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Personal trainer Lesley Maxwell, who is in her late 50s, answers the top questions 50+ clients want to know. This week, Keith, a reader from N.S.W. asks; what is a healthy diet for me? Ready to take action and get active? Read on! 

Q. What is an easy to follow healthy diet for me to follow?
Personal trainer Lesley Maxwell says: The word ‘diet’ for most people means following a strict way of eating or feeling hungry – that’s not the case. ‘Diet’ just means what you're eating on a day to day basis. I like to think of ‘diet’ as consuming ‘youth foods’ to repair and renew every cell in your body. Look at food you are about to eat as the benefits it’s providing your body.

A simple glance at your meal will tell you if what you're about to consume is protein, fats or carbohydrates and each one has an entirely different reaction on our body. Protein (Essential Amino Acids) and fats (Essential Fatty Acids) for example are ‘essential’ for our body to repair and renew cells – carbohydrates (or sugar) on the other hand is just energy – and if you're not about to run a marathon or play a game of tennis we don’t use the carbs (energy). It just accumulates and is stored as soft body fat.

Does this mean we should never eat carbs?
I have my own personal philosophy with carbs which is ‘One Carb @ A Time’. Take a quick glance at your plate and see how many carbs you're about to eat. Do you need the bread served before your dinner meal which already contains potatoes or rice? Swap fruit juice or sports drinks for water or tea. Are you having cereal and juice for breakfast? This is all carbs. How about you swap this for one piece of toast (your carb choice) plus a couple of organic eggs (protein) and a couple of slices of avocado (good fats).

Leafy greens are a good source of ‘fibrous carbohydrates’ that you can eat until the cows come home and you shouldn't put on any weight. I have never known anyone to gain weight through eating fish and broccoli or steak and salad. But this doesn't mean you shouldn't include carbs – just choose ‘One Carb @ A Time’. 

Nourish and look after your amazing body and get more out of life!

Note: Always speak with your health professional before making any changes to your diet, exercise and health regimen.

What is the question you would most like answered regarding diet and exercise? Let us know in the comments section below.