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Being Healthy Is Important But Are We?

Waist Circumference

  • Better predictor of health risk than BMI

  • Fat around the abdominal organs, regardless of your BMI, means you are more likely to develop certain obesity-related health conditions.


Women

  • Waist circumference of 80cm or over = increased risk of obesity related health conditions.

  • A waist circumference of 88cm or more indicates a substantially increased risk.

 

Men

  • Waist circumference of 94cm or over = increased risk of obesity related health conditions.

  • A waist circumference of 102cm or more = a substantially increased risk.

How Healthy Are You?
Click here to see our Health Checklist 

Why nutrition is important

  • Eating a balanced diet is vital for good health and wellbeing.

  • Food provides our bodies with the energy, protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals to live, grow and function properly.

  • Avoid health conditions associated with poor diet and lifestyle such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol.

What factors may affect your weight

  • Imbalance between energy intake (food) and energy expenditure (metabolism, thermogenesis and physical activity) over a sustained period.

  • Increase in muscle mass.

  • Genetics

  • Metabolism

  • Physical inactivity

Eating Regularly

  • A planned pattern of eating is more likely to include the recommended number of serves from the five food groups.

  • spontaneous, unstructured eating pattern is more likely to include too many naughty foods

  • Don't skip breakfast?

  • Breakfast skippers are more likely to be tempted to snack

  • Eat with other people not TV

  • People who eat with others and eat at the dining table, are more likely to eat regularly and eat well than those who eat alone or in front of the TV.

  • People often say they can’t be bothered cooking vegetables just for themselves.

Meal Planning

  • Its not about dieting.  There are no magic solutions.

  • Planning is critical to making healthy choices and keeping your nutrition on track.  Its easy to stop and buy fast food when your starving hungry.

 

  • Read more here about the five food groups:

https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials

 

Recommended Daily Serves

https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/recommended-number-serves-adults

 

Serving and portion size

  • The ‘serve size’ is a set amount stated in the  Australian Dietary Guidelines and this doesn’t change.

  • However, your ‘portion size’ is the amount you actually eat and will depend on how hungry you are.

  • It is important for weight control and essential for weight loss to think about your portion size. We tend to ignore our bodies signals of hunger and satisfaction until we’ve eaten too much and are overfull.

Recommendations on eating healthy

  • Eat lean cuts of meat such as steak, chicken breast, turket, fish or game meat such as kangaroo.

  • Add veggies to everything!!!! grate and diced vegetables to cook into casseroles & stir fry

  • Avoid eating too much bread.

  • Avoid sauces and condiments loaded with calories. Instead add spices and herbs to your cooking. Um ummmmmmm garlic

  • Limit alcohol its loaded with calories and will increase your appetite.  Notice how when you drink you often get the munchies!

  • Try drinking a Big Red cocktail instead.  (Big Red cocktails = glass of water, ice and slice of lemon or lime).

Tracking and Monitoring Your Nutrition
Using an food an exercise diary can assist in tracking your performance both in the kitchen and in the gym.  Click on the link below for a sample Diary.
Food And Exercise Diary

Measuring Success

A following can be measures of your success in living a healthy lifestyle:

  • Wait Measurement

  • How clothes fit

  • Blood pressure

  • Blood lipids

  • Blood sugar levels

  • Improved well being - do you feel awesome?

  • Improve sleep

  • Increased energy

  • Increased self esteem

Water

How much water is needed?

  • No single recommended amount of water

  • Depends on climate, physical activity, and individual bodies.

 

General guide

  • about 4-5 cups of fluids a day for children up to 8 years,

  • 6-8 cups for adolescents,

  • 8 cups for women (9 cups  in pregnancy and lactation)

  • 10 cups for men.

* These amounts include fluid from all sources including all hot and cold drinks, but water is the best.

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