Health & Wellbeing

diet related simple changes to your diet can help diseases Managing common maintain good health.

Kaitlyn Dienelt ach group Dietitian

Common diet related diseases that become more prevalent as we age include hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

What are these conditions?

Hyper refers to a higher amount and in this case hypercholesterolemia refers to high cholesterol levels, whereas hypertension is high blood pressure. Both can be managed with medication however, dietary changes are an easy way to see improvements. Diabetes is a result of the body’s inability to maintain appropriate blood sugar levels. Early signs of diabetes can be highlighted by your GP from blood test results, allowing time to make changes and prevent the progression to diabetes.

what kind of diet can help manage these conditions?

Having a balanced diet with the right amount of salt, fat, fruit and vegetable intake can help manage common diet related diseases. The daily recommended salt intake should be no more than 5 grams, which is equivalent to a teaspoon or around 2000mg of sodium. Considering sodium naturally occurs in food, we need to be mindful of sodium added during processing and cooking. This means not adding any salt during the cooking process and avoiding highly processed foods or choosing ‘no added salt’ options.

Having a balanced diet with the right amount of salt, fat, fruit and vegetable intake can help manage common diet related diseases.

With fat intake, the type of fats consumed are important as well as the amount. Looking at foods naturally higher in unsaturated fats will help to maintain good cholesterol and avoid the build-up of plaques in blood vessels. This includes oily fi sh, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils and avocado. Finally, fruit and vegetable intake is very important. Both of these food groups have plenty of vitamins and minerals that are excellent in supporting our essential body functions. This can also help manage diet related diseases and risk factors for other conditions. Aim for 2 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables each day.

3 Simple ways to improve your diet:

• Watch your salt intake • Eat foods naturally high in unsaturated fats, including oily fi sh, nuts and avocado • Aim for two serves of fruit and fi ve servings of vegetables each day