• Question: What do you think is a healthy diet/

    Asked by cupcake to Martin, Helen, Jenni, Mark, Stu on 14 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by grococka09.
    • Photo: Martin Lindley

      Martin Lindley answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      A healthy diet is a balanced diet.

      One that contains all the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals along with the essential fatty acids and amino acids. However it also needs to have the correct balance of fluid carbohydrate electrolytes etc and that changes on a day by day basis.

      So it depends on what you do …Micahel Phelps might eat 10,000 calories a day….but he swims and burns up about 10,000 calories a day !

    • Photo: Helen O'Connor

      Helen O'Connor answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      Martin says it all really – your fuel and liquid intake depends on what you are doing, and that’s why nutrition and hydration are such important aspects of sport science.

      But even if you aren’t an athlete, your body will burn a certain amount of calories just keeping your body functioning (even if you lay down all day!).

      I have worked with obese people who have not had a balanced or healthy diet for many years, and it is very hard for them to break a lifetime of bad eating habits

    • Photo: Jenni Tilley

      Jenni Tilley answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      not much more to say on this one. I do want to add that a balanced diet can contain chocolate and cake though – everything in moderation is all!

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