Your answer:

It’s important to moderate the size of your meal portions as well as check that you have enough fresh foods in your diet including fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy and lean meats or alternatives. Choosing smaller, frequent meals and snacks will help you enjoy variety in your diet. Remember, snacking on junk food on the run or between meetings will throw off your healthy eating plan.

Your answer:

Staying active throughout your life is an important part of maintaining your overall health whatever your weight. Regular physical activity, at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week helps you to feel better, have more energy, manage your stress levels, and may help you to avoid gaining weight.

Try breaking up your exercise into manageable chunks of time — make it part of your daily routine by taking the stairs instead of elevators or walking all or part of the way home from work.

Your answer:

Staying active is an important part of leading a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

The National Heart Foundation of Australia and other leading authorities recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week.

Regular exercise provides a range of benefits: helps to maintain a healthy weight, while boosting your energy levels. Activities such as walking, swimming, cycling or even aerobic dancing can improve the fitness of your heart.

Your answer:

Breakfast has been called the most important meal of the day. People who eat breakfast every day tend to enjoy better health, have better nutrient intakes and are better able to manage their weight. Start the day off right with a nutritious, well-balanced breakfast that will also help fight off hunger pains for junk food by morning tea time.

Your answer:

Sometimes we forget that some fats are actually good and should be included in our diet — they provide energy and help the body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fats are also important in regulating body functions. Fat intake should be between 20 percent and 35 percent of all calories consumed in a day. ‘Good’ fats include polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats which are found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, oily fish and avocado. Saturated fats and trans fats are the ‘bad’ fats that should be minimized. Saturated fats are found in butter, cream, full fat dairy products, visible fats on meats and many take-out foods. Trans-fatty acids (TFA) are a type of fat found in many processed foods. Saturated and trans fats should be avoided, as they may help to raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the blood and increase the risk for heart disease.

Your answer:

A balanced eating pattern is essential for health; however, the mass of fad/crash diets available can make choosing the right foods confusing.

Fad/crash diets are often difficult to stick to and impractical at times, so the real secret to maintaining good health is to combine a healthy eating plan with daily physical activity. Remember, when you are eating well, you are living well!

Your answer:

Most of us enjoy a drink once in a while, but too much alcohol can quickly increase your calorie intake as well as present a myriad of health issues.

Enjoy alcohol in moderation and remember that most alcoholic drinks are high in calories while providing little nutritional value. Kidney and liver damage are very real long term consequences of excessive alcohol consumption.

If you find you drink too much alcohol, try cutting down by eating before going out, trying non alcohol or low alcohol drinks or diluting alcoholic drinks with seltzer or mixers.

Your answer:

Plain water keeps you hydrated, boosting your energy levels while flushing out wastes and toxins from your body.

While some water can be obtained from food, drinking plain water is the easiest and best source. If not enough water is consumed on a daily basis, bodily fluids may become out of balance causing dehydration. This in turn can increase the risk of headaches and result in lower levels of concentration and energy.

Water is needed as the basis for fluids in your body and needs to be replenished throughout each day to ensure overall health and well being.

Your answer:

Everyone should try and get at least 7 to 8 hours sleep a night, enough rest so that you can focus on your day to day activities. Adequate sleep helps your body fight off diseases and promotes a healthy weight. It also helps harness stress and fatigue.

If you find yourself getting tired during the day, you might not be getting enough sleep. Try managing your time and lifestyle to include more rest and relaxation. Prepare your body for rest by getting into a nightly routine that relaxes you before bedtime — light stretches and reading work for many people.

Your answer:

Try and treat take-out and fast foods as meals for special occasions — no more than once a week. Take-out meals include: pizza, pastries, creamy pasta dishes, fried chicken and hamburgers. These foods are generally high in saturated fats and of low nutritional value so if you must eat them, balance the meal with a side of fresh steamed vegetables or a salad.