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🍓🍇Health Corner 🍇🍓

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT!!!

Aside from air and water, food is the third most important thing the human body needs to stay alive and healthy. But regardless of how essential food is, it must be carefully selected and combined to be able to give the body the appropriate account if nutrients it needs to grow and stay healthy. When you feed your body with a healthy diet of different classes of food at the right time and in a balanced proportion, it will enhance a healthy body development, good eyesight and strong bones.

However as you grow older, you need to be mindful of your calories intake. You should increase the amount of vegetables, fruits and water you take while cutting down on carbohydrates and proteins. Being careful and deliberate about what you eat helps you reduce the risk of having any chronic disease as a result of food consumption. Part of being careful about what you eat involves choosing a balanced diet or healthy eating plan. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, a healthy eating plan entails the following:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat free or low fat milk, and milk products.

• Includes lean meats (beef, lamb, veal, pork); poultry (chicken, turkey, duck); sea foods (fish, prawn, crab, lobster, mussel, oyster, scallop, clam); beans, egg and nuts (almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, cashews, peanuts).

• Is Low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium) and added sugars.

• Stays within your daily calorie needs.
With the advice of a certified dietician or your doctor, you can combine the various classes of foods and create a balanced diet plan for every meal. Cut down on foods with high calories and ensure proper hygiene in the preparation and consumption of your food.

Please note that the fact that you're being careful of what you eat doesn't necessarily mean that you can no longer eat your favourite food. You can still enjoy your favourite food even if they are high in calories, fat or added sugars. However, you must reduce the quantity and frequency of the consumption of such food and ensure you balance it up with healthier foods and more physical activities.

Sometimes people resort to frozen or canned fruits and vegetables especially when their favorite choices are out of season. There is actually nothing wrong with that. All fresh, frozen, or canned fruits are good choices but be mindful and cautious in your selection of canned or frozen fruits or vegetables. Ensure you choose canned varieties packed in water or their own natural juice, because most canned stuff contain sugar or syrup. Besides, don't limit your appetite to a few varieties of fruits; nutritious fruits such as mango, pineapple, kiwi and others are equally great.

Moreover you will be doing yourself and your children a whole lot of good if you teach them to eat healthy meals from their early years. Expose your children to all classes of food. Teach them the benefits of eating healthily and how they can do that. Tactfully discourage any form of picky habit in relation to food, and as much as you can restrain yourself from giving them junks. Introduce your children to all kinds of fruits and feed them with hygienic home-cooked balanced diets.

Reference: Christian Women Mirror (Special Edition.)

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