29 December 2010

How To Be An SEO Content Writer Part 1

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the best online strategies and skill that you can learn and employ to get better page ranking in search engines for your site. However, there are some things that you just need help with, such as the type of content you should write about in your page in order to get good, relevant content for users.

Creating content relevant to your site for SEO requires a different set of skills, and demands you to perform a few tasks other than just simply writing and posting articles. Here are a couple of things that you should learn if you intend to become an SEO content writer.

Learn the SEO process

The first thing that you should learn if you want to become a SEO content writer is how the entire SEO process works in order to be able to create articles that have relevant content to what users are looking for, as well as create articles that will help funnel and direct market to the site or page that you are working on.

Search engines focuses on text and not images, so the written content of your page will receive the most amount of checking and analysis from search engine crawlers, and if deemed passable, will then get indexed in their database. This is why you need to make sure that your content is relevant and good in order to get a good chance of getting better results with search engines.

Research is key

In order for you to be able to write technically about a particular topic in a way that it can actually generate good SEO results, you need to learn how to do research on them. This will help you create content that is relevant and informative for users.

http://www.jdrwebsites.co.uk/

Examples of Quality Content:

Example 1:

Point of Sale Display


Point of sale or otherwise known as the checkout is the location in a shop where a transaction takes place. This transaction is the exchange of money for the goods wanted by the customer. The point of sale is however different to the point of sale display.

The point of sale display often found near or on the till points and are usually found in smaller retail shops. The actual displays are supplied by manufacturers wanting to sell their products in that specific shop. Normally items such as batteries, chewing gum, magazines and an assortment of chocolate and sweets including soft drinks are found in the point of sale displays. The displays are designed to be eye catching and aesthetically pleasing to a customer. Print design companies will make them eye catching by making full use of colour in the design of logos and product information on the outside of the display. They are often made from foam board or most commonly card board. This is so they can easily be replaced with new ones or disposed of if damaged. Though there are some that are permanent, for example a fridge for soft drinks would need to be designed by the manufacturer to be used over longer periods of time than a card board display.

Retail shops use point of sale displays to attract customers while there in the queue which psychologically makes them think about buying that product. Because they don’t have the choice to just walk by the products, like you would do whilst shopping down the aisles, the customer is more likely to pick up one of the products on display and buy it. This is because the customer can constantly see the product so it is on their mind, which makes them think more about the item this in some cases can cause the customer to buy the product.

http://www.clearpoint-print.com/


Example 2:

Artificial and synthetic grass


Artificial or synthetic grass is a practical and useful investment for many venues including sports grounds, sports clubs and schools. This type of surface can be used throughout the year, as unlike natural turf it will not become sodden and slippery after heavy rainfall. Having a safe, slip resistant playing surface means sportsmen are able to continue playing in all weathers.

Artificial grass is very versatile and is designed in a specific way to suit your needs. Many synthetic surfaces incorporate shock pads into the design, an important factor which greatly reduces impact in the case of a fall. Artificial turf can either be designed for a number of sports to be played upon it, or alternatively, to be used for a single purpose. The materials are also weather resistant, and will not be damaged by UV rays.

Synthetic and artificial grass is made to imitate the quality of natural turf for sports, at the same time ensuring the surface is as safe and practical as possible. It also has the added advantage of needing very little attention. Natural turf needs to be maintained, which costs money as well as time. Artificial grass and synthetic grass requires very little time and effort, making the overall cost cheaper in the long run.

Another advantage of using artificial grass for sports is the stability. The surface does not move or warp under extreme weather conditions or heavy use but remains even and stable. This is due to careful construction and planning. Before artificial turf is laid, the ground is prepared by laying a geo-textile on the existing ground surface, then a dynamic base of tarmac or stone, flowed by a shock absorbing layer, and then the synthetic grass.

Overall, artificial and synthetic grass is a practical and cost effective way to provide a top quality surface for sports.

http://www.radfordezynet.com/

16 December 2010

Content and Link Building Strategies

The entire search engine optimisation (SEO) process is often misunderstood by a lot of people, which is why they often commit a lot of SEO mistakes that can cost them not only their page ranking in search engines, but also lose traffic volume of possible clients. SEO can help you direct traffic to your site, but getting them to stay is a whole new different ball game.

The entire SEO process basically revolves around the idea of getting a good page ranking in search engines by employing certain strategies so that people can find your site easier. The better your page ranking is, the easier it is for users to find it, the more appealing it is for them to visit your site, thereby increasing the amount of traffic that your site is able to generate. However, if the users do not find any relevant content in your site, then your efforts to get them to your site would just have been in vain.

Link building

Building links is also another content strategy that you can employ to help users searching for a particular content to find your site offering relevant content to their search. Try to link to those other sites that have similar content, or at least uses the same keywords in tagging their site’s content.

This way, any user searching in those sites will be directed to your page’s similar content, making it easier for users to find your page.

Ensure that you can get users to stay in your site, by using relevant and original content and link building with relevant sites to your product or service.
Some examples of link building within an article.  The links being relevant to the content and the website to which it links:

Example 1: 
Ground and wall guards


If you run a school or a sports area, you might be looking for something to increase safety. In schools, it is very important that children are kept safe both indoors and out. Using wall and ground guards in school buildings and in the playground areas will ensure that children are protected from bumps, bruises and cuts in the case of inevitable accidents. In a sports area people are constantly at risk of injury, and again, using wall and ground guards greatly decreases this risk, and puts everyone at ease.

The use of safety ground and wall cushioning is suitable for use in schools, playgrounds and sports areas. With a unique multipurpose design, the safety ground and wall cushioning can also be used as a protective wall covering dramatically reducing the risk of injury from trips, falls and collisions.

These ground and wall cushions are made using an integral urethane skin rather than common PU material and comply with safety regulations. They are also highly durable – resistant to shocks and scrapes, a necessary factor when used for schools and sports areas. They are easy and quick to install and suitable for a diverse range of functions with various colour options including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple. The ground guard is also suitable for use as wall protection in sports areas.

Ground and wall guards are an easy, no hassle and relatively cheap way to ensure safety in your school, playground or sports area. They are long lasting, and their easy to clean surface means any spillages which might occur can be wiped off with warm soapy water. The products are safe, durable, quality guaranteed. The products are flame retardant, waterproof, bacteriostasis, non toluene, non heavy metal and they meet the requirements and were bestowed the certificate of ST safe toys.

Example 2:

What are Window Wraps?


Window wraps are colourful and eye catching graphics that are adhered to the windows, of particularly shops, so as to advertise a product or service to prospective customers walking by. Window wraps can also be used to display corporate logos. There are several types of window wraps available – self adhesive, frosted glass effect and cut vinyl.

Health and safety laws state that large pieces of glass (like shop windows) must have some visual display on them to make in order to make the window visible to prevent people walking into them and hurting themselves. Rather than being a boring pattern, many companies choose to make it an advertising opportunity by placing graphics on these expanses of glass. Modern production processes mean that window wraps can be created as a one-off, or can be produced in vast numbers to meet the needs of a chain of shops.

Self-adhesive stickers are free from glues and adhesives that create a mess when removing traditional stickers, which makes them ideal for advertising promotions or seasonal deals as they can easily be removed at the end of the promotion. Vinyl self-adhesive wraps are usually text displays and come in a variety of colours and styles, making them easy to place where you like (inside or outside).

The frosted glass effect vinyl cut window wraps are an effective and cheaper alternative to real frosted glass. These stickers are etched, just like the glass would be, and can be designed to display a company logo or just a plain pattern and can be used for privacy or display purposes. They are usually applied to the inside surface of the window, so it is protected from the elements and damage caused by passers-by.

With the proper care and maintenance, window wraps can remain in place for up to 7 years, or can be put up and removed at will for temporary advertising purposes. Modern technology and chemical advances are combined to meet all the advertising and promotional needs of businesses large and small.

Example 3:
Good Posture in Children


For many years the children in our schools have been seated on a variety of Polypropylene or Wooden chairs, which are manufactured in different styles and sizes. Provided these chairs pass British Standards for strength, stability and safety they are welcomed into our classrooms.

Each manufacturer has their own agenda for their chairs. Some are manufactured to a price, some to a style and others to a best value compromise. However, none have been manufactured to a European Standard that first and foremost sets out to encourage good posture for our children.

Experiments in the US have revealed that giving children lessons on how to improve their posture, had very little impact and showed no noticeable difference to their posture, however, on the other hand, some uncomplicated amendments to the actual school furniture, in particular their chairs, have been made known to make a differences to posture without the training.

EN 1729 Part 1 is the standard drawn up by the Technical Committee for Europe, CEN/TC207, which now sets chair dimensions, heights, angles and back support contact points for every age group – so as to encourage good posture.

Good posture not only means our children will be healthier – it also means that they should be more comfortable – and therefore more attentive in class.

EN1729 Part 1 supersedes all other standards for chairs used in our classrooms and is the standard to look for.

The benefit of one piece Polypropylene chairs is well documented in terms of their longevity (15 year warranty), comfort and safety in the classroom. With no screws for practical jokers to remove, no sharp edges to cause damage, no metalwork to rust and full EN1729 Certification.

Many chairs will pass EN1729 Part 2 as this only applies to strength and replaces BS4875.

10 December 2010

Relevant content

As mentioned earlier, getting people directed to your site or page is one thing, but to get them to find relevant content and to stay is another. In order for you to be able to generate positive and profitable effects of the amount of traffic that you are able to divert to your site, you need to offer them exactly what they are looking for.

When users are looking for a particular content, they will employ keyword searches on search engines. Once they are directed to your site using those keywords, they expect to find relevant content pertaining to that keyword, so make sure that you have content relevant to their searches. Avoid using keywords that have no relevance to your content, but you use them anyway simply to gain more traffic directed to your page due to the popularity of that keyword. This will only result in users clicking back to their search engines, and not necessarily create any positive effect on your page ranking. Make sure that your choice of keywords would correlate to the content that you are creating in your page
More content is better
The more content or articles you create about a particular topic or keyword, the more chances you have of getting tagged and linked by other sites, as well as increase your chances of answering a user’s search for relevant content. Just like fishing, the more assorted baits you have, the better your chances are of catching a fish. One way that you can get the right user, you just need to offer more content for users.
Also, the different articles you create and post in your site as well as in other sites can generate a lot of backlinks which can lead users back to your site.
Keep content fresh
Creating and posting new content regularly can greatly improve your site’s chances of getting recommendations from other sites, especially those that are linked to your site. The more times you offer new and fresh content, the more opportunities your users searching for a particular content will have on finding one that is relevant to their search.

Examples of articles with quality and relevant content: 

Example 1:  Mesh Chairs


When you are working at the office, you need to be completely comfortable in order to concentrate on the work in hand. Sitting in the right chair plays a major part in comfort. But do you often find yourself becoming sticky and hot in your chair? Breathable materials are essential in ensuring the maximum comfort in your chair.

Now is your chance to bring together style, comfort and function with a breathable mesh office chair. With Office and Chair's mesh office chairs and ergonomic mesh chairs retailing at 60% below our competitor’s prices, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better offer anywhere else in the UK.

Mesh office chairs are made with an aerated mesh back which allows your skin to breathe freely. A durable nylon mesh is stretched over a shaped frame, and attached to a leather or fabric seat. The mesh is strong but flexible so it gives slightly according to your size and shape, making it a very comfortable option of seating.

Choose from our range of luxury and contemporary hi-tech designs, perfect for all office environments. Whether you’re after generously-proportioned executive mesh office chairs, or their sleeker, slim-lined counterparts, whatever your budget we’re confident can meet your needs. You can choose from swivel chairs or stationary chairs, low back or high back, and chairs with leather or fabric seating. Some of our chairs even have a lumbar support fitted into them, which is very helpful in preventing or aiding back trouble. These chairs offer all the advantages of a normal good quality office chair, including gas height adjustment and a fully reclining tilt mechanism. They are comfortable, stylish and practical.

In addition to offering delivery throughout the UK, we also offer generous discounts for customers looking to place bulk orders on our mesh office chairs.

http://www.officeandchairs.co.uk/
Keywords: mesh chair, mesh office chair, office chair

Example 2:  Stickers for children


Anyone who has spent an amount of time with children will know that children love stickers. They are often fun and brightly coloured which makes them enjoyable for children to play with. They can also be used as a reward, and on charts for health, jobs and schoolwork or anything else you can think of!

Many schools use paper easy peel stickers as rewards for performance. This is a very effective incentive for children to work well, and to be proud of their achievements. Easy peel stickers are very cheap and can often be bought in bulk.

You can use this type of sticker for children in the home, as well as in school. You might have a star chart for your children which rewards good behaviour. Another popular sticker chart is one in which your children receive a sticker for doing a particular job around the house. There are many other uses for this type of childrens sticker.

Many children collect easy peel stickers, and use sticker books.

Window cling stickers are great for children. They can be used again and again, and leave no sticky residue. This type of sticker doesn’t actually have a layer of glue like the more common Vinyl or Paper stickers. It actually sticks to the glass of a window using surface tension. Children can have hours of fun using and re-using these stickers, whilst you have no worries about any mess being made. They can be used on the windows, on the fridge, in the car, or on specially designed sticker book surface.

Wall stickers are popular for decoration in childrens bedrooms, play areas, nurseries etc. They are hassle free, and very easy to mount, low in cost and a great and fun way to brighten up a room.

All in all, stickers are a cheap and easy way to reward children, and to provide creative and fun activity.

http://www.tradestickersdirect.com/

Example 3:  The Rubber Moulding Industry

Rubber is a term that is associated with several elastic and resilient materials. These substances, or materials, can be moulded into many different shapes and items of great use.

Before the 19th century, rubber was not a commodity used very often in the Western part of the world and only after this period did rubber start coming to the fore. The rubber moulding industry was very small and limited to daily items like erasers and storage boxes for use in the household kitchen.

In the 1840’s, Charles Goodyear and Thomas Hancock patented the very similar process that made moulded rubber more stable and durable opening the rubber moulding industry further than mere pencil erasers. The rubber moulding industry grew in significance becoming progressively important in technology and industry today.

The rubber moulding industry consists of three basic types of industry, namely, compression, transfer and injection. Compression rubber moulding is the simplest and also the cheapest to manufacture. Transfer rubber moulding involves more wastage and furthermore the moulds are expensive to create, however, the results from transfer rubber moulding are of better quality than compression moulding. Injection moulding is more sophisticated than the previous mentioned moulding processes, but it is also the most expensive moulding process.

The disadvantage of the rubber moulding processes is that it is not suitable for small projects. For the smaller projects liquid latex and silicone rubbers are available and best to use. Sculptors and crafts people are most likely to use these types of moulding techniques. Liquid rubber is poured or painted over the object so this can be imprinted or the substance is poured into a small mould of an object being created.

The advantages of rubber are immense and rubber is a significant factor in so many of our products we use today. Rubber is wonderfully flexible and comes in great use in the manufacture of products like tyres. Rubber, because of its elasticity, is very useful as a shock absorbing material too. Rubber moulding has entered major manufacturing industries for the use in car and electrics, using rubber moulding to create versatile items in different shapes and sizes and because rubber expands easily and can also retain its original shape, makes it an ideal substance in this industry.

http://www.srm-industries.com/
keywords: rubber, rubber moulding, compression rubber moulding, transfer rubber moulding, injection rubber moulding

03 December 2010

Article with Concise Title

In this submission of my example articles for seo purposes, I wish to highlight the use of a clear and specific title to the article - giving keywords which are foremost relevant to the website product or service and follow the short tail rule - keeping to a three or four worded title rich in keywords means the search result will be more direct and successful in pulling this article or website:

Double Aspheric Lenses


Aspheric lenses are lenses which have a relatively flat surface, yet still offer the same vision quality as non aspheric lenses. This is because although the lens is thinner and flatter, it still refracts light to exactly the same degree as a conventional lens. They are often used for eye wear as the thinner lens has many advantages. They are lighter to wear, and less bulky. Also, with conventional lenses, if you require quite strong glasses, the lenses are very thick and this can make your eyes appear smaller, or distorted, depending on your prescription. However this problem can be eliminated by wearing aspheric lenses as the flat lens means distortion of your eyes is kept to a much lesser degree.

Double aspheric lenses are essentially an even better version of the already useful aspheric lenses. Not only is the front of the lens aspheric, but the back of the lens has the same aspheric design, hence the name, ‘double aspheric’. Typically, when you look out from the edge of your lenses, the image you see can be distorted. Double aspheric lenses limit this distortion of image right up to the edges of the lens. This is done by ensuring that a large area of the lens is the focal point.

For those of you who have a cylindrical prescription, you will find the double aspheric lens particularly useful. On a normal aspheric lens, if you require a high cylindrical power, the distortion at the edges will be increased. With double aspheric lenses, the curve on both sides of the lens ensures that distortion is kept to an absolute minimum.

Not only do double aspheric lenses greatly improve your vision, but they improve your visual appearance as well. This is because the lens is 10% thinner than a normal aspheric lens of the same power.

http://www.glassesframesandlenses.com
normal aspheric lenses, double aspheric lenses, cylindrical power, non aspheric lenses

01 December 2010

Articles providing relevancy to your product - examples

Title: Energy Stop for Creatine Supplement


Introduction:

Creatine is a naturally occurring substance. It was first discovered by a French scientist in 1832 but the first time the benefits of creatine were recorded was 1926. It was discovered in 1923 that 95% of creatine is stored in the muscle tissue. It is created in the liver, pancreas and kidneys and transported to the muscles through the bloodstream. Once in the muscle, it is turned into creatine phosphate which is the ultimate energy source.

Body:

Creatine phosphate is used to deliver extreme energy for short bursts but the amount of creatine the muscles store will be used up within 60 seconds. This means that taking a good quality creatine supplement can have a significant effect on high energy training and could also help improve endurance training.

Creatine has traditionally has a number of side effects attributed to it. These include muscle cramps, water retention and bloating. There has been some research into these side effects but there has not been any conclusive evidence to support these claims. It is also worth noting that these claims seem to have disappeared with the new forms of creatine that have recently come onto the market such as Creatine Ethyl Ester.

Creatine has been shown to pull water into the muscle cells, this has the effect of increasing muscle volume. New research has also shown that creatine can work as a lactic acid buffer. Lactic acid builds up during training and is responsible for the muscle burn that many athletes suffer from. By delaying the build-up of lactic acid, creatine can significantly reduce that burn and may therefore aid in muscle recovery.

Creatine supplements can help put the body into a state where greater protein absorption can occur, and the greater the protein absorption, the greater the muscle gains.

Word count: Body (220), Introduction (76)

Sourcing example in an article

Title: Keeping your toddler safe in the home


Introduction:

It doesn’t take too long before your baby is a mobile toddler at a height where there are many potential accidents waiting to happen. Keeping your toddler safe in the home is a daunting and difficult task for most parents and one needs to continue in the fore of his growing curiosity and increasing mobility to keep him or her safe.

Body:

According to babyworld.co.uk, the top 10 danger points in the home are the stairs, doors, cleaning materials, electric sockets, furniture edges and furniture corners, overfilled playpens, fire, loose cables and cords, bath time and glass.

Because so much furniture in the home has sharp edging or corners, and are at the ideal height for young children to knock into, by simply fitting edge and corner guards you can increase the level of safety in your home. Corner and edge guards come in a variety of colours and are very easy to install.

Some common items of furniture you may wish to have edge or corner protectors on are:

Living rooms: TV unit, low level shelving, dining tablecoffee table, window sills and the fireplace.
Kitchen: Kitchen table, centre work area, cabinets, countertops, stove.
Bathroom: vanity cabinets, low level shelving.
Study: Desk, low level shelving, filing cabinets.
Bedroom: Headboard and footboard, dressing table, bedside units, low level shelving, chests, toy boxes
Entrance way: Storage units, small tables, low level shelving

Outside entertainment area: Brick or stone retaining walls, built-in fireplace, patio table, sharp corners on play equipment

Below are a few safety precautions, not taking much time, but keeping your little family safe in the home:

• Children should be supervised at all times.
• Keep floors free of toys and obstructions that can be tripped over.
• Always use a securely fitted safety harness in a pram, pushchair or highchair.
• Never leave babies unattended on raised surfaces.
• Do not place baby bouncers on raised surfaces.
• The use of baby-walkers and table-mounted high chairs is not recommended.
• Use corner guards or corner protectors on cabinets, coffee and dining tables, or any corner of furniture that does not have a rounded edge.

Word count: Body (293), Introduction (61)

Sources: Babyworld.co.uk
About.com: Pediatrics

corner guards, corner protectors, child safety, toddler safety

Articles providing relevancy to your product - examples

Title: Playground fun and safety


Introduction:

Playgrounds are where children meet to have fun, have fresh air, get some exercise and socialise among swings, slides and playful running and jumping. This is the happy image we all want for our children. Unfortunately though, it is inevitable that playgrounds are where accidents do occur. Some accidents are minor cuts and bruises that go along with play and learn, but some playgrounds can be of concern regards safety hazards leading to serious injury.

Body:

Many accidents could be prevented by common sense, proper adult supervision and safety guarding equipment. Defective equipment, unacceptable surfaces, and careless behavior are safety hazards of many playgrounds. Most of these playground safety hazards could have been prevented with the proper supervision and appropriate safety precautions.

We can make the playground a place of fun and that is safe for our children by simply checking equipment for hazards and keeping to some simple common sense guidelines.

Moms, Dads and Caregivers can play a role in playground accident prevention by taking a few easy precautions. Foremost, ensure when your child has proper adult supervision. Adult supervision will help prevent injuries by monitoring proper playground behaviour, checking and ensuring playground equipment is safe for fun and is the right equipment for the age of the child, and the surface is appropriate - not uneven where trips and falls are likely. Should an unfortunate accident occur, an adult can help the child by giving first aid if necessary.

Accidents often caused on the playground when young children are permitted to play on equipment they are not ready to play on. Generally, monkey bars, climbing gyms or frames, long slides and the bigger swings are intended for the older child’s entertainment, not the young children. And vice versa, keeping older children off playground equipment deemed to young for their age group is important for their safety – some equipment may not hold their weight.

Appropriate dress code for the playground will also help in the prevention of accidents. Dress children for play, avoid ties and hoody tops or jackets which easily get caught in equipment, and could cause as serious an injury as strangulation. The appropriate footwear should be worn on playgrounds. Flops, sandals and open summery shoes can easily get stuck in equipment, and due to the shoe’s lack of grip, a slip or fall is more likely.

Avoid children being allowed to play on equipment that does not have safety cushioning, which is reinforced with a shock absorbing surface should a fall occur. Surfaces to play on are gravel, mulch, sand, or safety cushion mats. Children shouldn’t be allowed to swing, slide or climb over a concrete surface. Ground and wall cushioning are used in schools, playgrounds and sports areas -the surface has dramatically reduced the risk of injury from trips, falls and collisions.

Caregivers should carry out inspection of all playground equipment to ensure it is in good working order. Look for areas which are worn out or rusty, and check the temperature of slides and metal surfaces during the summer months – metal slides and equipment can get very hot and cause unpleasant burns, especially to hands.

Finally, educate your child to play safe and by teaching them the rules of the playground will keep them safer and less prone to accidents.

Word count: Body (480) Introduction (73)

Reading time: 2:58:08

Articles providing relevancy to your product - examples

Title: Healthy Eating Food Essentials
Introduction:

The amount and types of foods you eat have a huge influence on your health, your body needs a huge variety of nutrients to work correctly and keep healthy. Its therefore important that you maintain a healthy diet. No single type of food contains all the nutrients and fibre you need, so it is important to always eat a large range of foods, eating the right balance from the five main food groups will ensure that your body gets all it requires to stay fit and healthy, the five main food groups are:

• Starchy foods
• Fruit and vegetables
• Dairy foods
• Meat, fish and other non – dairy sources of protein (such as beans)
• Fats and sugar

Body:

Most of the carbohydrate in your diet should come from starchy foods also known as complex carbohydrates. These include bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta or rice.

Starchy foods are usually bulky, so they fill you up quicker than other food groups. Wholegrain varieties can be particularly rich in nutrients and fibre, and therefore they should be preferred to white choices.

Fruit and vegetables are good sources of nutrients, in particular vitamins, minerals and fibre. You should aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Doing this could cut your risk of disease, including some cancers and heart disease.

Milk and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt are important sources of calcium, protein and vitamins.

Choose lower-fat options such as semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, low-fat yogurts and cheeses. Some dairy foods, such as butter and cream, should be eaten in much smaller doses because of their high fat content, especially saturated fats which have been linked to a higher risk of certain diseases. These food items should be regard the as members of the 'fats and sugar' food group rather than the 'dairy foods' group.

Red meat, poultry, fish (fresh, frozen or tinned), beans and pulses, eggs and nuts are all important non-dairy sources of protein. When preparing meat and poultry, you should always remember to cut off any extra fat and skin and don't add butter or oil when cooking it, if you feel it is necessary only use small amounts, consider grilling, baking or poaching meat, fish and poultry rather than frying it. Also try to limit amounts of processed meat (such as sausages) as they often contain a lot of fat and salt.

It's recommended that you should eat at least two portions of fish per week (one portion is about 140g), of which one should be oily. This is because of its high content of long chain omega 3 fatty acids. These fatty acids have a protective effect on your heart.

Butter, mayonnaise, crisps, cakes and puddings are examples of foods which are high in saturated fats and should only be eaten in small doses. Look out for low-fat options of these food types, which may be slightly healthier but should still be eaten in small amounts.

A certain amount of fat is essential for good health but if you eat too much of it, you're more likely to become overweight and may be at an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

It's not only the total amount of fat in your diet that influences your health but also the quality of fat. Some types of fat have been shown to be very good for you, for example the long chain omega 3 fatty acids in oily fish, which help to protect against heart disease.

Foods high in refined sugar such as table sugar, sugary drinks and snacks provide "empty calories". This means that these foods give you energy but have very low nutritional values. Frequently eating sugary foods such as sweets and chocolate also contributes to tooth decay and gum disease, so its always best to try and limit your refined sugar intake.

Alcohol just like sugar provides empty calories and this is one of the many reasons why you should limit your alcohol intake, those who control there alcohol intake, tend to be a lot healthier than those who binge drink.

Word count: Body (564 ), Introduction (120 )

healthy eating, food essentials, carbohydrates, starchy foods, fruit and vegetables, fats and sugar, alcohol, dairy, non-dairy, protein