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- Choose a nutritious diet from a variety of
foods.
A variety of foods needs to be eaten to provide the variety of
nutritents needed for good health. Selecting foods daily from the five
food groups in the appropriate quantities should supply all the
necessary nutrients.
- Control your weight.
Inactivity combined with overeating is major cause of high incidence
of overweight and obese Australians. Increased incidence of many
illnesses can be directly attributed to obesity. Of course there are
also health problems associated with being underweight. The increase
in these problems can be partly be blamed on current trends and
fashoins that emphasise slimness. Dieting to extremes can lead to
potientally dangerous health disorders.
- Avoid eating too much.
Australians consume too much fat. High saturated fat intake is
associated with coronary heart disease and some forms of cancer. If we
can consume less fat, we will reduce the risk of contracting these
diseases.
- Avoid eating too much sugar.
Sugar provides food energy but not much else. This means that
if we eat too much sugar we may be reducing the intake of other
essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Sugar also
contributes to overweight, obesity and tooth decay.
- Eat more wholegrain breads, cerals, fruit and vegetables.
Eating these foods helps to control body weigh. They contain many
essential nutrients and are high in dietary fibre. They should be
eaten in preference to foods that contain refined sugars and are high
in fat content.
- Limit alcohol consumption
Australains are renowned for the large amounts of alcohol they
consume. Alcohol intake is associated with increased risk of high
blood pressure, storke, vitamin deficiency syndrome and weight
problems and is a major factor in motor traffic accidents.
- Use less salt
A high consumption of salt has been linked with the development of
high blood pressure in certain people. It is considered a risk factor
for both stroke and coronary heart disease. Salt is needed in the
diet, but only in very small quantities. Eating a balanced diet should
supply all the salt we need without any need to add extra amounts.
- Promote breastfeeding
The best nutrition a newborn baby can receive can be found in
breast milk. It provides the correct mixture of nutrients and energy
for the growing infant.
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