Page 34 - April-June 2025

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A study in Kenya in 2007
found that supplemen-
tation of animal-source
food intake in school
children improved growth,
cognitive and behavioural
outcomes. Revealing that
good nutrition, particularly
including animal sourced
foods, in children enhances
| WELLBEING FEATURE their ability to grow and
develop cognitively and
remain in good health and
By: Sarah Worthington
Back2Health that it is essential to their
future development, the
workforce, and the nation
Diet and Nutrition
A healthy diet is the foundation for health, well-being and
optimal growth and development.
healthy diet means: There are 2 types of sugar:
E
A ating enough of the nutrients your body needs for 1) Naturally occurring sugar – such as that in milk
optimal functioning. Healthy eating helps with ageing, (lactose) and fruit (fructose) and starchy foods
fighting off illness and repairing and replenishing our (carbohydrates)
cellular structure in the background. 2) Added sugar – ‘free sugars’ such as refined table sugar
Ensuring that you are not consuming foods that create (sucrose)
an unhealthy environment, or impact your body function In the general population it is the ‘free sugars’ that should
negatively. be reduced. Individuals with high blood sugar levels
Healthy eating is not only about WHAT you eat, but HOW should reduce on all forms of sugar in their diet.
and WHEN you eat. These factors may be different for It is recommended by WHO to not consume more than 7
different individuals depending on their genetics, family teaspoons of sugar per day.
and personal history of disease. Sodas – One soda averages around 9 teaspoons of sugar
Diet can be utilised to help prevent and reverse certain (more than the recommended daily amount)
chronic diseases including; Do not be fooled by ‘diet’ sodas and drinks. The chemicals
Obesity | Diabetes | Heart Disease | High Cholesterol added into these drinks to replace the sugar are often as
*Seek professional advice on these aspects of diet and unhealthy or even more so than the sugar itself.
nutrition. Healthy Vs Unhealthy Fats
What foods are Unhealthy? Contrary to popular opinion not all Fat is bad for you.
Processed Food Different Types of Fat: Which Are Healthy?
Processed foods are those that have been changed from When digested, fats are split into compounds
their original form. Not all processed foods are unhealthy, called fatty acids to be burned for energy or stored for
generally however, the MORE processed a food is, the later. Fatty acids come in four varieties: saturated fat,
MORE unhealthy it becomes. These include foods such monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and trans fat.
as crisps, cakes, cereals, baked goods. Processed foods Saturated Fat - found in meat, lard, egg yolks, coconut oil,
include ‘refined foods’ which have often had nutrients butter, and palm oil. Saturated fat is a stable fat—ideal
and fibre removed. for high-heat cooking. For some with high cholesterol it
Processed and refined foods are usually high in salt, is possible that they may negatively impact cholesterol
sugars, sweeteners, calories and saturated fats and are levels and they should limit use of Saturated fats.
more likely to contain dangerous chemicals, preservatives Monounsaturated Fat - found in olives and avocados.
and additives. Higher intakes are linked to lower blood pressure,
EAT FOODS THAT ARE AS CLOSE TO THE ‘ORIGINAL’ healthier blood sugar levels, and a variety of other health
FORM AS POSSIBLE improvements.
A Good ‘Rule of Thumb’ Polyunsaturated Fat (PUFA) - Polyunsaturated fat is
Foods are not commonly WHITE in their natural form. controversial. There are 2 categories of PUFAs; Omega-6s
WHITE foods are commonly REFINED. Think of foods such and Omega-3s.
as white bread, white pasta and white rice. Overall, we recommend you avoid using Omega-6 veggie
Sugar and Sodas oils. Use more Omega-3 oils (flax, chia, hemp) and MUFAs
Consuming too much sugar may lead to a variety (olive oil, avocado oil), while eating more fatty fish,
of health issues such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flax seeds.
and tooth decay. Trans Fat - Trans fats are vegetable oils that have been
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