Nutrition For Health and Changing Lifestyles Course summary

Nutrition For Health and Changing Lifestyles Course summary Nutrition for Health and Changing Lifestyles Chapter 1 Nutrition Nutrition – The study of the nutrients in foods, how nutrients are used in the body, and human behaviours related to food (text p. 2) • We need to depend on food for our survival. • The food we choose has an impact on our body and our health. Diet Diet – The foods and beverages a person usually eats and drinks Food – Any substance that the body can take in and assimilate that will enable it to stay alive and healthy • Carrier of nutrients • Anything that gives us energy or keeps us alive … is considered food. Health – The state of a human when it functions optimally without evidence of disease or abnormality • “Optimal health for Canadians can only be achieved when greater efforts are made in health promotion and prevention of illness, and when nutrition is an integral part of these efforts” (Health Canada) Nutrition and Disease Prevention • Diet influences long-term health outlook • Genetics plays important role • Genetics and nutrition affect health conditions in varying ways (Fig 1.1) • Nutritional Genomics o Nutritional Genomics – The science of how nutrients affect the activities of genes and how genes affect the activity of nutrients Figure 1.1 in our book We choose to “diet” which affects our health. Nutrition and disease prevention do play a role in genetics and nutrition. Chronic disease is a degeneration of disease Nutrients Nutrients – Components in food that are indispensable (or essential) to the functioning of the body. • Nutrients provide: o Energy o Building material o Help maintain or repair the body and support growth • Building blocks of proteins = amino acids • We require energy, and food gives us the capacity to do our work. The Nutrients • Energy Providing: o Carbohydrate o Fat o Protein • Other nutrients: o Water o Vitamins o Minerals These nutrients supply energy/fuel for our activites Containing carbon (ORGANIC) –is referred to nutrients that contain ‘C’. Essential Nutrients Essential Nutrients – The nutrients that the body cannot make for itself from other raw materials • or, “conditionally essential”: the body cannot make enough to meet the requirements for health (e.g. the amino acid histidine to support protein synthesis during growth) • 8 essential amino acids (TV TILL PM) o Threonine o Valine o Tryptophan o Isoleucine o Leucine o Lysine o Phenylalanine o Methionine • 2 Essential fatty acids o Linoleic acid, linolenic acid • Vitamins o 3 fat soluble (A,D,E), 1 conditional (K) o All water soluble • Minerals (all)