Nutrition and Dietary Choices

Dietary Influences and Habits

• Dietary choices are influenced by factors like habit, convenience, and personal preference.
• Nutrients are categorized as organic and inorganic.
• Macronutrients are associated with specific caloric values (kcal/g).
• Healthy eating principles include adequacy, balance, moderation, and variety.
• Understanding the differences between RDA, EAR, and EER is crucial.
• Nutritional information should be critically evaluated.
• Understanding the concept of nutrient density versus empty calories is important.
• Following CFG (Canada's Food Guide) recommendations is advised.
• Reading nutrition labels and estimating portion sizes are essential skills.
• Differentiating between food fortification and enrichment is important.
• Recognizing whole grains is beneficial for dietary choices.

Creatine

• Creatine is found in animal-based foods, particularly muscle tissues.
• Humans produce creatine.
• Creatine is not an essential amino acid, and the daily turnover rate is around 2g.
• A mixed diet typically provides approximately 1g per day.
• Endogenous production and mixed diet intake cover daily needs.
• High creatine sources include herring (6.5–10g/kg), salmon (4.5g/kg), pork (5g/kg), beef (4.5g/kg), tuna (4g/kg), and cod (3g/kg).

Nutrition Assessment and Diet Research

• Nutrition assessments aim to confirm or diagnose nutritional status to understand processes like inflammation.
• Various types of malnutrition exist (micronutrient, undernutrition, overnutrition).
• A single method isn't sufficient to assess nutritional status (except for some micronutrients).
• Nutritional assessments help in understanding food/nutrient intake and identifying potential improvements in health or performance.
• Assessments can guide intervention strategies and best approaches.
• They identify determinants of food intake.
• Assessments should consider the etiology of any inflammation, addressing the underlying disease state is vital.
• Assessing intervention success is essential by comparing to baseline values.

Assessment Considerations

• Assessment methods depend on the client population.
• Assessments require knowledge of both art (practical skills/experience) and science (theoretical understanding).
• Skills vary depending on the assessment method.

Components of an Individual Assessment: Anthropometry

• Weight is a measure in nutrition assessments.
• Height/length is a critical anthropometric measurement.