Eating healthy is necessary to be healthy
food provides organic and inorganic nutrients to the body. They are necessary for the body to function properly;
sugars are the basic source of energy, fats – energy material and back up material, whereas proteins – mainly build the body;
vitamins and minerals are necessary for the body to function correctly.
explains what healthy eating means and justifies the need to eat healthy;
to count and to interpret the BMI;
to analyze the energy balance of the body and the energy needs of the body;
talks about eating disorders;
Rules of healthy eating
The way you eat decides about your health, influences your growth, physical development, and even your mental state. Knowledge of the norms of healthy eating and following them already at a young age increases the chances to live a long, healthy life, which is why creating healthy eating habits has a great significance in preventing illnesses. A balanced diet lowers the risk of obesity and its consequences, such as cardiovascular diseases, arteriosclerosis, gastrointestinal system disorders.
Everyday diet should be:
diversified, that is a diet that includes various products, e.g. vegetables and sources of proteins (fish, various types of meats, cheeses and other diary products, legumes and pulses), and composed of meals prepared in various ways;
wholesome, which means it should provide the body with energy components, building blocks and regulatory components; it should be composed of possibly least processed products which retain possibly highest amount of vitamins and minerals while they are prepared (when it comes to vegetable products - a lot of fiber);
balanced, that is providing nutrients in the right proportions and amounts, suitable for the needs of the body.
Age | While growing up, kids and teens have higher need for wholesome animal proteins, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins |
Gender | Men usually have higher need for nutrients and energy components than women |
Physical activity | People who do physical work and sports have higher need for nutrients and energy components |
Health state | Dietetic food should be suitable for the illness so that it cleanses the ill organ and speeds up the process of regaining health. E.g. light diet is advised when a person has problems with the liver and kidneys, high protein diet – in case of cancer, low fat diet – in arteriosclerosis, problems with pancreas and gallbladder, while low energy diet – while treating obesity |
Season | In summer, we consume more liquids, in winter – we should eat more vitamin D and nutrients |
A food pyramid is helpful in preparing a daily diet according to healthy eating guidelines. A food pyramid is a graphic representation on nutritional and physical activity guidelines of the Institute of Nutrition and Food. It divides products into groups. The base of the pyramid are cereals, which should provide half of the energy needed every day. At the top of the pyramid there are foods that should be eaten in small amounts. You have to remember that among the food you eat every day there should be at least one product from each group.
Every day you should eat different products from each food group from food pyramid.
On a daily basis drink milk and eat dairy – yogurts, kefir, buttermilk, cheeses.
Eat saltwater fish as often as possible.
Substitute meat with eggs or pulses.
Enrich every meal with vegetables or fruit.
Limit:fatty products, especially animal fats, fried food, white bread and salt foods.
Give up eating sweets, drinking sugary drinks and eating fast foods.
Drink at least 2,5 l of water every day.
Eat 4‑5 meals a day, do not snack between meals.
Eat your last meal of the day 2‑3 hours before going to sleep.
Remember to eat but not overeat.
Every day, be physically active at school and outside school.
The most common eating mistakes are: eating not enough fish, vegetables and fruit, snacking between meals, irregular meals, lack of second breakfast or eating sweet foods for second breakfast, not eating breakfast.
Energy requirements of the body
Basic condition for eating healthy is balancing the energy used and the food eaten. If the amount of energy provided is equal to the amount of energy used, body mass will stay the same. While we’re growing up, the required amount of energy is high, because our bodies use it to sustain life functions, mainly aimed at our bodies' development and growth. Additional energy is consumed also by physical activity and the effort during studying. The amount of energy used is given in kilocaloriescalories [kcal] or kilojules[kJ]. The correct development and maintaining the correct weight is possible when the body receives as much energy as it can use. In that situation energy balanceenergy balance is even and equals zero. In order to have control over it, we must know how much energy is in what we eat and how much energy our body needs. Thanks to this we can prepare well balanced meals that will satisfy the energy needs of a body.
If food that we eat has too much energy than what we need, the energy balance is positive, which lead to overweight, and if such state is maintained for a longer period of time – to obesity. The consequences of such situation are illnesses resulting from extra kilos. If we use more energy than we consume, our bodies will have negative energy balance, which leads to us losing weight and, in consequence, to being underweight and our organisms to be weakened.
A meal eaten by a student during the day should provide him 100% of energy, including:
1st breakfast 25%,
2nd breakfast 10%,
dinner 35%,
afternoon tea 10%,
supper 20%.
You can count how much energy the body needs. It depends mostly on the age, gender, physical activity, health and type of work we do.
In order to maintain consistent energy balance, you can regularly control your body weight using body mass index, BMIbody mass index, BMI. It allows you to assess if the proportions between your weight and height are correct, see if you are overweight or obese, and if you are at risk of any diseases connected with it. It is counted when we divide our weight (in kg) by our height (in meters) squared (BMI = ). This index provides an adequate image of the proportion between the body mass and the height only in adults.
BMI and how to interpret it | Risk of suffering from other illnesses that accompany obesity |
small | |
18,5 - 24,9 correct body weight | average |
25 - 29,9 overweight | moderate |
30 - 34,9 type 1 obesity | significant |
35 - 39,9 type 2 obesity | serious |
>40 type 3 obesity | huge |
Count what is the BMI of one of your parents and interpret it.
Select the correct sentences.
- The basis of our diet are foods that are prepared from wholegrain flour: wholegrain bread and pasta, as well as fruit and vegetables.
- If someone eats 2 meals a day and does not feel hungry in between the meals, this means that person eats healthy.
- Instead of a saltwater fish, it is better to eat chicken or pork for dinner.
- Butter is a natural fat, it can be eaten without limitations.
Summary
What we eat, that is the amount and the quality of food, influences our health.
Everyday diet should provide various nutrients.
Dietary suggestions were elaborated in a form of a food pyramid.
The meals should have as much energy as we can use.
Keywords
diet, BMI, overweight, underweight
Glossary
bilans energetyczny – różnica między ilością energii spożywanej w pokarmach a zużywanej przez organizm
dieta zróżnicowana – dieta dostarczająca organizmowi różnorodnych składników pokarmowych
kaloria – jednostka energii; ilość energii potrzebna do ogrzania 1 g wody o 1°C
wskaźnik masy ciała BMI – współczynnik masy ciała służący do oceny proporcji masy ciała w stosunku do wzrostu, obliczany jako iloraz masy ciała (kg) i wzrostu (m) podniesionego do kwadratu