New Page 1

Healthy Eating

Eating is a pleasure and so is good health. Yet, when we eat, we do not usually think about how the food will affect our health. High fat meals, high sodium meals, and high cholesterol meals, have become part of our lives. More and more people are suffering from diet-induced illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer and diabetes.

We need good nutrition for good health. Eating enough, but not an excess, of each type of nutrient is essential to keep our bodies in proper condition. Any food, even those healthy foods, can be harmful if we take too much of them.

Recommended Daily Allowances

The RDA is a general guideline for people to know how much of each nutrients they require, depending on their sex, age and weight.

These figures apply to most healthy people and do not cover special nutritional needs arising from metabolic disorders, chronic diseases, injuries, premature birth, and other medical conditions, and drug therapies.

Males

Age	11-14 Years	15-18 Years	19-24 Years	25-50 Years	51+ Years
Weight (pounds)	99	145	160	174	170
Protein (grams)	45	59	58	63	63
Vitamin A	1000	1000	1000	1000	1000
Vitamin D	10	10	10	5	50
Vitamin E	10	10	10	10	10
Vitamin K	45	65	70	60	60
Vitamin C	50	60	60	80	80
Thiamin (mg)	1.3	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.2
Riboflavin (mg)	1.5	1.8	1.7	1.7	1.4
Niacin (mg)	17	20	19	19	15
Vitamin B₆ (mg)	1.7	2	2	2	2
Folate (micrograms)	150	200	200	200	200
Vitamin B₁₂ (micrograms)	2	2	2	2	2
Calcium (mg)	1200	1200	1200	800	800
Phosphorus (mg)	1200	1200	1200	800	800
Magnesium (mg)	270	400	350	350	350
Iron (mg.)	12	12	10	10	10
Zinc (mg.)	15	15	15	15	15
Iodine (micrograms)	150	150	150	150	10
Selenium (micrograms)	40	50	70	70	70

Females

Age	11-14 Years	15-18 Years	19-24 Years	25-50 Years	51+ Years
Weight (pounds)	101	120	128	138	1437
Protein (grams)	46	44	46	50	50
Vitamin A	800	800	800	800	800
Vitamin D	10	10	10	5	5
Vitamin E	8	8	8	8	8
Vitamin K	45	55	60	65	65
Vitamin C	50	60	60	60	80
Thiamin (mg)	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.0
Riboflavin (mg)	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.2
Niacin (mg)	15	15	15	15	13
Vitamin B₆ (mg)	1.4	1.5	1.6	1.6	1.6
Folate (micrograms)	150	180	180	180	180
Vitamin B₁₂ (micrograms)	2	2	2	2	2
Calcium (mg)	1200	1200	1200	800	800
Phosphorus (mg)	1200	1200	1200	800	800
Magnesium (mg)	280	300	280	280	280
Iron (mg)	15	15	15	15	10
Zinc (mg)	12	12	12	12	12
Iodine (micrograms)	150	150	150	150	150
Selenium (micrograms)	45	50	55	55	55

Good Eating Habits

Eat a Good Breakfast
Light Evening Meal
Eat unpolished rice and whole wheat bread
Use little salt in your food
Eat Fresh Fruits and Vegetables at least twice a day
Drink at least 6 glasses of water everyday

How to cut down on Fats

Replace animal fats such as lard and beef tallow with plant oils such as corn or Soya
Choose lean meat in place of fatty meat. Also avoid sausage and luncheon meat
Remove any visible fat and skin from chicken and duck
Use polyunsaturated margarine in place of butter, and spread it as thinly as possible
Replace coconut milk with skim milk and dressing for salads with low-fat yogurt
Cut down deep-fried food to once a week
Cut down creamy pastries and fatty desserts to once a week
Use low-fat dairy products
Eat more vegetables and replace meat with bean curd, nuts, and peas

How to Cut Down Cholesterol

Replace meat with bean curds, nuts, peas and beans on some days
Eat shellfish, prawns, crabs and organ meats (liver, kidney, brain) no more than twice a week and in small portions
Limit the number of eggs you eat. For normal healthy adults and adolescents, limit to 3-5 eggs a week. Young children can have 5-6 eggs a week. For persons with a high blood cholesterol level, limit to 2-3 eggs a week

Dieting

"Do"s

"Don't"s

Eat slowly, giving your brain time to catch up with your stomach and tell you when you have already had enough to eat.

When you feel hungry, chomp on something like a piece of carrot or celery. It soothes your hunger effectively, gives you valuable nutrients for almost no calories.

Eat several small meals or nutritious snacks rather than one or two large meals a day. Larger meals encourage the formation of fat while smaller meals increase the release of extra energy as body heat.

Drink plenty of water with a meal and eat some high-fiber foods such as salads first. Water and fiber help you feel full without having to pack away excess calories later.

If you grocery shop for your family, do it on a full stomach. At home, keep problem foods out of sight and leave healthy foods visible and handy.

If you know you're going to a party or social function, plan your eating strategy in advance. Allow yourself some treats, but decide on your limits.

Don't heap up piles of food on your plate. Start with small portions instead. Go back for more only if you feel really hungry.

Use a lot of condiments on your food. Items like mayonnaise and catsup add lots of calories and salt that you don't really need.

Eat all over the house, in front of the TV, or while on the phone. Eating during other activities builds the habit of eating when you engage in those activities again, even if you are not hungry.

Yo-yo dieting, periods of food restriction followed by gluttony. Instead, try to improve your diet and see whether you can stick with that change permanently.

Table of Contents