Do all foods do the same job?

no body is perfectDifferent foods provide a different amount and selection of nutrients:some give us energy and keep us warm; others are needed for growth and repair, to keep muscles and nerves healthy, or are needed for the development of healthy bones and teeth.

 

Our use of energy varies at each stage of our life and needs to be balanced with our intake of food.

 

How much should I eat to be healthy? These factors determined what and how much you should eat:

  • age
  • gender (males usually require a higher intake than females)
  • current weight
  • health status
  • existing nutritional status
  • physical activity level

What is a healthy weight?

The Federal Government‘s website has detailed information.

 

Australian Guidelines for Healthy Eating

This website contains the latest guidelines for healthy eating. Try their different health calculators.  

 

You will notice that the information is presented as a circle to emphasise the importance of the proportions of food and what they look like on a plate. The pyramid shape is no longer used in Australia.

 

Are you a healthy weight? your beauty and worth cannot be measured

If you are over 18 years old, the Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure (and it is only one measure) of healthy weight. You may wish to check yourself on this measure by using this online BMI calculator. There is a different calculator for children and teens.

 

Do you have to do some research into the media and body image? There are many suitable resources here.