Auckland cardiologist Patrick Kay advises a good diet in the 21st century centres around eating leafy greens "in abundance" and avoiding too many carbohydrates, pasta and sugar.
He reckons we could benefit from eating the Mediterranean diet which includes more fish and less meat and replacing butter with unsaturated oils from plants and seeds, such as olive and rapeseed oil.
Kiwis eat "vastly too much saturated fat through meat". He says 500g of meat weekly - or roughly two meals of red meat a week - is sufficient. He's blunt that if you eat more than that, you're increasing your risk of bowel cancer or cardiac disease.
He says we should add two fish meals or vegetarian dinners to our weekly menu. "Canned tuna that's low in sodium is better for you than a big barbecued steak."
Dairy should be eaten "in very modest amounts", especially beyond adolescence.Things like cheese "should just be a treat" and generally and we should opt for skinny milk and other low-fat options.
A quick guide on how to eat healthily, as well as some recipe ideas, is available from the Heart Foundation (heartfoundation.org.nz).
The foundation's website reveals how serious heart health and diabetes are: they kill more than 6000 Kiwis a year.
A new book on the market by Dr Libby Weaver, Dr Libby's The Calorie Fallacy, highlights the need to stop dieting and start nourishing. Weaver is a strong believer in plenty of good nutrients in the diet and eating more "real foods".
Hawke's Bay lawyer and mum Heidi Oliver can vouch for the benefits of getting fitter and healthier. Eleven months ago she weighed 106.3kg. After her dad died of a heart attack, she decided to take steps to control her health. She yearned for a better "quality" of life with more energy.
"Sick and tired of only just squeezing into my size 16 jeans, stressed out, ashamed when my photo was taken and with high blood pressure, I decided it was time to put myself first so I decided to call Jenny Craig. I'm so glad I did," she says. Oliver wanted to reach 75kg - and she exceeded that target in 28 weeks.
She currently weighs 72.1kg and has gone from a size 16 to a size 12.
Some of the keys to her success were the wonderful support from her husband Mike and walking 50 minutes, five to seven days a week. The walking also helped her de-stress and have more energy.
She also credits her consultant Sheryl for keeping her on track with advice on food options and following structured kilojoule-controlled menu plans, including ready-to-eat-meals.
"The compliments for the new me just keep coming and I'm so proud of what I achieved and how I look and feel both physically and mentally now," she says.
WEEK THREE
Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge training
Three training rides every week over a range of terrain will get your body cycle fit. Each week between now and November 29 add 10km to your long and slow ride, 5km to the flat or undulating ride and 15 minutes to hills.
Hills can be daunting but if you practise a good technique they get easier. Climbing in the seat allows a constant rhythm, climbing out of the seat lets you use your body weight to turn the pedals.
• If you're climbing in the seat keep your chin pointing in the direction you want to go.
• Going downhill keep your weight on the back of your seat
• Avoid locking your elbows.
• Brake on straight sections rather than through corners.
• Apply brakes gently rather than slamming them.
• Enter online at cyclechallenge.com
• We missed printing last week's training programme. You will find it online here.
