LESSON 10: NUTRITION FOR HEALTHThe Importance of Nutrition

NutrientsHealthy Food Guidelines

Nutrition Labels and Food Safety

Importance of Nutrition

Nutrition is the process by which your body takes in and uses food

Nutrient – substances in food that your body needs for growth, repair, and energy

Calorie – a unit of measurement used to measure the energy your body uses and the energy it receives from food.

- the amount of heat energy necessary to warm 1 gram of H2O one degree.

The calorie experiment

Food and your environment

How might these following influence effect your nutrition?

Family and culture

Friends

Time and Money

Advertising

So how do we measure our caloric needs?

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – The amount of calories the body needs for normal metabolic function with little or no exercise per day

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/basal-metabolic-rate

BMR versus BMI (Body Mass Index) -

http://www.mayoclinic.org/bmi-calculator/itt-20084938

A good page to check out if you are more curious about BMI and its implications = http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html?s_cid=tw_ob064

Nutrition Facts Panel

Nutrition Label Basics

The name of the food product The amount of food in the package The name and address of the company that

makes, packages, or distributes the product The ingredients in the food The Nutrition Facts panel provides

information about the nutrients found in the food.

Be careful of food additives: substances added to food to produce a desired effect

Nutrients

6 types

3 types provide energy – Carbs, proteins, and fats

3 types perform functions in the body – Vitamins, mineral, and H2O

Calories per gram of macronutrients: Carbs = 4 calories per gram Protein = 4 calories per gram Fat = 9 calories per gram

Carbohydrates: 45 to 65% of your daily caloric intake

Starches and sugars found in foods, which provide your body's main source of energy

Types of Carbohydrates:Simple Carbohydrates are sugars (Sucrose,

Fructose, Lactose, etc.) These occur naturally in some foods, but are also added to other foods.

Complex Carbohydrates (starches) are long chains of sugars linked together. (grains, grain products such as bread, beans, and root vegetables

Fiber: a tough complex carb that the body can not digest. Can reduce risk of serious diseases. Found in vegetables, fruits, WHOLE grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. 20 to 30 GRAMS of fiber per day.

Proteins

Nutrients the body uses to build and maintain its cells and tissue. Made up of chemicals called amino acids.

20 amino acids found in foods our bodies use Your body “synthesizes” all but nine of them.

These nine are known as essential amino acids The rest are known as non-essential amino acids. Animal source proteins (meat, eggs, dairy) (soy!)

are called complete proteins because they naturally contain all 9 essential amino acids. However, these are also high in cholesterols. So the trick is to intake low fat/low cholesterol proteins!!!

Role of Proteins

The basic building material of all your body’s cells Maintain muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cell life They can function as hormones NOT a ready source of fuel, simple sugars (ie.

Sugars) Teen boys should consume 52 grams of protein per

day Teen girls should consume 46 grams of protein per

day 10 to 15% of your total daily calories should come

from protein

Fats

Your body actually needs some types of fats to function properly. All fats source should be lean!

Types of fats: Unsaturated fats – vegetable oils, nuts, seeds. Moderate

amounts of consumption may lower your risk of heart disease

Saturated fats – animal-based products, also some plant-based oils (palm, coconut). Consuming too much of this may INCREASE your risk of heart disease

Trans fats – these are formed by a process known as hydrogenation, which causes vegetable oil to harden. As it hardens, the fat becomes more saturated. These can raise your total blood cholesterol… Once thought healthy, now is being deemed a unhealthy practice.

Roles of Fat

Concentrated form of energy Essential fatty acids are necessary for brain

development, blood clotting, and controlling inflammation

Healthy skin and hair Transport vitamins A,D,K, E throughout the body Stay away from fats that are high in cholesterol, which

is generally linked to saturated fats. Consume less than 25 to 35% of your daily calories

from fats AND of that less than 10% should come from saturated fats

Cholesterol – a waxy, fatlike substance in your blood. Some is needed to create hormones and cell walls. However, too much can build up and clog arteries.

Other Types of Nutrients

Vitamins, Minerals, and Water: Vitamins – compounds found in food that

help regulate many body functions

Minerals – elements…

We’ll cover Vitamins and Minerals more in depth, with the handouts. For extra credit, please bring in a vitamin or mineral next class.

Water

Water – ESSENTIAL!!! Moving food through the digestive system, digesting carbohydrates and proteins, aiding in other chemical reactions, transporting nutrients and wastes, cooling the body, cushioning the eyes, brain, and spinal cord, lubricating joints.

Teen Girls: 9 cups of water per dayTeen Boys: 13 cups of water per day20% comes from food the rest you will need

to find elsewhereCaffeine and Caffeinated drinks DEHYDRATE

the body. (Coffee, Tea, and Soft drinks)

Nutrition Fact Panel Assignment

Attach 8 nutrition facts panel to a posterboard.

Research the ingredients and nutrients on the labels.

Label your findings and make comments about each component on the label.

Write a 4 or 5 sentences for each label that describe your findings given your knowledge of nutrition from the previous lessons.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Make smart choices from every food group

Find your balance between food and activity

Get the most nutrition out of your calories

Mypyramid.gov (no longer in use)

Still the recommendations are good…

Focus on fruit Vary your veggies Get your calcium-rich foods. Make half your grains whole Go lean on protein Limit certain foods

AND 60 mins. of exercise almost everyday.

From pyramid to plate…

Sensible Snacks

Fresh Fruit Cut-up vegetables, such as celery or

carrot sticks String cheese Unsalted nuts Air-popped popcorn Fat-free yogurt Bread sticks

Eating Right When Eating Out

Watch portion sizes

Pay attention to how foods are prepared.

Add fresh vegetables and fruits

Go easy on toppings

Don’t drink your calories

Be aware of Nutritional claims…

Free – none, or insignificant amount, of the given component: fat, sugar, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, or calories

Low – You can eat this food regularly without exceeding your daily limits for fat, cholesterol, sodium, or calories

Light -1/3 fewer calories, ½ the fat, or ½ half the sodium of the original version

Reduced – contains 25% fewer calories than the original version (a high calorie REDUCED food is still going to be high in calories)

(Continued)

High – provides at least 20% of the daily value for a vitamin, mineral, protein, or fiber

Good source of… - provides at least 19% of the daily value for a vitamin, mineral, protein, or fiber

Healthy – must be low in fat and saturated fat, limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. Must also contain at least 10% of vitamin A, C, Iron, calcium, protein, or fiber

Food Safety

USDA Organic: No agricultural fertilizers

No synthetic pesticides

No genetically modified ingredients (or radiation)

However, There is no claim that these foods are safer or more nutritious than conventionally grown foods

Open Dating

Sell by dates – show the last day on which a store should SELL the product. Not guaranteed after that

Use by / Expiration dates – the last day on which the product’s quality can be guaranteed. For a short time, most foods are still safe to eat by this date

Freshness dates – appear on items with a short shelf life (baked goods). They mark “freshness”

Pack dates – the day the food was processed or packaged. The “pack date” does NOT give the consumer the promise of “freshness”

Food Safety (cont)

Foodborne illness = food poisoning Pathogens can be in food which cause

these illnesses Salmonella: hens eggs, shellfish,

unwashed fresh fruits and vegetables Humans can transfer this bacteria by not

washing their hands properly. At lunch, how many of you wash your

hands before you eat? How many of your friends use the bathroom during lunch?

Symptoms of foodborne illness

Cramps Diarrhea Nausea Vomiting Fever

Dehydration is the danger here. If the following symptoms increase in severity, consult a doctor immediately.

Food Safety (cont)

Pasteurization – treating a substance with heat to kill or slow the growth of pathogens

Louis Pasteur Cross-contamination – spreading pathogens

from one food to another Separate raw meat, seafood, poultry, and

eggs. Notice, they do this now at the grocery stores!

Cook food thoroughly to kill pathogens or at least limit their spread.

Refrigeration slows the growth of bacteria

Safe Food Temperatures

Food Sensitivities

Food Allergy – a condition in which the body’s immune system reacts to a substance in certain foods Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soybeans,

wheat, fish, and shell fish Throat swells and the heart has difficulty

pumping

Food intolerance – a negative reaction to food that doesn’t involve the body’s immune system

lactose intolerance