Basic Nutrition Principles Importance of Nutrition The foods
Basic Nutrition Principles
Importance of Nutrition The foods you choose to eat determine which nutrients your body will receive and in what quantities. Nutrients are substances that allow your body to make energy, build and maintain tissues, and regulate bodily processes. If you eat a diet filled with a variety of high-nutrient foods, you are more likely to enjoy good health than if you eat a poor diet that is lacking in nutrients. We need to eat to survive but rather than just survive we want to choose a diet that optimises our health.
Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good, and have energy. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals. Optimal well-being and function can be encouraged through the consumption of a healthy balanced diet. A balanced diet involves regulating the quantities of the various food groups consumed. Overconsumption of any food group at the expense of another has the potential to upset the body's delicate balance. The word ‘diet' simply refers to an individual's current eating pattern, i. e. all of the food and drink consumed by a person over a given period of time.
‘The Eatwell Plate’ 1. Base your meals on starchy foods 2. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables (5 portions per day) 3. Eat more fish ( 2 portions a week, 1 oily) 4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar 5. Try to eat less salt, no more than 6 g a day 6. Get active and try to be a healthy weight 7. Drink plenty of water (6 -8 glasses per day) 8. Don't skip breakfast
Food Labelling There are certain elements that must be placed on a food product label in accordance with the law. Remember that Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats all have different Kcal per gram so the daily value is inaccurate when based on weight.
The government in the, food manufacturers and food retailers in the UK have agreed to standardise front of-pack labelling which follows a traffic light system (red, amber and green colour-coding). Colour-coded nutritional information shows at a glance if the food has high, medium or low amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt. The more green lights on a label, the healthier the choice.
Hydration - Water provides a number of fundamental functions in the body. In general, individuals should be drinking two to three litres of water per day; although the heavier you are, the more water you need. Body Weight (kg) Estimated Water Intake (L) - It is the medium in which all our cellular chemical processes take place. 55 kg 1. 70 60 kg 1. 85 - It enables the transport of nutrients and gasses around the blood. 65 kg 2. 00 - It provides lubrication to our joints and protection for our organs. 70 kg 2. 15 75 kg 2. 30 80 kg 2. 45 85 kg 2. 60 90 kg 2. 75 95 kg 2. 90 100 kg 3. 05 - It allows maintenance of a consistent body temperature (especially during exercise).
- Slides: 7