unit 1 - nutrition for health and wellness

nutrition is the study of

• nutrients in foods

• how nutrients are used in the body

• human behaviors related to food

food

is any substance that your body can take in and adapt to enable you to stay alive and to gain nourishment it is a carrier of nutrients

diet

is foods and beverages that you normally consume

nutrients

are the components in food that our body needs for optimal functioning

six classes of nutrients can be divided into 2 groups

energy providing (meaning that the body can use the energy they contain)

1. carbohydrate

2. fat

3. protein

other nutrients (or non-energy containing)

4. water

5. vitamins

6. minerals

essential nutrients

nutrients that must come from food, because the body cannot make these nutrients in sufficient quantities.

• ex. minerals, essential fatty acids, linoleic, and linoleic acid

• body needs to consume

non-essential nutrients

nutrients that the body is able to make sufficient amounts of to promote optimal health, so they do not need to rely on food intake

• body makes in good amounts

conditionally essential nutrients

nutrients that the body is can usually make enough of to meet the requirements for health, however during specific conditions (such as increased demand due to period of growth, illness, or injury) the body cannot make enough to meet needs, so must rely on food intake.

• ex. amino acid histamine, which is conditionally essential during period of growth

• body makes in low amounts and will rely on food intake

how is food energy measured

calories

calorie

amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one liter (or one kilogram) of water by 1° celcius

carbohydrates provide us with

4 cal/g (=kcal/g)

fats (lipids) provide us with

9 cal/g

proteins provide us with

4 cal/g

alcohol provide us with

7 cal/g

(also provides energy, but is not a nutrient

food quantity is measured in

grams

ex. crispers

• 1.4 g protein, 5.5 g fat, 17g CHO, and 123 Calories for 25 grams (~17 crackers)

• 5.5 g fat x 9 calories/g = 49.5 calories and 49.5/123 × 100 = 40% calories from fat

• 17 g CHO x 4 calories/g = 68 and 68/123 × 100 = 55% calories from CHO

food choices: availability

do you have access to certain food at your local grocery store?

food choices: cost

is the food affordable?

food choices: convenience

if you need to eat your meal at school or on the run, does food meet that need?

food choices: emotional

e.g ice cream after a breakup

food choices: social

e.g wing night with friends

food choices: cultural factors

ethnic foods

food choices: advertising/ food marketing

commercial makes you hungry, marketing makes links between a product and a certain lifestyle

food choices: habit

e.g getting popcorn at the movies

food choices: positive association

linking a food to a past experience (e.g apple pie reminds you of dinners at grandmas house)

food choices: personal preference

you like the taste of a specific food over another so choose it more often

food choices: values or beliefs

e.g choosing a vegan diet

food choices: health

choosing foods that we perceive to be “good for us”

the basis of canada’s food guide is to highlight the characteristics of a health diet:

• adequacy (getting enough needed nutrients)

• balance (avoiding getting too much of one nutrient or food type at the expense of another)

• calorie control (consuming an appropriate amount of calories to maintain a healthy body weight)

• moderation (ensuring nutrients and dietary components aren’t consumed in excess)

• variety (choosing a wide selection of foods each day and throughout the week)

• nutrient density (choosing foods that provide the most nutrients per calorie)

nutrition labelling in canada

• must be on almost all food packages in canada

• purpose is to

  • standardize nutrition labelling and food claims

  • help consumers make informed choices

• few products exempt

  • fresh vegetables and fruits, raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood, foods prepared or processed in store like bakery items, foods that contain very few nutrients like coffee or tea, and alcoholic beverages

information you will see on nutrition label

• serving size (the portion size of the food that the Nutrition Facts table information is based on)

• actual amount of calories and nutrients (total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, total carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, protein, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron)

• % Daily Value (can help you see if a food has a lot or a little of a nutrient [5% or less indicates that there is a small amount of that nutrient, 15% or more indicates there is a lot of that nutrient]).

another component of nutrition labelling is the list of ingredients

• all ingredients for a food are listed by weight, from the most to the least

a list of ingredients is present on all pre-packaged foods, and provides

• allergy information

• certain nutrient information (e.g if the ingredient is shortening or partially hydrogenated, this typically means the food product is a source of trans fats)

food allergy

• immune response to a food substance (specifically the proteins in that food)

food intolerance

• does not involve the immune system

• e.g lactose intolerance

  • condition characterized by impaired ability to digest lactose due to reduce amounts of enzyme lactase

nutrition quackery

• everywhere you look, there is nutrition information being dispelled to the public. nutrition misinformation is a billion dollar a year industry. it is important to be able to tell if a claim is legitimate and be able to identify the characteristics

nutritionist versus dietitian

• nutritionist is not regulated, so the information that you receive from a nutritionist may or may not be accurate

• the terms registered dietitian, and RD, are regulated in manitoba. this ensures that the nutritional information you receive from a registered dietitian will be accurate