Energy, Metabolism, Control of Food and Weight loss Flashcards
What is the 1st law of thermodynamics?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can transfer from one form to another
In which 3 ways is the energy obtained from from food used in the body?
Chemical work-synthesis of new macromollecules
Mechanical work- (muscular contraction)
Electrical work-maintenance of ionic gradients across membranes (e.g. the sodium/potassium pump)
How is the energy cosumed stored?
- Glycogen- in the live and muscles
- Fat (this accounts for the majority of energy storage)
When low on fuel, where can the body source it’s energy from?
Glycogen
Fat
Protein (a last resort in cases of starvation of malnutrition-amino acids are liberated from tissues e.g. skeletal muscle)
What is the second law of thermodynamics?
All energy used by the body degenerates as heat
How many calories does 1g of alcohol have?
7 kcal
How many calories does 1g of fibre have?
2 kcal
What is the energy currency of the body
ATP Adenosine Triphosphate
Where is ATP manufactured in the body?
In the mitochondria
What might interfere with the production of ATP?
Nutrient deficiencies
Toxins
Poor detoxificatiion and elimination pathways
Heavy metals can damage mitochondria
How can energy production be optimised?
-Sufficient nutrient intake
-Good GI health
-Optimal oxygen intake
-Heart and circulation (key in the delivery of nutrients to cells)
-Mitochondrial health- nutrients and anti-oxidants
-Thyroid health
-Detox
-Sleep hygiene
What 4 variables effect energy expenditure?
- Basal metabolic rate
- Thyroid Hormones
- Disease states
- The thermic effect of a food
What is the thermic effect?
The amount of energy used to digest and process foods.
What macronutrient has the
a. highest
B. lowest
thermic effect?
a. Protein 20-30%
b. Fat 0-3%
What percentage of the energy in carbohydrates is used for digestion and processing (the thermic effect)?
5-10%
What is DNL?
de novo lipogenesis. The metabolic pathway that sythesises fatty acids from excess carboydrates.
Why is the consumption of excess calories from carbohydrates problematic?
It forces the metabolism into DNL. This is a key driver for metabolic syndrome. This process requires up to 30% of the Carbohydrate energy.
How is fructose metabolised differently from other CHOs?
The liver converts fructose easily into fatty acids
Why would you advise against chronic calorie restriction?
It slows down metabolism
It may lead to nutrient deficiencies
Thus it results in an inability to continue to lose weight
What advice would you give a client who has been on a calorie controlled diet and has reached a plateau?
Eat nutrient dense foods to help re-establish a healthy metabolism.
In a nautopathic diet, what is more important than balancing macronutrients?
The quality of food.
Describe the process of ketosis in fat loss
- When glucose intake is insufficient to maintain glucogen stores in the liver and muscles, the brain experiences this as a stressor.
- This stress causes a spike to cortisol and a sharp drop in insulin production
- This liberates the excess supply of fatty acids from adipose tissue.
- Ketones are then produced for the brain to use as fuel.