COLLEGE EDITION
By: Justin Knight
Macronutrients
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
-Saturated Fats
-Monounsaturated
-Polyunsaturated
-Essential Fatty Acids
• Protein
- Amino Acids
Carbohydrates
• Carbohydrates are the most important
nutrient for the body
• Broken down to glucose using insulin
• Glucose is used for energy throughout the day
• If glucose isn’t used, it is stored in the liver
and muscles as glycogen
Carbohydrates cont.
• Simple Carbs
– Smaller structured compounds
– Easily broken down to glucose
– Broken down quickly to increase blood glucose
(blood sugar)
• Complex Carbs
- Broken down slowly
- Energy lasts longer
- Keeps blood glucose levels steady
Fats
• Know the different types of fats you are
putting in your body!
• Understand that fats are essential to your diet,
but you must get the right ones in order to
benefit yourself
• Increase the “good fats” in your diet!
Saturated Fats
• “Bad Fats”
• Increase your blood cholesterol which can
later increase your risk for cardiovascular
disease
• Cardiovascular disease can rang anywhere
from a minor heart attack to a triple bypass
surgery
• Found in high-fat cuts of meat, butter, cheese,
ice cream
Trans Fats
• Normal fats that have gone through
hydrogenation. This process makes foods less
likely to spoil
• Have a lot of the same health risks as
saturated fats
• Can be found in baked goods, fried foods,
snack foods (potato chips) and pre-mixed
products like cake mix or pancake mix
Monounsaturated and
Polyunsaturated Fats
• “Good fats”
• Good for your heart!
• These foods lower cholesterol and increase
good cholesterol (high density lipoproteins)
HDL’s
• Can be found in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil,
nuts, seeds, fatty fish, peanut butter, avocados
Essential Fatty Acids
• “Essential” means that they can not be
created by your body, but are essential for
every day life
• Best source- Omega 3 fatty acid
• Play a vital role in cognitive functions
• Battles fatigue, sharpens memory and help
prevent depression
• Can be found in cold water fatty fish and some
plants
Protein
• Functions in the body
- Act as antibodies to
defend body
- Create enzymes in the
body
- Move cells throughout
body and act as transporter
- repairs cells and
creates new ones
- Responsible for
growth
Amino Acids
• Nine essential amino acids; histidine,
isoleucine, leucine, lycine, methionine,
phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine
• Nonessential amino acids (made in the body)
- alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid,
glutamic acid
• If essential amino acids are not put into your
body you can see rapid muscle loss
• These act as building blocks for proteins
Vitamins
•
•
•
•
•
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin C
Vitamin B
Vitamin A
•
•
•
•
•
Water soluble vitamin
Essential for good eyesight, especially at night
Maintains healthy cornea
Promotes growth in bone and teeth
Deficiency
- can cause night blindness
- drying of the cornea
Vitamin A Sources
•
•
•
•
Calf’s liver
Chicken liver
Instant breakfasts
Vitamin pill
Vitamin D
• Synthesized by body from
sunlight
• Must be activated by
kidney
• Raises calcium levels in
skeletal system, digestive
tract and kidneys
• Deficiencies
– Rickets
– Osteomalacia
– Osteoporosis
Vitamin D Sources
•
•
•
•
Direct sunlight
Butter
Fortified margarine
cereals
Vitamin E
• Roles of Vitamin E
– Antioxidant
– Works against inflammation in the body
– Builds immune system
• Deficiency
- Almost never seen
Vitamin E sources
•
•
•
•
Plant foods: fresh
Raw oils
Seeds
Vitamin supplements
Vitamin C
• Roles of Vitamin C
- Cofactor for enzyme
- Works as an antioxidant
- Prevents free radicals in the body (germs
attacking body)
• Deficiency
– Scurvy
– Anemia, red spots on skin, weakness
Vitamin C sources
•
•
•
•
•
•
Orange juice
Red/green peppers
Grapefruit
Sweet potato
Strawberries
Broccoli