Good nutrition 101

MANILA, Philippines - The nutritional needs of adults change with every decade of life: To stay healthy for a lifetime, we need to change the way we eat as we move from our teens to our 20s; from our 30s to 40s and so on.

To get complete nutrition for a lifetime, we need to know the proper diet that is appropriate for our age group and take multivitamins and mineral supplements as needed.

C is for Centrum: Daily intake of Centrum vitamins and minerals helps young to middle-aged adults get complete nutrition when these are combined with a healthy diet. Centrum gives six health benefits including energy, immunity, healthy eyes, healthy skin, healthy heart, and strong bones.

According Rommel Tinio, MD, a biochemist who specializes in nutritional medicine, adults need to restrict their calorie intake as they get older. They also need to change the portions they eat from different food groups.

Dr. Tinio operates his own clinic, Health Asia Medical Clinic in Makati, where he treats patients using nutrition therapies. He also coaches them on how a proper diet can help them stay in good health.

 “Our energy requirements decrease when we get older so, in general, we need less amounts of energy-giving foods like rice. This more true if, as adults, we live sedentary lifestyles. We should eat less carbohydrates in every meal.

“For example, if we used to eat a cup of rice when we were in our 20s, we need to eat half a cup of rice in every meal in our 30s and 40s. Those who are overweight or obese need to take even less than that,” he explains.

On the other hand, adults would need to take more nutrient-rich foods as they get older. This means adults should eat more vegetables in every meal — as much as two fistfuls of vegetables in each meal, if a person is able to do so.

“A general rule of thumb would be the ‘1-1-3’ food portioning guide. On our plate, at every meal, let’s imagine that we have a pizza with five slices. One slice would be our protein food, which is ideally fish instead of meat. Another slice is our carbohydrate food, which is our rice, for example. Then, the three other slices would be our vegetables,” Dr. Tinio points out.

He adds that the “1-1-3” food portioning guide can be adjusted to a person’s individual appetite, as some people eat less than others. He also said that while fruits are also rich in vitamins and minerals, they should be counted as carbohydrates as well.

“Fruits are sources of carbohydrates as they have sugar in them. So, if we are eating fruits along with our meal, we count them as our carbohydrate portion and so we need to lessen the amount of rice on our plate.

 “As much as possible, we should also eat vegetables raw. Cooking destroys vitamins and minerals. To get the full nutrition from vegetables, it’s best to eat them raw,” he said.

According to Dr. Tinio, taking multivitamins and minerals supplements is important to adults, especially nowadays.

Complete from A to zinc, Centrum completes every Filipino’s daily meals with a comprehensive range of 30 essential vitamins and minerals.    It helps one carry out his daily tasks with efficiency and focus. 

Centrum offers several types of multivitamin supplements that are suitable to an adult’s age group. Centrum for the average working age group of below 50 years old while Centrum Silver is apt for those who are 50 years old and above.