foods

  • Nutrition Facts

  • Why do we need food?

    • Source of energy required by the body for all activities

    • Provides nutrients needed to promote growth and repair of tissues

    • Nutrients help regulate vital processes in the body

  • The Six Nutrients

    • Macronutrients - carbs, fat and protein

    • Micronutrient - vitamins and minerals

    • Water

  • Carbohydrates

    • Body’s main source of energy, that can be broken down into glucose

    • Contains fiber which helps in digestion

    • Sources: bread, rice, pasta, legumes, fruit, and vegetables

    • Has 4 calories/g

      • Simple Carbohydrates:

        • Food with sugar

        • Source - fruits, sweets

        • Digested quickly

        • Increases food cravings

        • Stored as fat when not used

      • Complex Carbohydrates

        • Source - fruit, vegetables, legumes, and whole grain products

        • Digested quickly

        • Increases energy, decreases food cravings

        • Source of fibre for digestion

  • Fibre

    • Types of Fibre: Soluble

      • Dissolves in water

      • Increases thickness of stomach contents

      • Slows down digestion for nutrient absorption

      • May reduce cholesterol

      • Found in legumes, fruit, vegetables, and oats

    • Types of Fibre: Insoluble

      • Does NOT dissolve in water

      • Promotes regular bowel movements

      • Found in fruit skin, vegetable skin, and whole grain/bran products

    • Female teens should consume 26g of fibre a day

    • Male teens should consume 38 g of fibre a day

  • Protein

    • Building blocks of cells needed for growth and repair

    • Is a part of enzymes, hormones, and antibodies

    • Provides energy when there is shortage of carbs and fat

    • Sources - meat, poultry, eggs, legumes, and soy products

    • 4 calories/g

      • Amino Acids

        • Chains of chemical building blocks that make up protein- total of 20

        • non-essential amino acids are made up by the body

        • Complete proteins (animal products and soy products) supply all 9 essential amino acids

        • All other types of proteins are considered incomplete proteins

  • Fat

    • Provies energy and carries fat-soluable vitamins (A,D,E,K)

    • Protects organs and is part of every cell membrane

    • Sources - meat, poultry, dairy products, nuts, oils, and seeds

    • 9 calories/gram

      • Saturated fat

        • Fats that appear to raise LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the blood stream

        • Is considered bad cholesterol

        • Foods relatively high in saturated fat - meat, poultry skin, whole milk dairy products, tropical oils (coconut, palm kernel, palm oil)

      • Unsaturated fat

        • Fats that help LOWER cholesterol levels and can help raise HDL (high density lipoprotein)

        • Is considered good cholesterol

        • Polyunsaturated fat - vegetable oils (corn, soybean, saffron)

        • Monounsaturate Fat -  (ex: olives, olive oil, avocados, peanuts, peanut oil, and canola oil)

      • Trans Fat

        • Result of process called hydrogenation (miss hydrogen atoms are added to unsaturated fat to make it firmer)

        • Trans fat has similar properties to saturated fats - raise blood cholesterol levels

  • Digestion

  • Terms and Definitions:

    • Peristalsis: The contracting and relaxing of the esophagus that create a series of wave like contractions that force the food down the throat

    • Chyme: Churned thick liquid consisting of food that has been chemically broken down food and physically broken down through persitalsis 

    • Bile: A substance produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder that helps your body digest and absorb fat

    • Glucose: A simple sugar formed when carbohydrates are fully broken down

    • Villi: Tiny Finger-like projects along the inner lining of the small intestine that aid absorption of nutrients

    • Liver: An organ that converts food into usable forms of energy such as amino acids into different kinds of proteins

    • Glycogen: A stored form of glucose, primarily found int he liver and muscles that the body can quickly convert into glucose if needed

    • Oxidation: A process in which fat is combined with energy to create energy

  • Parts of the Digestive System

    • Mouth - Beginning of the digestive system, and mechanically breaks down food into smaller pieces through chewing and salivary glands also release digestive enzymes to chemically break down food

    • Esophagus - Here peristalsis occurs, in which the bolus is furthermore physically broken down by rhythmic muscle contractions to push food downwards towards the stomach

    • Stomach - Here, stomach muscles contract to churn and mix the food with gastric juices found within the stomach such as gastric acid (HCL) and pepsin, which chemically breaks down the food’s proteins and into chyme

    • Small intestine - Here the chyme (brother 


  • DRIs (Dietary Reference Intakes) - How much of each nutrient should I be consuming?

  • Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

    • nutrient reference values for healthy populations 

    • used for assessing and planning diets

    • Based on - amount of nutrients we need to prevent deficiences and lower risk of chronic disease

      • Examples of DRI

        • RDA (Reccommended Daily Allowance) = The average daily dietary intake of a nutrient that is sufficient to meet the requirement of nearly all healthy persons

          • AI (Adequate Intake values) are provided when RDA can not

        • UL= the highest continuing daily intake of a nutrient that is likely to pose NO RISKs of adverse health effects for almost all individuals

        • Who find DRIs useful - doctors, nutritionists, personal trainers, food companies, health care workers

      • DRI Notes - Women

        • Females need more iron during menstruation due to the loss of blood

        • Pregnant females require more nutrients due to their needs and those of the fetus

        • Pregnant females require more folate than non-pregnant females due to folates ability to generate new cells, synthesize DNA and prevent birth defects spina bifida