Diet and Health

Guidelines for Healthy Diet

• Base your meals on starchy foods (bread, cornmeal,
potatoes, rice, oats, noodles, maize, millet and pasta )
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
• Cut down on saturated fat (animal fat).
• Saturated fat contains cholesterol which has tendency to
block blood vessels leading to heart disease.
• Eat less sugar.
• Try to eat less salt – no more than 6g a day
• Get active and try to be a healthy weight
• Drink plenty of water
• Don’t skip breakfast
 Components of a Healthy Diet
Nutrients Functions Source

Carbohydrates They provide the main source of grains, pulses, fruit and vegetables.
(sugars, starches energy in the diet.
and cellulose (fiber)) One gram of starch provides approximately four
kilocalories of energy.

Proteins Regulate body processes or provide structure in the Pulses, milk products, soyabean.
body.
They also help to make antibodies and enzymes.

Fat Provides a concentrated source of energy in the Oil-sunflower, olive, linseed.

diet. Linseed particularly helps in preventing heart
Helps to provide insulation against the cold by disease.
preventing heat loss.
Protects body organs such as the kidneys.

Vitamins Help enzymes to function properly. Cereals, butter, cheese, wholemeal flour, fruits, green
vegetables, nuts, vegetable oils, yoghurt.

Minerals Essential to normal health. Milk, cheese, green vegetables, whole grains, fruits.
(Calcium, iron, iodine etc)

Water Makes up 55-60% of body weight, essential part of
all body cells, helps in many chemical reactions in
the body, helps to carry nutrients to cells and waste
away from them, helps to regulate body
temperature, digest foods and lubricate joints.
Free water. Nearly all foods contain water,
particularly apples, pears, melons,
cucumbers, cabbage and tomatoes.
Contribution of Nutrients to Diet

15%

Carbohydrate

Fat
55% (unsaturated)
30% Protien
 Some of the best Foods not
generally eaten
Beetroot:
• One of the best sources of folate and
betaine.
• These nutrients lower level of
homocysteine in blood which damages
arteries and increases risk of heart
disease.
• It contains betacyanin which is a proven
cancer fighter.
Cinnamon
• Helps control blood sugar, thus lowering risk of
heart disease.
• Beneficial to people with Type 2 diabetes.
• Consumption of one gram of cinnamon every
day for 6 weeks, not only reduces blood sugar
significantly but also triglyceride and LDL (BAD)
CHOLESTEROL.
• This is because of thylhydroxychalcone found in
cinnamon, which increases cells’ ability to
metabolise sugar by up to 20 times.
Pomegranate Juice:
• Drinking 2 ounces of pomegranate juice
daily for a year decreases systolic blood
pressure by 21 per cent and significantly
improves blood flow to heart.
• Four ounces of pomegranate juices
provides 50 per cent of daily vitamin C
needs.
Cabbage:
• One cup of chopped cabbage has just 22
calories .
• It contains valuable nutrients such as
sulforaphane, which increases body’s
production of enzymes, which disarm cell
damaging free radicals and reduce cancer
risk.
Guava:
• Best source of lycopene-an antioxidant
that fights prostate cancer.
• One medium sized guava provides 688
mg of potassium, 63 per cent more than
banana.
Dried Plums (Prunes):
• Contain high amounts of neochlorogenic
and chlorogenic acids-antioxidants that
are particularly effective at combating the
superoxide anion radical.
• This free radical damages body cells and
thereby causes cancer.
Pumpkin Seeds:
• Rich source of Magnesium.
• On an average, men consume 353 mg of
the mineral daily, well under the 420 mg
minimum recommended. So, Pumpkin
seeds can make up the short fall.
Food Pyramid
Foods
containing
fats, food
and
drink containing
sugar

Milk and dairy foods

Fruits and vegetables

Bread and other cereals

Recommended Daily Amounts of
Kilocalories
Age range, Males Females
years
7-10 1970 1740
11-14 2220 1845
15-18 2755 2110
19-59 2550 1940
60-64 2380 1900
65-74 2330 1900
75+ 2100 1810
Pregnant +200*
Dietary Needs for Specific
Diseases:
• Coronary Heart Diseases
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Reduce the total amount of fat in the diet.
• Substitute saturated fats (animal fats) for
unsaturated fats such vegetable and olive oils.
• Introduce nuts and seeds into the diet.
• Reduce the amount of salt in the diet to a
maximum of 6 grams per day.
• Take exercise-a minimum of 30 minutes thrice a
week.
•Obesity

• Maintain a diet low in fat and sugar.

• Diet high in complex carbohydrates
(bread, potatoes, rice or pasta) and fruits
and vegetables.
• Regular exercise to help burn up any
excess energy intake.
Height and Weight
Type 2 Diabetes

• A diet low in fat and sugar.

• Complex carbohydrates should form a part
of the diet, as low carbohydrate diets can
be high in fat.
Lactose intolerance

• Inability to digest lactose, the sugar found in milk

and milk products.
• Particularly common in people of African and
Asian region.
• Can lead to digestive disturbances like cramps,
diarrhea and wind.
• Milk should be avoided in the diet.
• Yoghurt and cheese can be taken as lactose is
converted to lactic acid during manufacture.
Basic Rules of Food Hygiene
• Always wash your hands before touching food,
particularly after visiting the toilet, after touching
animals, your own skin and hair, and after
touching raw food.
• No smoking during the preparation of food.
• Avoid preparing food if you have any illness
(particularly skin, nose or throat infections).
• Do not allow animals into the food preparation
area.
• Cover food to protect it from flies and other
insects.
• Wrap all food waste and dispose of it in a
covered waste bin.
• Wipe spills up immediately with kitchen tissue
and place this in a covered bin.
• Serve food as soon as possible after preparing
it.
• Never allow raw food to come in contact with
cooked food; common ways in which cooked
food is contaminated from raw food are through
the hands, knives and working surfaces.
• Wear clean clothing and be clean yourself.
• Do not cough or sneeze over food.
Thank You