Healthy Eating? What does that even mean?!

    Most people should know by now that what you eat and the amount of food you eat are just a few of the major factors that contribute to your health and weight.  The question is, what is the definition of healthy eating? The other day I came across a journal article conducted from the University of British Columbia, from Spring 2006 which found that female students from both third and fourth year described healthy eating as eating  all food groups of Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. The participants of also included that moderation and balance of eating is also an important part of healthy eating. The experiment was conducted by Jennifer House, Jenny Su, and Ryna Levy-Milne who were from the Division of Human Nutrition at University of British Columbia.

Methods:

   Qualitative research methods were used for this study which was to collect data through a group of people where they were chosen by the researchers to discuss their personal experience based on the topic that the research was on. The data was taken from nine dietetics students and six students of other subjects from the University of British Columbia. All the participants from the research were females in their third or fourth year of study. The way the researchers chose the participants were through convenience sampling and everyone who volunteered were accepted as participants. The way they were recruited was through announcements before lectures and posters were also placed in different buildings of different faculties. The students from other subjects other than dietetics were enrolled in a variety of faculties which includes agriculture and arts. To keep the study ethical, all participants signed a consent form before participating. There were four groups with each having three to five participants. Two groups were dietetics students and the other two groups were students of other subjects. To allow the participants to feel more comfortable, the groups of dietetics students were separated from the other two groups. All participants were asked to build a collage of what healthy eating meant to them. Participants were asking to explain their collage and after discussion, each group was asked the same set of questions. The researchers verbally summarized the main points of what the participants came up with to make sure they researchers knew exactly what the participants meant.

Results:

  It was found that all participants from all groups focused on the four food groups and nutrition as shown in the Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating and they all mentioned another important factor which was moderation and variety. Other things that were mentioned that was not in the Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating was small frequent meals, eating before hunger pains, and eating breakfast. Dietetics students mentioned emotional enjoyment towards eating healthy and that it makes them feel good about themselves. On the other hand, students of other subjects were more worried about the nutritional value of food rather than emotions towards eating. All participants believed that appearance which includes healthy weight, glowing skin, and physical physique were the benefits of healthy eating.

Discussion/Conclusion:

   These findings suggests that since all the participants defined healthy eating were in accordance with the Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating, it should mean that most females of third or fourth year of study should have a basic understanding of what healthy eating means. A limitation of this study is that it has a bias. The study only included females and only those in third and fourth year of study. The participants were also only chosen from the University of British Columbia rather than other universities. A small number of participants were used in the study as well therefore, the study does not represent the general population. Although, the study may have a bias, it was interesting to see what healthy eating meant to different individuals. What surprised me was that all participants came up with appearance as being the benefits of eating healthy rather than internally. Lastly, I think it is very important for every individual to have the knowledge to understand what healthy eating means so, you can choose wisely of what, when, and how much you eat. 

Reference

House, J., Su, J., & Levy-Milne, R. (2006). ProQuest. Definitions of Healthy Eating Among University Students , 14-18. Retrieved July 22, 2011, from http://proquest.umi.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/pqdlink?Ver=1&Exp=07-22-2016&FMT=7&DID=1005830301&RQT=309&cfc=1

Of course physical activity is helps you achieve a healthy weight!

   Many people are aware that there are tons of different diets out there but most of them just limit your nutritional intake as mentioned in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By limiting your nutritional intake it may help you lose weight but it would most likely be short term weight loss. For most people who want to achieve a healthy weight, they would want to keep it for the long run. In fact, to achieve or maintain a healthy weight it must be made into a daily lifestyle. To incorporate it into a lifestyle, it must include "healthy eating, regular physical activity, and balancing the number of calories you consume with the number of calories your body uses", as also mentioned in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

   Choosing a healthy eating habit is very important and understanding the nutrition facts on the back of food labels are crucial. In class we learned that it is important to get nutrients from a variety of food groups which includes fruits and vegetables. Choosing whole grain and low-fat foods are also important. The key is to stay away from saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol as much as possible.

   So, what is physical activity? As mentioned in An Invitation to Health by Dianne Hales and Lara Lauzon, physical activity is "all leisure and non-leisure body movement produced by the skeletal muscles and resulting in an increase in energy expenditure". Exercise on the other hand is different from just physical activity, it is a "planned, structured, repetitive physical activity aimed at improving physical fitness".

   Now, you're probably wondering what you get from doing physical activities and exercising. As mentioned by Health Canada, physical activity does not only help in improving your health and well-being, it also helps you "reduce stress, strengthens the heart and lungs, increases energy levels, help you maintain and achieve a healthy body weight and it improves your outlook on life". I must admit, I thought that this was too good to be true, but when I started to incorporate running at least three times a week, it had made a big difference to me. I feel more refreshed and less stressed each time. Give it a try! you'll see a difference. It may not feel good as you are pushing yourself or the first few times you do it, but after a couple of weeks and doing it more often, you will see what a difference it makes. Of course, not everyone is going to start by running everyday, but you can always work your way up. Health Canada encourages Canadians to incorporate physical activity in you daily lives. Physical activity is not for certain age groups, but it benefits for everyone. This short video includes a few helpful tips and facts:



   Lastly, here are a few health benefits you gain from exercising as mentioned in An Invitation to Health (pg. 74):

1. Heart muscles become stronger
2. Blood pressure may drop slightly
3. Bones thicken and loss of calcium slows
4. Digestion and elimination is improved
5. Metabolism is increased so that the body burns more calories and body fat decreases

Reference

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Healthy Weight- it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle!. Retrieved July 9, 2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/

Hales, D. & Lara,  L. (2010). An Invitation to Health (Second Edition). Toronto: Thomson Wadsworth.

Health Canada. (2011). Physical Activity. Retrieved July 8, 2011, from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/physactiv/index-eng.php