Module-2

Building Healthy Life Style for Better Future

• Prepare most of your meals at home using whole or minimally processed foods.

• Choose from a variety of different proteins to keep things interesting.

• Make an eating plan each week.

• Choose recipes with plenty of vegetables and fruit. Your goal is to fill half your
plate with vegetables and fruit at every meal.

• Choose brightly colored fruits and vegetables each day, especially orange and dark
green vegetables

• Avoid sugary drinks and instead drink water.

• Lower-fat, unsweetened milk is also a good way to stay hydrated.

• Eat smaller meals more often. Eat at least three meals a day with snacks in
between.

• When you wait too long to eat you are more likely to make unhealthy food
choices.
• Healthy Diet

• Fruit and vegetables: A wide variety of fruit and vegetables should be eaten and
preferably five or more servings should be eaten per day.

• Bread, pasta, other cereals and potatoes: Plenty of complex carbohydrate foods
should be eaten, preferably those high in fiber.

• Meat, fish and alternatives: Moderate amounts of meat, fish and alternatives
should be eaten and it is recommended that the low fat varieties are chosen.
• Milk and dairy products: These should be eaten in moderation and the low fat
alternatives should be chosen where possible.
• Fatty and sugary foods: Food such as crisps, sweets and sugary drinks should be
eaten infrequently and in small amounts.

Food Pyramid
Tips - Healthy Diet for Good Health
• Eating lots of vegetables and fruit – This is one of the most important diet habits.
Vegetables and fruit are packed with nutrients (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals & fiber)
and help you maintain a healthy weight by keeping you full longer.
– Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit at every meal and snack.
• Choosing whole grain foods – Whole grain foods include whole grain bread and
crackers, brown or wild rice, quinoa, oatmeal and hulled barley. They are prepared
using the entire grain. Whole grain foods have fibre, protein and B vitamins to help you
stay healthy and full longer.
– Choose whole grain options instead of processed or refined grains like white bread
and pasta.
– Fill a quarter of your plate with whole grain foods.
• Eating protein foods - Every day – Protein foods include legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu,
fortified soy beverage, fish, shellfish, eggs, poultry, lean red meats including wild game,
lower fat milk, lower fat yogurts, lower fat kefir and cheeses lower in fat and sodium.
Protein helps build and maintain bones, muscles and skin.

– Try to eat at least two servings of fish each week, and choose plant-based foods more
often.
– Dairy products are a great source of protein. Choose lower fat, unflavored options.
– Fill a quarter of your plate with protein foods.
– Limiting highly and ultra-processed foods
• Some minimally processed foods are okay – These are foods that are slightly changed in some way
but contain few industrially made additives.
– Minimally processed foods keep almost all of their essential nutrients.
– Some examples are: bagged salad, frozen vegetables and fruit, eggs, milk, cheese, flour, brown rice,
oil and dried herbs.

Making water your drink of choice – Water supports health and promotes hydration without adding
calories to the diet.
– Sugary drinks including energy drinks, fruit drinks, 100% fruit juice, soft drinks and flavored coffees
have lots of sugar and little to no nutritional value. It leads to weight gain.
– Even though the fruit juice has vitamins and minerals, it has more sugar than the fruit and less fiber. It
is not alternative to fruits.
– When safe drinking water is not available, quench your thirst unsweetened lower-fat milk, and previ-
ously boiled water.

• A healthy diet helps to protect against malnutrition in all its forms, as well as non communicable
diseases (NCDs), including such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

• Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are leading global risks to health.

• Healthy dietary practices start early in life-fosters healthy growth and improves cognitive
development, and may have longer term health benefits such as reducing the risk of becoming
overweight or obese.

• Energy intake (calories) should be in balance with energy expenditure.

Food and Health
• Food is the mean that nourishes the body.
• Food may also be defined as any substance eaten or drunk which meets the needs for energy, body building,
regulation and protection of the body.
• Food is the material from which our bodies are made.
• Eating right kind of food in right amounts ensures good nutrition and health.

• Nutrition - is food at work in the body. It includes everything that happens from eating food to its usage in various
functions of body.
• Nutrients are components of foods needed for body in adequate amounts for proper growth, reproduction and
leading normal life.
• The science of nutrition deals with what nutrients we need, in what quantity, how to get them and how the body
utilizes them.
• Adequate, optimum and good nutrition – indicates the right amount and proportion of nutrients for proper utilization
for achieving highest level of physical and mental health.
Nutritional Status
• Nutritional status – state of the body as a result of foods consumed and their utilization by the body. Nutri-

tional status can be good, fair and poor.

• Good nutritional status – characterized by an alert, good natured personality, a well developed body with
normal weight for height, well developed and firm muscles, healthy skin, reddish pink colored eyelids and
membranes of mouth, good layer of subcutaneous fat, clear eyes, smooth and glossy hair, good appetite and
excellent general health which is recognized by stamina to work, regular meal time, sound sleep, normal
elimination and resistance to disease.

Malnutrition
• Malnutrition – undesirable kind of nutrition leading to ill health. It results from lack, excess or imbalance of
nutrients in the diet. It includes both under and over nutrition. Under nutrition is a state of insufficient supply
of essential nutrients.
• Malnutrition can be primarily due under nutrition or secondarily due to error in metabolism. The interaction
between nutrients or nutrients and drugs used for treatment.
Over Nutrition and Diet
• Over nutrition refers to an excessive intake of one or more nutrients which creates a stress on bodily
functions.
• Diet – refers to what ever is eaten or drunk each day. It includes normal diet that is consumed either
individually or in groups. Diets may be modified for making it suitable for sick individuals as a part of
treatment – therapeutic diets.

Functions of Food
Physiological
• Food provides energy. Body needs energy to sustain involuntary processes essential for continuing life.
It is also required for various activities like professional, household and recreational activities.
• Another important function is body building. Food eaten helps to maintain the body structure and
helps in repair of worn out tissues.
• Food regulates the activities of the body including – heart beat, maintaining body temperature, muscle
contraction, water balance, blood clotting and removal of waste products from the body.
• Food helps in improving the immune system and improves resistance power of the body.
Social
• Food has always been the central part of our existence, social cultural and religious life.
• Special foods are distributed during religious functions in homes, temples, churches etc.
• Feasts are given in different stages of life like birth, cradle ceremony, birthdays, marriages etc. many
feasts call for feeding specific segment of people.
• Certain menus are associated with specific foods in each region.
Food has been used as expression of love friendship and social acceptance
• Food is also used to express happiness like success in exams, job, marriages, birth of a baby, etc.
• Food for get togethers, meetings or functions should be planned in a proper manner to bring people
together.
Psychological
• In addition to physical and social needs, food must satisfy certain emotional needs.
• It includes a sense of security, love and attention.
• Familiar foods usually make us feel secure.
• Sharing of food is a token of friendship and acceptance.
• In a friendly gathering we try unfamiliar foods and thus enlarge our food experiences.
• Anticipating needs and fulfilling these are expressions of love and attention.
• These sentiments are the basis of the normal attachment to mother’s cooking or home food.
• If the foods included are unfamiliar or not tasty, then even nutritionally balanced foods may not be
satisfactory.
Nutritional Guidelines for Good Health and Well beingness
Fruits and Vegetables (WHO)
Eating at least 400 g, or five portions, of fruit and vegetables per day reduces the risk of NCDs(Non
Communicable Diseases) and helps to ensure an adequate daily intake of dietary fiber.
Fruit and vegetable intake can be improved by:
• Always including vegetables in meals;
• Eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks;
• Eating fresh fruit and vegetables that are in season; and
• Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Fats (WHO)
Reducing the amount of total fat intake to less than 30% of total energy intake helps to prevent unhealthy
weight gain. The risk of developing NCDs is lowered by :
• Reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake;
• Reducing trans-fats to less than 1% of total energy intake; and
• Replacing both saturated fats and trans-fats with unsaturated fats.
The Saturated fat and industrially-produced trans-fat intake, can be reduced by:
• Steaming or boiling instead of frying when cooking.
• Replacing butter and ghee with oils rich in polyunsaturated fats (soybean or sunflower oils).
• Eating reduced-fat dairy foods and lean meats, or trimming visible fat from meat.
• Limiting the consumption of baked and fried foods, and pre-packaged snacks and foods (e.g. doughnuts,
cakes, pies, cookies, biscuits and wafers) that contain industrially-produced trans-fats.

Salts (WHO)
Most people consume too much sodium through salt around 9–12g per day and not enough
potassium (less than 3.5 g). High sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake contribute to high
blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Salt intake to the recommended level of less than 5 g per day.
• Not having salt or high-sodium sauces and condiments on the table.
• Limiting the consumption of salty snacks.
• Choosing products with lower sodium content.
• People should be encouraged to check nutrition labels to see how much sodium is in a product before purchasing or
consuming it.
• Potassium can mitigate the negative effects of elevated sodium consumption on blood pressure. Intake of
potassium can be increased by consuming fresh fruit and vegetables.

Sugars (WHO)
In both adults and children, the intake of free sugars should be reduced to less than 10% of total
energy intake. A reduction to less than 5% of total energy intake would provide additional health
benefits
Consuming free sugars increases the risk of dental caries (tooth decay). Excess calories from foods
and drinks high in free sugars also contribute to unhealthy weight gain, which can lead to
overweight and obesity.
Limiting the consumption of foods and drinks containing high amounts of sugars, such as sugary snacks, candies
and sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e. all types of beverages containing free sugars – these include carbonated or non-
carbonated soft drinks, fruit or vegetable juices and drinks, liquid and powder concentrates, flavored water, energy
and sports drinks, ready-to-drink tea, ready-to-drink coffee and flavored milk drinks.
• Eating fresh fruit and raw vegetables as snacks instead of sugary snacks.

BMI Weight Status

Below 18.5 Under Weight
18.5 to 24.9 Normal Weight
25 to 29.9 Over Weight
30 to 35 Obese
Over 35 Morbid Obesity
Obesity and overweight disorders and its management
Being overweight or obese are both terms for having more body fat than what is considered healthy. These terms are
used to identify people who are at risk for health problems from having too much body fat.

How- ever, the term "obese" generally means a much higher amount of body fat than "overweight."

The more body fat one has, the greater the risk for diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, and other medical
conditions.

The signs of overweight and obesity are

• Very High Body Mass Index (BMI).
• Unhealthy body fat distribution.
• Not enough sleep.
• High amounts of stress.
Complications
• Type 2 diabetes, High blood pressure, Heart disease, Stroke, Sleep apnea, Metabolic syndrome, Fatty liver
diseases, Osteoarthritis, Kidney disease, Gallbladder disease, Emotional and Social problems.
Treatments
• Healthy eating plan and regular physical activity.
• Weight-management programs: lose weight or keep from regaining lost weight.
• Medication
• Weight-loss devices : Gastric Band, Gastric Balloon Systems, Gastric Emptying Systems.
• Weight-management devices : Oral Removable Palatal Space Occupying Device, Ingested, Transient, Space
Occupying Device.
• Bariatric surgery.
Eating Disorders

Disorder is An illness that disrupts normal physical or mental functions Eating disorders are a range of
psychological conditions that cause unhealthy eating habits to develop. They might start with an obsession
with food, body weight, or body shape.

The types of Eating Disorders are

1. Anorexia Nervosa
2. Bulimia Nervosa
3. Binge eating disorder
4. Pica
5. Rumination disorder
6. Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
7. Other disorders: Purging Disorder, Night Eating syndrome
Anorexia Nervosa

Common symptoms of anorexia nervosa include

• Being considerably underweight compared with people of similar age and height very restricted eating pat-
terns
• An intense fear of gaining weight or persistent behaviours to avoid gaining weight, despite being under- weight
• A relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a healthy weight
• A heavy influence of body weight or perceived body shape on self-esteem
• A distorted body image, including denial of being seriously underweight
• Serious weight loss: 15% below the normal weight (BMI is <= 17.5)
• The weight loss is induced by avoidance of fattening foods.
• Amenorrhea in women and loss of sexual interest in men
• Use excessive exercise or appetite suppressants.
Bulimia Nervosa

Common symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa include

• Alternating periods of starvation Use appetite suppressants
• There is a self-perception of being too fat with a fear of too fat.
• Recurrent episodes of overeating in which large amounts of food are consumed in short periods oftime.
• Persistent preoccupation with eating, and a strong desire or a sense of compulsion to eat (craving)
• Counteract the “fattening effect’ perception by Self-induced vomiting and other Common purging behaviours
include fasting, laxatives, diuretics, enemas, and excessive exercise.
Binge Eating Disorder

Common symptoms of Binge EatingDisorder

• Eating large amounts of foods rapidly, in secret and until uncomfortably full, despite not feeling hungry
• Persistent preoccupation with eating, and a strong desire or a sense of compulsion to eat (craving)
• Counteract the “fattening effect’ perception by Self-induced vomiting and other Common purging behaviours
include fasting, laxatives, diuretics, enemas, and excessive exercise.
• feeling a lack of control during episodes of binge eating feelings of distress, such as shame, disgust, or guilt,
when thinking about the binge eating behavior
• No use of purging behaviours, such as calorie restriction, vomiting, excessive exercise, or laxative or diuretic use,
to compensate for the binging
Pica

Pica disorder highlights

• Pica is another eating disorder that involves eating things that are not considered food.
• Individuals with pica crave non-food substances, such as ice, dirt, soil, chalk, soap, paper, hair, cloth,wool, pebbles,
laundry detergent, or cornstarch.
• Pica can occur in adults, as well as children and adolescents. That said, this disorder is most frequently observed in
children, pregnant women, and individuals with mental disabilities

Rumination disorder

Rumination disorder condition

• Rumination disorder can affect people at all stages of life. People with the condition generally regurgitate the food
they’ve recently swallowed. Then, they chew it again and either swallow it or spit it out.
Who suffers from eating disorders?
• Eating disorders are most common in teenagers or young adults, but can also affect almostanyone.
• Higher in females than males (males almost half of females)
• People of all ages, backgrounds, body weights, and ethnicity can be affected by eatingdisorders.
• Although common in teenage women, men and boys can also be vulnerable.
• People sometimes have eating disorders without their families or friends ever suspecting that they have a
problem.
• Aware that their behaviour is abnormal, people with eating disorders may withdraw from social contact, hide
their behaviour, and deny that their eating patterns are problematic.
Physical activity recommended by WHO Adults 18 to 65 years

• At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical
activity or an equivalent combination throughout the week.
• Physical activity includes leisure time physical activity (walking, dancing, gardening, hiking, swimming),
transportation (e.g. walking or cycling), occupational (work), household chores, play, games, sports or planned
exercise, in the context of daily, family, and community activities.
• For additional health benefits, adults should increase their moderate-intensity physical activity to 300 min- utes
per week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous–intensity physical activity throughout the week or an equivalent
combination of moderate- and vigorous- intensity activity.
• Muscle-strengthening activities should be done involving major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week.
• Aerobic activity should be performed in bouts of at least 10 minutes duration.
Types of Physical Activities
Moderate intensity physical activity
Requires a moderate amount of efforts and accelerates the heart rate.
• Brisk walking
• Dancing
• Gardening
• House work and domestic chores
• Water aerobics
• Bicycling slower than 10 miles per hour
• General building tasks (roofing, thatching, painting)
• Active involvement in games/ sports with children/ walking domestic animals
• Carrying/ moving moderate loads (<20kg)
Vigorous-intensity Physical activity
Requires a large amount of efforts with rapid breathing and substantial increase
in heart rate.
• Race walking, jogging, or running, Walking/ climbing briskly up a hill
• Fast swimming
• Aerobics
• Fast Bicycling
• Jumping rope
• Heavy gardening (continuous digging)
• Hiking uphill or with a heavy backpack • Carrying /shifting heavy loads (>20 kg)
• Competitive sports and games (traditional games, football, volleyball, hockey,
basketball)
Fitness Components of Health

A well-balanced exercise activities address all health-related components of fitness.

1. Body composition: It is the amount of fat mass compared to lean muscle mass, bone and organs.
2. Flexibility: is the ability of each joint to move through the available range of motion for a specific
joint.
3. Muscular strength: It is the amount of force a muscle can produce. Examples would be the bench
press, leg press or bicep curl.
4. Muscular endurance: It is the ability of the muscles to perform continuous without fatiguing.
Example: The sit up test is most often used to test muscular endurance.
5. Cardio-respiratory endurance: It is the ability of the heart and lungs to work together to provide the
needed oxygen and fuel to the body during sustained workloads. Examples would be jogging, cycling
and swimming, Cooper Run.
Wellness and Physical Function
• Physical function is the ability to perform both basic and instrumental activities of daily living, and the

ability of older adults to reside in the community depends to a large extent on their level of physical
function.
• Being active helps maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints. Physical activity decreases the risk of
some health problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Exercising helps
reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, helps prevent and manage stress, and promotes mental well-
being.
• Physical wellness is the ability to maintain a healthy quality of life that allows us to get through our
daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress.
• The physical component of wellness involves the ability to carry out daily tasks, develop cardio
respiratory and muscular fitness, maintain adequate nutrition and a healthy body fat level, get adequate
sleep, and avoid alcohol and other drugs or using tobacco products.