Consumer Studies - Nutritional and Food Related health conditions

Why is a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet important?

For effective functioning, to keep people healthy, disease prevention, management of health conditions.

When will blood glucose level rise rapidly?

When high GI foods are ingested

What helps to absorb the excess glucose?

Insulin

What are the causes of high blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia)?

• Eating foods with a high sugar content

• Lack of exercise

• High and prolonged levels of stress

How can you prevent and manage hyperglycaemia?

• Avoid consuming too much high GI-foods

• Regular physical exercise

• Consume more low GI-foods

What are some high GI-foods?

• White bread

• Cake

• Energy drinks

• Watermelon

What is coronary heart disease?

When the coronary arteries become damaged

What are the causes of coronary heart disease?

• Smoking

• High cholesterol

• Inactive lifestyle

• Obesity

• Hereditary

• Diet rich in saturated fats

How to prevent coronary heart disease?

• Maintain a healthy lifestyle through dietary changes

• Medication or surgery

What are the dietary changes that can prevent coronary heart disease?

What is high blood cholesterol?

When the fatty plaque builds up on the inner walls of arteries

Why is good blood flow important?

Can prevent: strokes, heart attacks and gangrene (death of body tissues due to lack of blood flow)

What is cholesterol?

A soft, white, waxy substance produced in the liver and transported to all body cells.

What are the two types of cholesterol?

• HDL

  • High density lipoprotein: good cholesterol that transports excess cholesterol to the liver

• LDL

  • Low density lipoprotein: bad cholesterol that builds up and hardens in the arteries (arteriosclerosis)

What are the causes of high LDL and low HDL cholesterol levels?

• Genetic

• Excess cholesterol cannot be excreted

How can you regulate high LDL and low HDL levels?

• Dietary and lifestyle changes

  • Balanced diet

  • Limit the intake of saturated fats → replace with unsaturated fats

  • Avoid trans fatty acids/deep fried foods

  • Limit salt and sugar intake

  • Limit alcohol intake

  • Exercise regularly

• Medication if LDL levels remain high

What is high blood pressure (hypertension)?

When the pressure of the blood against the walls of the arteries is too high.

What are the possible causes of high blood pressure (hypertension)?

• High salt intake

• High alcohol intake

• Imbalance of hormone levels

• Thyroid and kidney problems

• Genetic factors

• Smoking

• High stress levels

What are some lifestyle changes that can be made to prevent or manage hypertension?

• Manage stress

• Limit coffee and tea intake

• Limit alcohol intake

• Exercise more often

• Don’t smoke

• Eat more whole grain products

• Eat low-fat products

What is anaemia?

When there are not enough red blood cells in the blood due to a deficiency of iron, haemoglobin, vitamin B12 and folic acid

What is haemoglobin?

Iron-containing protein that transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body → allowing CO2 to be exhaled

What are the symptoms of anemia?

• Fatigue

• Weakness

• Short breath

• Dizziness

• Headaches

• Pallor

• Poor appetite

How to prevent or manage anemia?

• Use supplements

• Undergo medical procedures

• Make dietary adjustments

What are the causes of anemia?

Blood loss

• Surgery, a stomach ulcer, medication, heavy menstruation, bleeding in the digestive tract

Lack of red blood cell production

• Poor diet, poor iron absorption due to diarrhoea/medication, common during pregnancies

How to prevent or manage anaemia?

• Make dietary adjustments

• Monitor babies with a low birth weight

• Iron and folic deficiencies should be investigated during pregnancy