Nutritional and Healthy Lifestyle Guidelines
Nona D. Andaya-Castillo
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (2004-2024)
The Guidelines at a Glance
(Please see the sources for further reading below.)
The Twelve Principles of a Healthy Lifestyle is suitable and recommended for everyone, especially pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
Why A Healthy Lifestyle Is Important
According to our National Health Statistics, about 1,700 Filipinos die of stroke and heart attack everyday, and the top cause of death is lifestyle diseases. Our maternal mortality has remained high, with 35% of it from hypertension which is easily preventable by proper nutrition.
What are the twelve principles of a healthy lifestyle?
1. Start your day right by consuming 10-12 servings of fruits and vegetables (80 grams per serving).
As much as possible, choose fruits and vegetables that are local, in season, and in their fresh and natural state as they are fiber-rich and have not been devitalized of vitamins and minerals. Avoid buying imported fruits and vegetables as many of them are grown with pesticides and fertilizers or soaked in post-harvest chemicals to prolong shelf life.
2. Eliminate animal products.
The World Health Organization has classified processed meat as Grade 1 Carcinogen and red meat as Grade 2 Carcinogen. Dairy is listed as the number one food allergen, as cow’s milk is designed for calves and not for the human body. In addition, cow’s milk and other dairy products are also laced with pus, synthetic hormones, sugar, animal growth factors, drugs and antibiotics, and many other harmful contaminants. They also contain a substantial amount of fat and cholesterol detrimental to human health.
3. Eat whole grains and root crops.
Whole grains like unpolished rice contain dietary fiber crucial for healthy bowel function. Fiber also helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart disease. Root crops help you get your folate, absorb more iron, increase your stamina, and boost your beta.
4. Get your protein and calcium from green leafy vegetables and legumes.
Leafy vegetables are a great source of protein, with spinach packing in 5 grams a cup. Beans are high in calcium with more than 100 milligrams of calcium in one plate. The best sources of protein and calcium are plant-based as animal sources of protein and calcium have compounds that contribute to cardiovascular diseases such as saturated fat and cholesterol. The excessive amounts of protein in animal products also leech away calcium needed in the human body for strong bones.
5. Eat a handful of nuts everyday.
Nuts are the healthiest source of fat for the human body and should be consumed moderately. Remove saturated fats, hydrogenated oils, food preservatives, food coloring, and other food additives from your diet. Learn to read the labels of what you eat. Better yet, choose plant-based food in its natural form and shift away from packaged food products.
6. Avoid sugar.
Sugar is addictive. Not only that, it is known to weaken the immune system at the cellular level. Eliminate sugar-laced beverages like soft drinks. Even fruit juices have to be limited as the fiber is stripped away from the fruit when the juice is extracted. Consume whole fruits instead and use healthy sweeteners like bananas, buko juice, and dates.
7. Reduce salt.
Although sodium is needed in the human body, the small amounts of sodium in vegetables are enough to fulfill that requirement. Too much salt intake causes water retention, and the body responds by raising blood pressure to flush salt out. Cut salt intake by avoiding salty food and not adding salt to food.
8. Drink enough water.
Drink at least 2.2 liters of water (for women) and 3 liters (for men), and more when exercising and performing strenuous activity. For breastfeeding mothers, add more fluids by consuming smoothies and vegetables soups.
9. Supplement with Vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 is essential in keeping the body's nerve and blood cells healthy, and also helps prevent a type of anemia that makes people tired and weak. It is made by microbes, and since our modern world is highly sanitized, the only reliable source of getting B12 is through supplementation. Take at least one 2,500 mcg cyanocobalamin supplement each week or a daily dose of 250 mcg.
10. Exercise regularly.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. This will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer.
11. Get 8 hours of sleep.
Getting enough sleep helps in the healing and repair of heart and blood vessels, and is therefore essential in maintaining physical health. Get 8 hours of sleep daily to reduce risks of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
12. Avoid alcohol and tobacco.
Consumption of alcohol is linked to long-term liver damage. Heavy consumption increases risk of jaundice, cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. Smoking on the other hand, causes the most cases of lung cancer. Best to live a lifestyle free from alcohol and tobacco for optimum health.
I strongly recommend this set of Nutritional and Healthy Lifestyle Guidelines to everyone especially to women are pregnant or with children and breastfeeding mothers. I started this initiative due to the following reasons:
I. The benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child may be negated by an unhealthy diet:
II. Our national health statistics show that:
We need to update our National Nutritional Guidelines based on recent scientific facts:
1. Start your day right by consuming 10-12 servings of fruits and vegetables (80 grams per serving).
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/23/five-day-10-portions-fruit-veg-cut-early-death
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39057146
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2017-02-23-five-a-day-of-fruit-and-veg-is-good-but-10-is-better/
WARNING ON ORGANIC MEAT AND FISH CONSUMPTION:
http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/organic-meats-are-not-health-foods
WARNING ON SEAFOOD:
https://web.facebook.com/NPR/videos/1447221918659200/?hc_ref=ARSrtnXLlD5ZUSNHmcS9pRIvWqBHGdDVwo9avGdLB0GvpJZMgeP0nu0zVVbV_kJ_7Ao
Harvard School of Public Health – Healthy Plate
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/
https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2013/04/HEPApr2013.jpg
2. AVOID meat especially processed meat like hot dogs, bacon, ham, etc. AVOID red meat.
World Health Organization: Processed Meat is Grade 1 Carcinogen and red Meat is Grade 2 Carcinogen:
http://www.who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/
Harvard School of Public Health
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/red-meat-consumption-linked-to-increased-risk-of-total-cardiovascular-and-cancer-mortality/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/healthy-eating-red-meat-stroke-hu/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/red-meat-type-2-diabetes/
3. EAT more complex carbohydrates from whole grains and root crops. http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf
4. GET your protein and calcium from beans, nuts, leafy vegetables and unpolished rice.
Avoid dairy products because cow’s milk is designed for calves and not for the human body and is the Number 1 food allergen. Today’s cow’s milk is also laced with pus, synthetic hormones, antibiotics and many other harmful contaminants.
US Food and Drug
www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/UCM220117.pdf
The White Lies Report:
www.whitelies.org.uk/resources/white-lies-report-2014
Playlist on Milk and Disease on You Tube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDu6CYFLuN8sWMqJxkOgJF9OjJfgQztZ_
Check out Iwas Gatas PilipinasNgayon – Dump Dairy Philippines on Facebook to learn non-dairy recipes of ice cream, smoothies, etc.
5. EAT a handful of nuts like roasted cashews and pili everyday.
https://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/nuts-for-nuts
https://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/pplate/what-about-nuts-and-seeds
Limit energy intake from total fats and shift fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids.
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf
AVOID hydrogenated oils, food preservatives, coloring and other food additives by reading the labels of what you eat.
http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/cholesterol-and-heart-disease
https://www.pcrm.org/fda-bans-trans-fat-linked-to-heart-disease
6. AVOID SUGAR that is now known as the new smoking. It is addicting and one of its many deleterious effects is to weaken the immune system at the cellular level. Avoid sugar-laced beverages and limit your consumption of fruit juices.
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf
CBS News - Is Sugar Toxic?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B56Gpf1f5_A&t=68s
The Secrets of Sugar - the fifth estate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3ksKkCOgTw
Sugar: The Bitter Truth - Robert H. Lustig, MD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
7. REDUCE EXCESSIVE SALT INTAKE by limiting your consumption of processed foods, beverages and snacks. www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf
8. DRINK at least 2.2 liters of water (FOR WOMEN) and 3 liters (FOR MEN). For breastfeeding mothers, ADD MORE fluids from additional water, smoothies & vegetables soups.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20356431
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/
9. For your vitamin supplements, take Vitamin B12, 1000 mcg. Go to www.veganhealth.org for the dosage and other supplements.
For Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356233/
10. EXERCISE for at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity physical activity on most days. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer. www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf
11. REST and try to get 8 hours of sleep a day.
The effects of sleep deprivation on your brain and body
www.facebook.com/techinsider/videos/928245714040452/
The perfect conditions to make sure you get a good night’s rest
www.facebook.com/techinsider/videos/942721869259503/
12. Avoid alcohol and do not smoke.
On alcohol:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20360/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3307043/
https://www.facebook.com/ScienceAlert/videos/1598240786877770/
For Babies and Children:
PRACTICE EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING beyond 2 years complemented with indigenous foods at 6 months.
http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/child/nutrition/global/en/
http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/9241562218/en/ (PDF copy)
Additional Resources on Evidence-based Recommendations in Consuming a Plant-based Diet:
www.nutritionfacts.org
www.pcrm.org
www.veganhealth.org
https://www.christiankoeder.com/2021/02/phEnglish.html
https://www.drveganblog.com/
Nona D. Andaya-Castillo
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (2004-2024)
The Guidelines at a Glance
(Please see the sources for further reading below.)
The Twelve Principles of a Healthy Lifestyle is suitable and recommended for everyone, especially pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
Why A Healthy Lifestyle Is Important
According to our National Health Statistics, about 1,700 Filipinos die of stroke and heart attack everyday, and the top cause of death is lifestyle diseases. Our maternal mortality has remained high, with 35% of it from hypertension which is easily preventable by proper nutrition.
What are the twelve principles of a healthy lifestyle?
1. Start your day right by consuming 10-12 servings of fruits and vegetables (80 grams per serving).
As much as possible, choose fruits and vegetables that are local, in season, and in their fresh and natural state as they are fiber-rich and have not been devitalized of vitamins and minerals. Avoid buying imported fruits and vegetables as many of them are grown with pesticides and fertilizers or soaked in post-harvest chemicals to prolong shelf life.
2. Eliminate animal products.
The World Health Organization has classified processed meat as Grade 1 Carcinogen and red meat as Grade 2 Carcinogen. Dairy is listed as the number one food allergen, as cow’s milk is designed for calves and not for the human body. In addition, cow’s milk and other dairy products are also laced with pus, synthetic hormones, sugar, animal growth factors, drugs and antibiotics, and many other harmful contaminants. They also contain a substantial amount of fat and cholesterol detrimental to human health.
3. Eat whole grains and root crops.
Whole grains like unpolished rice contain dietary fiber crucial for healthy bowel function. Fiber also helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart disease. Root crops help you get your folate, absorb more iron, increase your stamina, and boost your beta.
4. Get your protein and calcium from green leafy vegetables and legumes.
Leafy vegetables are a great source of protein, with spinach packing in 5 grams a cup. Beans are high in calcium with more than 100 milligrams of calcium in one plate. The best sources of protein and calcium are plant-based as animal sources of protein and calcium have compounds that contribute to cardiovascular diseases such as saturated fat and cholesterol. The excessive amounts of protein in animal products also leech away calcium needed in the human body for strong bones.
5. Eat a handful of nuts everyday.
Nuts are the healthiest source of fat for the human body and should be consumed moderately. Remove saturated fats, hydrogenated oils, food preservatives, food coloring, and other food additives from your diet. Learn to read the labels of what you eat. Better yet, choose plant-based food in its natural form and shift away from packaged food products.
6. Avoid sugar.
Sugar is addictive. Not only that, it is known to weaken the immune system at the cellular level. Eliminate sugar-laced beverages like soft drinks. Even fruit juices have to be limited as the fiber is stripped away from the fruit when the juice is extracted. Consume whole fruits instead and use healthy sweeteners like bananas, buko juice, and dates.
7. Reduce salt.
Although sodium is needed in the human body, the small amounts of sodium in vegetables are enough to fulfill that requirement. Too much salt intake causes water retention, and the body responds by raising blood pressure to flush salt out. Cut salt intake by avoiding salty food and not adding salt to food.
8. Drink enough water.
Drink at least 2.2 liters of water (for women) and 3 liters (for men), and more when exercising and performing strenuous activity. For breastfeeding mothers, add more fluids by consuming smoothies and vegetables soups.
9. Supplement with Vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 is essential in keeping the body's nerve and blood cells healthy, and also helps prevent a type of anemia that makes people tired and weak. It is made by microbes, and since our modern world is highly sanitized, the only reliable source of getting B12 is through supplementation. Take at least one 2,500 mcg cyanocobalamin supplement each week or a daily dose of 250 mcg.
10. Exercise regularly.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. This will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer.
11. Get 8 hours of sleep.
Getting enough sleep helps in the healing and repair of heart and blood vessels, and is therefore essential in maintaining physical health. Get 8 hours of sleep daily to reduce risks of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
12. Avoid alcohol and tobacco.
Consumption of alcohol is linked to long-term liver damage. Heavy consumption increases risk of jaundice, cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. Smoking on the other hand, causes the most cases of lung cancer. Best to live a lifestyle free from alcohol and tobacco for optimum health.
I strongly recommend this set of Nutritional and Healthy Lifestyle Guidelines to everyone especially to women are pregnant or with children and breastfeeding mothers. I started this initiative due to the following reasons:
I. The benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child may be negated by an unhealthy diet:
- I had a patient who was able to breastfeed her child up to 4 years old but the child acquired leukemia at the age of one (1) year old.
- I had two patients who were able to breastfeed their two children for a total of five (5) years but these mothers developed breast cancer.
II. Our national health statistics show that:
- Almost 1,700 Filipinos die of stroke and heart attack EVERYDAY!
http://business.inquirer.net/200169/do-you-know-how-many-filipinos-die-daily-from-heart-attack-and-stroke - Many of the top causes of deaths are due to lifestyle diseases. http://www.doh.gov.ph/Statistics/Leading-Causes-of-Mortality
- Our maternal mortality has remained high and 35% of it is due to hypertension. http://www.doh.gov.ph/Statistics/Maternal-Deaths-By-Main-Cause
We need to update our National Nutritional Guidelines based on recent scientific facts:
1. Start your day right by consuming 10-12 servings of fruits and vegetables (80 grams per serving).
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/23/five-day-10-portions-fruit-veg-cut-early-death
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39057146
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2017-02-23-five-a-day-of-fruit-and-veg-is-good-but-10-is-better/
WARNING ON ORGANIC MEAT AND FISH CONSUMPTION:
http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/organic-meats-are-not-health-foods
WARNING ON SEAFOOD:
https://web.facebook.com/NPR/videos/1447221918659200/?hc_ref=ARSrtnXLlD5ZUSNHmcS9pRIvWqBHGdDVwo9avGdLB0GvpJZMgeP0nu0zVVbV_kJ_7Ao
Harvard School of Public Health – Healthy Plate
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/
https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2013/04/HEPApr2013.jpg
2. AVOID meat especially processed meat like hot dogs, bacon, ham, etc. AVOID red meat.
World Health Organization: Processed Meat is Grade 1 Carcinogen and red Meat is Grade 2 Carcinogen:
http://www.who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/
Harvard School of Public Health
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/red-meat-consumption-linked-to-increased-risk-of-total-cardiovascular-and-cancer-mortality/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/healthy-eating-red-meat-stroke-hu/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/red-meat-type-2-diabetes/
3. EAT more complex carbohydrates from whole grains and root crops. http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf
4. GET your protein and calcium from beans, nuts, leafy vegetables and unpolished rice.
Avoid dairy products because cow’s milk is designed for calves and not for the human body and is the Number 1 food allergen. Today’s cow’s milk is also laced with pus, synthetic hormones, antibiotics and many other harmful contaminants.
US Food and Drug
www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/UCM220117.pdf
The White Lies Report:
www.whitelies.org.uk/resources/white-lies-report-2014
Playlist on Milk and Disease on You Tube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDu6CYFLuN8sWMqJxkOgJF9OjJfgQztZ_
Check out Iwas Gatas PilipinasNgayon – Dump Dairy Philippines on Facebook to learn non-dairy recipes of ice cream, smoothies, etc.
5. EAT a handful of nuts like roasted cashews and pili everyday.
https://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/nuts-for-nuts
https://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/pplate/what-about-nuts-and-seeds
Limit energy intake from total fats and shift fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids.
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf
AVOID hydrogenated oils, food preservatives, coloring and other food additives by reading the labels of what you eat.
http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/cholesterol-and-heart-disease
https://www.pcrm.org/fda-bans-trans-fat-linked-to-heart-disease
6. AVOID SUGAR that is now known as the new smoking. It is addicting and one of its many deleterious effects is to weaken the immune system at the cellular level. Avoid sugar-laced beverages and limit your consumption of fruit juices.
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf
CBS News - Is Sugar Toxic?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B56Gpf1f5_A&t=68s
The Secrets of Sugar - the fifth estate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3ksKkCOgTw
Sugar: The Bitter Truth - Robert H. Lustig, MD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
7. REDUCE EXCESSIVE SALT INTAKE by limiting your consumption of processed foods, beverages and snacks. www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf
8. DRINK at least 2.2 liters of water (FOR WOMEN) and 3 liters (FOR MEN). For breastfeeding mothers, ADD MORE fluids from additional water, smoothies & vegetables soups.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20356431
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/
9. For your vitamin supplements, take Vitamin B12, 1000 mcg. Go to www.veganhealth.org for the dosage and other supplements.
For Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356233/
10. EXERCISE for at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity physical activity on most days. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer. www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/strategy/eb11344/strategy_english_web.pdf
11. REST and try to get 8 hours of sleep a day.
The effects of sleep deprivation on your brain and body
www.facebook.com/techinsider/videos/928245714040452/
The perfect conditions to make sure you get a good night’s rest
www.facebook.com/techinsider/videos/942721869259503/
12. Avoid alcohol and do not smoke.
On alcohol:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK20360/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3307043/
https://www.facebook.com/ScienceAlert/videos/1598240786877770/
For Babies and Children:
PRACTICE EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING beyond 2 years complemented with indigenous foods at 6 months.
http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/child/nutrition/global/en/
http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/9241562218/en/ (PDF copy)
Additional Resources on Evidence-based Recommendations in Consuming a Plant-based Diet:
www.nutritionfacts.org
www.pcrm.org
www.veganhealth.org
https://www.christiankoeder.com/2021/02/phEnglish.html
https://www.drveganblog.com/
