Guide To Perfect Lifestyle Assignment 2022

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21 Aug 2019
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Review of a healthy and sustainable diet and comparison with the current national diet
A heathy and sustainable diet
In the present lifestyle, most of the people are dependent on processed food, and fast food
which leads to diet-related chronic disease and obesity. The food industry produces plentiful
and inexpensive foods that are mostly unhealthy and not sustainable for the environment. As
suggested by Monteiro, Cannon, Moubarac et al (1), this is because the food industry is using
a high quantity of fertilizers and pesticides which are considered as non-renewable fossil
fuels, for maximizing the production rate. Consumption of fertilizers and pesticides based
fruits and vegetables will have a negative impact on the respiratory, neurological and
reproductive systems of human beings. According to Burlingame and Dernini (2),
considering a healthy perspective, it is assumed that sustainable eating is its major challenge
worldwide. With the increasing concern about climate change and global food security, most
of the population has shifted the focus on a healthy and environmentally sustainable. It is
inferred that an unsustainable diet results in greenhouse gas emissions, especially from the
intake of meat and dairy products. A healthy diet helps to stay in an optimal state of health
and protects against any form of malnutrition (Table 1). It minimizes the risk of non-
communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease and certain forms of cancer. Furthermore,
it maximizes the immune system and thereby helps to protect against any kind of infection.
Thus, the government should focus on providing a healthy and diverse diet by producing it
through sustainable systems. Also, suggested by Garnett, Mathewson, Angelides and
Borthwick (3 pp520) healthy diet for an individual varies according to gender, age, physical
activity, body weight, and lifestyle. Protein is needed in a good amount and quality which is
dependent on the mix of amino acids. Carbohydrates are a necessary part of a healthy dietary
plan. In particular, the unrefined complex carbohydrates present in food is found to be rich in
vitamins, fibre, and minerals. In this context, an individual should consume fruits, vegetables,
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and whole grains to get a minimum amount of 25 grams of dietary fibre each day. Free sugars
are the form of simple carbohydrates which should provide a maximum of 10% of the total
calories. Furthermore, it is advisable to reduce the intake of sugar below to 5% of the total
calorie intake fun and healthy body weight and health benefits. Fats should be consumed in
moderate amount, which is within 30% of the total caloric intake. It should be consumed
basically in an unsaturated form which is found in avocado, nuts, sunflower oil, fish, grape-
seed oil and olive oil. However, the saturated fats found in cheese, fatty meat, coconut oil,
palm oil, and butter should be consumed below 10% of the total caloric intake per day. In
addition to this, it is advisable to illuminate the partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or the
industrial trans-fat from the diet plan. In a healthy diet, there should be at most 5 grams are in
one teaspoon of salt consumption per day, which should be in ionized form. On the contrary,
the World Health Organization (WHO), prohibits the extra usage of red meat it increases the
threat of certain cancers.
Table 1: A healthy diet recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO) is provided
below.
Meal Food
Breakfast 2 to 3 egg white, whole grain bread, fruits or oats or
sprouts, and dried nuts
Lunch Rice, chicken, pulses, beans, salad
Dinner Nuts, soup, vegetables and chicken or fish
In order to make the human being as well as the planet healthy, it is needed to produce and
consume food products in a sustainable way. The production of fruits and vegetables should
be conducted in a natural way, instead of using unnecessary pesticides and fertilizers.
Pesticides and fertilizers not only affect human health but also deteriorate quality and
underground water. In addition to this, the packaging used for food distribution and
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consumption, especially plastic should be avoided to minimize the adverse effect on the
environmental sustainability of individual health. This would be the minimum use of
wastewater for irrigation in the form of manual or fertilizer, for reducing food contamination.
Furthermore, people should minimize the consumption of antimicrobial drugs present in
food-producing animals as it leads to the global threat of antimicrobial resistance. This has
been explained in the report by Macdiarmid (4 pp.17).
The current national diet with a focus on:
a. Consumption of 5 food group foods
It is evident that, the Australian diet plan comprises of five basic food groups. This includes
mainly vegetables and legumes, fruits, lean meats, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, seeds, nuts,
and tofu (Figure 1). Also, food elements such as cereals, particularly whole grain and high
fibre, and milk, cheese, yogurt as well as other low-fat alternatives were also included within
this classification (3-4). The foods are grouped on the basis of a similar quantity of basic
nutrients. For instance, fruits are the key provider of vitamin C, on the contrary, milk, cheese,
and yogurt are the source of protein and calcium. In order to get all types of minerals and
nutrients from the Australian five group diet chart, it is necessary to include all types of food
from each of the groups.
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