All our mothers were right all along when they forced us to eat up our nutritional greens. We should in fact be eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day if we want to sustain our natural health and fitness. The best way to prepare our greens is to briefly boil them in a pot. That way all the goodness like vitamins and minerals stay locked in.

Another important element of a healthy way of eating is to eat 6 to 8 small meals a day, ideally every 3 to 5 hours. This helps to keep blood sugar levels stable, your calorie intake on an even keel and your metabolism pumping. You need to see the bigger picture here as well. By this I mean that skipping meals or radically reducing your calorie and nutritional intake is not going to help control your weight in the long term.

We all know it by now: We should drink a lot of water, but most of us don't. Water contains an incredible amount of nutritional value in the form of minerals, vitamins and other nutritional elements and should be part of any healthy nutritional diet. We all have or have had the symptoms of mild to more severe dehydration. These symptoms are quite unpleasant, such as dizziness, lack of concentration, irritability and headaches. This can easily be fixed by drinking enough water. Try to drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day (more when it's hot or when you're physically active) and you will stay well hydrated and on the ball all day.

It's recommended to be very moderate when it comes to the obvious fat food such as junk food. These foods have no nutritional value and contain a lot of calories. Don't forget about the hidden fat foods though, which are normally those tasty party foods like quiche, sausages, pork pie, salami, and dips. Try to keep biscuits, cakes and desserts as a special treat.

All sorts of food receive bad press sooner or later in their career in the field of weight loss. Bread, potatoes and pasta are no exception to the rule. These foods contain carbohydrates and on their own won't make you fat at all. It's more what you combine them with that counts. Creamy pasta sauce will contain a lot of calories and will therefore make you fat, as will big tasty cheese (calorie rich) sandwiches or a knob of butter on your potato. So be aware of how you combine these products and you won't gain weight.

When it comes to alcohol it's proven that a glass of red wine can be beneficial to health. However, take it in moderation as alcohol contains a lot of calories.

The butter vs. margarine debate continues to rage. The best advice is not to eat a lot of either, but to eat a little of both. The best oil for cooking is Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is not the cheapest but a little goes a long way.

Dairy products, another controversy within the dieting world, are a high source of fat and cholesterol. However, they do provide us with other beneficial nutrients (vitamins and minerals) so we shouldn't exclude them from our diet. Go for the "low fat" versions of milk, cheese, yoghurt and so on, as they will provide you with all the nutrients without the fatty high calorie element.

As is the case with dairy products, it is not necessary to cut meat out of your diet either. Instead, buy the leaner types of meat such as chicken or turkey and trim off any fat. Also very healthy is oily fish such as tuna, mackerel and herrings. Try to eat this at least 3 times a week as they not only contain the beneficial Omega 3 oil, but also a lot of other vitamins.

Finally, exercise moderation in all things, regularly work out and you cannot go too far wrong.