Module 1 Introduction to Nutrition PDF

MODULE 1 INTRODUCTIO N TO NUTRITION  Lesson 1 FACTORS INFLUENCING FOOD SELECTION Why do people choose the foods they eat? Below are the factors that influence what you eat? 1. Flavor and other aspects of the food 2. Culture and Religion 3. Social and emotional 4. Environ...

MODULE 1 INTRODUCTIO N TO NUTRITION  Lesson 1 FACTORS INFLUENCING FOOD SELECTION Why do people choose the foods they eat? Below are the factors that influence what you eat? 1. Flavor and other aspects of the food 2. Culture and Religion 3. Social and emotional 4. Environmental concerns 5. Demographics 6. Health 7. Food Industry and the Media  Flavor It is an attribute of a food that includes its taste, smell, feel in the mouth, texture, temperature, and even the sounds made when it is chewed. Flavor is a combination of all five sense: taste, smell, touch, sight, and sounds. Demographics Demographic factors that influence food choices include age, gender, educational level, income and cultural background. Culture and Religion Culture can be defined as the behaviors and beliefs of a certain social, ethnic, or age group.  Health Knowledge of nutrition and a positive attitude toward nutrition may translate into nutritious eating practices. Social and Emotional Influences Food choices are influenced by the social situations we find ourselves in, whether in the comfort of our own home or eating out in a restaurant. Food Industry and the Media The food industry very much influences what you choose to eat. The media ( tv newspapers, magazines, radio) portray food in many ways: paid advertisements, articles on food in magazines and newspapers, and foods eaten on television shows. Environmental Concerns Some people have environmental concerns, such as the use of chemical pesticides, and so they often, or always, choose organically grown foods (which are grown without such chemicals. Lesson 2 BASIC NUTRITION CONCEPT Nutrition is a science that studies nutrients and other substances in foods, and how they affect the body, especially in terms of health and disease. Nutrition also explores why you choose the foods you do and the type of diet you eat Nutrients are the nourishing substances in food that provide energy and promote the growth and maintenance of the body. In addition, nutrients aid in regulating body processes such as heart rate and digestion and in supporting the body’s optimum health. Nutrition researchers look at how nutrients and other substances in food relate to health and disease. Diet is the foods and beverages you normally eat and drink. Kilocalories - A measure of the energy in food, specifically the energy-yielding nutrients. The number of kilocalories in a particular food can be determined by burning a weighed portion of that food and measuring the amount of heat (or kilocalories) it produces. Kcalorie and kcal -The number of kcalories you need is based on two factors: 1. Basal metabolism your energy needs when your body is at rest and awake. Include energy needed for vital bodily functions when the body is at rest but awake. For example, your heart is pumping blood to all parts of your body, your cells are making proteins and so on. 2. Thermic effect of food your level of physical activity, and the energy you need to digest and absorb food Basal metabolic needs Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) depends on the following factors: 1. Gender. Men have a higher BMR than women do because men have a higher proportion of muscle tissue(muscle requires more energy for metabolism than fat does). 2. Age. As people age, they generally gain fat tissue and lose muscle tissue. BMR declines about 2 percent per decade after age 30. 3. Growth. Children, pregnant women, and lactating women have higher BMRs. 4. Height. Tall people have more body surface than shorter people do and lose body heat faster. 5. Temperature. BMR increases in both hot & cold environments, to kee temperature inside the body. 6. Fever and stress. Both of these increase BMR. Fever raises BMR by 7 percent for each 1 degree Fahrenheit above normal. The body reacts to stress by secreting hormones that speed up metabolism so that the body can respond quickly and efficiently. 7. Exercise. Exercise increases BMR for several hours afterward. 8. Smoking and caffeine. Both cause increased energy expenditure. 9. Sleep. Your BMR is at its lowest when you are sleeping.  FIGURE 1-4: Kcalories per Hour Expended in Common Physical Activities Moderate Physical Activity Kcals/Hour for a 154-pound Person Hiking 367 Light gardening/yard work/ Dancing/Golf (walking) 331 Bicycling (less than 10 mph) 294 Walking (3.5 mph) 279 Weight lifting (general light workout) 220 Vigorous Physical Activity Kcals/Hour for a 154-pound Person Running/jogging (5 mph)/ Bicycling (over 10 mph) 588 Swimming (slow freestyle laps) 514 Aerobics 478 Walking (4.5 mph) 464 Basketball (vigorous) Weight lifting 441 Nutrients provide energy or kcalories, promote the growth and maintenance of the body, and/or regulate body processes. There are about 50 nutrients that can be arranged into six classes: FIGURE 1-5: Functions of Nutrients Nutrients Provide Energy Promote Growth/Maintenance Regulate Body Processes Carbohydrates x Lipids x x x Protein x x x Vitamins x x Minerals x x Water x x Carbohydrates, lipids, and protein are called energy-yielding nutrients because they can be burned as fuel to provide energy for the body. They provide kcalories as follows: Carbohydrates: 4 kcalories per gram Lipids: 9 kcalories per gram Protein: 4 kcalories per gram (A gram is a unit of weight in the metric system; 28 g in 1 ounce) Vitamins, minerals, and water do not provide energy or calories. Alcohol, although not considered a nutrient because it does not promote growth or maintenance of the body, does yield energy: Seven kcalories per gram. Micronutrients. Small amounts of vitamins and minerals that body needs Macronutrients. Large amounts of carbohydrates, lipids, and protein that body needs.  Lesson 3 CHARACTERISTICS OF A NUTRITIOUS DIET A nutritious diet has four characteristics 1. Adequate - A diet that provides enough kcalories, essential nutrients, and fiber to keep a person healthy. 2. Moderate- A diet that avoids excessive amounts of kcalories or any particular food or nutrient. 3. Balanced- A diet in which foods are chosen to provide kcalories, nutrients, fiber in the right proportions. 4. Varied- A diet in which you eat a wide selection of foods to eat.  Lesson 4 NUTRIENT RECOMMENDATIONS: DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are a set of values that serve as standards for nutrient intakes for healthy person Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) - The dietary intake value that is estimated to meet the requirement of half the healthy individuals in a group. (50 percent) Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) - The dietary intake value that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of 97 to 98 percent of all healthy individuals in a group. Adequate Intake (AI) The dietary intake that is used when there is not enough scientific to rupport RDA Tolerable Upper Intake (UL) The maximum intake level above which the risk of toxicity would increase. MODULE 2 DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS, FOOD GUIDES, LABELS and PLAN MENUS  Lesson 1 My Food Pyramid  The MyPyramid symbol represents the recommended proportion of foods from each food group and focuses on the importance of making smart food choices in every food group, every day. Physical activity is a new element.  Lesson 2 FOOD LABELS  FOOD LABELS Since 1938, the federal government has required basic information on food labels (Figure 2-21). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates labels on all packaged foods except for meat, poultry, and egg products— foods regulated by the Department of Agriculture. The name of the food. A list of ingredients. The ingredient that is present in the largest amount, by weight, must be listed first. Other ingredients follow in descending order of weight. The net contents or net weight—the quantity of the food without packaging (in English, metric) The name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor. Nutrition information is also required for most foods, our next topic. Food labels must also indicate the presence of any of these allergens used in spices, flavorings, additives, and colorings. Symptoms of food allergies usually appear within a few minutes to two hours after a person has eaten the food to which he or she is allergic. Symptoms might include hives, skin rash, vomiting and/or diarrhea, coughing, wheezing, swelling of the throat and vocal cords, and difficulty breathing. Following ingestion of a food allergen(s), a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. This can lead to: Constricted airways in the lungs Severe lowering of blood pressure and shock Suffocation by swelling of the throat  NUTRITION FACTS Serving size Serving size and number of servings in the package are the first stop when you read the Nutrition Facts. Just how big is a serving? Serving sizes are provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces, followed by the metric amount (the number of grams). Kcalories The next stop on the Nutrition Facts panel is the kcalories per serving category, which lists the total kcalories in one serving as well as the kcalories from fat. Nutrients Nutrients are listed next. Information about some nutrients is required: total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Nutrient amounts are listed in two ways: in metric amounts (in grams) and as a percentage of the Daily Value. Developed by the Food and Drug Administration, Daily Values are recommended levels of intake specially developed for food labels. When you are looking at the %DV on a food label, use this guide. Foods that contain 5 percent or less of the Daily Value for a nutrient are generally considered low in that nutrient.  Foods that contain 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value for a nutrient are generally considered good sources of that nutrient. Foods that contain 20 percent or more of the Daily Value for a nutrient are generally considered high in that nutrient. For example, one cup of macaroni and cheese contains 18 percent of the Daily Value for fat, which is just below 20 percent. Therefore, the macaroni and cheese is pretty high in fat, particularly if you eat 11⁄2 to 2 cups.  NUTRIENT CLAIMS Nutrient content claims, such as “good source of calcium” and “fat-free,” can appear on food packages only if they follow legal definitions (Figure 2-24). For example, a food that is a good source of calcium must provide 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value for calcium in one serving. Phrases such as “sugar-free” describe the amount of a nutrient in a food but don’t indicate exactly how much. These nutrient content claims differ from Nutrition Facts, which do list specific nutrient amounts. If a food label contains a descriptor for a certain nutrient but the food contains other nutrients at levels known to be less healthy, the label has to bring that to consumers’ attention. For example, if a food making a low-sodium claim is also high in fat, the label must state “see back panel for information about fat and other nutrients.”  HEALTH CLAIMS Health claims state that certain foods or components of foods (such as calcium) may reduce the risk of a disease or health-related condition. Examples include calcium and osteoporosis and dietary saturated fat and the risk of coronary heart disease. Although food manufacturers may use health claims approved by the FDA to market their products, the intended purpose of health claims is to benefit consumers by providing information on healthful eating patterns that may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, dental cavities, and certain birth defects. The FDA reviews and approves all health claims before they can be used on food labels. Until recently, the only permitted health claims were those supported by evidence that met “significant scientific agreement.” In other words, solid proof was necessary to establish a clear link between a food or its component and a disease. For example, decreasing sodium intake is clearly advisable to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Therefore, a claim such as “Diets low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure” can be used on the labels of foods low in sodium, such as unsalted tuna fish.  Lesson 3 PORTION SIZE COMPARISON  Portion size is an important concept for anyone involved in preparing, serving, and consuming foods. Serving sizes vary from kitchen to kitchen, but American serving sizes have been increasing steadily. In comparison with MyPyramid portion sizes as well as those served in many countries, our portion sizes are huge.