By HeraldersTimes Editorial Board
Let me first welcome you to the nutrition and Health desk of HERALDERSTIMES, a subsidiary of HERALDERS NETWORK NIGERIA LIMITED. we are delighted to have you here and also to bring to you a life changing experience. We are intentional, passionate and deliberate about helping individual both old and young in developing a very good and sustainable relationship with their DIET. We preach the good news of good diet to all, at all times. Our primary goal on “YOU and YOUR DIET” via this channel is to have a healthier and happier society in particular, and by extension to the world at large. Our mandate is to educate individual on making food their medicine, hereby combating malnutrition in all it forms among all age group.
Basically we will be sharing with you eye opening articles on nutrition and Health. Stay glued to us as we unravel facts, fads and mysteries of nutrition in relation to your health and wellness.
With so much delight, I am glad to announce to you that we will be starting a series on “YOU and YOUR DIET”…
However, series one will be centered at explaining the word “YOU” in relation to your nutrition, health and wellness.
“THE PRONOUNCE YOU”
Alot of times we forget the significant role that “YOU” play in your diet. “YOU” simply refers to the totality of an individual both old and young from Age, sex, activity level, weight, height, eating habits, patterns down to body chemistry. All this listed factor must be INTENTIONALLY and CAREFULLY observed before choosing a Diet plan. Now quickly, let’s explain some very important factors;
AGE
As human, we have two different age—. Some people seem to age very rapidly, while others experience aging at a much more gradual pace. We’ve all experienced meeting someone for the first time who appears to be much younger—or older—than they really are.
The two basic types of age is chronological and biological.
Chronological age is the actual amount of time a person has been alive. The number of days, months, or years a person has been alive does not change, regardless of how healthy a lifestyle—even one filled with great exercise and nutrition habits—they are living. while
Biological age refers to how old a person seems. It also connotes physiological age, which takes many lifestyle factors into consideration, including diet, exercise and sleeping habits, to name a few.
1. SEX
Gender or sex of an individual play a very significant role in choosing a Diet plan. There are essential nutrients that are peculiar to a particular gender. Take for example the female gender requires more food rich in iron in comparison to their male counterpart.
2. ACTIVITY LEVEL
Activity level is a number used to express how physically active someone’s lifestyle is. It is derived by dividing total energy expenditure by basal metabolic rate and is typically between 1.4 and 2.1.
Activity level is the most important driver of calorie needs vis-a-vis;
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job)
Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 6-7 days)
Very active (hard exercise every day, or 2 xs/day)
Extra active (hard exercise 2 or more times per day).
3. WEIGHT:
Individuals weight plays a significant role in their health. Body mass index is usually used in categorizing weight Nutritional.
Body mass index (BMI) is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. BMI is an inexpensive and easy screening method for weight category—underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obesity.
BMI does not measure body fat directly, but BMI is moderately correlated with more direct measures of body fat, it appears to be as strongly correlated with various metabolic and disease outcome as are these more direct measures of body fatness.
SMART law of healthy weight management states that for every energy consumed, there must be an equal or corresponding activity to ensure energy balance.
4.BODY CHEMISTRY
These are elements that the body is made up of, Roughly 96 percent of the mass of the human body is made up of just four elements; oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, with a lot of that in the form of water. The remaining 4 percent is a sparse sampling of the periodic table of elements.
Some of the more prominent representatives are called macro nutrients, whereas those appearing only at the level of parts per million or less are referred to as micronutrients. These nutrients perform various functions, including the building of bones and cell structures, regulating the body’s pH, carrying charge, and driving chemical reactions. Hence,the knowledge of your body build up is highly expedient in choosing a suitable diet plan
EATING HABITS AND PATTERNS
Our relationship with food is a direct reflection of our relationship with life. If you struggle with your weight, body image, or eating habits just know that this is not a problem. All of these conditions are symptoms of a problem that are trying to get your attention.
And so the more willing you are to take an honest look at yourself and your relationship with food, the more opportunities you will have to not only know yourself better but to make a change. Remember, we cannot change what we do not accept (or see) so the change will always begin with (kind and patient) observation and acceptance.
Understanding the four types of eating and how they relate to you is a great tool to help you gain a clearer perspective on yourself and your relationship to food.
The four types of eating are Fuel, Fun, Fog, and Storm.
Fuel Eating: is when you are eating foods that support your body and its needs. This is clean eating. Eating real, whole, natural, minimally processed foods that provide you with energy and nourishment and feel good in your body. You want to eat fuel foods 80% of the time.
Fun Eating: is eating any foods that you love to eat that don’t necessarily give you anything back. In other words, food that tastes great and you enjoy but don’t offer any real nutritional value (i.e. cake, wine, potato chips, candy, etc.). You want to pay careful attention when eating fun foods to be sure you are receiving the pleasure that they provide. This could look like one small treat a day or two fun meals a week. The rule with fun eating is that you must enjoy each bite.
Fog Eating: is anytime you eat without awareness. You are munching on chips without even tasting them, you are snacking on your kids’ peanut butter and jelly crusts while making lunch, you finish off a bag of candy before you even realize how much you ate and don’t even remember what it tasted like. Fog eating is not enjoyable or purposeful; it’s an unconscious munch that we are not even aware we are doing. The goal is to never fog eat. Stop the minute, you catch yourself.
Storm Eating: is binge eating or eating out of control. It is anytime you can’t stop yourself. You are aware that you are eating and you want to stop but you feel like you can’t stop or like you can’t control yourself. It’s almost like you are watching another person inside your own body. Sometimes this happens if we let ourselves get too hungry and sometimes it happens when we have an overwhelming emotion that we do not want to feel. Storm eating is usually followed by regret and shame. Many times it’s done in private or in hiding. And yes, you can experience some of these at the same time or one can lead to another.
We hope this was helpful and an eye opener!
We love to hear from you!!
Stay healthy.. food our medicine
SOURCE: HERALDERSTIMES
