Nutrition Flashcards
What is nutritional intake?
Often referred to as diet
Amount & mixture of foods containing essential nutrients that you need in order to:
Maintain life
Support growth & repair
Provide substances to regulate processes of body
Carry out all voluntary physical activity
What is a balanced, healthy nutritional plan?
Plan that gets balance right between energy intake & energy expenditure & has right balance of all 5 food groups
Energy intake = energy expenditure = body weight stays constant
Energy intake > Energy expenditure = body weight increases
Energy intake < energy expenditure = body weight decreases
What are the 5 food groups in the eatwell guide?
Fruit & veg Starchy carbohydrates Protein Dairy + alt Oil + spreads
What are the guidelines recommended in the Eatwell Guide?
Eat at least 5 portions of variety of fruit & veg per day
Small amounts of oil & spreads
Minimal amounts of fatty & sugary food
1 portion of starchy food with every meal
3 portions of lower-fat diary food per day
2 portions of fish per week along with other proteins
Explain the consequences of being overweight
If you eat too many kilocalories for your energy needs, you will become overweight, then obese
People who are obese have increased risk of having many serious diseases, health conditions, body pain & difficulty with physical functioning
Explain the consequences of being underweight
If you constantly eat too few kilocalories for your energy needs you will gradually become underweight
Some suffer from anorexia nervosa - they try to keep their weight as low as possible by not eating enough food or exercising too much, or both
People with anorexia increase risk of muscle wasting, osteoporosis & fertility problems
Explain the consequences of being dehydrated
More chance of suffering from arthritis & other inflammatory conditions
Shortage of liquid in brain tissue increases levels of cortisol, elevates stress & can result in depression
Explain the consequences of having mineral deficiency
Iron - anaemia
Calcium - osteoporosis
Sodium - hypertension
Explain the consequences of having vitamin deficiency
Vitamin A - dry eyes & night blindness
Vitamin C - scurvy
What are the components of carbohydrates?
Main source for energy production in body
Complex carbs - potatoes & foods made from cereals
Simple carbs - sugar, honey, jam
Best to eat complex carbs as these naturally contain more vitamins, minerals & dietary fibre
What are the components of fats?
Secondary source for energy production & vital for normal tissue functioning. Is also an insulator that protects vital organs
Saturated fat - lard, butter, fat on meat
Polyunsaturated fat - sunflower/corn oil
Monounsaturated fat - olive oil
Better to eat polyunsaturated fat or monounsaturated fat, rather than saturated fat
Cakes, biscuits, ice cream, etc. high in fat & sugar
Oily fish (mackerel) contain good fats
What are the components of proteins?
Needed for growth & repair of body
Animal protein - meat, poultry, milk
Vegetable protein - peas, beans, nuts
What are the components of vitamins?
Needed for functioning of muscles & nerves , the growth of body tissue & release of energy from food
Vitamin B - involved in release of energy from foods
Vitamin C - releases iron from blood
Vitamin D - helps with absorption of calcium from food
All vitamins body requires will be contained in balanced & varied diet
What are the components of minerals?
Calcium - gives strength & rigidity to bones
Phosphorus - assists in production of ATP - fuel for release of energy from food
Iron - involved with use of oxygen & found in haemoglobin in RBCs
Sodium - found in all body fluids, especially in blood & involved in maintaining water balance of body
All minerals will be contained in balanced & varied diet
What are the components of dietary fibre?
Part of food that can’t be digested
Provides bulk to faeces, which helps prevent constipation & other more serious conditions
Foods high in dietary fibres are usually complex carbs foods
