Food campaigners are urging people to swap takeaways for ‘real food’ as part of an awareness drive to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent type 2 diabetes.
The Public Health Collaboration (PHC), a non-profit organisation dedicated to informing and implementing healthy decisions for better public health, is launching the first Real Food Day, which takes place on Wednesday 19 June.
Real food includes food and drink that is minimally processed. Vegetables, fruit beans, lentils, tea and water are some of the food and drink that involve minimal processing.
Organisers are hoping to inspire people to eat real food and avoid ‘fake food’ and also participate in physical activity every day to mark the occasion. Events will be held throughout the country, with activities planned to take place in schools and workplaces.
PHC Advisory Board member Dr Aseem Malhotra, an NHS cardiologist, said: “There is now evidence that lifestyle diseases can be reversed through real food lifestyles. Eating a balanced diet is important for everyone from children learning at school to employee productivity in the workplace to athletes performance on the track. By celebrating real food and highlighting the positive effect on everyone, every day, we can really make a difference for the future health of the nation.”
Diabetes Digital Media is a keen supporter of PHC, with Chief Operations Officer Charlotte Summers having spoken at its annual conference earlier this month.
She delivered a talk called ‘Low Carb Program: Structured education and behaviour change platform for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes‘, to delegates at the event, which took place at the Royal College of Practitioners in London on May 11 and 12.
The Low Carb Program is helping people to make healthier choices, with participants losing weight, lowering their HbA1c and even putting type 2 diabetes into remission, as demonstrated by a study published in a peer-reviewed journal last summer.
For more information on getting involved with Real Food Day visit the official website. You can find out about local events and download the family, school and workplace activity packs.
