Nutrition for Life:
The food we eat
What is Nutrition?
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Nutrition is the science or study of food & the
way the body uses it
Nutrients are substances in food that provide
energy, help form and maintain body tissues
and are essential for growth.
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6 classes of Nutrients:
* Carbohydrates
* Proteins
* Minerals
* Fats
* Vitamins
* Water
What is Nutrition continued…
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Metabolism is the sum of the chemical processes that
take place in your body to keep you alive and active.
Metabolism requires energy from carbohydrates, fats,
and proteins and is measured in calories.
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Carbohydrates are energy-giving nutrients that include
sugars, starches, and fiber.
Fats are the main form of energy storage in the body.
Proteins are made of amino acids, which build and repair
structures and regulate processes in the body.
Carbohydrates:
are the bodies main source of energy-giving nutrients that include
sugars, starches, and fiber.
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There are two kinds of Carbohydrates: Simple
and Complex.
Simple Carbohydrates are made up of single
or double sugar molecules.
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Sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrates.
They include fruits, vegetables, and milk.
Complex Carbohydrates are many sugar
molecules that are linked together such as
starches, glycogen, and fiber.
Fiber: What is it?
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Fiber is not an essential nutrient.
It is a complex carbohydrate that provides little
energy and cannot be digested.
It helps push foods through the digestive
system. (Helps cleanse the body.)
Examples include:
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Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans
Fats:
are the body’s main form of long-term energy
storage.
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Fats are important for your body to function
properly.
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They dissolve certain vitamins, help make blood
clots, aids in the formation of hormones, cushion
bones and vital organs, and makes you feel satisfied
after eating.
Fats are classified by the types of fatty acids they
contain, either unsaturated or saturated.
The Good Fat:
Unsaturated
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Unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature.
They do not raise blood cholesterol levels.
They come mostly from plants.
They are classified as the following and believed to help
lower the risk of heart disease:
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Monounsaturated fats consists of olive, peanut, and canola
oils
Polyunsaturated fats are in safflower, soybean, and corn
oils.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids come in the highly recommended
fish, green leafy vegetables, nuts, tofu, and canola oil
The Bad Fat:
Saturated
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Saturated fats are usually solid at room
temperature.
They come from fats found in meat, lard, dairy
products such as butter, cheese, ice cream, and
milk, as well as palm and coconut oil.
Eating too many saturated fats can lead to
obesity, high cholesterol levels, and increased
risk of heart disease.
The Ugly:
Trans Fats
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Create from vegetables oils during the hydrogenation
process turning them from liquid to a more solid form.
Examples include margarine, shortening, cookies, cakes,
TV dinners, candy bars, deep-fried french fries and
crackers.
Trans fats are used in many processed foods to enhance
shelf life and flavor.
They can cause heart disease if intake is not monitored.
Since 2006, all food labels MUST include quantity of
trans fats. (Look for hydrogenated or partially
hydrogenated)
Cholesterol:
a lipid found in all human and animal tissues
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Your body makes cholesterol, as well as gets it from
meat, eggs, and dairy products.
Cholesterol is necessary for certain essential functions
in the body.
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Needed to make Vitamin D, cell membranes, hormones, and
bile
There are two types:
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HDL (Good cholesterol): carries cholesterol back to the liver
where it is removed from the blood
LDL (Bad cholesterol): brings cholesterol to cells, when levels
get too high in the blood, plaque forms on blood vessel walls
which block blood flow to the heart, increase the risk of a
heart attack
Protein:
are made of amino acids, which are used in building and
repairing structures in the body.
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Muscles, skin, hair, and nails are made up mostly
of protein.
Proteins are also needed for hormones,
enzymes, and other essential molecules.
20 different amino acids make up body proteins.
Nine cannot be made in our bodies. These are
called essential amino acids and must be eaten
un your diet to meet your body’s needs.
Proteins Continued…
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Protein from our diets come from both animal and
plant foods.
Animal proteins such as meat, eggs, and dairy products
contain all the essential amino acids and are called
complete proteins.
Most plant proteins like legumes, whole grains, and
vegetables don’t have all the essential amino acids
needed by our body are called incomplete proteins.
A healthy diet must include all the essential amino acids.
A diet that contains both plant and animal food can
easily meet all your amino acid needs.
Vitamins:
are carbon-containing nutrients that are needed in small
amounts to maintain health and allow growth.
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Vitamins are classified by what they dissolve in:
fat or water.
Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fat. As a result,
they can be stored in fat tissue and remain in the
body for a long time. Examples include
Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. They
are not stored in the body very well. Such
vitamins are the 8 B vitamins and vitamin C.
Minerals:
are chemical elements that are essential in small amounts to
maintain good health.
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Nutrient deficiency is the state of not having
enough of a nutrient to maintain good health.
A well-balanced diet can meet ALL vitamin and
mineral needs.
Minerals continued…
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Three Important Minerals:
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Sodium
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Calcium
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Most of us eat more sodium than is healthy.
Too much can lead to high blood pressure resulting in heart disease, stroke,
or kidney failure
Most teens do not eat enough calcium. Calcium is found in green, leafy
vegetables (broccoli and spinach) and in calcium-fortified foods (bread and
orange juice.
Mostly found in your bones, which form between 9 and 17 years old.
Iron
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Iron-deficiency is a worldwide problem that causes anemia. Red meats are
rich in iron.
Anemia is when there are not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen around
the body.
Water:
it makes up 60% of your body and is essential for almost every
function to keep you ALIVE.
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To be healthy, you should take in at least 2.5
quarts of water each day (about 8 glasses). This
makes up for water lost through excretion and
evaporation.
Dehydration is when the body loses more water
then it takes in.
Mild dehydration can interfere with mental and
physical performance.
 Severe dehydration can have very serious
consequences, including death.
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