By Ebele Ikezogwo, ThatchRoom.com

The Importance of Health-Conscious Eating

Overview• 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:

• 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!