Adequate Food and Proper Nutrition

NUTRITION
• Nutrition is a critical part of health and development. Better nutrition is
related to improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune
systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of non-communicable
diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), and longevity.
• Healthy children learn better. People with adequate nutrition are more
productive and can create opportunities to gradually break the cycles of
poverty and hunger. Also an adequate diet provides enough energy,
nutrients, fiber, and vitamins to maintain a person's health.
• Food is essential—it provides vital nutrients for survival, and helps the
body function and stay healthy. Food is comprised of macronutrients
including protein, carbohydrate and fat that not only offer calories to fuel
the body and give it energy but play specific roles in maintaining health.
 Food Impact on Our Health
• The food we eat gives our bodies the "information" and materials they
need to function properly. If we don't get the right information, our
metabolic processes suffer and our health declines.

• If we get too much food, or food that gives our bodies the wrong
instructions, we can become overweight, undernourished, and at risk
for the development of diseases and conditions, such
as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease.
Importance of Proper Nutrition

• Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle.

Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and
maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases (like
heart disease and cancer), and promote your overall health. By making
smart food choices, you can help protect yourself from those health
problems.
4 Essential tips to have
Proper Nutrition
1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

• Fruits and vegetables are among the most important foods for supplying the
vitamins, minerals and fiber that our body needs for good health and normal
immune function. As different colored fruits and vegetables provide different
combinations of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, make sure to add variety to
your daily meals where possible.
2. Limit foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt

• Foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt such as cookies, potato chips, chocolate
and sugary drinks, when eaten in high amounts can lead us to consume more calories
than we need.  As these foods often provide little nutritional benefit, they are not
needed for a healthy diet and should only be enjoyed in small amounts and eaten
occasionally.
3. Replace saturated fats with unsaturated
fats

• Fats are an important part of a healthy diet. However, not all fats have the same effect on
our health. Swapping saturated fats with unsaturated fats can help to lower our
(bad) cholesterol levels and reduce our risk of heart disease. We can do this by reducing
our intake of foods such as fatty meats, high fat dairy products and tropical oils like
coconut oil and adding foods such as nuts, oily fish and plant oils such as olive and
rapeseed oil.
4. Stay hydrated

• Keeping hydrated is essential for overall health. How much water we need depends
on our age, sex, weight, height, level of physical activity and environmental
conditions (i.e. hot weather will likely require you to drink more water). If you have
access to safe tap water, this is the healthiest and cheapest drink. For a refreshing
boost, you can add slices of lemon, cucumber, mint or berries. Other drinks such
as unsweetened coffee, sparkling water, unsweetened tea, iced tea or unsweetened
infused or flavored water are also good choices for hydration.