Nutrition Basics: An Active Approach v3.0

Nutrition Basics: An Active Approach v3.0

Authors

  • Maureen Zimmerman

  • Mary Elizabeth Snow

  • Jennifer K. Frediani

Copyright Information

  • © FlatWorld 2024

  • All rights reserved. Use is subject to licensing agreement available at www.flatworld.com.

Chapter 2: Achieving a Healthy Diet

Section 2.1: A Healthy Philosophy toward Food

Learning Objective

  • Explain why nutrition is important to health.

Importance of Nutrition

  • Eating fresh, natural whole foods fuels the body by providing essential components to:

    • Produce energy

    • Promote metabolic activity

    • Prevent micronutrient deficiencies

    • Ward off chronic disease

    • Promote a sense of overall health and well-being

Table 2.1: Why Nutrition Is Important to Health

  • Protein: Necessary for tissue formation, cell repair, and hormone and enzyme production. Essential for building strong muscles and a healthy immune system.

  • Carbohydrate: Provides a ready source of energy for the body and serves as structural constituents for the formation of cells.

  • Fat: Provides stored energy, functions as structural components of cells, and as signaling molecules. It provides insulation to vital organs and helps maintain body temperature.

  • Vitamins: Regulate body processes and promote normal bodily functions.

  • Minerals: Regulate body processes, are necessary for proper cellular function, and function as structural components in body tissue.

  • Water: Transports essential nutrients, aids in waste disposal, and helps maintain body temperature.

Undernutrition, Overnutrition, and Malnutrition

  • Malnutrition: A condition where one does not receive enough nutrients, often resulting from an inadequate or unbalanced diet, digestive problems, or other medical issues.

  • Undernutrition: A state where a person does not receive enough nutrients leading to malnutrition.

  • Overnutrition: Occurs when a person consumes too much food or nutrients, possibly resulting in malnutrition.

The Healing Process

Important Nutrients for Healing

  • Vitamin A: Essential for the formation of epithelial tissue and bone cells.

  • Vitamin C: Crucial for collagen synthesis.

  • Zinc: Helps synthesize proteins and form collagen.

  • Protein: Facilitates tissue formation.

  • Fats: Play a key role in the formation and function of cell membranes.

  • Carbohydrates: Provide energy needed to support the inflammatory response during healing.

Figure 2.4: Wound Healing

  • Stages include:

    • Inflammatory Phase

    • Proliferative Phase

    • Remodeling Phase

Section 2.1: Key Takeaways

  • Nutrition fuels growth, healing, and bodily functions, also helping prevent chronic diseases.

  • Malnutrition can result from both undernutrition and overnutrition, occurring when proper nutrients are insufficient for health.

Section 2.2: What Is Nutritional Balance and Moderation?

Learning Objective

  • Define the components of a healthy diet.

Components of a Healthy Diet

  • Adequate: A dietary term indicating that a diet provides all necessary nutrients, fiber, and energy to maintain good health and body weight.

  • Balanced Diet: Supplies various food types proportionately, allowing room for nutrient diversity.

Table 2.2: The Smart Choice: Nutrient-Dense Food Alternatives

  • Instead of:

    • Sweetened fruit yogurt → Replace with plain fat-free yogurt and fresh fruit

    • Whole milk → Low-fat or fat-free milk

    • Beef patty → Lean ground beef patty

    • Sweetened cereals → Minimally sweetened cereals with fresh fruit

    • Full fat mocha → Fat-free mocha

    • Canned beans → Low-sodium canned beans

    • Sugary soft drinks → Sparkling water

Achieving a Healthy Diet (continued)

  • Calorie Control: Managing energy intake to match energy requirements without exceeding them.

  • Moderation: Eating neither to extremes (too much or too little).

  • Variety: Regular intake of a diverse range of foods from each food group.

Table 2.3: Food Choices for a Healthy Diet

  • Grains: Whole grain products, brown rice, quinoa, etc.

  • Vegetables: Broccoli, kale, spinach, etc.

  • Fruits: Strawberries, bananas, apples, etc.

  • Dairy: Fat-free milk, yogurt, kefir, etc.

  • Protein: Lean meats, poultry, eggs, etc.

Section 2.2: Key Takeaways

  • A healthy diet must provide nutrient-dense foods adequately and balance food types to avoid nutrient deficiencies.

  • Nutrient-dense foods meet required nutrients without excess calories.

Section 2.3: Understanding the Bigger Picture of Dietary Guidelines

Learning Objective

  • Describe major themes of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025

  • Comprise four guidelines:

    1. Maintain a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage.

    2. Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices according to preferences and budgets.

    3. Meet food group needs with nutrient-dense options while staying within calorie limits.

    4. Limit added sugars, saturated fats, sodium, and alcoholic beverages.

Table 2.4: A Little Less of These, Please

  • Excess Sodium: Linked to high blood pressure; limit to 2,300 mg daily.

  • Excess Saturated Fat: Linked to cardiovascular disease; limit to < 10% of total calories.

  • Trans Fats: Minimal or no consumption is recommended.

  • Excess Cholesterol: Limit to below 300 mg daily to reduce atherosclerosis risk.

  • SoFAS: Avoid solid fats and added sugars to prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes.

  • Alcohol: Limit intake to one drink/day for women, two for men.

Section 2.3: Key Takeaways

  • U.S. dietary guidelines evolve every five years to help maintain health and reduce diet-related diseases.

  • Healthy diets encompass nutrient-dense foods from all groups within caloric limits.

  • Such diets help prevent chronic diseases and support nutrient adequacy.

Section 2.4: National Goals for Nutrition and Health: Healthy People 2030

Learning Objectives

  • State the Healthy People 2030 nutrition, healthy eating, and physical activity goals.

  • List three related objectives for the Healthy People 2030 program.

Healthy People 2030 Goals

  • Promote healthy eating and ensure access to nutritious foods.

  • Enhance health, fitness, and quality of life through regular exercise.

Objectives to Prevent Chronic Disease

  • Provide education about food and nutrition.

  • Ensure access to healthier food options.

  • Enhance individuals' willingness and ability to become active.

Section 2.4: Key Takeaways

  • Healthy People 2030 embodies efforts to provide a society where everyone can achieve optimal health.

  • The initiative focuses on promoting healthy eating and ensuring the availability of nutritious foods and regular physical activity.

Section 2.5: Recommendations for Optimal Health

Learning Objectives

  • Design a quality diet plan using the MyPlate Daily Food Plan.

  • State recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption and their benefits.

Building a Healthy Plate

  • Guidelines to fill your plate:

    • 50% fruits and vegetables

    • 25% whole grains

    • 25% protein

    • Use low-fat or non-fat dairy.

Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

  • Rich in nutrients and antioxidants.

  • Help promote overall health and reduce chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, etc.

Section 2.5: Key Takeaways

  • MyPlate evolved from the Food Pyramid, encouraging balanced meal portions.

  • A diet high in fruits and vegetables is vital for health.

Section 2.6: Understanding Dietary Reference Intakes

Learning Objective

  • Use the Dietary Reference Intakes to determine daily nutrient recommendations.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) Overview

  • DRIs: Include Estimated Average Requirements (EAR), Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), Adequate Intakes (AI), Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL), and Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR).

  • Not set as maximums/minimums for every individual; guides for healthy populations.

Figure 2.9: DRI Graph

  • Describes risks of both deficiency and excess of nutrients based on intake quantities.

Section 2.6: Key Takeaways

  • DRIs guide the nutrient intake for healthy individuals in the U.S. and Canada and serve as standards for policy-makers.

Section 2.7: Discovering Nutrition Facts

Learning Objective

  • Use the Nutrition Facts panel for nutritional information.

Nutrition Facts Panel

  • Contains mandatory and optional information about nutrients.

  • Allows comparison between products by showing serving sizes and daily value percentages.

Mandatory and Optional Inclusions

  • Mandatory: Total calories, total fat, saturated fat, sodium, total carbohydrates, protein, etc.

  • Optional: Added sugars, vitamins A and C, etc.

Reading Nutrition Labels

  • Daily Value (DV) indicates nutrient content concerning total caloric intake (based on a 2,000 kcal diet).

Example of a Nutrition Label

  • Example detailed instructions on reviewing a nutrition label, focusing on serving size and nutrient breakdown.

Table 2.7: Daily Values Based on 2,000 Calorie Intake

  • Lists Daily Values for various nutrients, including fats, sodium, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

Section 2.7: Key Takeaways

  • The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act mandates accurate nutrient labels on food products.

  • Nutrition facts and DV help assess food quality and nutrient source.

Section 2.8: When Enough Is Enough

Learning Objective

  • Judge food portion sizes for adequacy.

Portion Size Guidelines

  • Examples of portion sizes based on common food items.

  • Guides for using household objects for estimating portions, such as:

    • Pasta or rice: ½ cup = tennis ball

    • Fresh vegetables: 1 cup = baseball

MyPlate Planner

  • Instructions for estimating portion sizes using MyPlate guidelines, maintaining a balanced meal.

Section 2.8: Key Takeaways

  • Portion sizes can be estimated using hands/objects, also incorporated with MyPlate for meal planning.

Section 2.9: Nutrition and the Media

Learning Objective

  • List sources of reliable nutritional information.

Developing Discernment for Nutrition Information

  • Criteria for evaluating scientific studies and nutritional news, emphasizing peer-review and context to previous research.

Trustworthy Sources of Nutrition Information

  • Examples of Trustworthy Institutions:

    • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

    • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)

    • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Section 2.9: Key Takeaways

  • Reliable nutritional news stems from scientific evidence and trusted sources, emphasizing the importance of verifying credibility.