In celebration of the 2015 Nutrition Month, Nutrition and Dietitics students from the University of San Carlos (USC) were invited by the Cebu Provincial Nutrition Counsel (CPNC) to give free nutrition counseling to their employees last Monday at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
The USC students first got the height, weight and body fat percentage of every CPNC employee before giving them counselling depending on their nutritional status — either underweight, normal, overweight or obese.
The goal of the students is to promote proper nutrition and exercise, which is in line with the nutrition month theme: “Timbang iwasto sa tamang nutrisyon at ehersisyo.”
Clarisse Joyce De Jesus, one of the students, introduced the National Nutrition Council’s model of the healthy Pinggang Pinoy to one of the participants. The Pinggang Pinoy is a guide on the right food per meal.
“We give counseling to overweight people; about how important physical activity is, as well as diet,” said Anya Martinez, a USC student who spearheaded the counseling.
On the other hand, underweight people are advised to eat more than three times a day.
The students said it is very important to follow the wellness plate or the Pinggang Pinoy of NNC to achieve proper nutrition.
They also taught the employees on how to properly read food labels of different food products.
They showed employees how much nutrients are needed for the body and what type of food they should eat to be healthy.
Each USC student acting as a diet counselor gave their recommendation for the employees they have served. /Palompon Institute of Technology intern Jay-Ileen Engalla