Who is W.H.O.?
World Health Organisation is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 7 April 1948 responsible for international public health. World Health Report from W.H.O comprises accurate details of a particular health problem or a disease. W.H.O has played significant roles during challenging times in the United Nations.
What is a healthy diet?
A healthy diet refers to providing nutrition and energy to the body by consuming nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, lipids, fluids, macronutrients, micronutrients, and adequate food energy.
What does the recent report of W.H.O mention regarding diet and health?
Covid-19 has made people’s life risky and has taught how health plays a vital role in everyone’s life.
Recently, W.H.O released a diet plan regarding balancing a proper diet to stay healthy.
Here are some of the points that the report is trying to discuss:
● W.H.O. believes that a balanced diet can eradicate malnutrition and avoid non-communicable diseases (N.C.D’s) such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and heart stroke.
● Lack of physical activity and following unhealthy diets has led to global health problems.
● One should limit themselves in consuming free sugars and make sure that it doesn’t exceed 10% of total energy intake.
● Dietary patterns have changed from person to person due to rapid urbanization, processed foods, and lifestyle changes.
W.H.O.’s health diet:
There are two diet plans that W.H.O. released on their official website when the pandemic hit us.
1. Diet for Infants and children:
In the first two years of a child’s life, optimal nutrition stimulates the child’s healthy growth and helps in cognitive development. In addition, a simple diet is necessary so that the child isn’t affected by malnutrition or other diseases. Here are some essential diet tips from W.H.O.:
● For the first six months, infants should be breastfed by their mothers exclusively.
● They should be breastfed till the age of two.
● A variety of adequate and safe nutritional foods without salts and sugars should be complemented with breastmilk.
2. Diet for Adults:
● Consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains like unprocessed maize, millets, oats, wheat, and brown rice plays a vital role.
● Consuming five portions of fruit or a vegetable per day is appreciated.
● Consuming less than 5g of salt per day and 50g of free sugars per day is healthy.
● Avoid potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, and other starchy roots.
“Health is Wealth.”; Following a balanced diet is as essential as consuming our favorite foods!
So let’s make sure we abide by these measures to keep ourselves healthy and happy!