Importance of a healthy diet:
We need to eat food in the correct balance for:
- Providing energy
- Growth and repair
- All bodily functions
- Stop us feeling hungry
,Foods high in fat, salt and sugar are not needed in the diet and should therefore not be eaten very
often as they have high energy – check food labels to see if which foods are high or low in fat, salt
and sugar
Hydration
- 6 to 8 glasses
- Water, coffee, tea, low fat milk, sugar free drinks
- Fruit juice and smoothies do count but are free sugars, you should not have more than
150ml per day
- No more than 14 units of alcohol in one week
Food labels
- Show the contribution the food makes to the daily amounts required
- Colour shows if something is high in saturated fat, sugar or salt
Saturated fat
Reducing the amount of saturated fat we eat can:
- Reduce risk of heart disease
- Lower blood cholesterol
Sugar
A free sugar is when sugar is added to food to make it more palatable and should make up no more
than 5% of the sugar we eat eg Cane sugar, Honey, Fructose, Sucrose, Molasses, Fruit juice
concentrate and Corn syrup.
Not free sugars are sugars which are found naturally in food eg fresh, dried or frozen fruit and
vegetables and in milk, cheese and natural yoghurt
Reducing the amount of sugar we eat can reduce the risk of:
- Obesity
- Tooth decay
Age Free sugar recommended maximum intake
4-6 years 19g per day
7-10 years 24g per day
11+ years 30g per day
Salt Age Salt recommended maximum intake
Reducing the amount of salt we eat can: 1-3 years 2g per day
- Reduce blood pressure 4-6 years 3g per day
- Reduce risk of heart disease 7-10 years 5g per day
- Reduce risk of stroke 11+ years 6g per day
Government guidelines
- Eatwell guide
- 8 tips for healthy eating
- 5 a day campaign
,8 Tips for healthy eating
1 Base your meals on starchy foods
2 Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
3 Eat more fish
- 2 portions, one of which should be oily
4 Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
5 Eat less salt
- Adults should eat no more than 6g per day
6 Get active and try to maintain a healthy weight
7 Don’t get thirsty – drink plenty of water
8 Don’t skip breakfast
5 a day campaign
Encourages us to eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day which ensures a variety of:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Trace elements
- Fibre
- Antioxidants
- Plant chemicals
Major diet related issues caused by poor diet and lifestyle
Obesity
Main cause is eating more food than the body requires – excess energy is stored as fat
The number of people who are obese is increasing in the UK.
Unhealthy because it puts strain on organs and can cause:
- Heart disease (excess weight can lead to fatty material building up in your arteries)
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes (Causes insulin resistance)
- Breathlessness (Excess weight against the chest wall also makes it harder for the muscles to
draw in a breath)
- Unhappiness/Low self-esteem/Depression
Cardiovascular diseases
Term used describe all types of diseases of the heart and
circulatory system.
Blood flow to the heart, brain and body is reduced because of a
blood clot or narrowing of the arteries.
Coronary heart disease (CHD)
In the UK it is a major health problem and one of the major
causes of death.
- Linked to the amount of fat in the diet (especially saturated
fat)
- Cholesterol, made in the liver, carried in the bloodstream and can
build up
, Factors which influence risk of heart disease:
- Obesity
- Low exercise levels
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
Things you can do to reduce the risk of heart disease:
- Follow the eatwell guide
- Participate in regular physical activity
- Do not smoke
- Have fish instead of meat
High blood pressure
Cause by narrowing of the blood vessels, to reduce risk should follow the eatwell guide
Diabetes
Medical condition where glucose in the blood stream is not regulated correctly. Glucose is carried in
the blood stream to all body cells to provide them with energy. In a person without diabetes, when
blood glucose concentration is too high the pancreas releases insulin which causes the liver to
convert glucose into glycogen. Then when blood glucose levels fall the pancreas releases glucagon
which causes the liver to convert glycogen into glucose which then increases blood glucose levels to
normal. This does not happen in people with diabetes.
If blood glucose levels are too low then body cells will not be able to respire, therefore normal bodily
functions will not be able to happen.
If blood glucose levels are too high body systems especially nerves and blood vessels will be
damaged.
2 Types of diabetes:
- Type 1 – usually diagnosed in children and is caused by the pancreas not producing enough
insulin
- Type 2 – usually diagnosed in older people, although there are younger people being
diagnosed with this due to a poor diet
Diabetics should follow the eatwell guide and should make sure the diet is high in starchy
carbohydrate foods and low in sugar and sweet foods.
Diverticulosis
Condition, which affects the large intestines, often linked to
having a diet which is low in fibre (non-starch polysaccharide
(NSP)), causes the lining of the bowel to be inflamed, infected
and damaged.
Symptoms include:
- Pain in the abdomen
- Feeling bloated
We need to eat food in the correct balance for:
- Providing energy
- Growth and repair
- All bodily functions
- Stop us feeling hungry
,Foods high in fat, salt and sugar are not needed in the diet and should therefore not be eaten very
often as they have high energy – check food labels to see if which foods are high or low in fat, salt
and sugar
Hydration
- 6 to 8 glasses
- Water, coffee, tea, low fat milk, sugar free drinks
- Fruit juice and smoothies do count but are free sugars, you should not have more than
150ml per day
- No more than 14 units of alcohol in one week
Food labels
- Show the contribution the food makes to the daily amounts required
- Colour shows if something is high in saturated fat, sugar or salt
Saturated fat
Reducing the amount of saturated fat we eat can:
- Reduce risk of heart disease
- Lower blood cholesterol
Sugar
A free sugar is when sugar is added to food to make it more palatable and should make up no more
than 5% of the sugar we eat eg Cane sugar, Honey, Fructose, Sucrose, Molasses, Fruit juice
concentrate and Corn syrup.
Not free sugars are sugars which are found naturally in food eg fresh, dried or frozen fruit and
vegetables and in milk, cheese and natural yoghurt
Reducing the amount of sugar we eat can reduce the risk of:
- Obesity
- Tooth decay
Age Free sugar recommended maximum intake
4-6 years 19g per day
7-10 years 24g per day
11+ years 30g per day
Salt Age Salt recommended maximum intake
Reducing the amount of salt we eat can: 1-3 years 2g per day
- Reduce blood pressure 4-6 years 3g per day
- Reduce risk of heart disease 7-10 years 5g per day
- Reduce risk of stroke 11+ years 6g per day
Government guidelines
- Eatwell guide
- 8 tips for healthy eating
- 5 a day campaign
,8 Tips for healthy eating
1 Base your meals on starchy foods
2 Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
3 Eat more fish
- 2 portions, one of which should be oily
4 Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
5 Eat less salt
- Adults should eat no more than 6g per day
6 Get active and try to maintain a healthy weight
7 Don’t get thirsty – drink plenty of water
8 Don’t skip breakfast
5 a day campaign
Encourages us to eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day which ensures a variety of:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Trace elements
- Fibre
- Antioxidants
- Plant chemicals
Major diet related issues caused by poor diet and lifestyle
Obesity
Main cause is eating more food than the body requires – excess energy is stored as fat
The number of people who are obese is increasing in the UK.
Unhealthy because it puts strain on organs and can cause:
- Heart disease (excess weight can lead to fatty material building up in your arteries)
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes (Causes insulin resistance)
- Breathlessness (Excess weight against the chest wall also makes it harder for the muscles to
draw in a breath)
- Unhappiness/Low self-esteem/Depression
Cardiovascular diseases
Term used describe all types of diseases of the heart and
circulatory system.
Blood flow to the heart, brain and body is reduced because of a
blood clot or narrowing of the arteries.
Coronary heart disease (CHD)
In the UK it is a major health problem and one of the major
causes of death.
- Linked to the amount of fat in the diet (especially saturated
fat)
- Cholesterol, made in the liver, carried in the bloodstream and can
build up
, Factors which influence risk of heart disease:
- Obesity
- Low exercise levels
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
Things you can do to reduce the risk of heart disease:
- Follow the eatwell guide
- Participate in regular physical activity
- Do not smoke
- Have fish instead of meat
High blood pressure
Cause by narrowing of the blood vessels, to reduce risk should follow the eatwell guide
Diabetes
Medical condition where glucose in the blood stream is not regulated correctly. Glucose is carried in
the blood stream to all body cells to provide them with energy. In a person without diabetes, when
blood glucose concentration is too high the pancreas releases insulin which causes the liver to
convert glucose into glycogen. Then when blood glucose levels fall the pancreas releases glucagon
which causes the liver to convert glycogen into glucose which then increases blood glucose levels to
normal. This does not happen in people with diabetes.
If blood glucose levels are too low then body cells will not be able to respire, therefore normal bodily
functions will not be able to happen.
If blood glucose levels are too high body systems especially nerves and blood vessels will be
damaged.
2 Types of diabetes:
- Type 1 – usually diagnosed in children and is caused by the pancreas not producing enough
insulin
- Type 2 – usually diagnosed in older people, although there are younger people being
diagnosed with this due to a poor diet
Diabetics should follow the eatwell guide and should make sure the diet is high in starchy
carbohydrate foods and low in sugar and sweet foods.
Diverticulosis
Condition, which affects the large intestines, often linked to
having a diet which is low in fibre (non-starch polysaccharide
(NSP)), causes the lining of the bowel to be inflamed, infected
and damaged.
Symptoms include:
- Pain in the abdomen
- Feeling bloated
