the food guide

05-The Food Guide-10-Feb-2015.docx

The Food and Diet Guide

for Students, Parents and Staff

1. INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................3

1.1. FOOD FOR ENERGY........................................................................................................................3

2. WHY DO WE NEED TO EAT AND DRINK?................................................................................3

2.1. FOOD FOR ENERGY........................................................................................................................32.2. FOOD FOR GROWTH AND REPAIR...................................................................................................32.3. WATER FOR MAINTENANCE...........................................................................................................3

3. KINDS OF FOOD AND NUTRIENTS.............................................................................................4

3.1. NUTRIENTS....................................................................................................................................43.1.1. Carbohydrates......................................................................................................................43.1.2. Protein..................................................................................................................................43.1.3. Fats and oils.........................................................................................................................43.1.4. Minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals...............................................................................53.1.5. Roughage – fibre..................................................................................................................53.1.6. Water....................................................................................................................................6

3.2. TYPES OF FOOD AND WHAT THEY CONTAIN..................................................................................63.2.1. The food pyramid..................................................................................................................63.2.2. Vegetables.............................................................................................................................73.2.3. Grains and potatoes..............................................................................................................83.2.4. Meat, fish, dairy, beans, green peas (protein)......................................................................83.2.1. Fruit......................................................................................................................................83.2.2. Fats.......................................................................................................................................93.2.3. Sweets...................................................................................................................................9

4. HOW MUCH TO EAT.......................................................................................................................9

4.1. CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR...............................................................................................................94.2. BMR: BASAL METABOLIC RATE..................................................................................................94.3. HOW CAN I LOSE WEIGHT?..........................................................................................................104.4. WHAT IS A FOOD SERVING..........................................................................................................104.5. HOW MANY SERVINGS OF EACH CATEGORY?..............................................................................104.6. BUILDING MEALS FOR ONE DAY..................................................................................................11

5. “SIZES” OF SERVINGS.................................................................................................................12

5.1.1. Vegetables servings............................................................................................................125.1.2. Fruit....................................................................................................................................125.1.3. Grains and potatoes............................................................................................................125.1.4. Meat, fish, dairy, beans, peas (protein)..............................................................................135.1.5. Fats.....................................................................................................................................135.1.6. Sweets.................................................................................................................................13

6. MAINTAINING A HEALTHY LIFE.............................................................................................14

6.1. EAT “WELL”................................................................................................................................146.2. ALWAYS HAVE BREAKFAST.........................................................................................................146.3. SLEEPING WELL...........................................................................................................................146.4. EXERCISE WELL...........................................................................................................................15

7. HOW MUCH SHOULD I WEIGH?...............................................................................................15

8. WHAT SHOULD I EAT? A SUMMARY......................................................................................16

8.1. REPLACE REFINED CARBOHYDRATES WITH WHOLE-GRAIN.........................................................168.2. EAT LOTS OF VEGETABLES..........................................................................................................168.3. EAT WHOLE FRUIT, DO NOT DRINK JUICE....................................................................................16

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8.4. EAT BEANS AND NUTS DAILY......................................................................................................178.5. EAT CHEESE, YOGHURT, LABNEH, MILK: ALL LOW FAT..............................................................178.6. EAT FISH, CHICKEN, SEAFOOD.....................................................................................................178.7. EAT PUMPKIN SEEDS, OLIVE AND SUNFLOWER OIL.....................................................................178.8. EAT RED MEAT SPARINGLY.........................................................................................................178.9. EAT SWEETS, CREAM AND BUTTER VERY SPARINGLY.................................................................17

9. CHANGING HABITS FOR A BETTER LIFE.............................................................................18

9.1. ACQUIRE FIVE GOOD HABITS......................................................................................................189.1.1. Add Habit 1: Eat Breakfast to look younger......................................................................189.1.2. Add Habit 2: Eat mostly vegetables and fruit.....................................................................189.1.3. Add Habit 3: Eat whole grain.............................................................................................189.1.4. Add Habit 4: Eat healthy fats.............................................................................................189.1.5. Add Habit 5: Exercise daily................................................................................................19

9.2. GET RID OF 5 BAD HABITS...........................................................................................................199.2.1. Lose Habit 1: Don’t eat and watch TV...............................................................................199.2.2. Lose Habit 2: No sugar......................................................................................................199.2.3. Lose Habit 3: do not snack on carbs..................................................................................199.2.4. Lose Habit 4: Meat and dairy.............................................................................................199.2.5. Lose Habit 5: Minimise eating out.....................................................................................19

10. TIME MAGAZINE’S SUMMARY FOR GOOD HEALTH....................................................20

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A General Guide to

FOOD and a HEALTHY LIFE

1. Introduction

1.1. Food for Energy

This food guide is based on the latest 2011 findings of the Mayo Clinic, Consumer Report Health Guide and the Harvard Medical School food guide. Hundreds of studies and diets have been suggested up till now, some work and some don’t, and even those that work stop working after some time. This guide is based on what works in all these studies. If you follow it – and it is very easy to follow – it will work, for now and for always.

It is up to you to read through this guide and understand, or if you are anxious to start losing weight, you can jump to section ... and start dieting right away.

However, the golden rule is to follow the diet precisely and not to cheat. If you cheat you will only cheat yourself.

2. Why do we need to eat and drink?

2.1. Food for Energy

Food is a source of energy. Talking, walking, thinking, keeping our bodies at 37°C, all require the consumption of energy. Keeping our bodies warm requires more energy than any other activity.

2.2. Food for growth and repair

For our bodies to grow, and to repair any damage that results from every-day activities, we need body-building material, and this comes from food.

2.3. Water for maintenance

We cannot stay alive without water. Most of our weight is due to water. We need to drink about 6-8 large glasses of water per day, about 1.5 - 2 litres. If you play and sweat a lot, you may need more. Water is needed for every activity that takes place in the body. However, water does not give energy.

An important rule to follow is to look at the colour of your urine. It should be very pale yellow, almost colourless. If it is yellow then you need to drink more water.

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3. Kinds of food and nutrients

3.1. Nutrients

Our bodies are made of living cells that need nutrients to stay alive. These include:

3.1.1. Carbohydrates

Our body uses carbohydrates mainly as “fuel”. Carbohydrates provide us with energy. They are burned inside our cells with oxygen that we take from the air. (Blood carries oxygen from the lungs and takes it to every single cell, where it is used to burn food to produce energy). This is just like a car burns fuel (gasoline or petrol) with air to produce energy in order to move. Foods that are rich in carbohydrates are wheat (bread, pasta), corn, rice and potatoes. Sugar is 100% pure and refined carbohydrate (this is not good). Energy is measured in Calories. A person burns between 1200 and 3000 Calories per day, depending on how active (s)he is. Boiled rice gives one Calorie per gram, a gram of bread gives 2.3 Calories and sugar gives 4 Calories per gram.

3.1.2. Protein

Protein is what your heart, muscles, brain, hair, nails and skin are mostly made of. We must eat protein to repair and to build new parts. Foods rich in protein include meat, poultry (chicken, turkey) and fish. Dairy products are rich in protein as well, but it is better to have the no fat or low fat variety. Other foods rich in protein include beans, lentils and nuts. Proteins also burn to give energy. Beans and nuts contain not only protein, but also some carbohydrates and a lot of oil. Meat (mostly protein) gives you about 3 Calories per gram

3.1.3. Fats and oils

Fats and oils are essentially the same type. They are called fats if they are solid at room temperatures and they are called oils if they are liquid at room temperature. Olive oil solidifies if you put it in the fridge, and butter (a fat) melts if you warm it. Animal fats (fat in meat, butter and cream) are in general bad for you (doctors suspect they may cause cancer if eaten in large quantities) but olive oil, sunflower oil and fish oils are good for you. However, fats and oils, whether bad or good, give a lot of energy: 9 Calories per gram. In general, eating a small amount of oil is essential, but you should eat only a small amount so you will not gain too much weight.

In general, remember the following:

1. Saturated fats include animal fat which comes with meat, dairy fat which comes with whole-fat dairy products and trans fats which are vegetable oils turned into solid fat, are essentially harmful. Avoid them or minimise taking them. Minimize your intake of animal fat, butter, cream, full fat milk and cheese.

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2. Mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are essential for life. We need a combination of both. Olive oil is a good oil, and it has the essential omega 3 fats . Canola oil, cotton oil and sunflower oil are also good because they contain the essential omega 6 fats. Omega 6 fats are more common in natural food than omega 3, so we have to make sure we take both in. The best source of omega 3 oil is fish oil, so taking a pill or two of fish oil a day is an excellent idea.

3. Nuts (peanuts, pistachio nuts, almonds) are a good source of good fat and protein.

4. Oils and fats are the most fattening food , so take the good oils in no more than one or two tablespoons a day. Have between 10 and 15 nuts a day, but no more.

Fats contain 9 Calories per gram.

3.1.4. Minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals

Minerals are substances that are essential for the process of building or repairing the body. For example, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus (especially calcium) are essential to build bones. Iron is an essential part of blood. Potassium, sodium, selenium and many other minerals are also essential for life. Minerals are not a fuel: they are not burned to produce energy.

Vitamins are compounds that are needed (in small quantities) for many processes that take place in the body. Without vitamins we cannot live. Some vitamins, e.g. vitamin C (found in oranges, kiwis and berries) have to be taken on a daily basis.

Phytochemicals are compounds that are important for their cancer-fighting activity. Minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals are found mainly in vegetables and fruits. The fewer vegetables and fruits you eat the more likely that you will have cancer later in life. The vegetables rich in phytochemicals have intense colour: dark green (e.g. broccoli and spinach), red (tomatoes), violet (red cabbage) and orange (carrots).

3.1.5. Roughage – fibre

Our teeth break the food we eat into small bits. In the stomach and intestines, most of the food is broken down further by chemicals into molecules that are so small that they cannot be seen even by the most powerful optical microscope. These molecules are then absorbed through the walls of the intestines into the blood. Funnily enough, some essential substances are neither broken down nor absorbed into the bloodstream. These are called roughage or fibre. They either do not dissolve in water, or dissolve but are not absorbed by the blood. They simply come into your mouth and go out of the other end. Yet without them we will be in serious trouble: we will become constipated and we will be at a much higher risk of having serious diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

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Fibre comes as two types: insoluble fibre, such as the husks (skin) of wheat and the “strings” in celery, which remain as small pieces in the intestines and do not dissolve in water; and soluble fibre, found in beans for example, that dissolves in water but is not absorbed into our blood stream. Fibre slows down the absorption of food into the blood stream, which is a good thing. If food is absorbed too quickly (because there is too little fibre), our blood will become too rich is sugar, which creates problems which may lead to diabetes after a number of years. Fibre has another major advantage: it gives bulk to our stools, so they become relatively loose, and we will not suffer from constipation. But most importantly, eating food with too little fibre can cause cancer. Fibre fights against cancer. This is why it is essential to eat large quantities of food with fibre (fruits and vegetables) every day. Fibre is never digested, so it has zero Calories.

3.1.6. Water

Water has no energy at all in it (zero calories per gram), but without it we cannot live. It is important to know that eating food with fibre without drinking enough water (8 glasses a day) may make your stools as hard as rock, and may give you life-threatening constipation.

3.2. Types of food and what they contain

3.2.1. The food pyramid

To maintain good health it is recommended that your daily diet complies to the food plate (see plate food, as taken from the Harvard Medical School). Foods that occupy a larger area of the plate are what you should have more of. At the moment we will only discuss qualitatively, and the exact quantities will be specified later. Starting largest section of the pyramid, these are the categories of food:

1. Vegetables: most of your food should be vegetables.2. Carbohydrates, unrefined, whole-grain come next.3. Protein and dairy come at the same level as carbs. Dairy products (labneh,

cheese, yoghurt) should be very low in fat, preferably 1% fat.4. Fruits come next.5. Exercise: (Stay Active) is not food. However it is inserted in the plate because

aerobic exercise is essential for a healthy life. Start at ½ hour of mild exercise a day and build up to an hour in which you burn 300 – 500 Cal or even more; if you can.

6. Fat: this should be mostly vegetable oil, but we include in it nuts (peanuts, walnuts), seeds (pumpkin seed, sesame) and oil-based salad dressing.

7. Sweets: this is the kind of food that you should have the least amount of. It includes sugar, honey, chocolate, jam, etc.

We shall learn a little bit more of each of these “plate parts”.

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3.2.2. Vegetables

Vegetables have few Calories. They generally contain only small amounts of carbohydrates, proteins or fats, and they contain a lot of water, minerals, vitamins and cancer-fighting chemicals. Some vegetables, like carrots, and tomatoes have more carbohydrates than others, and avocadoes have more fats. Green leafy vegetables like lettuce, spinach, arugula (rocket), chard, watercress and celery are very healthy and have few Calories and one may eat practically unlimited amounts of them without worrying about gaining weight. Cauliflower, asparagus, red and green cabbage have

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cancer-fighting chemicals. Mushrooms, (technically not a vegetable) have very few carbohydrates but they contain the very important element potassium.

Other vegetables containing cancer fighting chemicals (but including slightly more carbohydrates) include broccoli, Brussels-sprouts, and bell peppers. Carrots are good but they contain more sugars.

3.2.3. Grains and potatoes

YES for whole-grain carbohydrates: Whole-grain bread, whole-grain pasta, both brown in colour, contain the husks (skin). Brown rice has roughage too. Sweet potatoes have roughage so they are in general better than normal white potatoes. corn should be whole grain too. Whenever possible replace bread and pasta with whole-grain bread and pasta, and substitute white rice with brown rice.

NO for refined carbohydrates: Refined carbohydrates are plant ingredients out of which the roughage (skin, etc.) are removed, like white bread, white pasta, white rice and corn. White sugar is the worst kind of refined carbohydrates. Potatoes are mostly refined carbohydrates with no roughage (unless you eat the skin, which is good). Minimise eating refined carbohydrates.

3.2.4. Meat, fish, dairy, beans, green peas (protein)

It is essential to eat a certain minimum amount of protein, about 200-300 g per day.Meat can contain animal fat, which is not good. The leaner the meat the better it is. Meat contains about 3 Calories per gram. Good examples of lean meat include turkey, chicken and fat-free beef and mutton. Chicken breast (without skin) is better than leg.

It is important to have fish two to four times per week (because fish contain the essential omega 3 fats), particularly salmon and mackerel. It is advisable for children under 18 to have no more than two servings of fish per week because most fish contain high levels of mercury, which is poisonous.

Beans, peas and garbanzo beans (homo) are rich in protein so they are included in this category. But watch out that beans contain fats and carbohydrates in addition to protein, as opposed to meat, fish and cheese that have no carbohydrates.

3.2.1. Fruit

Fruits have more Calories than vegetables because they contain sugars. They generally contain only small amounts protein or fat, and they contain a lot of water, minerals, vitamins and cancer-fighting chemicals. Bananas, have a lot of carbohydrates but they contain the very important element potassium. Berries are low on Calories and very rich with the essential vitamin C. The same applied to kiwis. Mangoes and pineapple have a lot of Calories, but they are very healthy. Oranges and grapefruit are very good because they contain vitamin C, and red grapes and cherries have cancer-fighting chemicals.

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Do not drink more than a small glassful of fruit juice per day , as it contains a large quantity of sugar. When thirsty, drink water.

3.2.2. Fats

Fat contain 9 Cal/g. Some fats are essential, which means that we have to eat them because we cannot live without them and because our body cannot manufacture them. Omega-3 fats are found in fish and in olive oil. Omega 6 fats are found in canola, corn and in sunflower oils.

Both omega-3 and omega-6 fats are essential for the body to build its immune system, and they must be in balance. This is why consuming fish oil and olive oil (sources of omega-3) should be balanced with consuming corn or sunflower oil.

Included in this category are nuts (brazil, macadamia, cashews, peanuts, walnuts), seeds and avocado (1 avocado has as many fat Calories as six teaspoons of oil).

3.2.3. Sweets

Sweets are refined carbohydrates, mostly sugar. Sugar contains 4 Cal per gram, but sweets contain more because they also contain Calorie-rich fats.

If you have a craving for sweets, do not cut out sweets completely. Cut down, slowly and eventually your craving will disappear.

4. How much to eat

4.1. Consult your doctor

The important thing to remember is to have a healthy choice of foods with lots of servings (see the definition of a serving later in this section) of vegetables and fruit, a smaller amount of unrefined carbohydrates, smaller amounts of protein and only little fats and sweets.

If your weight is as it should be (check the weight versus height table in section 8) and you eat balanced, healthy meals, then you are in good health. If your weight it more than it should be, then you would better consult a doctor before you start on a weight-loss program.

4.2. BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate

The amount of energy you need to maintain life, i.e. if you are lying in bed and doing nothing all day, is called your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. To determine roughly your BMR, multiply your weight in kg by 20. So if you weigh 80 kg then your BMR is roughly 1,600 Cal. This is what you burn daily if you do no activity at all.

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Since people are active, they burn daily more than their BMR. Most teenage girls and women burn between 1,700 to 2,200 Cal, and most men burn between 2,000 and 2,600 Cal.

4.3. How can I lose weight?

You lose weight if you burn more energy than you eat. Let us say you would like to lose 1 kg. A kg of fat (you want to lose fat, of course, which contains roughly 7000 Cal/kg). If you like to lose this kilogram over two weeks, you need to lose 7000 Cal /14 days = 500 Cal per day.

So you need to reduce your food intake by 500 Cal daily.

Therefore set your target to eat just under your BMR. For most women, this would be to eat 1,200 Cal per day; and for most men, to eat 1,400 per day.

If a woman consumes 1,700 Cal per day normally, by taking only 1,200 per day she will lose 500 Cal per day or 1 kg in two weeks.

It is not recommended to lose weight at a rate faster than this because you will feel hungry, weak and sleepy all day long.

Now to determine how many servings of each kind of food you need.

4.4. What is a food serving

It is useful to divide foods into arbitrary quantities each called a serving, depending on the category of food and on the number of Calories. The definition of ONE serving of each category of food is the quantity which contains:

1. Vegetables: ... 25 Cal2. Fruits: ........... 60 Cal3. Carbohydrates: 70 Cal4. Protein: ......... 110 Cal5. Fat: ........... 45 Cal6. Sweets: ....... 75 Cal

4.5. How many servings of each category?

For a target of 1,200 Cal, eat as follows:Category Servings Cal/serving Cal/categoryVegetables 7 25 175Fruits 4 60 240Carbohydrates 4 70 280Protein/Dairy 3 110 330Fats 3 45 135Sweets* 1 45 45Total 1205

*Avoid the sweets, if possibleTable 1: Servings per day

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4.6. Building meals for one day

You can build meals (3 meals a day plus two snacks if you like) such that the total number of servings is the same as in table 1 (slight changes are allowed) and Calories are around 1,200 per day.

Example:Breakfast Servings Cal/serving Cal/categoryVegetables 1 (2small cucumber) 25 25Fruits 1 small orange 60 60Carbohydrates 1 (2 Ryvita) 70 70Protein/Dairy 1 (1/2 cup labneh) 110 110Fats 0 (dry zaatar powder) 0 0Total 260

Lunch Servings Cal/serving Cal/categoryVegetables 2 (2 cup lettuce/ tomato

salad)25 100

Carbohydrates 1 Slice kibbeh 70 70Protein/Dairy 1 (same slice kibbeh) 110 110Fruit 1 Small apple 60 60fats 1 (coffee-cup Homos) 45 45Total 385

Supper Servings Cal/serving Cal/categoryVegetables 2 (2Cup stir fry veg) 25 50Fruits 1 (small banana) 60 60Protein/Dairy 1 (5 shrimp stir-fr) 110 110Fats 2 (2 teasp. oil) 45 90sweets 1 pc. chocolate 45 45Total 355

Total of 3 meals: 260 + 385 + 355 = 1,000 Cal

If you add to this two snacks of vegetables (1 cup carrots + cucumber) at 10 am and a snack of fruit (1 cup of watermelon or strawberries) at 5 PM you are within the limits.

You can have more snacks of lettuce or spinach leave salad with mustard/water/ lemon dressing if you remain hungry.

And remember to drink lots of water. About 6 to 7 glasses per day. And do not forget to exercise about 30 min to 1 hr per day and to sleep around 8 hours.

If you add up all the servings you will find them to be as in Table 1.

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To build your meals day after day, you can choose for each day 8 or 9 serving of vegetables, 4 or 5 servings of fruit, 4 servings of whole-meal carbohydrates, 3 servings of lean meat, fish or dairy, 3 servings of fat and possibly 1 serving of sweets. And whenever you can, replace the sweets serving with vegetables or fruits.

Once you reach your weight objective, you may increase servings to raise your daily intake of Calories without disrupting the ratio. Then you can maintain your weight for always. And if occasionally you have an extra something, make sure it is for once only, not for every day.

5. “Sizes” of servings

5.1.1. Vegetables servings

All servings contain 25 Cal per serving. The size of ONE serving is as follows:

2 cups of: Arugula, fresh spinach, parsley, cabbage, lettuce, endive

1 cup of: bean sprouts, bell pepper (or 1 medium), cucumber (or one), celery, cauliflower, broccoli, fresh mushrooms, cherry tomatoes

½ cup: artichokes, carrots, onions, zucchini, cooked asparagus, cooked beets

5.1.2. Fruit


1 cup of: blackberries, raspberries, canteloupe, melon, papaya, cherrieswatermelon (heaping), strawberries (heaping),

1 small fruit of: apple, pear, banana, nectarine, orange, kiwi (large), tangerine (large).

5.1.3. Grains and potatoes


Brown-bread (whole meal): 1 slice Roll (whole meal): 1 smallPita bread (wholemeal): ½ 6-inch loafRyvita: 2 crackersPasta (whole meal): ½ cup (cooked)Bulgur (whole meal): ½ cup (cooked)Rice (brown): 1/3 cup (cooked)Cereal (flake type) ¾ cup.Pancake: 1, 4-inchPotato, baked: ½ medium

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Popcorn (air popped, fat free) 3½ cups

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5.1.4. Meat, fish, dairy, beans, peas (protein)


Beans & peas: ½ cupBeef trimmed of fat: 55 gCheese, cheddar: 55 gCheese, cottage: 2/3 cupCheese, feta: 45 gChicken, leg or breast, skinless, boneless: 70 g (size of a deck of cards)Turkey: 70 g (size of a deck of cards)

Egg, large: 1 eggEgg, whites: 1 cup

Fish (hammour, tuna), etc., scallops: 85g (size of a deck of cards)Shrimp, crab: 110g (1 cup)

Labneh, low fat: 2/3 cupLabneh, low fat: 2/3 cupLentils: ½ cup

5.1.5. Fats


Nuts: 8 peanuts, 7 almonds, 4 cashews, 4 half-walnuts Seeds: one table spoon (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)Oil: one tea spoon (of any kind)

Included in this category are nuts (brazil, macadamia, cashews, peanuts, walnuts), seeds and avocado (1 avocado has as many fat Calories as six teaspoons of oil).

5.1.6. Sweets


Sugar: 4 tea spoons; Honey: 1 tablespoon; Chocolate: 1 row (about 25 g); Topping: 1 ½ tablespoons of chocolate or strawberry syrup;

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6. Maintaining a healthy life

To maintain a long and healthy life, it is essential to eat well, to exercise well and to sleep well.

6.1. Eat “well”

Eating well does not mean eating a lot. It means that you must have balanced meals, so your food intake will have the right nutrients. Just follow the guidelines discussed above.

Eat too little and you can become weak and unhealthy. Some people eat very little so they will remain slim. Some of these people eventually lose control and develop a serious disease called anorexia, where they become thinner and thinner, and their mind “goes wrong” so they refuse to eat and they cannot see that they are suffering seriously. If they are not treated by a doctor and made to eat, they die.

People who eat too much can become fat and unhealthy. They are likely to develop serious diseases such as heart problems and cancer. If you consume more energy (carbohydrates, fats or protein) than your body “spends”, the excess food is turned by your body into fat, and it is stored around your waist, legs and all over. These days a lot of people are overweight because they eat more than they should, and if they become too much overweight they are called obese. Obesity is the second biggest killer amongst Americans (after tobacco).

6.2. Always have breakfast

Breakfast gives you energy for the whole day. If you eat breakfast you become alert and a sharp thinker. You will do much better in exams. You will be healthier and you remain young. Research shows that 60-year-old breakfast eaters look like 40-year-olds, and people in their forties look as if they are in their late twenties.

6.3. Sleeping well

It is essential to have enough sleep. Lack of sleep can stunt growth and dull the mind. It can also cause health problems and it increases the chances of becoming ill. Usually, teenagers need 8 to 9 hours of sleep.

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6.4. Exercise well

It is essential to have enough aerobic exercise. Again, lack of exercise can stunt growth, dull the mind and spirit and lead to serious diseases. If you are not exercising regularly, at least three times per week for a minimum of 20 minutes per session, and up to one hour, you’d better start. Start with about 10 minutes of fast walking per day, and increase your time by one minute a day until you reach one hour per day.

7. How much should I weigh?

To maintain the correct weight you can follow the following guide which relates weight(in kg) to height (in m).

Healthy weight (kg) Upper lim. Upper lim. Upper lim.

Min wt Height(m) Max.wt Overwt Obese I Obese II Obese III

68.2 1.92 92.2 110.6 129.0 147.5

67.5 1.91 91.2 109.4 127.7 145.9

66.8 1.90 90.3 108.3 126.4 144.4

66.1 1.89 89.3 107.2 125.0 142.9

65.4 1.88 88.4 106.0 123.7 141.4

64.7 1.87 87.4 104.9 122.4 139.9

64.0 1.86 86.5 103.8 121.1 138.4

63.3 1.85 85.6 102.7 119.8 136.9

62.6 1.84 84.6 101.6 118.5 135.4

62.0 1.83 83.7 100.5 117.2 134.0

61.3 1.82 82.8 99.4 115.9 132.5

60.6 1.81 81.9 98.3 114.7 131.0

59.9 1.80 81.0 97.2 113.4 129.6

59.3 1.79 80.1 96.1 112.1 128.2

63.3 1.85 85.6 102.7 119.8 136.9

62.6 1.84 84.6 101.6 118.5 135.4

62.0 1.83 83.7 100.5 117.2 134.0

61.3 1.82 82.8 99.4 115.9 132.5

60.6 1.81 81.9 98.3 114.7 131.0

59.9 1.80 81.0 97.2 113.4 129.6

59.3 1.79 80.1 96.1 112.1 128.2

58.6 1.78 79.2 95.1 110.9 126.7

58.0 1.77 78.3 94.0 109.7 125.3

57.3 1.76 77.4 92.9 108.4 123.9

56.7 1.75 76.6 91.9 107.2 122.5

56.0 1.74 75.7 90.8 106.0 121.1

55.4 1.73 74.8 89.8 104.8 119.7

54.7 1.72 74.0 88.8 103.5 118.3

54.1 1.71 73.1 87.7 102.3 117.0

53.5 1.70 72.3 86.7 101.2 115.6

52.8 1.69 71.4 85.7 100.0 114.2

52.2 1.68 70.6 84.7 98.8 112.9

51.6 1.67 69.7 83.7 97.6 111.6

51.0 1.66 68.9 82.7 96.4 110.2

50.4 1.65 68.1 81.7 95.3 108.9

49.8 1.64 67.2 80.7 94.1 107.6

49.2 1.63 66.4 79.7 93.0 106.3

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48.6 1.62 65.6 78.7 91.9 105.0

48.0 1.61 64.8 77.8 90.7 103.7

47.4 1.60 64.0 76.8 89.6 102.4

46.8 1.59 63.2 75.8 88.5 101.1

46.2 1.58 62.4 74.9 87.4 99.9

45.6 1.57 61.6 73.9 86.3 98.6

45.0 1.56 60.8 73.0 85.2 97.3

44.4 1.55 60.1 72.1 84.1 96.1

43.9 1.54 59.3 71.1 83.0 94.9

43.3 1.53 58.5 70.2 81.9 93.6

42.7 1.52 57.8 69.3 80.9 92.4

42.2 1.51 57.0 68.4 79.8 91.2

41.6 1.50 56.3 67.5 78.8 90.0

41.1 1.49 55.5 66.6 77.7 88.8

40.5 1.48 54.8 65.7 76.7 87.6

8. What should I eat? A summary

In general, you can follow the following guidelines of table 1. If you lose too much weight, increase the quantities in a balanced manner. If you add weight, reduce the quantities also in a balanced manner. The important thing is to stick to the balance, to exercise regularly and get enough sleep.

At a meal, do not eat until you are full. Eat until you stop feeling hungry.

8.1. Replace refined carbohydrates with whole-grain

Replace refined carbohydrates with whole-grain carbohydrates.

8.2. Eat lots of vegetables

Eat vegetables in abundance. Don’t stay hungry. Whenever you feel hungry, have a snack of vegetables.

8.3. Eat whole fruit, do not drink juice

When you need to drink something, drink water, not fruit juice or a soft drink. Fruit juice has a lot of sugar. Instead of drinking juice, eat a whole fruit and drink water, so you get not only the sugar and vitamins, but also the roughage (fibre). It is essential to have vitamin C daily, so every day eat an orange, a kiwi or some strawberries. Although you need to eat fruit every day, do not eat too much (not more than two or three fruits) because you can add weight, and too much sugar may eventually lead to diabetes. You may have a small glass of orange juice in the morning, but no more.

8.4. Eat beans and nuts daily

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Eat beans, peas, fava beans (broad beans) chickpeas (homos) or lentils every day. Beans have essential proteins, provide you with minerals and roughage.

Eat nuts as well, for the same reasons. However, remember that nuts are rich in oils, so they can be fattening. Eat only a small amounts or nuts per day (7 to 8 almonds, and/or 15-20 peanuts). Walnuts, hazelnuts and cashews are good too.

8.5. Eat cheese, yoghurt, labneh, milk: all low fat

Milk or dairy products provide you with essential calcium and protein. However, make sure that it is a low fat product.

8.6. Eat fish, chicken, seafood

The best fish is the fish rich in fish oil, like salmon and mackerel. Prawns are rich in selenium, an essential mineral. (selenium is also found in mushrooms and garlic). Turkey is low in fat and high in protein.

8.7. Eat pumpkin seeds, olive and sunflower oil

Remember that oils and fats are the most fattening of foods, so eat them in small quantities.

8.8. Eat red meat sparingly

Red meat is good source of protein and vitamins if eaten once in a while. Once a week is enough, though; and twice only occasionally. Too much red meat may be harmful in the long run. Eat meat well-cooked to avoid parasites.

8.9. Eat sweets, cream and butter very sparingly

Animal fats can cause heart-disease and cancer. Eat cream and butter no more than once a fortnight, and eat a little amount only. Chocolate, on the other hand, has “good stuff” in it, but remember to eat very little of it as it is fattening.

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9. Changing Habits for a better life

To help you lose excess weight, maintain a healthy weight, keep good health and longer, try to change your eating habits as follows.

9.1. Acquire five good Habits

9.1.1. Add Habit 1: Eat Breakfast to look younger

Research shows that you can significantly reduce the rate at which you age by eating a healthy but small breakfast. Half a cup of labneh has around 13 gr protein. If you mix this with some fresh berries and a Turkish-coffee cupful of whole grain cereal you can live several years longer and look in your twenties when you are forty!

9.1.2. Add Habit 2: Eat mostly vegetables and fruit

Make eating vegetables a habit. If you eat lunch away from school, make sure you have two servings of vegetables in with you, in a plastic bag. You can eat this with a mustard dip, ketchup or a Turkish-coffee cupful of Homos. Eat at least four servings of vegetables a day and at least 3 servings of fruit. Bananas are so rich in potassium.

When you have a banana it replaces the excess sodium in your body with potassium, which lowers your blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke, and yours your heart health.

Have a fruit with your lunch. When you have a banana it replaces the excess sodium in your body with potassium, which lowers your blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke, and yours your heart health.

9.1.3. Add Habit 3: Eat whole grain

Replace all refined carbs with whole grain carbs. If you eat lunch away from school, make sure you have two servings of vegetables in with you, in a plastic bag.

9.1.4. Add Habit 4: Eat healthy fats

Olive oil is rich in omega-3 fats. Sunflower and corn oil are rich in Omerga-6 fats. You need to have both types. Have the equivalent of three teaspoonfuls of healthy oil per day. Nuts also give you the healthy fat you need – about 10 peanuts or pistachios, or 5 cashew nuts.

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9.1.5. Add Habit 5: Exercise daily

Walk or jog for about 30 minutes to one hour a day. Aerobic exercises or exercise machines and also very good.

Also, makes sure you get enough sleep, 7 to 9 hours a day. Enough sleep makes you smarter, and improves your memory, but too much sleep has the opposite effect!

9.2. Get rid of 5 bad habits

9.2.1. Lose Habit 1: Don’t eat and watch TV

You will lose focus of what you eat and you eat too much. Limit the amount in your plate and eat slowly.

9.2.2. Lose Habit 2: No sugar

Refined carbohydrates have “empty Calories”. They give you energy but no vitamins, minerals, roughage or essential protein. Sugar also increases your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

9.2.3. Lose Habit 3: do not snack on carbs

Snack on vegetables. Keep a supply of cucumber, lettuce, celery, endives, and four or five baby carrots to use as snacks when you feel hungry. Do not have cookies, etc.

9.2.4. Lose Habit 4: Meat and dairy

Some people feel that they have deprived themselves if they do not eat red meat on a daily basis. Reduce your intake of red meat to one serving (size of a deck of cards) at most twice a week. Your other animal proteins should include chicken (no skin), fish, shrimps and low-fat dairy products.

9.2.5. Lose Habit 5: Minimise eating out

When you eat out, especially when it is a buffet, you tend to take a small amount of everything, with a total of a lot of calories. Minimise going to restaurants

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10. TIME Magazine’s Summary for Good Health

Time Magazine suggests the following:

1. Chocolate, eggs, whole milk and coffee can be beneficial if taken in moderation.

2. Coffee is the main source of polyphenols, antioxidants that lower the incidences of dementia, disease and Type 2 diabetes.

3. Nuts lower bad cholesterol and help curb hunger. They take longer to chew and digest and curb your hunger so you eat less at your next meal.

4. Broccoli is high in fiber and lowers cholesterol. 5. High-fiber foods expand in the stomach, slowing digestion and suppressing

hunger. It is a good idea to eat some vegetables and a few nuts before a big meal.

6. Fish contains brain-building omega-3 fats.7. Calcium in milk products binds with fat, meaning that you absorb less of that

fat.8. Foods associated with adding weight: French fries, potato chips, sugary

drinks, meat, sweats, and refined grains.9. Foods associated with losing weight: vegetables, fruit, yoghurt, nuts.10. Berries are seen to have a big impact against age-related diseases, including

cancer, heart disease, diabetes and metal decline.11. Salt raises blood pressure in about 10% of the population. To know for sure if

you are one of them check your blood pressure after consuming salt.12. Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in the skin of grapes, is good for you, but to

have enough to make a beneficial difference you need to take supplements.13. Interacting with people is a powerful factor in maintaining good health.14. A daily multivitamin is the easiest way to make sure you are not leaving

anything out.15. Atkins and related diets make you lose weight at first and be healthy, but it

they you bad breath, are very difficult to maintain, and may cause heart attacks and strokes; and possibly compromise the ability to fight infection. (Cave men, who followed similar diets, where short and died young).

16. Take exercise seriously.

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the food guide

Documents

energy food

kinds of food

docxthe food

types of food

food pyramid63

food serving104

diet guide

general guide tofood