Fresh is Best for a Healthier Lifestyle
Food plays a major role in our well-being, fitness levels, moods and hormone balance. It can give us energy or zap us of the will to move, depending on what and how much we put into our systems.
And every day there is a new diet to add to the millions already claiming to be the 'next quick fix' in terms of health and beauty.
So what should we eat and how much?
In some way we are all on a diet. It is just a case of whether we are following a good diet and lifestyle or slipping into bad habits that can have a long-term effect on our health and well-being.
Eating can dominate many people's daily routine. They don't think much past breakfast before they are planning their lunch, while snacking on a mid-morning break. But constantly eating doesn't mean we are unhealthy. In fact, quite the opposite. 
Fad diets may give us a boost and make us fell like we are in control of our intake for a short while, and other trending diets can lead us to believe that if we follow them too, we could end up looking like the celebrity who is endorsing it.
Over 25 years ago we discovered one 'fad' diet that claimed to be a revolution in eating - the ultimate diet - and one that everyone should follow.
It didn't include any odd powders, boxes of 'meal replacement' bars, ready-made menus or other diet aids. It simply comprised of several pages of advice; a detailed description and information pages on how the best diet was a fresh diet,
A combination of exercise, fresh food, moderation and lifestyle changes was explained and a suggestion that portion control was also an added factor in achieving the weight-loss or healthy diet for everyone who wanted it. What this diet did include was a handful of pages of common-sense. And it still stands today.
Changing our diet needs to be seen as part of a lifestyle change, one that suits our own individual needs, and not the needs or wants of the latest celebrity role-model or our best friend.
By looking at our complete lifestyle, including exercise, portion size, food intake and food group choices, we only need to add a few spoonfuls of common sense to the mix to achieve a way of life that suits each of us as individuals.
Lifestyle changes are not about denying ourselves the foods we love. It is about learning to love what is beneficial to us and keeping in moderation the foods we feel we can't live without, but enjoying them as a treat rather than an everyday staple. Fresh food over processed food is a much healthier option, contains less additives and preservatives, and also lets you take back the control of what ingredients go into your meals.
By making fresh food we are also passing down to our families the skills needed to continue this practise through to the next generation.
Fresh food doesn't have to be time-consuming. Many great dishes can be made in minutes with items you would probably already have in the store cupboard.
For a healthier lifestyle, fresh is best.