module 1: what is a healthy diet

Food Environment

factors relate to how foods and beverages are presented or perceived

eg. consume less food if the food is presented on a smaller plate

Eating Environment

refers to other external, environmental factors that influence food choices

eg. for example, when children eat at home with their family, they are more likely to consume more fruits and vegetables

consumption norms

Consumption norm refers to what a person perceives as a normal or typical serving

eg. For example, most energy drinks are sold in large cans (500mL), which may make someone think that 500mL is the normal amount that should be consumed.

consumption monitoring

refers to how consumption of food is affected when someone pays more attention to how much they are consuming.

eg. There are satiety (feeling of fullness) cues that may trigger someone to stop eating when they feel sufficiently 'full', but also seeing that a plate is empty can be a cue to stop eating

macronutrient

carbohydrate

protein

fat

 Carbohydrate

Substrate for ATP production, source of fibre

Protein

Intermembrane transporter, can be substrate for ATP production

Fat

Substrate for ATP production, component of cell membranes

micronutrients

water

vitamins

minerals

water

Temperature regulation, transportation of other nutrients

Vitamins

Co-factors for enzymatic reactions in the body

Minerals

Maintain cell function and volume

Centenarians

people who live longer than 100 years old

the Blue Zones

five regions in Europe, Latin America, Asia and the U.S. researchers have identified as having the highest concentrations of centenarians in the world

• Greece = potatoes

• Japan = bitter melon

• italy = sheep cheese

• california = avocados

• costa rica = eggs

Many of the foods eaten by Centenarians in the Blue Zones are part of the Mediterranean diet

Mediterranean diet

diet are non-refined cereal products

• whole grain pasta

• brown rice

• dairy products,

• fish, poultry

• olives,

• nuts,

• pulses (for example, lentils),

• potatoes

• eggs.

• It is recommended that red meat is consumed on a monthly, not weekly, basis

• if you eat meditrainian diet you have a 25% lower risk of death from any cause

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) 

Breakdown of % of daily calorie (or kilocalorie [kcal]) intake that should come from fat, carbohydrate and protein

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)

Recommended nutrient intake that would meet requirements for health for 50% of a healthy population

Adequate Intake (AI)

Recommended nutrient intake based on observed or experimentally determined estimations for healthy people. Use when the RDA is not available.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

Highest daily nutrient intake level that is likely to pose no risk to health to almost all healthy people in a population

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

Recommended nutrient intake that would meet requirements for health for 97-98% of a healthy population