FOOD PYRAMID

The nutritional guideline known as the food pyramid, and formally titled the Improved American Food
Guide Pyramid', was published by the FDB in Denmark in 1978 and later adopted by the USDA (United
States Department of Agriculture) in 1992 to replace the earlier food groups classification system. The
food guide pyramid suggested optimal nutrition guidelines for each food category, per day, using a
mnemonic graphic of a pyramid with horizontal dividing lines to represent suggested percentages of the
daily diet for each food group.

The Food Pyramid consists of several shelves. We can see that it consists of several shelves with food
items from main food groups, Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates and Fruit and Vegetables.

The bottom shelf represents the carbohydrate group with food, such as bread, cereal, pasta, rice, grains,
potatoes etc. It is the largest group recommending 6+ servings per day, as these are the foods that
supply us with energy, in the form of glucose. Where possible go for the wholegrain variety as you will
get more fibre and will feel fuller for longer.

Fruits and Vegetable make up the second largest group. It is recommended that we eat 5+ servings
every day.

The next group is the dairy, 2-3 servings for calcium and Vitamin D to help strengthen bones and teeth.

The meat group is next, again 2-3 servings for protein and iron. Fish, chicken and eggs are also part of
this group as well as beans and pulses for those who don’t eat meat. Avoid fatty meats, this is saturated
fat, which can clog up arteries. Go for lean meats and remove all visible fat and skin. Oily fish are a great
source of unsaturated fat, omega 3, which is beneficial to our blood. Girls and women of childbearing
age should have only one serving of oily fish per week, men can have 2.

top group represents saturated fats, oils, sweets and junk food. It is still there so you are allowed to
have it but in proportion to the other groups, i.e. a small amount.
PULSE RATE

Your pulse is the rate at which your heart beats. Your pulse is usually called your heart rate, which is the
number of times your heart beats each minute (bpm). However, the rhythm and strength of the
heartbeat can also be noted, as well as whether the blood vessel feels hard or soft. Changes in your
heart rate or rhythm, a weak pulse, or a hard blood vessel may be caused by heart disease or another
problem.
As your heart pumps blood through your body, you can feel a pulsing in some of the blood vessels close
to the skin's surface, such as your wrist, neck, or upper arm. Counting your pulse rate is a simple way to
find out how fast your heart is beating.
You check your pulse rate by counting the beats in a set period of time (at least 15 to 20 seconds) and
multiplying that number to get the number of beats per minute. Your pulse changes from minute to
minute. It will be faster when you exercise, have a fever, or are under stress. It will be slower when you
are resting.

The best place to measure a pulse is on the thigh, at the femoral artery.