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Learn how fundamental nutrition knowledge can enhance your well-being by guiding food choices that optimize health and vitality. Discover how nutrition plays a crucial role in disease prevention and maintain optimal health through a balanced diet.
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Fundamentalknowledgeaboutnutritioncanmake a tremendouscontributiontoyourlevelofwellness. Itcanhelpyoumakefoodchoicesthatwillenhanceyourhealthandvitality. • Thisknowledgecanalsohelpyoudeciphersocialinfluencesandmessagesrelatedtoeating. • Thisisanothersteptowardassuming self- responsibilityforyour well-beingandhealth. Learningaboutnutritioncanbeexciting. • Eatingis a dailyactivity, andsoyouhavemanyopportunitiestoaffectyourwellnessin a positiveway. • Foodnotonlysustainslifebutalsohas a clearlinktodiseaseprevention. • Scientistsarefindingthatcertainfoods (especiallyfruits, vegetables, andgrains) aredirectlyassociatedwiththepreventionofcardiovasculardiseaseandcertain cancers—the leadingcausesofdeathinourcountry.
Poor diet is said to contribute to 4 of the top 10 leading causes of death in our country. Studies repeatedly identify six shortfalls in our eating habits: • 1. Too few fruits and vegetables • 2. Too little fiber • 3. Too much fat • 4. Too many refined sugars • 5. Too much food overall • 6. Inadequate water intake
The 2000 Dietary Guidelines for Americans" • The 10 guidelines reflect the newest research on diet and health relationships, with the purpose of giving practical suggestions on how to make healthy diet adjustments. • It is impossible to specify the perfect diet for every individual. However, these guidelines point out positive directions for everyday food selections that can help you maintain optimal health
NUTRITION BASICS • Your body is a priceless machine that needs fuel. This fuel should be composed of six major nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. These nutrients fulfill three main functions in the body: • 1. Provide energy • 2. Build and repair body tissues • 3. Regulate body processes • Only the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins contribute energy or calories (kcal) to your diet. To function at optimal efficiency, you need a balance of all six of the essential nutrient groups.
Proteins • Makesupcellstructure Helpsdevelop, repair, andmaintaintissues • Produceshemoglobin, enzymes, andmanyhormones • Maintainsnormalbloodosmoticpressure • Formsantibodies • Canbeenergysource • Breaksdownintoaminoacidstobeusedbythebody
Carbohydrates • Carbohydrates are the major source of energy for the body. • They are the body's preferred form of energy. • They provide 4 calories per gram. Carbohydrates are stored in the liver and in muscles in the form of glycogen. • It is recommend that our daily caloric intake be 45 to 65 percent carbohydrate.
Simple Carbohydrates (Sugars) • sucrose, fructose, dextrose, and maltose) or see corn sweetener, corn syrup, molasses, sorbitol, or honey, think sugar. • The presence of these refined and processed sugars in our diet accounts for carbohydrates' "fattening" reputation. • Instead of consuming the natural simple sugars found in fruits and vegetables, we consume too much of these hidden processed sugars. • The major sources of added sugars in Americans' diets are: • 1. Soft drinks • 2. Cakes, cookies, pies • 3. Fruit ades and drinks such as fruit punch and lemonade • 4. Dairy desserts such as ice cream • 5. Candy
Complex Carbohydrates (Starches) • The starches are potatoes, rice, whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. These foods are low in calories. • They are nutritionally dense, a rich source of vitamins and minerals that provides a steady amount of energy for many hours. • Complex carbohydrates should constitute 35 to 55 percent of our total caloric intake, while simple sugars should be limited to only 10 percent. • Carbohydrates supply many vital nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and water. In addition, they supply an important nonnutrient: dietary fiber
Fiber • is the part of plant food that is not digested in the small intestine, where most other foods are digested and absorbed into the bloodstream. • Fiber is not a single substance but a large group of widely different compounds with varied effects on the body. • Formerly called roughage or bulk, fiber once was thought of primarily as a filler-it takes up room, leaving less space for high-fat, high-calorie items. • That is still one of fiber's potential benefits, and it is in foods rich in vitamins and minerals.
Glycemic Index • One of the newest topics in nutrition is the glycemic index. • The glycemic index (GI) is a scale that measures the extent to which a food affects blood glucose (sugar) levels. • A food that quickly raises blood glucose levels is said to have a high GI. • In the long run, a diet with a lot of high-GI foods can cause obesity, Type 2 diabetes, an increased chance of some cancers, and heart disease. • Low GI foods result in a small rise in blood sugar and can help reduce fat storage and the chance of Type 2 diabetes as well as raise the levels of good HDL cholesterol in some people. • Whereas high-GI foods can increase your appetite, low-GI foods create more of a feeling of fullness
Fats • Fat is the most concentrated form of food energy, providing 9 calories per gram, more than twice the energy provided by carbohydrates and proteins. • Fat adds texture and flavor to food. It helps satisfy the appetite because it is digested more slowly. • Also known as lipids, fats are necessary for growth and healthy skin and for transporting fat soluble vitamins in the body. • Fats are also linked to hormone regulation. Because of their concentrated form, fats are an efficient way to store energy. • Like protein, however, fats are not a good single source of energy. • Fats burned for energy in the absence of carbohydrates produce a toxic waste product called ketone bodies.
A protein isa complexhighmolecularweightorganiccompoundconsistsofaminoacidsjoinedbypeptidebonds
The building blocks of proteins which contain nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The human body uses 20 amino acids to form various proteins. Amino Acids Essential Amino Acids Nine of the 20 amino acids are essential because the body cannot produce them. Nonessential Amino Acids Eleven of the 20 amino acids can be manufactured in the body if food proteins in the diet provide enough nitrogen.
Macro-minerals Calcium Phosphorus Chloride Potassium Sulfur Sodium Magnesium Micro-minerals Iodine Fluoride Zinc Selenium Copper Cobalt Chromium Manganese Molybdenum Minerals
Optimal Calcium Requirements (Recommendations of the National Institutes of Health)
WaterThe “Essential” Nutrient • The ‘most critical’ nutrient for sustaining life. • A person can survive only 3 days without drinking water. • Makes up ~60% of body weight. • You lose ~64-80 ounces of water a day. • Essential for body temperature regulation, transportation of nutrients and wastes in the body, joint lubrication, all chemical reactions, and maintenance of blood volume.
Balancing The Diet • Carbohydrate45-65% of total calories • Complex Carbohydrates: 20-45% of total calories • Simple Carbohydrates: <25% of total calories • Fiber: 25-38 grams per day • Fat20-35% of total calories • Monounsaturated Fats: up to 20% of total calories • Polyunsaturated Fats: up to 10% of total calories • Saturated Fats: <7% of total calories • Protein10-35% of total calories
Required Daily Values for Food LabelsBased on a 2,000 calorie diet • Fat • 30% = 65 grams • Saturated Fat • 10% = 20 grams • Cholesterol • 300 milligrams • Carbohydrate (total) • 60% = 300 grams • Fiber • 25 grams (11.5 g per 1,000) • Protein • 10% = 50 grams • Sodium • 2,400 milligrams • Vitamin A • 5,000 IU • Calcium • 1,000 mg • Vitamin C • 75 mg • Iron • 18 mg
Antioxidants: • Compounds that prevent oxygen from combining with other substances in the body to form harmful compounds.