Transcript Guidelines for Good Nutrition

Good nutrition is important for health and feeling
well.
Because of poor nutrition (too much sugar, salt and fat intake)
and lower activity, youth today may likely have shorter lives than
their parents, the first reversal of the trend to live longer in
developed countries.
Many health problems can be linked to poor
nutrition.
• Diabetes is often
inherited but is also linked
to diets high in refined
sugars to over-weight
conditions.
• Kidney problems are
linked to diets high in salt
and processed foods.
• Heart attacks and stroke
are linked to diets high in
saturated fats.
Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 1
• Eat a variety of foods.
Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 2
• Balance the food you eat with physical activity. Maintain or
improve your weight.
Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 3
• Choose a diet with plenty of plant products like grain products,
vegetables, and fruits.
Plant products are a good source of
carbohydrates.
• Carbohydrates should supply about 60% of the daily calorie requirement.
Plant products are an excellent source of fiber.
Different plants supply different beneficial fibers.
Plant products are excellent sources of vitamins and
minerals. Some nutrients like vitamin C and beta carotene
are found only in fruits and vegetables.
• Choosing plant products with a wide range of colors seems to be a
good method of insuring a balance of nutrients.
Most plant products are low in fat. Eating them helps
control weight as long as they are not served with excess
butter, sour cream or rich sauces.
Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 4
• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
On third or less of daily calories should come from fat.
Land animal fats and palm oils have high saturated fat
levels. Limit foods high in cholesterol.
Fried foods and baked goods often are high in fat as are
whole milk and egg yolks.
Since cheeses typically are high in fat, they should
be eaten occasionally or in smaller amounts.
Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 5
• Choose a diet moderate in sugars.
Candies, desserts and baked goods are often high in sugar.
Refined sugar provides empty calories without further nutrition
value. Soda drinks, ketchup, salad dressings and peanut butter
often contain refined sugars.
Guidelines for Good Nutrition: 6
Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.
If using salted butter, the salt in a recipe can be
reduced.
When adding salt shake once, not twice.
Only occasionally choose salted snacks.
Go easy on processed foods which as a rule have
very high salt contents.
Check labels for sodium (salt) content and choose
products with less sodium.
The Food Guide Pyramid
•
The food guide pyramid helps persons to plan their eating to provide healthy
nutrition.
The Five Food Groups in the Food Guide Pyramid
• The breads,
cereals, rice and
pasta group
• The vegetable
group
• The fruit group
• The milk and milk
product group
• The meat, beans
eggs and nuts
group
An Alternate Food Guide Pyramid
• This Food Guide Pyramid includes water as an essential requirement
each day.
Alternate Guide to Healthy Eating
• This general guide recognizes the value of exercise, moderate
alcohol consumption (1/2-1 glass daily) and vitamin supplements.
A Vegetarian Food
Guide Pyramid
• A vegetarian food
guide replaces milk
and meat with soy and
bean products and
may supplement the
diet with vitamins. The
grain, quinoa, may be
used in grain products.
Alcohol or drug consumption for a pregnant woman or
woman attempting pregnancy is devastating.
• A developing baby is severely damaged by alcohol including
deformities as well as lifelong reduced mental and social capacities.
Serving Sizes for Food Groups
Serving Sizes for Food Groups
Food portions change
with age and gender.
• Children require slightly less
grain, veggies, fruits and
meats as teens and adults.
• Children require about the
same dairy product intake
as adults while teens need
a bit more dairy or dairy
alternatives.
• Teens require the same
intake of veggies, fruits,
grain products, and meats
as adults.
Other Important Food Considerations
• Does the food have herbicide (weed killer) and pesticide (animal pest
poisons) residues on the food? In some parts of the world the use of
these chemicals is not controlled (ex: China). Consumers need to
know where their food is coming from to assess how safe it is.
Washing all produce and fruit is a precaution against chemicals that
might be on the outside of plant products.
Industrial
Farming
• Mass produced plant products (like corn) often require
extensive application of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides
to grow well.
• Over the past 150 years, soil fertility (without the addition of
chemicals) has decreased and one half of the topsoil layer
(black earth) has been lost through erosion.
Other Important Food Considerations
•
Mass produced meats (beef, chicken and pork) often have growth hormones,
antibiotics and other synthetic chemicals that the animal obtained through what it
was fed.
Large-scale feed lots
• Large scale feed lots are organized for economy, not necessarily in
terms of what is natural for the animal or its health requirements.
• Beef cows naturally graze on grass.
• Prolonged feeding of corn to beef
causes acidic stomach conditions
and consequent health problems.
“Organically Grown” Plant Products
• Organically grown plant
products have been grown
without pesticides or
herbicides. Chemical
fertilizers may have been
used.
• Organically grown products
are often more expensive
but not necessarily.
“Organically Grown” Animals II
• Organically grown animals have been grown without growth additives
or antibiotics. They still likely have been grown in an “industrial” way
in some large operation. The humane and natural treatment of the
animal (which for many consumers is important) is thus not
guaranteed by the label, “organically grown”.
Ecological, Sustainable Farming Operations
• A number of farmers are growing plants and animals in ways that
allow the animals and plants to do what they naturally would do.
• Farming ecologically works with natural cycles and processes and
makes the land better over time.
Joel Salatin, a Christian farmer advocates Sustainable
farming as a practice based on his beliefs.
Benefits of Sustainable Farming
• Sustainable farming leaves the land better each year than before.
• Sustainable farming lets animals and plants be natural, do what they
were made to do.
• Sustainable farming uses less fuel since less machine power is required
and no fertilizers or pesticides. Fuel is also saved since the produce is
always sold locally.
• Typically foods grown sustainably are more nutritious and taste better.
A good reference for the main ways in which North
American food is produced.