Presentation Prepared by Danielle Burgio and Ali Cunneen Brooklyn Bridge to Cambodia © 2012

Topics Covered What is a balanced diet? How does a healthy diet affect lifestyle? What is the importance of proper nutrition for women? How can the irrigation pumps help?

What is a balanced diet? A balanced diet means getting the right types and amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintaining body cells, tissues, and organs, and for supporting normal growth and development. A nutritious and balanced diet is key to maintaining total body health, a healthy weight, and a better quality and longer life.

Food Groups Food groups Dairy – Cheese, milk, yogurt Meat and beans (Protein) – Legumes, beans, lentils, peas, beef, pork, poultry, fish, nuts, seeds, tofu, soy Fruit – Bananas, apples, oranges, strawberries, avocados, mangoes, melons, grapefruit, grapes, pineapples, raisins, dried fruit Vegetables – Broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, cauliflower, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, lettuce, sweet potatoes, string beans Grains (Carbohydrates) – Bread, cereal, pasta, rice

Balancing the food groups The term "balanced" simply means that a diet meets your nutritional needs while not providing too much of any nutrients. To achieve a balanced diet, you must eat a variety of foods from each of the food groups.

Important Nutrition Tips In addition to the right balance of each food group, here are some nutrition tips to keep in mind that will contribute to a healthy life style: – Eat breakfast every day – Use fats and oils sparingly – Choose appropriate portion sizes – Drink 10 glasses of water everyday – Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day – Drink Fewer Calories (Drinking beverages such as soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, alcohol are added unnecessary calories) – Watch the sugar – Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice – Dont forget Dairy

Women and Nutrition Women have unique dietary needs to support a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle begins with the food women consume. A balanced diet consists of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean sources of protein (Smith, Paul and Segal 2011). These foods contribute to womens health by helping women maintain their weight. They also give women energy, vitamins and minerals that enhance the way the body works.

Essential Nutrients for women Fruits and vegetables Calcium Protein Iron

Women: Fruits and Vegetables Womens health experts Smith, Paul and Segal recommend that women eat a lot of fruits, vegetables and plant-based foods (2011). The fiber found in fruits and vegetables make you feel full and maintain your metabolism. Nutritionists recommend that people eat six to seven servings of fruits and vegetables per day. To best receive the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, people should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Fiber can also be found in whole-grains such as brown rice. The United States Department of Agriculture offers a guide to eating fruit and vegetables daily: half of your meal plate should contain fruits and vegetables (2011).

Women: Protein Protein is another essential supplement for women and childrens health. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, the average adult should eat 70 grams of protein a day. The protein found in lean meats such as fish and poultry and in beans and soy gives the body amino acids that build and maintain muscle and give energy. Lack of protein can case growth failure, loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, weakening of the heat and respiratory system, and death (Harvard School of Public Health 2011). The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that protein should take up one fourth of your meal plate (2011).

Women: Iron Iron is a mineral significant to womens health. Iron levels deplete during menstruation (Smith et al 2011). Because of this, women are more at risk for a blood disease called anemia due to iron deficiency (The Illinois Department of Public Health). The Illinois Department of Public Health notes that low iron levels are marked by fatigue and headache. Smith et al state that iron-rich foods include lean red meat, dark poultry, lentils, spinach, almonds, and iron-fortified cereals (2011).

Guideline for Women to Remain Healthy: Maintain a healthy diet by getting vitamins and minerals from a variety of food sources. Women should pay special attention to calcium and iron intake. A balanced diet will help women and their families lead healthy lifestyles. Moderate fat, sugar, salt and sodium intake. Consume alcohol in moderation. Limit the consumption of tobacco.

How BB2C Pumps Can Help Brooklyn Bridge to Cambodia offers farmers in the Kampong Chhang Province access to low-cost, simple and portable irrigation pumps which enhance agricultural production for small vegetable plots. The pumps are an efficient alternative to many farmers current systems of bucket irrigation and have increased small household income of up to 100%. The pumps allow farmers to grow crops year-round and give them access to a consistent supply of water. Greater yields improve familys basic living standards by providing them with more nutritious crops and creating larger crop surpluses to sell for cash. The families of the Kampong Chhang province are largely employed in agriculture and rely heavily on rain-fed rich production. Having a continual supply of water from the water pumps allow for a more nutritionally diverse diet that is necessary to maintain proper health (Smith et al 2011).

How pumps can help (continued) Poor agricultural production is largely due to poor water irrigation and land quality. This contributes to widespread malnutrition in Cambodia coupled with the unpredictability of rain flow and poor agricultural practices (Asit 2005; Heinonen 2006; Molden et al 2007). The inability of farmers to utilize commercial markets also contributes to food insecurity.

How pumps can help (continued) Households that have the pump directly benefit by having efficient irrigation technology that will allow them to produce more harvest per year, as well as providing them with irrigation in the dry season when income generating activities are scarce and the price of produce is the highest due to low supply. The irrigation pumps provided by BB2C are portable and are often lent out to other farmers. Communities indirectly benefit as a whole, by having more nutritious food available for purchase along with the influx of money from crop sales.

BB2C Pump BB2C believes that selling these pumps ensures that the people choosing to invest in the product are committed to using it in a manner that will create a sustainable livelihood for their family. The BB2C pump is unique because it is more powerful than the Chinese model petrol pump, saves money and decreases fuel usage.