Nutrition
Objective:
To identify foods that are
beneficial in the fight against
cancer and other diseases.
 To identify foods which are
unhealthy and may cause
cancer and other diseases.
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What is cancer?
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Cancer is abnormal cell growth and
destruction.
It will affect 2 out of every 5 people at some
point in their lives.
Currently, there is no cure.
Nutritional research scientists have given us
hope however. They say that, “90% of
winning the battle against cancer and
other diseases is nutritional self defense.”
What are the causes of cancer
and other diseases?
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Cancer research centers have identified 8090% of all cancers as being related to the
following toxins:
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Bad Nutrition—excessive consumption of high animal
fat, sugar, and processed foods along with a diet that
is low in fiber
Lifestyle—Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption,
lack of exercise
Environment—chemicals and other air pollution
Drug Abuse
Nutrients
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Causes of nutritional deficiencies:
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Nutrients are being taken out of the food we eat by
over processing, over-cooking, chemical
preservatives, and bad soil.
When our bodies go without the nutrients that we need
then our systems begin to break down and get
diseases.
The 6 classes of nutrients are carbohydrates,
proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water
From these nutrients the most important food
substances are antioxidants, fiber, and omega 3
fatty acids
Important terms related to
nutrition…
1. Antioxidants: cleans the cells
2. Fiber: cleans the digestive system
3. Omega 3: cleans and regulates
the circulatory system
Oxidants
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Oxygen-free radicals which are unstable
particles believed to cause cell damage and age
the body.
Antioxidants
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Antioxidants are foods that clean the cells of our
body. They come from fresh fruits and
vegetables and are packed with a variety of
ferocious antioxidants that resist toxins that
seek to destroy our cells.
Antioxidant-rich foods
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A team of USDA nutritionists published a
study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry that showed the results of how
they took different food samples and
measured their antioxidant capacities.
The results weren’t surprising: Fruits,
vegetables, and beans claimed nearly all
the spots in the Top 20.
Top 20 Antioxidants
20. Gala apples
19. Plums
18. Black beans (dried)
17. Russet potatoes
(cooked)
16. Black plums
15. Sweet cherries
14. Pecans
13. Granny Smith apples
12. Red delicious apples
11. Strawberries
10. Raspberries
9. Prunes
8. Blackberries
7. Artichokes (cooked)
6. Cranberries
5. Blueberries
(cultivated)
4. Pinto beans
3. Red kidney beans
2. Blueberries (wild)
1. Small red beans
So what food groups are great
antioxidants?
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Fruits, vegetables, and beans
Antioxidants: “Fresh” = Better
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Most antioxidant foods lose some of their
antioxidant capacities in processing. (The
most notable exception is the tomato; the
antioxidant level is actually enhanced by
cooking)
“Fresh” is the best choice over frozen,
cooked, or otherwise processed.
Good Fats vs. Bad Fats
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Omega-6 fatty acids (bad fats)—These
are mostly saturated animal fats that promote
blood stickiness and constrict blood vessels.
The worst sources of omega-6 fatty acids are:
Bacon, lamb, cheese, pork,
Butter, beef, margarine, and milk
Good Fats vs. Bad Fats
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Omega-3 fatty acids (Good fats)—
These supply the raw materials that cells
need to control blood clotting, joint
inflammation, and also frustrates cancer.
Omega-3 fats also thin the blood. The best
sources are fish from the coldest waters:
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Salmon, herring, sardines
mackerel, anchovies, lake trout
Other sources include walnuts and
Olive oil
Fiber
 Fiber—long stringy strands of cells that
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give strength and support to plant tissue
Importance of fiber:
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Cleans the digestive tract
Reduces calories
Lowers cholesterol
Prevents chronic constipation and diarrhea
Helps prevent cancer
Helps prevent kidney stones
Helps regulate body weight
Good sources of fiber
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Whole grains, carrots, green beans, tomatoes
Turnips, butter beans, oranges, okra,
Oat bran cereal, lima beans, corn, onions,
Cabbage, baked beans, white beans,
Apricots, oatmeal, brussel sprouts, beets
Broccoli, black beans, kidney beans, mangos
Diseases and ailments
attributed to the lack of fiber
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Colon cancer
Prostate cancer
Breast cancer
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
PMS
Ovarian cancer
Digestive disorders attributed
to lack of fiber
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Hemorrhoids
Constipation
Stomach ache
5 Health problems related to
food and nutrition
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1. Obesity:
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Being overweight is one of the biggest health
problems that we have today. There are many
contributing factors to this:
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Restaurants serve bigger portions
More buffets available
More fat is put on the food to make
it taste better
Lack of exercise
Genetic problems
Problems with the thyroid gland
Lack of time to cook nutritious meals
5 Health problems related to
food
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2. Diabetes:
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Type 1 diabetes is when the body (pancreas)
stops making it’s own insulin which is a
hormone that regulates your blood sugar
levels. There is evidence to suggest that the
reason this happens is that hormones are
being put into animals that we consume to
cause them to grow at a faster rate so that
they can processed for market sooner. When
we consume food that has hormones in it then
it shuts down our own hormone producing
cells such as the beta cells of the pancreas
that make insulin.
5 Health problems related to
food
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3. Food Allergies:
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For reasons unknown people have certain food
allergies. Many people eat food that they don’t
even know that they are allergic to.
5 Health problems related to
food
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4. Headaches:
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A majority of headaches are related to a
constipated digestive system. As a result of food
that is in the digestive system too long toxins leak
out into the blood stream triggering a headache.
Food allergies also contribute.
Migraine: a
type of
painful
headache
5 Health problems related to
food
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5. Heart Attack/Stroke resulting from High
Cholesterol:
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High cholesterol causes hardening and clogging
of the arteries and mostly comes form eating too
much saturated animal fat. This can lead to a
heart attack or a stroke.
POP QUIZ
Pop Quiz
What
cells?
helps to clean
Pop Quiz
What
helps clean and
regulate the circulatory
system?
Pop Quiz
What
helps the
digestive system?
Pop Quiz
What
is cancer?
Pop Quiz
Is
there a cure for
cancer?
Pop Quiz
What are
5 of the 6
classes of nutrients?
Pop Quiz
What
is a disease or
ailment attributed to a
lack of fiber?
Pop Quiz
What
are 3 health
problems related to
nutrition?
Pop Quiz
What
organ in the
body helps to regulate
sugar?
Quiz Grade #2:
Research one of the following:
 Obesity
 Cancer
(specify)
 Diabetes
 Food Allergies (specify)
 Heart Attack
 Stroke
Assignment:
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Day 1
Research and learn about your given health problem in the lab.
Take notes on worksheet.
Day 2
Choose to do one of the following assignments:
Option 1: Pretend you are the health problem and write (in 1st
person) a 1 page paper discussing your information. Example:
My name is High Blood Pressure. My nickname is Hypertension
and I affect millions of Americans every year.
OR
Option 2: Write a 20 line poem about your disease. Include the
facts from your research.
Day 3
Present information to class.