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Important messages for adolescents and women of childbearing age:

  • Consume a healthy diet and stay physically active:
    - Eat a healthy and varied diet that includes green leafy- and orange vegetables, meat, fish, beans, nuts, whole grains, and fruits
    Drink several glasses of water each day: 2 Liters of water/liquids every day
    Limit the consumption of fatty, salty, and sugar snacks such as candy, cookies, pastries, ice cream, chips, fried food 
    Use iodized salt to prevent iodine deficiency disorders

     

  • A healthy diet is important throughout the life cycle:
    A healthy diet helps to prevent malnutrition in all its forms (undernutrition, overweight/obesity, micronutrient deficiency) 
    A healthy diet helps to prevent different non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and conditions such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung disease

  • The importance of healthy nutrition for women and girls:
    Improving nutrition is important to prevent childhood obesity
    The maternal nutrition status before and during pregnancy affects the unborn baby and appears to be linked with a higher risk of obesity in later life
    Children born with a small size at birth show a tendency to put on more weight during the puberty growth spurt than those of normal size at birth

     

  • Women of reproductive age should get enough folic acid:
    Folic acid is important because it can help prevent some major birth defects of the baby's brain and spine
    A woman should take a folic acid supplement every day (when possible), in addition to consuming food with folate from a varied diet (including green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, beans, citrus fruits, and fortified cereals)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Video - the importance of folic acid:

More information about:

Sources:

  1. Certa Nutritio. (2020, 1 april). GloCal Nutrition [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvxwMjlLzZP_l3CvIWPZHCg

  2. World Health Organization. (2014, 6 October). WHO | Children’s diet. https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood_diet/en/

  3. World Health Organization. (2012). Guideline: Daily iron and folic acid supplementation in pregnant women. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/77770/9789241501996_eng.pdf?ua=1

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