Nutritional Health
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,I am interested in becoming a registered nutritionist and am looking at applying for a
degree course endorsed by the Association for Nutrition to further this ambition.
Therefore to back up my application, I have decided to study the nutritional health of
2 individuals from different life stages with different nutritional needs, looking at the
factors that affect their nutritional health.
19/A.P Explain how the concepts of nutritional health contribute to health and
1 wellbeing
In this section, I will be explaining the importance of healthy eating, a balanced diet,
the eatwell plate, food pyramid, the main food groups, malnutrition, obesity, the
effects of food preparation, processed food, health supplements, exercise regime,
genetically modified foods and BMI and explaining how they all contribute to
maintaining your health. Upon reading this information and understanding what they
do to your body, the benefits and complications, people will normally choose to do
the right thing for their body resulting in them living a longer and healthier life.
Healthy eating and a Balanced diet
Healthy eating is eating foods that provide you with the nutrients you need to help
sustain your body’s wellbeing and absorb energy. Healthy eating helps to reduce the
risks of physical health complications like heart disease, diabetes, respiratory
diseases etc. Eating well is also beneficial for improved sleeping patterns, energy
levels and your general health, it can affect your moods depending on the types of
food you eat and how much you eat. When you eat well, you feel good. Healthy
eating contributes to health and wellbeing as it protects you from diseases as
consuming all the appropriate nutrients will strengthen your immune system along
with improving your quality of life, allowing you greater chances to live a longer life.
Healthy eating and a balanced diet go hand in hand, in order to eat healthily you
must maintain a balanced diet. A balanced diet is eating the required amount of
nutrients from all 5 food groups to maintain a healthy diet, eating a variety of foods
and consuming minimal amounts of salt, sugar and fats is essential in maintaining a
balanced diet. Maintaining a balanced diet is vital for all human beings as it protects
you from diseases or prevents further complications with those already suffering
from chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
Eatwell plate
The Eatwell plate is a division of all the foods we eat and drink into 5 main
categories, those being fruits and vegetables, starchy carbohydrates, dairy, protein
and fatty foods and oils. It is a visual summary used by healthcare professionals to
provide dietary advice on the recommended proportions one should take to maintain
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, a healthy diet, although you don’t have to abide by the plate daily, it is important to
make it a habit to have a slightly balanced diet at almost all times. The eatwell plate
contributes to health and wellbeing as it helps maintain a healthy weight and lowers
the risk of getting ill which helps you live longer.
The food pyramid
The food Pyramid is a visual representation of how different foods and drinks
contribute towards a healthy balanced diet. The Food Pyramid provides people the
option to choose from the variety of foods and beverages from each shelf based on
what food they prefer. It categorises foods and beverages into 5 main shelves,
starting from the more important and healthier shelf being at the bottom.
Shelf 1: Vegetables, Salad and Fruit (up to at least 5 to 7 servings a day). Your
meals should be based on these as they are the healthiest option and provide your
food with more colours. The more you consume, the better. Ensure juice contains no
sweetener, drink it once a day.
Shelf 2: Wholemeal Cereals and Breads, Potatoes, Pasta and Rice (3–5 servings a
day, up to 7 for teenage boys and men age 19–50). Wholemeal and wholegrain
cereals are the healthiest cereal.
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