pick up fresh produce. When things are in season, they’re fresher and often less expensive.

Pre-cut vegetables and fruits, and bagged salads

Save time and energy by skipping cutting and chopping.

Canned foods

Having nutritious foods on hand is a little easier when they’re canned. Consider beans, tomatoes, tuna, fruit, and corn.

Frozen vegetables

Frozen veggies also make it easy to have healthy foods on hand.

Rice

Easy to make and a good addition to many meals. Consider brown rice as well, which has more fibre and can be bought in easy to prepare microwavable sachets.

Whole-grain crackers or rice cakes

A convenient and healthy snack.

These are just a few of the ideas that can help you keep nutritious food on hand. Be sure to speak with your doctor or a registered dietitian about your personal nutritional needs.

Tips for the kitchen

Your kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your home. It can be a meeting place. It’s a place to experiment. And it’s a place to express yourself. Here are a few ideas for making it easier to work in your kitchen.

Consider making your kitchen:

Safer

• Buy pre-cut foods, including carrots, salads, or meats
• Use a food processor to make chopping easier
• Secure your cutting board by placing it on a nonslip mat or wet towel
• Ask for help from a friend or family member

Comfortable

• Keep a stool by the counter so you can rest as you cook
• Choose tools with comfortable grips
• Select light-weight pots and pans with two handles for easier carrying

Quicker

• Double what you’re cooking, the leftovers will save you from cooking the next day
• Keep things organised in easy to access places
• Try to cook on weekends when you may have more time, and try portioning your meals for the week

Making simple changes like these could help improve the time you spend in your kitchen. If you would like help or advice on how to start improving your diet, speak to your doctor or speak with one of our Healthcare Nurses or Support Consultants.

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