Exam Review I Flashcards
Dietetic principles and the three dietary approaches
- Different approaches to nutrition all share the belief that proper nutrition is needed to achieve optimal health
western dietetics
- Dietetics contributes to the promotion of health and the prevention and treatment of illness
- Uses scientific principles and mathods
eastern dietetics
- eg. traditional chinese medicine and ayurveda
- Holistic approach to restoring balance
- individual diets must be made taking in to consideration lifestyle, environment, climate and season
Nutrional medicine
- involves a holistic approach
- Considers physical, psychological, social, economic and cultural factors
- Applies the therapeutic and preventative potential of food
Dietetic principles that underpin western nutrition prac
- Adequacy
- Balance
- Energy control
- Nutrient density
- Moderation
- Variety
Naturopathic principles that underpin holistic nutrition practices
- the healing power of nature
- first do no harm
- treat the cause not the symptoms
- treat the whole person
- prevention is better than cure
Reductionism
- views a complex system as being nother but the sum of its parts
- This approach has led to the association of a food with only one single nutrient e.g. dairy products with calcium
Origins of food as medicine
- ancient systems such as traditional chinese medicine, ayurvedic medicine and ancient greek medicine
Farming methods affect the safety and quality of food.
In regards to farming, what is the difference between primary and secondary resources
- Primary refers to the resources which support plant growth and therefore support food production
- eg land, soil, air, warmth
- Secondary is the resources we apply to the environment
- eg labour, capital, fertilizers, machinery
soil quality depends on three components
-
biological fertility
- organisms that live in the soil perform many functions such as degrading pesticides, controlling pathogens and fixing atmospheric nitrogen
-
chemical fertility
- availability of elements for plant uptake
-
physical fertility
- physical properties and processes of soil affect soil fertility
Methods to improve soil biological fertility
- increase organic matter of the soil
- crop rotations and management practices that decrease the suitability of soil for plant pathogens
- minimise erosion as soil organisms are often in the surface layers
Traditional farming techniques include… subsistence farming, recycling nutrients, water conservation and management, control of succession and crop rotation
What is crop rotation and its adv/disadvan.
- planned order of specific crops planted on the same field
- individual crops deplete particular nutrients from soils, therefore rotating salvages nutrients thus decreasing the need for fertiliser
-
Advantages
- prevent soil depletion/erosion
- helps to control weeds
- reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals
No disadvan noted
Modern conventional farming
- based on high yields of plant and animal produce with use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides
- Benefits include high produce and profits and reduced labour requirements
- Disadvantages are that soil quality is not looked after
Fertilizers
- Defined as sources of plant nutrients
- Plants require lots of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
- Before fertilisers traditional methods like crop rotations was used
- Higher crop yield means that more nutrients must be replaced within the soil
What are the disadvantages of intensive modern conventional farming practices?
- chemical residues affecting plant and animal life on land and in the sea
- soil degredation
- erosion
- soil acidification
- loss of fertility
- animal welfare issues
Alternative farming practices
What are there purpose?
Examples
- They are based on sustainable agriculture and farming techniques
- For example
- low input farming systems
- biodynamic systems
- organic systems
- hydroponics
- For example
Hydroponics
- cultivation of plants in nutrient solutions without use of soil
- “soilless growth”
- Nutrients provided in liquid solutions or porous material such as sand or gravel
- Culture techniques include sub irrigation, water culture and slop method
-
Advantages
- increase productivity
- control of environmental conditions
- production of plants out of season
Edible crops being grown hydroponically in Australia include lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries.
Organic farming
- excludes the use of synthetic pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified seeds and animal breeds, and irradiation
- rely on ecosystem management, including the use of pesticides and fertilizers derived from plants, animal wastes, and minerals
- It is believed that organic foods have greater health benefits though it is hard to say certainly
- There is evidence to show the lower amounts of pesticide residue, cadmium and other chemicals on the crops and also from bodily fluids after consumption
Biodynamic farming
- Regenerative agriculture (holistic approach)
- the farmer and gardener brings the substances and forces of nature into a quality and sustainable production
Organic food certification
- Foods that are marketed as being organic must be certified
- australian certifiers include NASAA and australian certificed organic