Health Nutrition for Health and Health Care - Chapter 1

Health

a range of states with physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social components

Wellness

Maximum well being - the top range of health states; the goal of the person who strives toward realizing his or her full potential physically, mentally emotionally, spiritually and socially.

Nutrition

The science of foods and the nutrients and other substances they contain, and of their ingestion, digestion, absorption, transport, metabolism, interaction, storage, and excretion, A broader definition includes the study of the environment and of human behavior as it relates to these processes.

Cultural competence

An awareness and acceptance of ones own and other cultures, combined with the skills needed to interact effectively with people of diverse cultures

Bioactive food components

Compounds in food (either nutrients or phytochemical) that alter physiological processes in the body

Phytochemicals

Compounds in plants that confer color, taste, and other characteristics. Some phytochemical are bioactive food components in functional foods. Nutrition in practice 8 provides details.

Foodways

The eating habits and culinary practices of a people, region, or historical period

Ethnic diets

Foodways and cuisines typical of national origins, races, cultural heritages, or geographic location

Functional Foods

Whole, fortified, enriched, or enhanced foods that have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied on regular basis at effective levels

Nutrients

Substances obtained from food and used in the body to provide energy and structural materials and to serve as regulating agents to promote growth, maintenance, and repair. Nutrients may also reduce the risks

Essential Nutrients

Nutrients a person must obtain from food because the body cannot make them for itself in sufficient quantities to meet physiological needs.

Organic

In chemistry, substances or molecules containing carbon - carbon bonds, or carbon- hydrogen bonds. The four organic nutrients are carbohydrate, fat protein, and vitamins

Energy-yielding nutrients

The nutrients that break down to yield energy the body can use. The three energy- yielding nutrients are carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

Inorganic

Not containing carbon or pertaining to living organisms. The two classes of nutrients that are inorganic are minerals and water.

Calories

A measure of heat energy. Food energy is measured in Kilocalories, abbreviated kcalories or kcal. One calories is the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water. The scientific use of the term calories is the same as the popular use of the term calorie

Energy density

A measure of the energy a food provides relative to the amount of food (kcalories per gram)

Dietary Reference Intakes

A set of values for the dietary nutrient intakes of healthy people in the United States and Canada. These values are used for planning and assessing diets

Recommended Dietary Allowances

A set of values reflecting the average daily amounts of nutrient needs of practically all healthy people in a particular life stages and gender group; a goal for dietary intake by individuals

Adequate Intakes (AI)

a set of values that are used as guides for nutrient intakes when scientific evidence is insufficient to determine an RDA.

requirement

The lowest continuing intake of a nutrient that will maintain a specified criterion of adequacy

Deficient

In regard to nutrient intake, describes the amount below which almost all healthy people can be expected over time, to experience deficiency symptoms

Estimated Average Requirements

The average daily nutrient intake levels estimated to meet the requirements of half of the healthy individuals in a given age and gender group; used in nutrition research and policymaking and as the basis and policymaking and as the basis on RDA values are set.

Tolerable Upper Intakes Levels

A set of values reflecting the highest average daily nutrient intake levels that are likely to pose no risk of toxicity to almost all healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group. As intakes increases above the UL, the potential risk of adverse health effects increases.

Estimated Energy Requirements

The dietary energy intake level that is predicted to maintain energy balance in a healthy adult of a defined age, gender, weight, and physical activity level consisten with good health

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges

Ranges of intakes for the energy-yielding nutrients that provide adequate energy and nutrients and reduce the risk of chronic disease

Malnutrition

Any condition caused by deficient or excess energy or nutrient intake or by an imbalance of nutrients

Healthy people

A national public health initiative under the jurisdiction of the U. S Department of health and human services that identifies the most significant preventable threats to health and focuses efforts toward eliminating them

Overnutrition

overconsumption of food energy or nutrients sufficient to cause disease or increased susceptibility to disease; a form of malnutrition

Chronic Diseases

diseases characterized by slow progression, long duration, and degeneration of body organs due in part to such personal lifestyle elements as poor food choices, smoking, alcohol use, and lack of physical activity

Eating pattern

Customary intake of foods and beverages over time

Adequacy

The characteristic of a diet that provides all the essential nutrients, fiber, and energy necessary to maintain health and body weight

Balance

The dietary characteristics of providing foods in proportion to one another and in proportion to the body's needs

kcalorie control

management of food energy intake

nutrient density

a measure of the nutrients a food provides relative to the energy it provides. The more nutrients and the fewer calories, the higher the nutrient density

Empty density

a measure of the nutrients a food provides relative to the energy it provides. The more nutrients and the fewer calories, the higher the nutrient density

Nutrient profiling

Ranking foods based on their nutrient composition

Moderation

the provision of enough, but not too much, of a substance

Solid fats

Fats that are not usually liquid at room temperature; commonly found in most foods derived from animals and vegetable oils that have been hydrogenated. Solid fats typically contain more saturated and trans fat than most oils

Added sugars

sugars, syrups, and other kcaloric sweeteners that are added to foods during processing or preparation or at the table. Added sugars do not include the naturally occurring sugars fun in fruits and milk products

Variety

Consumption of a wide selection of foods within and among the major foods groups (The opposite of monotony)

Aerobic physical activity

Activity in which the body's large muscles move in a rhythmic manner for a sustained period of time. Aerobic activity, also called endurance activity. Improves cardiorespiratory fitness. Brisk walking, running, swimming, and bicycling are examples

Moderate intensity physical

Physical activity that requires some increase in breathing and/or heart rate and expends 3.5 to 7 calories per minute. Walking to 7 calories per minute. Walking at a very brisk pace or running at a pace of at least 5 miles per hour are examples

Vigurous intensity physical activity

physical activity that requires a large increase in breathing and/or heart rate and expends more than 7 kcalories per minute. Walking at a very brisk pace or running at a pace of at least 5 miles per hour are examples

fitness

the characteristics that enable the body to perfrom physical activity; more broadly, the ability to meet routine physical demands with enough reserve energy to rise to a physical challenge; the body's ability to withstand stress of all kinds

Food group plan

A diet planning tool that sorts foods into groups based on nutrient content and then specifies that people should eat certain amounts of food from each group

USDA food patterns

the USDA's food group plan for ensuring dietary adequacy that assigns foods to five major food groups

Legumes

plants of the bean and pea family with seeds that are rich in protein compared with other plant derived foods

Portion sizes

the quantity of foods served or eaten at one meal or snack; not a standard amount

Daily values

reference values developed by the FDA specifically for use on food labels

nutrient claims

statements that characterize the quantity of a nutrient in a food

Health claims

statements that characterize the relationship between a nutrient or other substances in food and a disease or health related condition

structure function claims

statements that describe how a product may affect a stricture or function of the body; for example "calcium builds strong bones" structure function claims do not require FDA authroization