NUTRITION What is it? ?

Nutrition - The science of how your body uses food Main task: which foods and beverages (in what quantities) provide the energy and building material you need to construct and maintain every organ in your system

“Good” NUTRITION Why does it matter? ?

Good Nutrition Health promotion *Weak bones – not enough clacium *Gums bleed – insufficient vitamin C Disease prevention *Cardiovascular diseases, Cancer, Diabetes Energy Weight control

Calories - The amount of heat produced when food is burned in your body cells Amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one liter of water one degree centigrade (Celsius) at sea level Proper scientific term = Kilocalorie

**Recommended daily caloric intake varies by age, gender and medical history

Some General Guidelines: U.S. Public Health Services & U. S. Department of Agriculture update the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years Some General Guidelines: Balance your calorie intake with energy output in the form of regular exercise Eat enough carbohydrates (primarily complex) to account for 45% - 65% of your total daily calories = (900-1300 calories on a 2000 calorie diet) Keep your saturated fat intake no more than 7% of your daily calories = (140 calories) Drink alcohol only in moderation

Needed in smaller quantities Needed in large quantities MACROnutrients Carbohydrates Proteins Fats MICROnutrients Vitamins Minerals Water Needed in smaller quantities Needed in large quantities

(4 calories/ gram of weight)

Choose My Plate Whole Grain Top Ten handouts…

Proteins Proteins function as building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. They are also building blocks for enzymes, hormones, and vitamins. Proteins are one of three nutrients that provide calories (the others are fat and carbohydrates).

Proteins (4 calories/ gram of weight) Build, repair and maintain your body cells Made of amino acids Essential and Nonessential Complete and Incomplete Proteins Found in meats, eggs, cheese, milk, seafood Some proteins can be found in grains, beans, veggies

Fat 9 calories (energy)/ per gram of weight A healthy body needs fat to build tissue, manufacture biochemicals such as hormones, provide energy and a place to store it 9 calories (energy)/ per gram of weight Harder for body to pull energy from fat than from carbs and proteins

Good fats, meaning monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, contain essential fatty acids and are a major source of vitamin D. Bad fats, meaning trans and saturated fats, raise (LDL) cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart diseases.

Unsaturated fats

Unsaturated Fat Typically found in vegetable products and tends to be liquid at room temperature. Examples include sunflower, soybean, peanut, almond and olive oils. Fish also produce polyunsaturated fat called Omega-3 Called good fats because they can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles

Saturated Fat Found in animal products and is typically solid at room temperature. Examples include lard, butter, milk fat and meat fat. Our bodies can make all the saturated fat we need It has undesirable effects in cardiovascular disease As a general rule, it's a good idea to keep your intake of saturated fats as low as possible. (Saturated fats are part of many foods, including vegetable oils that are mainly unsaturated fats, so we can't eliminate them from our diets.) Seven percent of total calories or lower is a good target. Red meat and dairy fats are the main sources of saturated fat in our diets, so keeping these low is the primary way to reduce intake of saturated fat.

Trans fats Trans fatty acids, more commonly called trans fats, are made by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of hydrogen gas, a process called hydrogenation. This process makes them more stable and less likely to spoil, easier to transport and can withstand repeated heating without breaking down, making them ideal for frying fast foods. Consuming trans fats raises the amount of *LDL and lowers the amount of *HDL in the body A new labeling law that forces food companies to list trans fats on the label should help curb the consumption of these harmful fats.

Cholesterol – a waxy, fatlike substance found in cells of all mammals Small amount needed to make hormones and provide structure to your cell membranes “Bad cholesterol” = Low Density Lipoproteins = LDL “Good cholesterol = High Density Lipoproteins = HDL Diets high in saturated fats raise bad cholesterol levels (LDL) in the blood

LDL HDL

Think of HDL as the “garbage trucks” of the bloodstream

Watch out! “Fat-free” products often replace healthful fats with added sugar, sodium and refined carbohydrates

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