Nutrition and Health Overview

Summary of Diet Information

• Vegetarianism is a dietary practice focused on consuming plant-based foods, sometimes including eggs, dairy, and/or honey. Some vegetarians exclude all animal products, known as vegans.
• Historically, plant-based diets were common among indigenous peoples in the Americas.
• Ethiopians have traditions of semi-veganism, influenced by religious practices.
• Rastafarianism, a movement that emerged in the 1930s, promoted vegetarianism as a form of social and spiritual resistance.
• Health, compassion for animals, and environmental concerns are motivations for adopting vegetarianism or veganism.
• The practice of intermittent fasting (IF) involves cycles of eating and not eating. It can involve daily or weekly cycles.
• Some research indicates that IF may improve metabolic function, potentially benefitting those at risk for diabetes and other health conditions.
• The 5:2 diet is a common example of intermittent fasting.
• It involves regularly eating regularly for five days, then limiting intake to 500-600 calories for women and 600-800 for men on two non-consecutive fasting days.
• Some diets to manage diabetes include low-carb, ketogenic, and high-fiber diets.
• Low carb diets emphasize limiting carbohydrates from 50–150 grams daily.
• Ketogenic diets involve restricting carbohydrates to 20–50 grams daily to encourage the body to use fats.
• High-fiber diets include foods rich in soluble and insoluble fiber. These slow down glucose absorption for better blood sugar control, contribute to weight loss and promote overall gut health.

Types of Vegetarians

• Ovo-lacto vegetarians: consume eggs and dairy products, but no meat.
• Vegans: exclude all animal products from their diet and lifestyle.

Eating Disorders

• Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, are characterized by severe disturbances in eating habits. These disorders are severe medical conditions.
• Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extreme thinness, intense fear of gaining weight, and distorted body image.
• People with anorexia nervosa typically weigh themselves repeatedly, and may engage in behaviors like excessive exercise and self-induced vomiting.
• Appropriate treatment for eating disorders often require help from medical professionals and involve nutritional counseling, psychotherapy, and other therapies.

Heart Disease

• Coronary heart disease occurs when the heart's blood vessels are narrowed or blocked, impairing blood flow to the heart.
• Angina is chest pain caused by limited blood flow to the heart, often due to exertion or stress.
• Unstable angina involves a worsening of existing angina, or a new onset of chest pain, which can be present at rest or occur with less activity, and should be treatedurgently by a doctor.
• A heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs when blood flow to part of the heart muscle is completely blocked.
• Congenital heart conditions are abnormalities present from birth that affect the structure and function of the heart.
• High blood pressure (hypertension) increases the risk of developing severe heart-related conditions.

Nutrition and Food Choices

• Palatability of food—or how pleasant the food tastes—plays a role in food choices, including sensory aspects like smell, taste, and texture.
• Cost and accessibility of food also impact dietary choices.
• Understanding the effects of social class, culture, and mood on food choices can help in preventing certain health risks.
• Education and knowledge about healthy eating can affect dietary behaviors.

Explore the essential nutrients and their roles in maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases. This quiz covers the relevance of macronutrients, micronutrients, and metabolism in human health. Test your knowledge about the interrelationships of nutrients and their impact on physical well-being.