Nutrition

We need protein to build up our muscles and organs, strengthen our immune system and digest food. When our meals do not provide us with enough protein, our bodies will take it from the muscles and give it to where it is needed the most. As a result, our arms and legs may become thinner. Our immune system may also become weakened. Studies have shown that by losing as little as 5% of weight you could become very, very ill .The rule of thumb for protein consumption is approximately 100-150g and 80-100g per day for HIV positive men for women.

Excellent sources of protein include lean red and white meat such as beef, pork, lamb, mutton, chicken and turkey. Fat and skin can be removed to reduce the amount of saturated (bad) fat. Eggs, milk and dairy products are also good sources. Unlike animal foods, proteins from vegetables including nuts, seeds, pulses and legumes are incomplete. That means some essential amino acids which form the protein are missing. If you are a vegetarian, it is very important to have a varied diet so that the missing amino acids can be compensated from another type of food.

Your body constantly needs energy, even when you are sleeping. Carbohydrates can help provide that energy.

There are three main categories of carbohydrates:

• simple carbohydrates
• starch
• dietary fibre

Simple carbohydrates provide us with large amount of energy over a short period of time. They are often found in ice-cream, sweets, soft drinks, biscuits, cakes, table sugar etc.

On the other hand, starch provides us with sustainable energy, as they are slowly broken down into simple carbohydrates over a longer period of time. Starch is found in bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, oat, cassava, sweet potatoes, yam etc.

Dietary fibre helps maintaining a healthy gut, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It is found in whole grains and cereals, fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts.

Fat is important as it provides us with energy, keeps us warm, protects our organs and helps the body produce hormones. The guideline daily allowance of fat is no more than 30% of our daily energy intake. It is important to stick within our allowance because if we eat more fat than it is being used up, our bodies will store it. Having too much fat stored in the body is associated with a number of health risks.

Eating too much saturated (bad) fat can raise bad cholesterol levels and lead to heart disease. It is found in animal fat such as fatty meat, skin, butter, whole milk and cream, and also some plant based food such as coconut and palm oils. It is recommended to avoid them.

Unsaturated (good) fat, on the other hand, is more heart-friendly. They reverse the bad effect of saturated fat by lowering the bad cholesterol levels and increasing the good cholesterol levels. Unsaturated fat is found in most plant based food such as nuts, seeds, olive, fish, avocado, sweet corn and soya beans and their oils.