You are what you eat

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You are what you eat
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What is nutrition

• The word 'Nutrition" comes from a Latin word
  which means to 'nourish" or to "to feed".
• Nutrition covers many areas including
• the science of food
• why people choose certain foods
• what foods are made of
• the nutrients in foods
• how the body uses food
• food digestion
• food functions

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Food composition

• What are foods made of?
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Water

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Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates come from plant foods. They are the
  cheapest and most plentiful of all nutrients.
  Foods, which contain carbohydrates, are called
  energy foods.
• Carbohydrates are classified into three groups
• Sugar
• Starch
• fiber

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Sources of carbohydrates

• Sugars are found in honey, fruit (both fresh and
  dried) soft drinks, milk and sugar.
• Starches are found in cereals, pasta, flour,
  bread, potatoes, root and pulse vegetables.
• Fibers are found in fruits, vegetables and whole
  wheat bread. 

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Functions of carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates provides the body with heat and
  energy.
• Fiber helps the movement of food through the
  intestine.
• Fiber rich and starchy foods provide a "full
  feeling".
• Carbohydrate deficiency
• Carbohydrate deficiency diseases rarely occur, as
  carbohydrate is present in a wide variety of
  foods.

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Proteins

• Proteins are made up of small units called amino
  acids. Some amino acids can be made by the body
  while others have to be obtained from food, these
  are known as essential amino acids.
• Proteins are classified as high biological value
  and low biological value.

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Sources of protein

• Proteins with high biological value come mainly
  from animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs,
  cheese and milk.
• Low Biological Value Proteins come mainly from
  plant foods such as peas, beans and lentils
  (pulse vegetables), whole cereals and nuts.

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Functions of proteins

• Growth of new cells such as skin hair and blood.
• Repair of damaged cells.
• Production of heat and energy.
• Manufacture of important body chemicals such as
  enzymes, hormones and antibodies.

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Deficiency of proteins

• Retarded growth in children.
• Worn out cells are not replaced. This prevents
  healing of wounds.
• Malfunction of various organs due to hormone /
  enzyme deficiency.
• Susceptibility to disease, due to lack of
  antibodies.

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Fats

• Fat is a nutrient which gives lots of energy.
  The body stores energy as a layer of fat under
  the skin known as adipose tissue.
• They are classified into two groups
• Saturated fats (come mainly from animal sources
  e.g. meat, eggs, milk and dairy produce like
  cream and butter).
• Unsaturated fats (come mainly from plant and fish
  sources such as peas, oily fish and cooking oil).

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Functions of fats

• Fat insulates the body in other words it helps to
  keep you warm.
• Fat protects the delicate organs such as the
  kidneys and nerves by a surrounding layer of fat.
  
• Fats provide the body with heat and energy. This
  helps to keep the body at the correct temperature
  (37o C).
• Fat is a source of the fat-soluble vitamins.

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Deficiency of fats

• Fat deficiency diseases rarely occur as fat is
  present in a wide variety of foods. However we
  should not eliminate fats completely from our
  diet because they are also a source of the fat -
  soluble vitamins.

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Minerals

• The human body requires about twenty mineral
  elements. Each has a specific function and is
  found in certain foods. A good varied diet should
  supply all essential minerals.
• Mineral elements are needed by all humans in
  small amounts.

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Vitamins

• The word "vitamin" comes from vita, the Latin for
  "life". Everybody must eat a certain amount of
  vitamins to stay healthy.
• Vitamins are chemicals found in very small
  amounts in many different foods.
• If people live on a very limited range of foods
  they may not get their proper share of vitamins

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Water

• Water is absolutely essential to life. Over 70
  of the human body is made up of water.
• The main sources of water are drinking water it
  is also found in other beverages and beverages.
• Fruits and green vegetables are also high in
  water.
• Almost all foods contain water, except those with
  a high fat content (butter), and dry foods (sugar
  and flour).

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Functions of water

• It is the chief component of all body fluids.
• It helps dissolve foods and aids digestion.
• It helps remove waste material from the body.
• It regulates body temperature by perspiration.
• It is a source of dissolved minerals.
• It keeps the body fluids liquid so that they may
  flow easily.

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Building a healthy diet

• The food guide pyramid is an easy way to show the
  groups of foods that make up a healthy diet.
• It also tells us to eat a variety of foods
  from all five groups and how much of the foods
  from the different groups we should eat to stay
  healthy.

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Building a healthy diet

• Its pyramid shape helps explain which foods you
  should eat more or less of. The foods that make
  up the pyramid's base (the widest part) should
  provide the biggest part of your diet. As you go
  up the pyramid, the amounts of different foods
  you need get smaller.
• It also gives the number of servings you should
  eat from each part of the pyramid every day.

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Food guide pyramid
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How you should eat

• Plenty of fruits, vegetables, bread and cereals.
• Moderate amounts of lean meat and fish, milk,
  cheese and yogurt, eggs and nuts.
• Only a little vegetable oils, butter, margarine,
  fried foods, pastries, biscuits, salty snack
  foods, potato chips, French fries, sweets,
  chocolates, ice-cream, cream, condensed milk,
  coconut milk, soft drinks and sweets.