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ADVERTORIAL HEALTHY LIVING The best way to get all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals the body needs is to eat a healthy balanced diet. This
involves eating lots of fruit and
vegetables, and making starchy
foods such as wholegrain bread,
pasta and rice the centre focus of a
meal. Milk and dairy foods are also
very important, and although they
are primarily associated with
calcium, they also provide protein,
carbohydrate and varying amounts
of fat, while making a valuable
contribution to the intake of a
variety of other nutrients. The Government recognises the
importance of milk and dairy foods
as part of a healthy balanced diet by
including them in The eatwell plate. The national recommendation for the daily calcium intake (RNI)* of healthy adult males is 700mg/day. Milk, cheese and yogurt are all important providers of calcium, and each of the following portion sizes of these foods provide approximately a third of an adult male’s daily requirement for calcium: 200ml glass of semi-skimmed milk – provides 247mg of calcium 150g pot of low-fat yogurt – provides 243mg of calcium 30g (matchbox size) of hard
cheese – provides 222mg of calcium There are numerous different types of dairy foods, and many of them are available in whole, low-fat and fat-free varieties, which ensures that there is something to suit everyone. Other sources of calcium are green leafy vegetables, almonds, seeds and pulses, as well as fish where you eat the bones such as sardines. MILK The Natural Sports Drink? MILK & SPORT Milk is a good source of energy, protein and some minerals important to the good health of hardworking sportspeople and the population as a whole. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests milk may be a powerful post exercise recovery aid as well. Hydration – After building up a
sweat it’s important to replace the
water and salts you lose during
exercise. New research has shown
semi-skimmed milk to be just as
effective as commercially available
sports drinks at rehydrating the
body after exercise. Endurance – Setting new goals in
your fitness routine is a great way to
give yourself a boost, but to do this
you need to give your body the fuel it
needs to perform well. Studies
suggest that milk, and chocolate
milk, deliver the right balance of
proteins and sugars to naturally
increase exercise endurance. Muscles – Recent research has
found that, when consumed
immediately after resistance-based
muscle damaging exercise, semi-skimmed milk helped to preserve
more muscle than either a sports
drink or water, while a drink derived
from whey protein was shown to
accelerate muscle repair. Studies have also shown that
drinking milk, and using milk (whey)
protein supplements, can
significantly enhance muscle
strength when teamed with the right
exercise regime. Immunity – In general, active people
are less prone to illness than their
less active counterparts: however,
exhaustive exercise, or heavy
training may leave even the
healthiest body open to attack.
Milk’s whey component may offer
immune protection, which is
especially important for athletes. For further information relating
to dairy nutrition please visit The
Dairy Council’s website: * RNI is figure set by the Department of Health, which is determined by age and gender and describes the amount of a nutrient that is enough to meet the dietary needs of most people in a group (97% of people in a group). CLASSIC SPORTS SERIES / 77 |