Nutrition

Health PrinciplesAdventist University of Central Africa

Learning Objectives

What is the component of a healthy diet?

Identify sources of essential nutrients

What are the main functions of essential nutrients?

List the principles of nutrition

6 Major Nutrients

Carbohydrates Proteins Fats Vitamins Minerals Water

Main Functions

Provide energy Build and repair body tissues Regulate body processes

Essential Nutrients

Substances the body must get from food because it cannot manufacture them at all or fast enough to meet the body needs

Essential nutrients

CarbohydratesFats/lipidsProteins

VitaminsMinerals

Water

Macronutrients

Micronutrients

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• A balanced diet provides all essential nutrients for growth and maintenance

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Carbohydrate

Ideal source of energy Only fuel source for some cells

(brain, nervous system and blood, etc)

Primary source of energy for muscles, especially during high–intensity exercise

2 Types: Simple and Complex

Simple Carbohydrate

Quickest source of energy Sources: table sugar, brown sugar,

honey, maple syrup, molasses, jams/jellies, fruit juices, cake, biscuits sucrose, fructose, maltose, and lactose

Found naturally in fruits Digest quickly Causes quick rise in blood sugar

level

Complex Carbohydrate

Rich in fiber (the part of beans, grains, vegetables, and fruits

that resists digestion)

Lowers cholesterol High in vitamins and minerals,

important for digestion and elimination

Sources: (brown rice, whole grains, spaghetti, oats, whole wheat bread, potatoes, yam, cassava, etc)

Health Implications of Carbs

Benefits of high fiber reduced risk of obesity, diabetes,

intestinal disorders and heart disease

Problems with excess sugar: tooth decay, diabetes, obesity—excess sugar stored as fat

Key to healthy diet: Focus on Complex Carbohydrate

Fiber

One reason vegetarians have significantly lower rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and are usually slimmer than other people

Makes you feel full longer

Good Sources of Fiber

Whole grains and wheat bran Oats Legumes (beans, peas, lentils) Tubers (yams, cassava, potatoes,etc) Variety of fruits (esp. whole, unpeeled)

Note: all plant foods contain fiber, but processing can remove it

• A plant-based diet reduces the risks of coronary heart diseases (CHD). Omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains and abundance of fruits and vegetables, reduce the risks of CHD.

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• Nuts and whole grain are protective against both fatal and non-fatal Ischemic Heart Diseases (IHD). More than 5 servings a week lower the risk of CHD by 50 percent.

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Protein

Source: plant based and animalLegumes (beans, peas, lentils) and

grainsFish, beef, milk

Key to healthy diet: Increase protein source from plant foods than from animal products

Protein (GROW)

Basis of body structure Important for growth and repair of

damaged tissue 20 different amino acids

11 our body makes (non-essential) 9 supplied by diet (essential)

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• Beans 3 or more times a week will reduce colon

cancer risks by one half.

The Food Guide Pyramid: A Guide to Daily Food Choices

• A serving size usually means ½

cup of cooked food;

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½ cup

1 cup

•1 cup raw or uncooked food.

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• Diets containing no animal protein

require supplemental vitamin B12

food to which vitamin B12 has been added.

Sources of Fats

Saturated fat usually solid at room temperature Source: found primarily in animal

foods and palm and coconut oils

Unsaturated fat usually liquid at room temperature Source: found in certain vegetables,

nuts, and vegetable oils

Types of Fat

Saturated Solid at room temperature

UnsaturatedPolyunsaturatedMonounsaturatedLiquid at room temperature

Fat (GLOW)

High calorie Insulation and padding Supports and cushions organs Add flavor to food

Health Implication of Lipids Excess: weight gain, obesity, heart

disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes

Key to good health: Choose foods with unsaturated fatty acids

• An excess of calories may result in obesity.

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Vegetarian Diets and Health

Vegetarian diets are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in complex carbohydrates, fiber, folate, vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and phytochemicals

Nutrients of concern for vegetarians include vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and zinc

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•Plant-based diets reduce risk of diabetes,

type II.• Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and the high

nutrient density foods modulate blood sugar in contrast to high-caloric density foods.

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plant-based diet can reduce the risk of stroke.

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• Cancer rates of the colon, breast, lung, and uterus are lower in

vegetarians than in non-vegetarian.

Vitamins

Must be supplied in the diet Two types:

9 water soluble (dissolve in water) 4 fat soluble (dissolve in fat)

Water Soluble

Thiamine (B1) Riboflavin (B2) Niacin (B3) Pantothenic Acid

(B5) Pyridoxal,

Pyridoxamine, Pyridoxine (B6)

Biotin Cobalamin (B12) Folic Acid Ascorbic Acid

Fat Soluble

Vitamin A

Vitamin D

Vitamin E

Vitamin K

VITAMINS AND MINERALS Key to healthy diet: eat a variety of fruits

and vegetables to get the adequate amount of vitamins your body needs to do its work.

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The Key is a variety. Good choices of fruits, vegetables, and whole

grains protect our

health. The deeper the colors of the food, the more protective their

value.

A deficiency in the intake of essentials predisposes to disease

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• Excess of vitamins and certain minerals may

cause toxicity.

Water

Most of the body is made of water Helps kidneys remove waste

products Cleans outside and inside the body Lack of water: headache,

dehydration How much do you need?

Rule of thumb: 8 glasses

Principles of a Healthy DietVariety (eat different fruits &

vegetables to get adequate vitamins & minerals)

Nutrient density (high in nutrients and few calories, sugar and fat)

More fresh and natural, less processed

Moderation (too much of a good thing can become harmful)

Principles of a Healthy Diet

Provide calorie needs (input = output)

More complex carbohydrate, less simple carbohydrate

More unsaturated fat, less saturated fat

More plant products and less animal product

John 6:35

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

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• A healthful diet can make you physically strong & increase life-span and quality of life.

• Spiritual food will also make you

strong and increase quality of your life and

your life-span, not just for 5-10 years, but eternally.