Nutrition Basics Flashcards
What is a registered dietitian?
- Health care professional with Bachelors degree specializing in food and nutrition
- Includes one year of practical training in foodservice, community and clinical settings
- Registered by province
- Protected titles: RD, PDt
- Nutritionist is not a protected title
Why is nutrition important?
A well balanced diet serves both short term and long term benefits
What is a healthy diet?
- enough calories, vitamins and minerals
- avoid excess of these and other nutritional factors
- satisfies and energizes
Nutrients:
- substances essential for health that the body cannot make or supply itself with
- serve to provide energy, support growth and regulate body processes
What is an essential nutrient?
Must:
- have a specific biological function
- decrease in body function if removed
- restore normal aspects of biological function when added back in (as long as permanent damage has not occurred)
Essential nutrients
- carbohydrates
- lipids
- proteins
- vitamins
- minerals
- water
Macronutrients
sources of energy:
- carbohydrates
- proteins
- lipids
Macronutrients in small amounts
vitamins
minerals
Water
- Largest component of human body
- 50 - 70% body weight
Eating environment: facilitators
- Nutrition tables of foods and menus
- Ethnically diverse cuisines
- Availability of fruits and veggies
Eating environment: challenges
- Busy schedules
- Food always available
- conflicting nutrition messages
Fruits and veggies
- choose different textures, colours, and shapes to fit your taste
- they don’t have to be fresh in order to be healthy
Whole grains
- healthier than refined grain because it includes all parts of the grain.
- whole grain is not whole wheats (grain > wheat)
Fibre
- helps keep you regular, lower your cholesterol, and blood glucose.
- can also help with weight management and reduce risk of heart disease + some cancers
- 25g/day for women
- 38g/day for men
Two types of fibres
Insoluble
Soluble
Healthy fats:
Can lower risk of heart disease Food containing healthy fats: - nuts - seeds - avocado - fatty fish - vegetable oils
Calcium and Vitamin D
- important for bones, teeth, muscles, nerves and hormone function. Vitamin D can also help keep your immune system healthy
Tips for healthy diets
- prepare foods with healthy ingredients
- choose healthier options when dining out
- make water your drink of choice
- use food labels
Healthy claims
A healthy diet can:
- reduce risk of certain types of cancer
- reduce risk of heart diseases
- reduce risk of high blood pressure and stroke
- increase bone strength
- reduce risk of osteoporosis
Things to do:
- Be mindful of eating habits
- take time to eat
be aware of food marketing - notice your hunger cues
- cook more often
- plan what you eat
- involve others in planning and preparing meals
- enjoy your food
- cultures and food traditions can be part of healthy eating
- Eat meals with others
Key to healthy diet
- balance
- follow 80/20 rule
Try a homemade version of your favourite prepackaged food
Motivation (TPB: Attitude, PBC, SN)
Action (HAPA: Action and Coping Planning)
Prompts (RIM: associative root)
Different states of temptation
Cold state: you can’t see prompt
Cue exposure: you can see prompt
Hot state: you are eating prompt
Points to consider when helping a client with nutrition
- What is your expertise and scope of practice in nutrition?
- Who is your client?
- What are their goals?
