MyPyramid

MyPyramid

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its newest version of the food guide in 2005. Called MyPyramid.

MyPyramid was a visual illustration of suggested healthy eating habits and physical activity.

It presents recommendations for daily food choices and food amounts that are consistent with healthy diets. This guide recommends that people consume basic foods from six specific food groups in their most nutrient-dense form.

The MyPyramid symbol itself showed six vertical color bands, each representing varying proportions of the pyramid.

These colors represented the food groups as follows.

»Orange for Grains group, the amount of grains you need to eat depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity. At least half of all the grains eaten should be whole grains.

»Purple for Meat group, consist of lean meats, and meats and fish that are not prepared with fat.

»Green for Vegetables group, they are assumed to have no added butter or margarine.

»Red for Fruits, fruits no added sugar.

»Blue for Dairy, dairy products are assumed to be low-fat and milk non-fat.

»Yellow for Fats and sweets group, they give us calories but they don’t contain many vitamins or minerals.

A person climbing up the stairs on the side was added to emphasize physical activity. 

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Food guide Pyramid

To make your meal you should know how to prepare it, what foods are good to eat and what are bad.

There are many ways that can help you prepare healthy food such as Food Guide Pyramid, MyPyramid Food Guidance and MyPlate.

Food Guide Pyramid:

The food pyramid is a simple design to help us make healthy food choices. It used to give us a visual aid to which we can refer.

If you want to maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of becoming ill, you should follow the food pyramid guidelines.

The Food Pyramid has 6 food groups - Bread and Cereal, Fruits, Vegetables, Milk and Yogurt, Meat and Poultry and Fish, Fats and Sweets.

     How many servings do you need each day?

                                   Women                        Children,                          Teen

                                   & some                        teen girls,                         boys &

                                     older                             active                             active

                                    adults                            women,                            men

                                                                        most men

   Calorie level             approx                           approx                             approx

                                     1,600                              2,200                                2,800

   Bread group                6                                     9                                     11

   Vegetable group          3                                     4                                      5

   Fruit group                  2                                     3                                      4

   Milk group                 2-3                                  2-3                                   2-3

   Meat group                  2                                     2                                      3

These are the calorie levels if you choose low fat, lean foods from the 5 major food groups.

Bread group

Bread group is a good source of carbohydrates like starch and fiber. It also a good source of vitamins and minerals.

This group contains any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, bread and pasta.

The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains such as oats and brown rice.

The body can't digest whole grains quickly such as other carbohydrates. This keeps blood sugar levels under control and prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and obesity diseases.

Vegetable group

Vegetables are a source of vitamins, minerals and  naturally low in fat, calories and sodium.

Because vegetables differ in the vitamins and minerals they contain, it is important to eat a variety of vegetables..

Fruit group

Fruits are important sources of vitamins and carbohydrates like fiber and sugar, so it is important to eat a variety of fruits.

They are low in calories and naturally sweet. Fruits and their juices are good sources of water.

Canned fruits packed in syrup have a lot of added sugar. They are higher in calories than fresh fruits.

Milk group

The foods in this group are important because all of the nutrients work together to keep our bones strong and healthy, because they are the best sources of the mineral calcium.

They also provide us with vitamin A, protein and phosphorus. It may be difficult to get enough calcium unless we include these foods in our diets.

Some milk products like ice cream, cheese, whole milk and foods made from whole milk are high in fat, so we should choose low-fat or skim milk products to keep the fat in our diets down.

Meat group

Meat, poultry, fish, lentils, eggs and other varieties of food in this group are important sources of protein, iron, and B vitamins.

Some meats are high in fat. There are many ways to reduce the fat you can trim fat from meat before cooking and eating. You can take the skin off chicken.

Plant foods like mushrooms, lentils, chick peas and peas are inexpensive sources of protein. Unlike meats, beans are low in fat and high in fiber.

Fats and Sweets group

Fats, oils and sweets give us calories but they do not contain many vitamins or minerals.

Fats and oils like mayonnaise, butter and margarine.

Sweets like candy, soft drinks, syrups, jams, and jellies  

Fats, oils and sweets are not bad foods. They add flavor to our diets, We don't have to give them up but we can use less of them to help us stay fit and healthy.

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Nutrition

Nutrition comprises the process of providing the nutrients needed for health, growth, development and survival. . Food is an essential part of this process since it is the source of these nutrients, but good caring practices and good health care are also essential to the nutrition process.

Nutrition is the study of food at work in our bodies, our source for energy, and the medium for which our nutrients can function. Nutritions comprises Food, individual, community and environment that impact the body and influence health. The environment is essential to nutrition since people cannot be healthy in a sick environment.

We are what we eat, and food has a unique power to restore the health of individuals and communities.

A balanced food:

Our daily food must include the essential nutrients for life, these nutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids (fats), fibre, vitamins, minerals, and a lot of water—the solvent for all soluble ingredients in the blood and cells.

Eating well plays an important part in maintaining good health. A balanced food means eating the right amount of food for how active you are.

Eating a range of foods, these foods should include:

• Some bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods as these give you energy.  You should choose wholegrain varieties they contain more fibre.
• Plenty of fruit and vegetables. Eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day.
• Some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein.
• Eat at least two portions of fish every week, including one portion of oily fish such as mackerel or sardines.
• Some milk and dairy foods (choosing lower-fat varieties when possible).
• Cut down on saturated fat and sugar. Eat less salt – no more than 6g a day for adults.
• Drink plenty of water, about six to eight glasses of water (or other fluids) every day.

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Children BMI

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Diagnosing Obesity

How to diagnose obesity?

     Women have more body fat than men. Men with more than 25% body fat and women with more than 30% body fat are obese.

     We can diagnose obesity by BMI (Body Mass Index), which is used to determine the type of obesity. BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems. It is a measurement of a person’s weight relative to his or her height.

                    

                    

     Example:  Weight = 77 kg,               Height = 179 cm (1.79 m)

     Calculation:  77 ÷ (1.79)² = 24

    For most adults, having a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 means you are considered to be a healthy weight.

     A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered to be overweight, and someone with a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese.

     While BMI is an accurate assessment of total body fat in most people, there are a few exceptions. Such as very muscular people, they may fall into the “overweight” category when they are actually healthy and very fit because of increased muscularity rather than increased body fatness. 

     BMI also should not be used to work out if a child is a healthy weight, as their bodies are still developing. If you want to find out whether your child is overweight, you should speak to your GP.

     However, a person’s BMI score is not the only tool used by healthcare professionals to assess health risk. They also consider waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol level, blood sugar level, family history of disease, physical activity, and cigarette smoking when assessing a patient’s health risk.

Body Fat Distribution:

     Men collect fat in their bellies (apple shape), so they are more likely to develop obesity-related health problems.

     Women collect their fat in their buttocks and hips (pear shape), this kind of obesity is less dangerous than men obesity.

     Apple shape (bellies obesity) is more dangerous than pear shape (buttocks and hips obesity).

     A waist measurement for men shouldn't exceed 40 inches (102 centimetres), and for women 35 inches (89 centimetres).

Remember, even a small weight loss can help to (between 5 and 10 percent of your current weight) lower your risk of developing certain diseases.

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