Rules of healthy diet

Changing the way you eat can help you keep strong and healthy. Here are some top tips on how you can keep your body in shape.

1. Watch your fats: Decrease your intake of saturated fats, which are found in meat and full-fat dairy products and stay away from trans-fats that are found in many processed and junk foods. Try to take more mono-unsaturated fats, found in nuts and olive oil, or poly-unsaturated fats, which you can get from fish like salmon and soybeans. For substitutes in your daily diet, try olive oil instead of butter, or choose low-fat dairy products.

2. Exercise more: Being overweight or inactive can make your heart unhealthy and cause other health problems, so try and do some exercise regularly.

3. Fruit and vegetables are your friends: They're delicious and have lots of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibre, keeping your body functioning well and free of illness.

4. Stay away from sodium: Processed foods contain lots of it, so try to eat as many fresh foods as possible. When you are at home, try to substitute salt for spices and herbs to get that extra flavour.

5. Fibre and more fibre!: Fibre in fruit, vegetables and grains help the digestive system and can also lower cholesterol.

6. Try omega-3 fatty acids: Research shows omega-3s reduce the risk of sudden heart attacks, strokes and other serious health problems. These can be found in fish like sardines and salmon, and walnuts, among other foods.

7. Have a drink: Alcohol in moderate amounts has been shown to help protect the heart, but remember to drink sensibly, and don't drive after you drink!