The Importance of Health-Conscious
Eating
By Ebele Ikezogwo, ThatchRoom.com
Overview
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What is health conscious eating?
– It is not dieting, it is a way of life
– Making food choices for health
benefits
Why is it important?
– Do you have dreams? Goals?
Ambitions? Health first,
everything else follows.
– How many want to be wealthy?
Health is “wealth”
Tools for making healthier food
choices
– What to look for in a label
– Should you count calories? Or
eat a balanced diet?
– Why cheaper is not always
better, the farmer or the doctor?
– Sweet can be healthy!
Health-Conscious Eating…
…is not:
• A diet
• Counting calories
• Weighing a certain number
• Looking like a movie star or
a supermodel or the prom
queen at school
… but it is:
• Making the healthiest
choice given the available
alternatives, the time
constraints and the money
constraints
• Knowing how to make those
choices
• Developing the discipline to
make it a way of life
Why is it important?
• Garbage in, Garbage Out
• Good health allows you to achieve your true
potential
• Good health helps you look your best
• Good health is more valuable than money
• Almost every health condition can be affected
or managed by food
TOOLS FOR MAKING HEALTHIER
FOOD CHOICES
Health consciousness starts with…
• …Consciousness!
– That means:
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Knowing what you are eating
Eating timely meals
Establishing balance
Making trade-offs
Labels
• Some Good Stuff
– Omega 3
– B Vitamins
– The Antioxidants
(vitamin A, C & E)
– High Fiber
– Calcium
– Mono-unsaturated fats
• Some Bad Stuff
– Any words you can’t
pronounce
– Words that are a
combination of letters
and numbers e.g. E255
– HFCS
– Saturated Fats
– Coloring & Preservatives
Here’s the easy way out…
Traditional Nigerian foods prepared in the right
way already contain important nutrients in the
right quantities for a healthy functioning body.
– Keep an eye on portions
– Always balance your meals
– Increase the nutrient profile whenever possible
• For example sprinkling nuts or flaxseeds on corn pap.
In Conclusion…
Health Consciousness = Your maximum Potential!