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Nutrient Basics
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Nutrient Basics
Substances found in food
Used to obtain energy, build or repair tissue & regulate body functions
Only Carbohydrates, Protein & Fat provide energy
6 essential nutrients are water, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins & minerals
Water
- Most basic nutrient
- Your body can't survive more than a few days without water
Carbohydrates
- Simple & complex.
- Main source of energy & provide the body's need for fiber
- Come from a variety of foods like grains, fruits, milk yogurt & sweets
- Can be converted more readily into glucose
- Should be 55-65% of your food intake
- Simple carbohydrates are high in calories & low in nutreients
- Simple carbohydrates can also be found in fruits, vegetables & dairy products
- Complex carbohydrates are a source of energy & rich in vitamins, minerals & fiber
Protein
- Most people get plenty of
- It provides energy & helps build, maintain & repair body tissues
- Cant be stored for later use
- Most of the body's proteins are continually broken down
- The more active you are the faster your proteins break down
- Made up of chemical compounds called amino acids
- There are 20 amino acids
- The body can produce 11/20 of the amino acids
- Complete proteins: contain all 9 essential amino acids & are found in animal sources
- Incomplete proteins: Lack one or more essential amino acid(s) & are found in plants
Fat
- Without healthy fat your brain & nerves wont work well
- Most concentrated form of food energy
- (Calories)
- Has substances needed for growth & healthy skin, required to carry "fat-soluble" vitamins throughout the body & provides energy
- Saturated Fats
- Animal products & tropical oils like butter, coconut, fatty meats, etc.
- Solid at room temp
- Causes bad cholesterol & increases risk of heart disease
- Trans Fat
- Created in food manufacturing when liquid vegetable oils are turned into solid fat using a process called hydrogenation
- Increases risk of heart disease by raising cholesterol
- Thought to be more harmful than saturated fats
- Have been removed from restaurants in several states
- Watch for the words "hydrogenated" & "partially-hydrogenated"
- Unsaturated Fats
- Polyunsaturated: Provides 2 essential fatty acids. Found in vegetables & fish oils
- Monounsaturated: May reduce heart disease. Found in darker oils, nuts, seeds & more
Vitamins
- Help break down & release energy
Minerals
- Help perform a wide variety of body functions
Fiber
- indigestible but helps digestion
- Reduces the risk of some diseases like heart disease, diabetes & obesity, & certain types of cancer
- Attracts water to the digestive track
- Exercises muscles of the digestive tract
- Speeds up food passage, which helps prevent cancer causing agents exposure to the digestive tract
- Binds with cholesterol & carries it out of the body, reducing the risk of heart disease
Cholesterol
- A fat-like substance that is part of every cell of the body
- Comes from animal products
- Helps the body make cells & aids in digestion
- When cholesterol levels are high there is a greater risk for heart disease
- Not being active & eating too much saturated/trans fat will raise cholesterol