Australian Guide to Healthy Eating Draft 2011

The National Health and Medical Research Council released the new draft of their Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) in December 2011 for public consultation.(1) The AGHE is a quick and simple pictorial guide to the types and amounts of foods that should be eaten in a healthy daily diet for all age groups. It is believed the final document will be available towards the end of 2012.

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Dietary Guidelines revision 2011

The Dietary Guidelines are being revised to make sure that they are up-to-date and reflect the latest knowledge on nutrition, diet and health. Australians are looking for dietary advice that is clear and practical so this 2011 revision has therefore focused on food choice recommendations rather than on how much of certain nutrients you should consume, which was the approach of the 2003 version of the Dietary Guidelines.

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Grains and legumes health report

In April 2010, GoGrains released a report named ‘The Grains and Legumes Health Report'. It's a 27 page A4-size book that can be ordered or downloaded free from the GoGrains website. It gives you an overview of the latest scientific research about grains, legumes (dried peas, beans and lentils) and health.  The report reviews the health benefits of wholegrains and legumes with regards to cardiovascular health, type 2 diabetes, weight management and cancer. Here we present a short summary for students and teachers.

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Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults 2003

THESE DIETARY GUIDELINES ARE UNDER REVIEW AS AT DEC 2011.   Dietary guidelines are designed to give consumers a set of "eating rules" to plan their eating and improve their daily diet. If you eat according to the 13 guidelines that follow, your daily diet will be a healthy one that's likely to minimise your chances of diet-related illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, obesity, gall bladder disease and dental caries.

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Nutrient Reference Values

In 2006, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released a set of revised Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) for Australia and New Zealand. This is the first revision in 16 years and provides a more comprehensive guide to the suggested intake of over 30 essential nutrients. These figures will help dietitians, nutritionists and other health professionals accurately assess the dietary needs of individuals and groups.

This update was a joint project between the Australian Government's Department of Health and Ageing, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Ministry of Health in New Zealand. Begun in 1997, they replace Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDIs) in Australia which were last revised in 1991.

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How much exercise do you need to stay healthy?

Ten years ago, the recommendation for exercise was to do 30 minutes of vigorous and continuous aerobic activity (like jogging) at least three times a week.

Today with less and less need for physical activity in our daily lives, obesity and lifestyle illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease are on the rise. As result, Active Australia launched the National Physical Activity Guidelines for all Australians in mid 1999 - a set of more achievable recommendations that will still benefit overall health.

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Nutrition for teens

A nutritious balanced diet and healthy eating habits are critical in childhood and adolescence in order to support growth and development and to avoid the development of diet-related disease later in life.

The following 12 guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) outline the major characteristics of a healthy diet for adolescents. These form the official dietary guidelines for this age group.

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Australian Guide to Healthy Eating 1993

THIS FOOD GUIDE IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW AS AT DEC 2011. The Australian Guide for Healthy Eating (AGHE) provides healthy eating information for Australians four years and over, including the types and amounts of foods that need to be eaten each day to obtain the nutrients essential for good health and well-being. It's used as the basis for all sorts of dietary recommendations so it's well worth reading.

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A career as a dietitian

The study of dietetics is concerned with the prevention and treatment of a variety of food related diseases. Dietitians interpret scientific knowledge about food in relation to healthor an ilness and translate it into practical information to help people eat better or manage their condition via a special diet eg gluten-free diet or diabetic diet.

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