Nutrition, Food Choices & Human Health Lecture #2

Course Information

• Course Title: Introduction to Nutrition: Concepts & Controversies (EPHE 155)
• Instructor: Dr. Kimberly McQueen, BSc ND
• Email: [email protected]
• University: University of Victoria, School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education

Learning Goals

• Understand the impact of lifestyle choices on health
• Describe characteristics of a Healthy Diet
• Critically evaluate nutrition information

Definitions

• Nutrition: The study of how food nourishes the body
• Food: Any substance the body can take in and assimilate; a source of nutrients
• Diet: The food and beverages a person usually eats and drinks
• Malnutrition: A condition resulting from inadequate or excessive ingestion of nutrients. Includes nutrient deficiencies, imbalances, and excesses.

Banana Muffins Recipe (from page 2)

• Yields: 12 servings
• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Ingredients:
  • 2 Bananas
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/2 cup Butter (softened or vegan butter)
  • 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
  • 1 1/4 cups Flour (can use GF Bob's Red Mill)
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Instructions
  • Beat wet ingredients together
  • Sift in dry ingredients
  • Stir to combine
  • Add vanilla
  • Mix carefully
  • Bake at 375F for 20 mins in a greased muffin tin.

Important Concepts

• A well-chosen variety of foods prevents malnutrition
• Malnutrition negatively impacts health over time
• Long-term health prospects are substantially affected by nutrition
• Early nutrition habits can greatly impact overall health outcome

A Lifetime of Nourishment

• Nutrients interact with tissues, building or subtracting daily
• Adequate nutrition supplies energy and nutrients to avoid malnutrition

Important Factors Related to Nutrition

• Cultural and social considerations
• Convenience and advertising
• Availability and budget considerations
• Habit and emotions
• Body weight and nutrition
• Personal preferences and beliefs

Food Choices and Life Stages

• Food choices impact health significantly throughout a person's lifetime
• By age 65, individuals have consumed a substantial number of meals (70,000+), highlighting the importance of lifelong healthy food choices.

The Challenge of Choosing Food

• Foods have changed from a wide selection of whole foods to often packaged and processed options.

Building Blocks of a Healthy Diet

• Adequacy: Obtaining the essential nutrients, fiber and energy in sufficient amounts for maintaining health and body weight.
• Balance: Consuming a variety of foods in a balanced proportion, with rich foods in some nutrients not replacing foods rich in other nutrients
• Calorie-Control: Matching the intake of energy to individual circumstances
• Moderation: Getting nourishment within set limits for various nutrients and foods.
• Variety: A wide selection of foods, for a variety of nutrients.

Making Change

• Identify challenges and problems in habits
• Set goals in smaller, actionable steps
• Establish specific, measurable goals
• Focus on the process, not just results
• Track progress to assess and stay motivated
• Celebrate small wins to maintain enthusiasm and commitment

Stages of Behavior Change

• Precontemplation: Not considering change, no intention of changing
• Contemplation: Admitting change is needed, Weigh pros and cons
• Preparation: Preparing to change behavior; setting initial steps and goals
• Action: Making a change; following the plan for specific behavior change
• Maintenance: Integrating new behavior into daily life. Striving to maintain changed behavior, for improved health benefits
• Adoption/Moving On: Former behavior gone, new behavior routine, sustaining for the long-term

The Scientific Process

• Scientists follow a cyclical approach using observation, hypothesis, and experimentation
• Results and interpretations lead to conclusions
• Hypotheses are tested further or rejected, allowing for new research

Individualized Nutrition Assessment

• Includes health and diet history assessment, anthropometric measurements (body composition), laboratory test data
• Interpretation of data based on standards for age, gender, and life stage.

Population Nutrition

• Nutrition monitoring helps assess nutrient status, health indicators, and dietary intake within a population.
• The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) is an example of a population-level assessment tool.

Evidence-Informed Clinical Practice Guidelines

• Research findings (e.g, randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case series or studies, individual case reports, background information) are used in decision making regarding treatment and care

Anatomy of a Research Paper

• Includes sections such as abstract, introduction, review of literature, methodology, results, conclusions, and references

Two Types of Evidence

• Cohort studies observing natural relationships between factors and outcomes over time (retrospective and prospective)
• Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), are the gold standard, establishing cause/effect.

Navigating the Nutrition Maze

• Source Credibility: Identify responsible parties. Use reliable online domains. Link credible resources.
• Content Reliability: Evaluate if the information is scientifically supported; reliable institutions support it
• Bias and intent: Does this information try to sell something; and is the message overly simplified

Additional Points

• Nutrition is a critical element for health and development, impacting infant, child & maternal health, immune systems, pregnancy and childbirth outcomes, reduced risk of non-communicable diseases, and healthy longevity.
• Malnutrition negatively impacts populations globally, including overweight and obesity, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• Individuals need to understand how nutrition information is presented and interpret it with a critical eye (e.g. scientific research, context, intent)