Aim: What is Nutrition? I. Nutrition - The process by which a living organism assimilates food and uses it for growth, liberation of energy, and replacement of tissues. A. Six Main Groups of Nutrients: 1. Carbohydrates – include all starches and sugars. Body’s main source of energy.

2. Fats – packed with lots of energy (each gram of fat provides 9 calories). a. Saturated Fats – solid at room temperature. Not healthy to ingest! b. Unsaturated Fats – liquid at room temperature. Not bad for you.

3. Proteins – are important for body’s building materials. Enzymes are proteins and are important for proper chemical reactions to occur. 4. Vitamins – help the body turn food into energy and tissues. There are a total of 13 Vitamins (A, B complex, C, D, E, and K). 5. Minerals – needed for growth and maintenance of body structures. Ex: Major minerals - calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, sodium, sulfur. Trace elements – iron, copper, zinc, iodine, chromium and etc.

6. Water – is important for maintaining body temperature, transporting nutrients throughout the body, keeping joints moist, digesting food, ridding the body of waste products, and cooling the body. a. Adults should consume about 2 quarts of plain water per day.

B. What is so special about Fiber? 1. Roughage – foods that are high in fiber. 2. Fiber has been shown to reduce the rates of some forms of cancer (namely breast and colon cancer), lower the levels of cholesterol in the blood, and helps to move food through the digestive tract. 3. Good sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains.

C. What is a balanced Diet? 1. Intake of appropriate types and adequate amounts of foods and drinks to supply nutrition and energy for maintenance of body cells, tissues, and organs, and to support normal growth and development.