Whole grains, calcium-rich foods and good fat

There are plenty of ways to incorporate healthier eating into your diet. Spend a bit of time learning about whole grains, calcium-rich foods and good fats.

There are plenty of ways to recharge the health benefits of your diet, with three key areas good to focus on: whole grains, calcium-rich foods and good fats.

Whole Grains: These are so-called because the entirety of the grain (bran, germ, endosperm) is left intact, with nothing stripped off. You lose none of the nutritional benefits as you would with stripped or bleached grains. Grains should be part of your everyday diet, and you should be aiming to make at least half of that amount whole grains.

The fibre content is one of the biggest reasons you should be eating whole grains. It helps your body to absorb and digest existing food, which makes you feel fuller with the food you've already eaten and keep you feeling fuller longer. You should be aiming for 25 to 35g of daily fibre so it can best work on your blood sugar and LDL ("bad" cholesterol) levels to keep them within a normal range.

Calcium-Rich Foods: Just because you've stopped growing doesn't mean your body is done entirely. Your bones still need good doses of calcium to keep dense and strong and not susceptible to fractures. Plus, getting enough calcium means you're not only staving off osteoporosis, but also heading in the weight loss direction, too.

While calcium in general is good for you, you'll do best if you can pair it with protein as both act positively off each other. Some foods you should be looking incorporating into your diet include:

• Dark leafy greens (eg kale, spinach, collard greens)
• Yogurt
• Sardines (try to mash up the bones and include them for an extra shot of calcium)
• Enriched breads and grains
• Calcium-rich orange juice
• Milk
• Cheese

Good Fats: A common misnomer is that when you hear the word "fat", it's automatically bad for you. Your body actually needs fat to survive and operate normally, but there are certain kinds of fat it prefers over others. It's things like hydrogenated fats, trans-saturated fats and saturated fats that you should stay away from.

On your next grocery trip, look at the ingredients label for fats that are unsaturated to get its full health benefits. These are commonly found in foods like olives and olive oils, fish like salmon, nuts and grains, eggs and avocados. Other tasty foods with good fats that can be good for your daily diet include:

• Dark chocolate (look for a high cocoa content with a 70% minimum baseline)
• Coconut oil or butter
• Shea butter
• Camalina oil
• Fatty cheeses
• Full fat cream
• Cod fish liver oil
• Chicken thighs and drums

The key is moderation when it comes to all these foods. Try not to go too heavy in one area, but keep it balanced and varied so your body can get the full array of health benefits it's looking for.