Transcript What is nutrition - My Teacher Pages

You are what you eat
What is nutrition
 The word 'Nutrition" comes from a Latin word
which means to 'nourish" or to "to feed".
 Nutrition covers many areas including:
 the science of food
 why people choose certain foods
 what foods are made of
 the nutrients in foods
 how the body uses food
 food digestion
 food functions
Food composition
 What are foods made of?
 Carbohydrates
 Proteins
 Fats
 Vitamins
 Minerals
 Water
Carbohydrates
 Carbohydrates come from plant foods. They
are the cheapest and most plentiful of all
nutrients. Foods, which contain
carbohydrates, are called energy foods.
Carbohydrates are classified into three
groups:
 Sugar
 Starch
 fiber
Sources of carbohydrates
 Sugars are found in honey, fruit (both
fresh and dried) soft drinks, milk and
sugar.
 Starches are found in cereals, pasta,
flour, bread, potatoes, root and pulse
vegetables.
 Fibers are found in fruits, vegetables
and whole wheat bread.
Functions of carbohydrates
 Carbohydrates provides the body with heat
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and energy.
Fiber helps the movement of food through the
intestine.
Fiber rich and starchy foods provide a "full
feeling".
Carbohydrate deficiency:
Carbohydrate deficiency diseases rarely
occur, as carbohydrate is present in a wide
variety of foods.
Proteins
 Proteins are made up of small units
called amino acids. Some amino acids
can be made by the body while others
have to be obtained from food, these
are known as essential amino acids.
 Proteins are classified as high biological
value and low biological value.
Sources of protein
 Proteins with high biological value come
mainly from animal foods such as meat,
fish, eggs, cheese and milk.
 Low Biological Value Proteins come
mainly from plant foods such as peas,
beans and lentils (pulse vegetables),
whole cereals and nuts.
Functions of proteins
 Growth of new cells such as skin hair
and blood.
 Repair of damaged cells.
 Production of heat and energy.
 Manufacture of important body
chemicals such as enzymes, hormones
and antibodies.
Deficiency of proteins
 Retarded growth in children.
 Worn out cells are not replaced. This
prevents healing of wounds.
 Malfunction of various organs due to
hormone / enzyme deficiency.
 Susceptibility to disease, due to lack of
antibodies.
Fats
 Fat is a nutrient which gives lots of energy.
The body stores energy as a layer of fat
under the skin known as adipose tissue.
They are classified into two groups:
 Saturated fats (come mainly from animal
sources e.g. meat, eggs, milk and dairy
produce like cream and butter).
 Unsaturated fats (come mainly from plant and
fish sources such as peas, oily fish and
cooking oil).
Functions of fats
 Fat insulates the body in other words it helps
to keep you warm.
 Fat protects the delicate organs such as the
kidneys and nerves by a surrounding layer of
fat.
 Fats provide the body with heat and energy.
This helps to keep the body at the correct
temperature (37o C).
 Fat is a source of the fat-soluble vitamins.
Deficiency of fats
 Fat deficiency diseases rarely occur as
fat is present in a wide variety of foods.
However we should not eliminate fats
completely from our diet because they
are also a source of the fat - soluble
vitamins.
Minerals
 The human body requires about twenty
mineral elements. Each has a specific
function and is found in certain foods. A
good varied diet should supply all
essential minerals.
 Mineral elements are needed by all
humans in small amounts.
Vitamins
 The word "vitamin" comes from vita, the Latin
for "life". Everybody must eat a certain
amount of vitamins to stay healthy.
 Vitamins are chemicals found in very small
amounts in many different foods.
 If people live on a very limited range of foods
they may not get their proper share of
vitamins
Water
 Water is absolutely essential to life. Over 70%
of the human body is made up of water.
 The main sources of water are drinking water
it is also found in other beverages and
beverages.
 Fruits and green vegetables are also high in
water.
 Almost all foods contain water, except those
with a high fat content (butter), and dry foods
(sugar and flour).
Functions of water
 It is the chief component of all body fluids.
 It helps dissolve foods and aids digestion.
 It helps remove waste material from the body.
 It regulates body temperature by perspiration.
 It is a source of dissolved minerals.
 It keeps the body fluids liquid so that they
may flow easily.
Building a healthy diet
 The food guide pyramid is an easy way
to show the groups of foods that make
up a healthy diet.
 It also tells us to eat a variety of foods
from all five groups and how much of
the foods from the different groups
we should eat to stay healthy.
Building a healthy diet
 Its pyramid shape helps explain which foods
you should eat more or less of. The foods that
make up the pyramid's base (the widest part)
should provide the biggest part of your diet.
As you go up the pyramid, the amounts of
different foods you need get smaller.
 It also gives the number of servings you
should eat from each part of the pyramid
every day.
Food guide pyramid
How you should eat
 Plenty of fruits, vegetables, bread and
cereals.
 Moderate amounts of lean meat and fish,
milk, cheese and yogurt, eggs and nuts.
 Only a little vegetable oils, butter, margarine,
fried foods, pastries, biscuits, salty snack
foods, potato chips, French fries, sweets,
chocolates, ice-cream, cream, condensed
milk, coconut milk, soft drinks and sweets.