Nutrition Talk

Special thanks to Miss Yeo Siang Ing, nutritionist from Poliklinik Tudan , Miri who gave us an interesting and meaningful nutrition talk. We gain a lot of useful information from this talk. She gave us a good guide to create a reliable and attractive healthy diet menu.

Serving size

·         In the dietary guideline, serving size is the  recommended amount  of foods consumed daily in  household measures used for foods and drinks, for  example cup, plate, bowl, tablespoon and  teaspoon.

·         A serving size defined in the food pyramid may not equal to a serving size defined in a food label. 

-         The number of servings for the macronutrient intake is calculated based on 1500 kcal, 2000 kcal and 2500 kcal per day (Table 1.2) 

Read more from

www.nutriweb.org.my/publications/mjn0016/Norimah(edSP)113-123.pdf

Malaysian Food Pyramid

Malaysian Food Pyramid

The Malaysian Food Pyramid is a visual tool that is used as a guide in designing a healthy diet. It is developed as a guide to provide a framework for the types and amounts of food that can be eaten in combination to provide a healthy diet. A food pyramid consists of levels that represent various food groups. Indicated beside each food group is the recommended number of servings per day from each group. From the bottom to the top of the food pyramid, the size of each food group becomes smaller indicating that an individual should cat more of the foods at the base of the pyramid and less of the foods at the top of the pyramid.

 

Malaysian Food Pyramid (2010)

Daily serving size

(1500 to 2500 kcal/day)

Read more

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_guide_pyramid

http://www.nutriweb.org.my/article.php?sid=52

Daily Energy Requirement

Daily Energy Requirement

 

Your specific daily calorie requirement depends on your level of activity. The more active your lifestyle, the more energy you need, and vice versa. You can easily calculate your daily calorie requirement using this simple formula:

 

The best way to meet the daily requirements is to eat a  varied diet that combines cereals, fruits and  vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, legumes and dairy  products (as in Food Pyramid).

BMI Chart

You can use the BMI chart in this website http://www.thpc.scot.nhs.uk/wordfiles/BMIChart.pdf  to help you identify your BMI.

How to use the BMI Chart 

Find your height in the far left column. Then, follow along the row until you come closest to your current weight (in kilograms). 

BMI Calculator

The BMI calculator is available in this website http://www.nutriweb.org.my/bmical.php

Knowing your BMI and your energy requirement

Most of us rely on weighing scale to tell us whether we have lost or gain weight. This is not the best way because it weighs everything including muscle, bones, fats and what we ate and drank that day. It doesn’t tell you how much fat you have. In fact you should measure your body composition - the ratio of lean body mass and fat mass. Too much fat can lead to many health problems.

 

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Body weight is a major influence on health throughout life. Obese people are generally less healthy and are more prone to illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, gall bladder diseases and arthritis. Weigh yourself regularly and know your desirable body weight. Weigh yourself at least twice a month at the same time of the day wearing light clothing.

BMI is used to estimate your total amount of body fat. It is calculated by using the formula below:

BMI = Weight (kg) / [Height (m) x Height (m)]

  

 Using your BMI, you can determine whether you are overweight, underweight or of ideal weight.

* The BMI acts as a general guide but remember there may be reasons to modify the interpretation and you should discuss this with your doctor if you were concerned.

Read more in
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/winter07/articles/winter07pg16.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index