Last night Mary Hope from the Whiti Ora Active Health team provided a free clinic in partnership with Huringa Pai on how the 9-6-4 program can work through the festive season.
9-6-4 is a health choice based on recommendations from the World Health Organisation as to how much (added) sugar should be consumed within a day. This being 9 teaspoons for men, 6 for women and 4 for children. This health movement has a strong following within the Huringa Pai community and has changed the lives of many.
The clinic examined many popular alcoholic drinks and their sugar content, many of which came as a shock to those in attendance. Most RTD’s, beers and wines would cause someone to reach their daily sugar limit in a single serving. Combined with the often indulgent food choices made through the holiday period, Mary highlighted a need for mindfulness to maintain healthy diet and lifestyle choices through the holidays.
Mary’s key holiday recommendations:
- Compensate for indulgent days by getting out and being active before or after
- Abide by the ‘healthy plate model’ of half fruit/veg, quarter proteins and quarter starch/carbs
- Look for opportunities to substitute healthy ingredients into your classic recipes i.e yoghurt for cream
- When drinking alcohol, consume equal parts water throughout
- Take advantage of the inexpensive fresh, local fruit and veg available during this time
Watch the full presentation here
