A Healthy Diet Stage 6 Comprehension PDF

STAGE 6 Unit focus: Healthy Bodies Text focus: Information Text A Healthy Diet Everybody has heard of the phrase “a balanced diet”, and most of us know that having one is important to maintaining a healthy body. But, what does one look like? There are five main food groups that you need to think abo...

STAGE 6 Unit focus: Healthy Bodies Text focus: Information Text A Healthy Diet Everybody has heard of the phrase “a balanced diet”, and most of us know that having one is important to maintaining a healthy body. But, what does one look like? There are five main food groups that you need to think about. They are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fibre and vitamins and minerals. On top of that, it is absolutely vital that you drink enough fresh water every day. Water isn’t just important for a healthy diet; it helps with concentration, your emotions and, well, anything else to do with your brain. Carbohydrates are critical for supplying your body with energy. Without them, you will feel lethargic (tired) and lack the energy to get stuff done. Foods such as bread, pasta and potatoes are really high in carbohydrates. Just like the name “balanced diet” suggests, it’s important that you balance how many carbohydrates you eat. Your body converts carbs into sugars (mainly insulin) to help fuel itself, but if you eat too many, then your body will produce too much insulin. This tells your body to start storing the energy as fat and can lead to diabetes and other health issues. Remember, everything in moderation! Unlike carbs, proteins don’t give your body energy. Instead, they help your body to repair itself. These are really important to keeping your body healthy. It’s not just cuts and bruises that proteins help to repair, but on a cellular level, they help your body to keep your organs and other squishy bits ticking over smoothly as well. Fish, meat, nuts, beans, eggs and cheese are all great sources of protein. Beware, though, that once again, too much can be bad for you. Your kidneys work hard to process proteins in your body, and if you eat too many, it can stress your kidneys out and overwork them. This can leave you dehydrated, especially if you are eating other salty foods at the same time (such as a fast-food burger). Fats, despite their bad reputation, are actually essential for keeping us alive. If we didn’t have any fat in our body, it wouldn’t be able to store energy for us to use when we aren’t eating. Fat cells are like tiny batteries keeping us going. However, we all know that too much fat in our diet can be disastrous. It can put extra strain on our heart and joints and can lead to some pretty serious illnesses. Rea e um http://www.literacyshedplus.com C u r r ic ul Th all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed und A ding ro Without fibre, it becomes increasingly difficult to digest our food. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that our body can’t break down into sugars, so it passes through our system intact. This helps our body to regulate the sugars in our system, meaning we don’t get as hungry as quickly. It holds our waste together which makes sure that our poo is solid enough to pass easily. If you don’t eat enough fibre, it can lead to constipation or diarrhoea and bowel disease later in life. It’s important to remember that a healthy, balanced diet is just that: it’s balanced. If you eat too much or too little of any of these things, then your body won’t function as well as it should, and it can lead to you being poorly. Look after your body; it’s the only one you’ll get! 1. Why is protein important? SUMMARY FOCUS 2. Why might too many carbs be bad for you? 3. How does fibre help you go to the toilet? 4. Why is a balanced diet important? R V R V R VIPERS QUESTIONS Give an example of a carbohydrate-rich food from the text. Which word in the text is used to mean “tired”? Which is the main sugar created from carbohydrates? Find and copy a phrase that means lots of people have heard bad things about fats. What part of a balanced diet might you get from fish, according to the text? all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com