Why can the idea of healthy eating feel so complicated? How do I know what foods are good for me? What should I be eating to keep myself healthy?

Eating healthily has so many benefits for the mind and body. Making the right food choices for you can not only support your immunity and longevity, but it can also improve your bone, skin, gut, and eye health. But being bombarded with the latest health crazes can feel both confusing and a bit intimidating at times. It’s so easy to get caught up in a bit of a daze with it all.

We’re pretty good at knowing why it’s important to eat healthily, but how to put it into action is a whole other thing. If you are finding it a struggle, there are some simple ideas to stick to that can teach you all you need to know about healthy eating.

No more fad diets

The promise of quick weight loss might seem appealing but fad diets are usually lacking in scientific evidence and can feel quite restrictive. Cutting out entire food groups can be unsustainable and may make you feel disheartened about trying to change your eating habits. The last thing you want is to feel like you’re back to square one with it all.

The dieting industry relies on people failing over and over again. In her article, 5-minute reads: Why diets don’t work, Kacie Shoulders (ANutr) explains why diets are to be avoided and why the best advice is to eat a balanced diet.

“I know you may be thinking that your diet includes a whole lot of food, or promises to. But as soon as you restrict in any way (and most diets are about low calories so will be restricting) your body thinks it’s got to battle for survival. Food is clearly scarce and it needs to adapt. That means increasing appetite hormones, decreasing satiety hormones, slowing down your metabolic rate, etc.”

Eat a balanced diet

Eating a balanced diet is a way of ensuring you eat the proper nutrients from a variety of foods, helping your body feel good.

Here are a few basic tips to help you get started:

• Try eating at least five to seven portions of fruit and vegetables daily.
• Keep well-hydrated (six to eight glasses is recommended per day)
• Carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, and potatoes should be about the size of your fist; this will vary depending on how active you are.
• Eat good quality protein with every meal such as meat, fish, eggs, whole grain beans and pulses.
• Try to reduce refined sugar found in sweet treats and fizzy drinks.
• Keep your saturated fat intake found in crisps, pies, processed meats, and baked goods to a minimum where possible.
• Make healthy choices based on the reference intakes guidelines found on the back of food packaging.

It’s also great to remember that being active, especially in nature, is a lovely way to support your body’s needs and complements all the great benefits of healthy eating. Looking after yourself in all these ways can help give you more energy, focus, and motivation.

Look after your attitude to food

Even though there may be certain foods y

Nearly two-thirds of parents report their child getting grumpy when constipated, with a further third sleeping less. Could helping our kids get more digestive-fit help to avoid poo-related problems and beat constipation woes?

Every parent goes through That Phase. The one where your child, no matter what you try, seems to struggle to poo. It’s estimated up to one in three children in the UK has constipation. at any one time, thanks to illness, poor diet, fear of using the toilet, and poor toilet training.

It comes as no surprise that constipation can make little ones miserable. Younger children experiencing constipation may not fully understand why they are in discomfort or pain. This can lead to them becoming grumpy, having trouble sleeping, and struggling to explain why they are feeling uncomfortable. A recent poll of over 1,000 parents for Docusol Paediatric found that two-thirds of parents (66%) report their child getting grumpy when constipated, leaving half (50%) of parents feeling helpless and unsure of what to do. So, what can we do to help our kids feel more comfortable and have more regular bowel movements?

Is it common for children to be constipated?

Pharmacist Sultan Dajani, advisor to Docusol Paediatric, commented, “We assume that emptying our bowels should just happen as a normal bodily function; an instinct. Right? We don’t have to teach newborn babies how to empty their bowels – they just do it. Yet, constipation in children is incredibly common.

“It’s estimated that around one in every seven adults and up to one in every three children in the UK has constipation at any one time. Three-quarters of parents polled say their child has had constipation at some point. Almost four in 10 (39%) of parents say their child has experienced constipation two to three times in the last year, while more than a quarter (28%) say it’s happened seven times or more. The knock-on psychological and emotional effects are often underappreciated.”

So, why is it so common for children to be constipated, how can we recognise the signs, and what can we do to help?

Why do children get constipated?

Children can become constipated for a wide variety of reasons. Common causes can include:

• Being early on in the toilet training process (which can mean: children ignore, resist, or don’t recognise the urge to use the toilet; feels pressured; or may be interrupted when trying to go).
• Changes in diet. This can include when weaning, trying new foods, going through a ‘fussy eating’ stage, or starting at a new school or nursery.
• Not eating enough high-fibre foods (including fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals or breads).
• Routine or big life changes, such as starting at nursery, reception, or a new school; moving house, or having a new sibling, can cause feelings of anxiety, worry, or stress, which can lead to constipation.
• Not drinking enough fluids (which can lead to dehydration).

When children get constipated, they can find it painful to poo. This can lead to them trying not to poo or ‘holding it in’, which c

Naturopathic nutritionist and health coach Claudine Thornhill joins Happiful’s podcast to share practical tips around optimising your nutrition, managing your wellbeing and becoming an expert on yourself in perimenopause

Claudine Thornhill is an advocate for women’s mental, physical and nutritional health and, as she shares with Happiful, believes that with good nutrition, self work and self-compassion we can navigate the perimenopause and menopause more positively.

Speaking on our I am. I have podcast, Claudine outlines some of the practical and everyday ways we can address, support and protect our wellbeing.

Symptom tracking

• One of the key things is really just to increase that connection and awareness with your body and your emotions. That's the first step. This will help you if you’re speaking with a GP or a healthcare professional.
  
  
• Come from the position as the expert on your own body. Track your symptoms. Whether you use a period tracking app, note things down on your phone or write it on a piece of paper, tracking your cycle, sleep, your stress levels and also what you've eaten as well is important. See what patterns there might be.
  

Nutrition

• If we eat in a way that balances blood sugar levels, that’s a good way to go and that includes a decent amount, in quantity and quality, of carbohydrates. It might be whole rolled oats, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and white potatoes as well. This should make up around a quarter of your meal plate.
  
  
• Protein is also important as we move through perimenopause. Osteoporosis can be a concern and so thinking about the protein and minerals that will support our bone health is key. So lean chicken, fish and foodstuffs like that. Also, if we’re starting to see unwanted weight gain around the middle, protein will help keep us fuller for longer. This should make up around a quarter of your meal plate too.
  
  
• Vegetables play a key role in our diet at this time of life, particularly dark leafy vegetables, as they support our liver function which is vital. Vegetables will also provide energy, which we all need. Veggies should make up half of your plate.
  
  
• Be mindful around stimulants like sugar, alcohol and caffeine which can cause insulin spikes or have an impact on cortisol, the stress hormone. Try not to drink caffeine too late in the day, and choose green tea which still has some caffeine for that kick but also contains flavonoids.

Wellbeing

• Address stress! Find activities that help you cope and destress. That will be different things for different people but breathwork, meditation, drawing