Three simple ways to eat healthy

Britain has a love affair with processed and unhealthy foods...

It's official, the UK has the unhealthiest diet in Europe. Last week news that us Brits eat five times more processed food than those living in Portugal, and four times more than those in France, Greece and Italy, hit the headlines. 

In fact, the researchers from the University of São Paulo, revealed that half of the average person’s diet in the UK is made up of food that has been altered someway in its preparation - from breakfast cereals to ready meals. And that puts us at more risk of obesity, heart disease and strokes. 

Not surprisingly, food and health experts have since dubbed the UK a 'public health disaster zone'.

The problem with processed food is that during manufacture many of the nutrients are lost - and are instead replaced with artificial substances, sugar, salt and fat. When food lacks nutrition we tend to eat more - and many of the added substances can also be addictive, again tricking our minds to overeat and never feel satisfied. The UK government currently relies on the food industry to regulate itself - with mixed results - which also means shopping for healthier choices is made harder. So with convenience food so readily available, how can we really change our diets - and improve our long-term health? 

Here are three ways to overhaul your eating habits - and improve your health - for good...