Liverpool’s Early Help Directory

Healthy Eating & Exercise
Healthy eating and getting regular physical exercise are key to maintaining positive wellbeing as well as keeping your body healthy; our physical health and mental health are closely linked, so physical activity can be very beneficial for our mental health and general wellbeing.

Exercise

Exercise could be any physical activity. However, we normally consider exercise to be an activity that is deliberately for fitness or training, rather than something that is part of our daily routine. Everyone’s level of exercise is different and people prefer different types. Some ways to exercise could be:

Going for a walk
Swimming
Jogging
Joining an exercise class like Yoga, Pilates, Zumba etc.
Dancing
Playing football or other sports
There are many others types of exercise but it is important to choose ones that will keep pushing you further while maintaining your well-being. Try doing 2-3 activities a week to maintain a healthy balance.

Healthy Eating
Eating a healthy balanced diet is important for wellbeing. Your gut and your brain use similar chemicals, so keeping your gut healthy can help to keep your brain healthy.

A balanced diet includes:

Eating 5 pieces of fruit and vegetables a day
Basing meal on starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta.
Having some dairy or dairy alternatives (like soya drinks)
Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein
Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and eat in small amounts
Drink plenty of fluids.
Quick tips on a healthy diet
Eating breakfast starts your metabolism and gets your day off to a good start.
Try eating smaller portions throughout the day.
Avoid foods that make your blood sugar rise and fall rapidly, such as sugary snacks, sugary drinks, caffeine and alcohol.
Keep yourself Hydrated, include water, herbal teas or diluted fruit juice.