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Fundamentals of NutritionFundamentals of NutritionFundamentals of NutritionFundamentals of Nutrition

Session Session Session Session 1111

Instructor: Andrea Bartels Instructor: Andrea Bartels Instructor: Andrea Bartels Instructor: Andrea Bartels B.A.,CNP, NNCP, RNTB.A.,CNP, NNCP, RNTB.A.,CNP, NNCP, RNTB.A.,CNP, NNCP, RNT

1. Biochemical Individuality - Each body has different nutritional needs.

• Genetics and lifestyle dictate specific needs.• Some constitutions are predisposed to

‘dis-ease’ (illness).

2. Stress - As stress increases, so do our nutritional needs.

• Stress can be mental/emotional, environmental/chemical, physical/structural and/or electromagnetic.

• ‘Rain barrel’ effect/Toxic Load.

3. Lifestyle Considerations - There is not ONE ideal diet appropriate from one’s birth to one’s death.

• Nutritional needs vary according to growth stage, activity level, and health status.

• Example: pregnancy, lactation, babies vs. kids vs. adults vs. elderly.

4. We Are What We Absorb - You are what you eat, but more importantly what you absorb!

• Quality food can be wasted, if digestion is incomplete.

• Along with nutrients, we absorb food additives and contaminants that may compromise metabolic functions

5. A nutritionally inadequate diet may require the use of supplements (extra amounts of nutrients) to achieve wellness / optimal performance.

Why?◦ 1. Vitamin/mineral content in foods is not consistent

◦ 2. Dietary habits are not consistently ideal.

• 3. Provides faster restoration of nutritional balance/ wellness.

� The Goal of Fundamentals of Nutrition:

� Provide a comprehensive overview of the field of nutrition and to examine the link between nutrition and

preventive medicine.

① Explain the role of water, macronutrients, vitamins and minerals in our diet. ① Describe how certain dietary habits can determine our health and provide suggestions on how to overcome these habits.

TextTextTextText: : : : • Staying Healthy with Nutrition (21st Century Edition)

Part 1 and Part 2 (Elson Haas, M.D.)

Reference Reference Reference Reference Material: Material: Material: Material: • Digestion and Elimination Handout for CSNN

students

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� 2 Presentations � 15%Dates:

� 3 Quizzes � 5% + 10% + 10% =25%Dates:NoteNoteNoteNote: 1st quiz is on the Student Handbook (5%)

� 1 Final Test � 60%Date:

�We require nutrients for chemical processes

1)Building (or tonification): � Anabolic process, regenerating

� Example: mineralization of bones

� Proteins are used as building blocks to make body tissues, enzymes, hormones, etc.

2) Cleansing (or detoxification):� Catabolic process = breaking down� Example: colds, flus, allergies� Metabolic waste products are released from cells and must be discharged from the body to avoid poisoning (auto-intoxication), i.e. sweat, respiration (breath), urine, etc.

� Kidneys and liver are central to this process� Amino acids, vitamins and minerals are all essential co-factors

� Water is the vehicle and essential

3) Maintenance (or balance:� Homeostasis = ongoing dynamic balance

between anabolism and catabolism� Build-up and breakdown as required� Example: uterine cells replaced every 21-28

days, intestinal cells every 3 days, bone cells every 100 days, etc.

� Pure water = 2 Hydrogen + 1 Oxygen molecule � Pure water does not exist anywhere on earth, it is always mineralized

� Geography dictates mineral content of water, and thus pH

� Water generally has a pH of 7 (neutral)� Mineral content of water varies, making water hard or soft• Hard = high dissolved minerals, high pH (towards alkaline)

• Soft = low pH (towards acidic)* watch out for‘water softeners’ = adds sodium

�Only 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh and most is in polar ice caps, making 0.3% usable by humans. (U.S. Geological Survey)

�More than 1.5 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water. (World Health Organization, 2003)

�More than 5 million people, mostly children, die each year of waterborne illnesses. (World Health Organization, 2003)

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� After oxygen, most essential to life� We can live without food for over a month, but without water for only days

� About 60% of the body is comprised of water: Women 55-60%, Men 60-65%

� Daily requirements depend on genotype, age, phenotype (size, shape, sex), physiologic state (lactation, pregnancy), illness (fever, diarrhea), disease, climate, activity level, and dietdietdietdiet

� Sugar

� Sodium

Foods high in these nutrients will ‘soak up’ body water and increase water requirements.

� Fruits

� Vegetables

Comprised mainly of water, these foods are a ‘secret’ water source, lowering requirements for fluid intake.

1. Water is itself a nutrient, and a medium for other nutrients.

• Acts as a conveyor of nutrients into the cells.

2. Component of most bodily fluids, i.e. blood, sweat, tears, digestive juices, urine, lymph.

3. Involved in most bodily functions, i.e. circulation, absorption, digestion, elimination, etc.

• All enzymatic processes require the presence of water.

4. Necessary for waste elimination, i.e. urine and feces.

• Removal of waste products from cells out of the body.

1) We don’t make enough to meet requirements.

• We make approximately 11.5% of what we require; as a by-product of metabolic processes.(David Suzuki, The Sacred Balance)

2) We lose on average 2 liters daily via urine, feces, skin (perspiration) and lungs (respiration).

3) Dehydration = more than 5% Chronic dehydration = chronic disease.

= water excreted exceeds water consumed.

� Dehydration symptoms include: • Headaches• Nausea• Lightheadedness• Dry mouth, thirst*• Muscle cramping• Fatigue and weakness• Pain• Low blood pressure• Increased heartbeat• Decreased urine output (watch for cloudy, dark urine)• Chronic disease (asthma, allergies, hypertension)

�Beware: caffeinated and alcoholic beverages cause water loss

� 80% or more pollutants found in drinking water (tap) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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� An astonishing 75,000 chemical compounds have been found in drinking water (tap), yet the U.S. EPA has established enforceable standards for only 87!!

Common Pollutants

� trihalomethanes (THMs), pesticides, plastics, heavy metals, chlorine, and bacteria.

� Pharmaceuticals, radon, etc.

� Organic: bacteria, nitrates, pesticides.• Nitrates are a by-product of agricultural practices, and transform into nitrites in the body, which are oxygen deprivers.

� Chlorine: used to sterilize and destroy pathogens.• Chlorine can disrupt the ecology of the bowel. In combination with heat and organic matter, form trihalomethanes which are human carcinogens.

� Inorganic: heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium), other metals (aluminum).

� Plastics: petroleum based from bottled water or PVC (polyvinylchloride) pipes in newer buildings (1980s- present). • Leach bisphenyl A (BPA) and other synthetic chemicals that mimic estrogen (xenoestrogens) in dangerous ways in the body = hormonal changes.

� Fluoride: deliberately added to some municipalities’ tap water to ‘prevent tooth decay; cavity prevention’. • Concerns:Fluoride may be toxic to thyroid tissue and bones

when consumed in large quantities or over time.

• More info: Fluoride Action Network Fluoride Action Network Fluoride Action Network Fluoride Action Network on Facebook

� Processed; very much altered.

� Water from surface and ground sources is ‘purified’ by addition of chlorine, salts, ash and phosphates etc.

� Advantages: convenient and economical, destruction of many pathogenic organisms

� Disadvantages: additives and purifiers that remain are considered pollutants –chlorine/trihalomethanes, heavy metals (lead –plumbing), pesticides, fluoride, plastics (PVC).

� Source: ground water.

� Advantages: can be high in nutritionally essential minerals, depending on source. No chlorine or fluoride is added.

� Disadvantages: can contain heavy metals (lead, aluminum), nitrates (runoff from agriculture) and industry: pesticides and hydrocarbons (gas by-product), asbestos.◦ Must be tested regularly for safety.

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� Source: surface or underground water springs.

� Advantages: minerology; can be nutrient dense, depending on source, and is considered less polluted than ordinary ground water. No fluoride or chlorine added.

� Disadvantages: potential pollution. It is not filtered/treated to kill bacteria or parasites.

� Check spring water quality ratings report:

www.mineralwaters.org

� Additional filtration is a good way to improve water quality.

� Variety of systems exist.

� Cost versus reliability

� Maintenance is extremely important.

� As with food, it is important to vary sources of water.

� Drink room temperature, filtered water. Chilled stalls digestion.� Drink fluids away from main meals to avoid diluting digestive juices.

� For every caffeinated beverage you drink, drink two glasses of water.

� Drink before you feel thirsty!� Carry water wherever you go, especially in hot, dry or physically active conditions.

� Use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel drinking containers to avoid leaching of chemicals.

� Vary your sources of water so you do not become mineral deficient.

� Drink about 8-10 glasses daily. Don’t forget to include fresh juices and herbal teas in this number!

LD50 (will kill 50% of the population) of water: 40 liters

Why would water excess kill?

� Dilutes electrolytes needed for proper heart and nervous system function

� Electrolytes are flushed out during urination

� Cardiac arrest will result if electrolytes are out of balance/insufficient

� Questions regarding today’s materialHomework:� Download these slides from www.teachyounutrition.com

� Password required:

� Review water and holistic nutrition concepts◦ Please review, and become familiar with, Chapter 2 in Staying Healthy with Nutrition for next class.

� Focus for next class:• Digestion and Elimination • Carbohydrates