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Physical Education Department

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Physical Education Department

Central Mindanao University
www.cmu.edu.ph
[email protected]

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LEARNING UNIT V

HEALTHY EATING HABITS

TIME ALLOTMENT
This learning guide will be discussed for 2 hours, equivalent to 1 session.

INTRODUCTION
This learning guide will help you realize the importance of proper nutrition and a
balance diet is to our physical fitness. This unit explores the concept of Pinggang Pinoy.
This guideline will help Filipinos to visualize the balanced portions during meal-times.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit the students should have:

1. explained the Philippine food pyramid;

2. Interpreted the pinggang pinoy; and
3. applied the proper nutrition needed by the body formally life activities.
TOPICS
What is a healthy diet?

A healthy diet, which is part of a healthy lifestyle, is the foundation of good health. It is a diet that
is able to satisfy one’s energy and nutrient needs for proper body functions, growth and
development, daily activities and maintenance of health, keeping well within one’s caloric needs.
Hence, it takes into consideration both quality and quantity of food consumed by a person.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, a healthy diet:

a. includes a variety of foods from different food groups;

b. meets the individual needs for calories and nutrients;

c. is safe, with no risk from toxins, bacteria, mold or chemicals;

d. is enjoyable and culturally acceptable; and

e. is available and sufficient each day and all year round.

Moreover, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy diet emphasizes
vegetables, fruits, whole grains, root crops, fat-free or low fat milk, lean meats, poultry, fish, egg,
beans and nuts. It is also low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars.

A healthy diet is also consistent with the following principles in nutrition:

a. Balance - refers to consuming foods from different food groups in proportion to each other.
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b. Variety - refers to eating different kinds of food from the different food groups every day. No
single food provides all the nutrients in proper amounts needed by the body; therefore, a wide
selection of food is vital to obtaining a healthy diet and achieving good nutrition.

c. Moderation- refers to eating the right proportions of food, that is, not consuming too much or
too little as compared with what the body needs. Extremes in food consumption may lead to
various repercussions. For example, a certain amount of fiber is good for digestion, but too little
intake of fiber may increase the risk for constipation, heart disease and weight gain. On the other
hand, too much fiber may lead to certain nutrient losses.

What is an unhealthy diet?

An unhealthy diet is composed of foods that are energy-dense yet nutrient poor and are high in
saturated fats, trans fats, refined carbohydrates or sodium. A diet low in fruits and vegetables or
fiber is also characteristic of an unhealthy diet. An unhealthy diet leads to poor nutrition and is one
of the major risk factors for a range of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, certain
cancers, diabetes and other conditions linked to obesity. The following are common unhealthy
diet practices and their corresponding impacts on health:

a. Low fruit and vegetable consumption. Low fruit and vegetable intake is among the top 10 risk
factors contributing to attributable mortality, according to evidence presented in the 2003 World
Health Report. The WHO estimates that 1.7 million deaths worldwide are attributable to low fruit
and vegetable consumption. Insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables is estimated to cause
around 14% of gastrointestinal cancer deaths, about 11% of ischemic heart disease deaths and
about 9% of stroke deaths worldwide.

b. High sodium and low potassium consumption. Sodium found in food is either naturally present
or added during processing or cooking. It can be found in table salt, baking soda or baking
powder, monosodium glutamate, cured meat, soy sauce and other miscellaneous food items and
processed foods. High sodium consumption can be defined as consuming more than two grams
of sodium per day, which is equivalent to 5 grams or 1 teaspoon of salt per day. Together with
insufficient potassium intake (less than 3.5 grams per day), this contributes to high blood pressure
and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. High sodium intake also increases calcium
excretion resulting in reduced bone density. In addition, excessive intake of saltpreserved food is
associated with increased risk of stomach and nasopharyngeal cancers.

c. High consumption of trans fatty acids and saturated fats. Fats, in general, are concentrated
sources of energy and excessive consumption of fats may lead to obesity. However, not all fats are
the same, and there is increasing evidence that the type of fat in the diet has important effects on
health and may be more important to health than the total amount of fat in the diet. High
consumption of saturated fats and trans fatty acids increases risk for heart disease by raising low
density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. Trans fatty acids, which are commercially called
“partially hydrogenated oils,” may also contribute to other health problems, such as diabetes.
Saturated fats occur naturally in many foods, the majority of which come mainly from animal
sources like meat and dairy products. On the other hand, trans fats are present in margarine,
shortening, other solid fats and in commercially fried and baked foods, such as biscuits, cakes,
donuts and chips.

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d. High free sugar intake. Free sugars include those added to foods and beverages by the
manufacturer, cook or consumer as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices
and fruit juice concentrates. There is increasing concern that free sugar intake, particularly in the
form of sugar sweetened beverages, increases overall energy intake and may even reduce the
intake of foods containing more nutritionally adequate calories. This can lead to an unhealthy diet,
weight gain and increased risk to NCDs. Another concern is the association between intake of free
sugars and dental caries. Dental diseases are the most prevalent NCDs globally and cause pain,
anxiety, functional limitation, including poor school attendance and performance in children.

Here are some factors we need to consider for proper nutrition and a
balanced diet:

According to studies, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It restores the energy
needed by the body to function well in the next hours of the day. After a long night’s sleep, our
body needs refueling. Our energy will tell how our body will do all the activities ahead. If we eat a
tasty and healthy breakfast, our body will have more strength, and the more strength we have, the
more productive we can be. “There is a lot of truth to the old saying, “Breakfast like a king, lunch
like a prince, sup like a pauper.”,” said licensed clinical psychologist Melanie Greenberg Ph.D.

Our days are filled with a lot of things to do, a lot of responsibilities and obligations that need our
full energy and attention. A substantial breakfast will help us be more attentive and focus on our
activities and goals for the day.

Our body needs three food groups for

it to go, grow and glow.

Go Foods are the type of food that provide fuel

and help us ‘go’ and be active. Examples of ‘Go’
foods include bread, rice, pasta, cereals and
potato. These foods give our muscles fuel to run,
swim, jump, cycle and our brain fuel to
concentrate. If we don’t eat enough ‘Go’ foods
then we can feel tired and won’t have enough fuel
to get through the day. It’s important to include
‘Go’ foods at all meals and especially breakfast so that our body
and brain can get ready for the busy school day ahead.

Grow Foods help our body grow bigger and stronger. ‘Grow’
foods help build our body’s bones, teeth and muscles. Examples
of ‘Grow’ foods include chicken, meat, f ish, eggs and milk,
cheese and yoghurt. All of these foods help to keep us feeling
full so that we don’t get hungry straight away. ‘Grow’ foods also
help keep our brain bright and focused. If we don’t eat enough
‘Grow’ foods our bodies won’t have the right building blocks to
make us taller and stronger.
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 Glow Foods are full of vitamins and minerals to
keep our skin, hair and eyes bright and
glowing. ‘Glow’ foods can keep our immune
system strong so that we can f ight bugs and
viruses. Examples of ‘Glow’ foods include all
fruits and vegetables. Brightly coloured fruits
and vegetables are full of vitamins and
minerals and we need to eat diff erent types
every day. What did you eat yesterday – were
there lots of diff erent coloured fruit and
vegetables? Try and eat fruit and vegetables
from every colour of the rainbow are to make
sure you’re getting enough ‘Glow’ foods.

THE FILIPINO FOOD PYRAMID

• Eat a variety of foods every day to get the nutrients needed by the body.
• Breastfeed infants exclusively from birth up to 6 months, then give appropriate complementary
foods while continuing breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond for optimum growth and
development.

• Eat more vegetables and fruits every day0 to get 0the essential vitamins, minerals and fiber for
regulation of body processes.