Inner health is a very important subject because 95% of life threatening diseases starts inside our bodies where we can’t see what is happening. By ignoring symptoms we often allow the problem to increase until treatment becomes difficult or, in the worst cases, impossible. It is also true that one hour of prevention is far better than one year of treatment. In this article we will look at the main source of “body fuel” – the food that we eat and, more importantly, how we eat it. But before going into that subject there are other things we should not be doing:

1. No smoking.

2. No drinking alcohol to excess.

3. No taking of unprescribed drugs.

This article is written on the assumption that you abide by the three rules above.

What we eat is the starting point. There is no point in eating foods that are saturated in fat as your basic diet and complaining that you are overweight and/or feel unwell. Of course you do because this is self-inflicted by inadequate diet. A good diet requires daily intake of the five major food groups that we have covered extensively in previous articles.

Small meals taken regularly (even six meals each day) are better for you than long periods without food followed by a heavy meal.

Large, rich, meals late at night should be avoided, especially for older people. A cooked meal at midday is digested better than a late night meal.

You should drink at least one and a half quarts (1.5 liters) of fluid each day; much more if the weather is hot. If you become ill you should double your fluid intake. Water is best.

Improving your diet is not as difficult as most people claim. In most instances it is simply a case of adjusting the balance of what we eat. Here are a few tips:

Eat more fiber in the form of fruit, vegetables and whole grain bread. In addition add two tablespoons of coarse bran to your breakfast cereal. This provides bulk, or roughage, that your digestive system depends upon to function properly.

Cut down on fat, normally taken in fast foods and fries etc. Eat more lean meat, fish. Grill rather than fry foods where possible.

Eat less sugar (This means no soda’s because the average can of soda contains an equivalent of 20+ Tablespoons of sugar equivalent) Do not drink beer with meals because beer stops your body from breaking down fats. Water is the best drink followed by low calorie drinks and unsweetened fruit juices.

Walk for at least half an hour each day. Park your car at the furthest parking space from the supermarket; the exercise will increase your lifespan. If possible use stairs rather than escalators. All of these small things, together with your balanced diet, will increase your health and lifespan.