Nutrition for Health
Chapter 10
The Importance of Nutrition
● Nutrition is the process by which your body
takes in and uses food
Nutrients are substances in food that your body
needs to grow, to repair itself, and to supply energy
o Calories are units of heat used to measure the
energy your body uses and the energy it receives
from food
o
Hunger vs. Appetite
Hunger
Appetite
● The natural physical
drive to eat
● Prompted by the body’s
need for food
● You may feel tired or
lightheaded when you
are hungry
● The psychological
desire for food
● The smell of fresh
cookies tempts you,
even if you are full
Food and the Environment
How do the following influence what you eat?
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Family and Culture
Friends
Time and Money
Advertising
Giving Your Body What It Needs
Everything you eat contains nutrients. Your
body uses nutrients in many ways:
● As an energy source
● To heal, and build and repair tissue
● To sustain growth
● To help transport oxygen to cells
● To regulate body functions
Giving Your Body What It Needs
● There are six types of nutrients:
o
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Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats provide energy
Vitamins, minerals, and water perform a variety of
other functions
● Getting a proper balance of nutrients during
the teen years can improve your health
through adulthood.
Carbohydrates
● Carbohydrates are starches and sugars found
in foods
● They act as the body’s main source of energy
o
Should be 45-65% of your daily calories
● There are three types of carbohydrates:
o
Simple, complex, and fiber
Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrates
Simple
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Mainly sugars
Fructose - Found in fruits
Lactose - Found in milk
Found naturally, but are also
added to many processed foods
Complex
● Mainly starches
● Long chains of sugars linked
together
● Grains, bread, pasta, beans, and
root vegetables
Fiber
Fiber is a tough complex carbohydrate that the
body cannot digest.
● Responsible for moving waste through the digestive
system
● Helps you feel full, and may reduce the risks of cancer,
heart disease, and Type 2 Diabetes
● 20 - 35 grams of fiber per day
Proteins
Proteins are nutrients the body uses to build
and maintain its cells and tissues. They are
made up of chemicals called amino acids.
Types of Proteins
Your body uses 20 amino acids found in foods
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11 of these can be produced by the body and are
called nonessential amino acids
9 of these are called essential amino acids and the
body must get them from certain foods
● Other proteins come from animal sources
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Meat, eggs, dairy, and soy
Called “complete” proteins because they contain all
nine essential amino acids
Roles of Proteins
Protein is the basic building material of cells.
The protein hemoglobin in red blood cells carries
oxygen to all your body cells.
Roughly 46 grams should be consumed per day,
which is 10-15% of total daily calories.
Fats
Saturated
Unsaturated
● Found mostly in animalbased foods
● Consuming too many
saturated fats may
increase the risk of heart
disease
● Found in vegetable oils,
nuts, and seeds
● Consuming in
moderation may
decrease the risk of
heart disease
Fats
● Trans fats are formed by a process called
hydrogenation, causing vegetable oils to
harden.
o
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As vegetable oil hardens, it becomes more saturated
Found in stick margarine, snack foods, packaged
baked goods
● Raise total blood cholesterol, increasing the
risk of heart disease
Bellwork 9/22/14
● What are the six types of nutrients?
● Which three provide energy?
● Which is better for your body to consume,
saturated fats, unsaturated fats, or trans fats?
Vitamins vs. Minerals
Vitamins
● Compounds that
help regulate body
processes
● Fat-soluble and
water-soluble
Minerals
● Elements in food
that your body
cannot produce
Vitamins
Water-Soluble
● Dissolve in water
o Easily pass into the
bloodstream
● Excreted through urine
● Not stored in the body
so they must be
replenished frequently
Fat-Soluble
● Absorbed and
transported by fat
● Stored in fatty tissue
o Liver and kidneys
● Excess build-up can be
damaging
Water
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Moves food through the digestive system
Digests carbohydrates and protein
Aids chemical reactions in the body
Transports nutrients and removes wastes
Stores and releases heat
Cools the body through perspiration
Cushions the eyes, brain, and spinal cord
What Should We Be Eating?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are a set
of recommendations about smart eating and
physical activity for all Americans.
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the
amount of nutrients that will prevent
deficiencies and excesses in most people.
MyPlate - The New Food Pyramid