Improving Your Nutrition. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Nutrition Concepts Nutrient – A chemical in food crucial to the body's growth and functioning;

Improving Your Nutrition

© 2013 Pearson Education, Inc.

Nutrition ConceptsNutrient

– A chemical in food crucial to the body's growth and functioning; includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water

Nutrition– The study of how people consume and use food nutrients

A good diet can:– Help sustain desirable body mass and weight

– Alleviate feelings of stress and depression

– Act as preventative medicine against disease and infection


Why College Years Are a Nutritional Challenge

Most students have less-than optimal eating

habits.

College life presents obstacles to good

nutrition. – Time and money pressures

– Lack of home-cooking facilities

– Poor personal habits and attitudes about food

– Emotional stress


Comparing Eating Habits


What Are the Main Nutrients in Food?• Essential Nutrients

– What we need to obtain from food for normal functioning

– Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water

– Measures: calories, Calories, and Kilocalories• Energy released by the body is measured in calories

(lowercase).• A larger measure used by nutritionists is kilocalories or

Calories (uppercase).• 1 Calorie or kilocalorie = 1,000 calories• in common usage, lowercase "calories" refers to kilocalories


Six Groups of Essential Nutrients


Proteins

• Proteins:– Biological molecules composed of amino acids

– The "building block" of bodily structure and function

– Functional proteins perform crucial bodily tasks.

– Nutritionists recommend getting about 10 percent of daily calories from protein.

– Protein needs for most people are met in a typical diet; higher amounts are needed only if fighting off serious infection.


Complementary Proteins


Determining Daily Protein Requirements


Carbohydrates• A class of nutrients containing sugars and starches

and supplying most of the energy for daily living

• Carbohydrates may be simple or complex.– Simple:

• Deliver energy in quickly useable forms• Common in whole, unprocessed foods

– Complex: • Deliver "timed-release" energy• Found in grains, cereals, fruits, vegetables, and root plants


Simple Sugar vs. Complex Carbohydrate


Fiber

• Indigestible carbohydrates that speed the passage of partially digested food through the digestive tract

• Helps control appetite and body weight by creating a feeling of fullness without adding calories

– Insoluble fiber speeds the passage of foods and reduces some bacterial enzymes.

– Soluble fiber attaches to water molecules and helps lower blood cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

• The glycemic index measures how foods raise blood sugar levels. Dietary fiber can help you avoid eating more high-sugar foods.


Whole Grains vs. Refined Grains


Fats

• "Fats" is the common term for lipids, a class of molecules that includes fats and oils.

• At room temperature, most fats are solid and oils are liquid.

• Chains of fats and oils are called fatty acids, which occur in the body in the form of triglycerides.

• Essential fatty acids are those that we cannot construct in our cells; therefore, they must be consumed in our diet.

• Different kinds of fats:– Saturated, unsaturated, mono- and polyunsaturated, and trans fats

(partially hydrogenated)


Triglycerides and Fatty Acids


Fats continued

• Generally, lipids high in saturated fats are unhealthy, and those high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats are healthier.

• Trans fats can be even worse than saturated fats for health.

• Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids:– Two essential fatty acids

– Polyunsaturated oils are high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids


Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats


Fats continued

• Fats and Health: Guidelines– Check food labels for fat and saturated fat levels.

– Beware of "low fat" food claims; these foods are not necessarily healthy.

– Reduce consumption of saturated and trans fats.

– Choose foods higher in mono- and polyunsaturated fats.


Vitamins

• Vitamins are organic compounds we need in small amounts to promote growth and overall health.

• Some vitamins can be toxic in high doses.

• Water-soluble vitamins dissolve only in water.

• Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve only in fat.

• Because they're not stored in the body, water-soluble vitamins must be replenished regularly.

• A balanced diet supplies most vitamin needs; some people would benefit from supplements, such as those with special needs or those who don't eat sufficient fruits and vegetables.


Guide to Vitamins


Guide to Vitamins continued


Guide to Vitamins continued



Minerals

• Minerals are micronutrients that enable key bodily functions and help us absorb vitamins.

• Major minerals (macrominerals) are needed in larger amounts.

• Trace minerals (microminerals) are needed in smaller amounts.

• Three minerals—sodium, calcium, and iron—play crucial roles, so excesses or deficiencies can cause serious health concerns.





Water

• Water helps maintain your proper salt and pH balance, and helps transport substances within your body.

• Without sufficient water, most people get quickly dehydrated. Several days without water can result in shock and death.

• Individual water needs vary by age, body size, diet, exercise level, overall health, environmental temperature, and humidity.

• "Energy drinks" should not be long-term substitutes for consuming water.


How Can I Achieve a Balanced Diet?

Follow Guidelines for Good Nutrition

– Resources include the government's nutritional advice to the public published as the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

– Read and understand food labels.

– Determine your individual calorie needs.

– Understand portion sizes and adjust to fit your needs.

– Use food guides and other dietary tools.



Nutrition Keys


Daily Reference Values


Portion Control


How Can I Achieve a Balanced Diet? continued

Acquire Skills to Improve Your Nutrition– Reading food labels

– Keeping a food diary

– Using diet analysis software

Adopt the Whole Foods Habit– Nutrient-dense foods

– High-volume foods

– Low-calorie foods

– High-fiber foods

– Antioxidant-rich foods


Comparing Sandwiches


Comparing Calorie Density in Common Foods


Do I Need Special Nutrition for Exercise?

Most Exercisers– Can follow general nutritional guidelines

– Best source of energy is carbohydrates

– Include some proteins to assist in strength training and endurance

Elite Athletes– Need higher intake of protein, fats, carbohydrates, fluids,

and some supplements


Metabolic Fuels Used during Exercise


Do I Have Special Nutritional Needs?

• Women have extra nutrient needs at certain ages.

• Children need key nutrients for proper growth.

• Adults over age 50 have changing needs for vitamins and minerals.

• Vegetarians must monitor their nutrient intake and pay special attention to eating a variety of daily foods.

• People with diabetes must reduce carbohydrates.



Food Safety

• Watch expiration dates.

• Use proper storage and handling techniques:– Keep hands and surfaces clean.

– Separate raw and cooked foods.

– Scrub and rinse produce thoroughly.

– Heat cooked foods sufficiently to kill germs.

– Refrigerate perishable foods.

– Be careful with common sources of food-borne illness including raw eggs, meat, poultry, and fish; unwashed or outdated beans or sprouts; and unpasteurized milk and juices.


Create a Behavior Change Plan for NutritionAssess Your Current Diet

– Record what you eat via a manual food diary or dietary software.

– Identify your patterns of eating. Are they boredom- or stress-induced?

Review Your Behavior Change Skills– Look at your motivation.

– Identify barriers to a better diet.

– Commit to learning about better nutrition.

– Choose a target behavior.

– Identify where you stand relative to change.

– Look to the example of a role model.


Create a Behavior Change Plan for Nutrition continued

Get Set to Apply Nutritional Skills– Examine food guides to compare your daily servings of

various food groups with the amounts that nutritionists recommend.

– Read food labels more often, and watch for those nutrients you've identified as problematic in your own diet.

– Recognize proper portion sizes and note when the helping you are served is too big.

– Use www.ChooseMyPlate.gov or other kinds of diet software to get an individual analysis of the daily calories and nutrients you consume.


Create a Behavior Change Plan for Nutrition continued

Create a Nutrition Plan– Begin planning your own program using Lab 7.3. As you

work through the lab, write down your own notes and observations.

– Keep track of calories for your new plan.

– After two weeks, discuss the plan and your results with your fitness/health instructor, and revise if necessary.

– For several weeks, continue tracking your daily diet, either manually or using www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.

Build Your Menu 3 meals/2 snacks per day

•Must include 3 meals and two snacks.

•Budget for one week $100

•Include essential nutrients

•No supplements

•Consider taste, cost, prep time

•Don’t forget water

•Include a specific grocery list, estimate cost.

Documents

Improving Your Nutrition. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Nutrition Concepts Nutrient – A chemical in food crucial to the body's growth and functioning;