ESSENTIAL TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EATING RIGHT FOR YOUR HEALTH- By Twum Barimah (Technical Officer, Nutrition)
1. No food can boast of a single Nutrient. Thus, there is no only one single Nutrient in a giving food. Though it may contain some Nutrients in larger quantities (macro nutrients), yet it has some other nutrients in smaller amount ( Micronutrients)
2. Each individual is made of different genetic makeup even twins. So your body may react with food in different ways. Food that worked for you might not work for other people even your child.
3. Wholesome food and unwholesome food.
Many people claim they eat healthy but later realized that their food rather cause more harm than good.
4. The intervals at which you eat.
Many people eat Nutrient dense food but have problems with the right time to eat. Eating at a regular intervals means allowing some time between your meals(3-4 hours)
5. Irregular eating pattern- Though you may be eating a nutritious dense diet, but the pattern you eat might cause the body to store more calories than you really need. This can lead to weight gain and obesity.
6. Knowing your Basal Metabolic Rate and Body Mass Index will help you to eat right for your health.
Knowing how your body uses the energy in the food you eat when the body is at rest will help you control the portion size of food to eat in order not to store more calories/ fat.
7. Food storage
How you store the food you eat can also alter the nutrients in your food. A typical example of such food/ ingredients are vegetables ( Kontomire, cabbage, lettuce, kale, shallot, ) other veggies ( garden eggs, tomatoes, okro, etc). The reason behind it is that the vitamins found in these veggies are not strong and hence can be destroyed by oxidation and continuous reheating/ too much heat
8.Whether you are physically active or inactive also plays a part in healthy eating rudiment. All that you need to aim at, is to maintain positive energy balance- energy taking in = energy giving out.
9. If you want to eat right for optimal health, debunk all forms of taboos associated with some local Ghanaian foods such as eggs, ripped -Plantain/ banana okro, which has been tagged with theft and impotence respectively.
10. Whether or not you have a known disease conditions.
People with a known chronic disease such as G6PD, Diabetes, Nephrotic Syndrome, Gout/ arthritis/ Rheumatism, high cholesterol, etc should stay away from certain kinds of food.
Ignorance of such, can increase the complications of the above mentioned diseases. So always consult your Doctor or Nutritionist/ Dietitian for what you are suppose to eat and what to avoid.
11. Stress.
Stress is physiological process that everybody goes through in one's life.
If you are stress up, the body react to nutrients differently. Stress reduces the rate at which the body digest and absorb food Nutrients.
So you see? You may be eating Nutrient dense diet but your body may not see and use it because you are undergoing a stressful moment. Do well to manage your stress when it comes.
Thank you.
There are more to come on your way as we go along.
