FOOD_ NUTRITION _ CULTURE

FOOD, NUTRITION & CULTURE “Feeding oneself and one’s offspring is the first concern of all living creatures” - Frances Moore Lappe & Anna Lappe WHY IS THE ACQUISITION OF FOOD SO IMPORTANT? • Question answered by the old adage “We are what we eat.” • All living creatures need to “take in nutrients to live.” • Nutrition – the science that deals with the body’s ability to transform nutrients found in “FOOD” into “FUEL & FLESH.” Muscle & Tissue PERSPECTIVES ON NUTRITION • To scientists, nutrition is the study of: – The nutrients found in foods – The body’s handling of nutrients to maintain health For many, nutrition is all about losing weight! • Nutrients (some of which provide energy for processes in the body) are substances that can promote: – Growth – Maintenance – Repair WHAT IS FOOD? • • Food is a conduit for nutrients. It is one central thing about human experience that can open up both our senses and our experiences to our place in the world. – Alice Waters MEXICAN FOODS OCTOPUS Food is culturally defined, what is considered a food in Culture A is not necessarily a food in Culture B. THE NUTRIENTS • Whereas there are many different foods. There are only six classes of nutrients namely: – carbohydrates (CHO) – proteins – fats – vitamins – minerals – water • Usually, more than one class of nutrients is represented in a food (e.g., (CHO, fats, proteins, water, minerals [e.g., Ca] and vitamins [e.g., Vitamin D] are in milk. protein TYPES OF NUTRIENTS –Organic (with C- C or C- H bonds) •CHO, •Proteins •Fats •Vitamins –Inorganic •Water •Minerals. Fatty acids Sodium and Chlorine ions water ENERGY YIELDING NUTRIENTS • Carbohydrates – glucose, (preferred energy source) fructose and galactose • Fats – fatty acids and glycerol • Proteins – amino acids MORE FOOD RELATED FACTS …. • Vitamins - only organic nutrient that does not supply energy but is needed to get energy from foods. • Essential nutrient - body cannot make enough of and must get from food. • Some dietary and lifestyle practices (smoking, inactivity, drinking alcohol) are risk factors for many health conditions. • Substances (non-nutrients) in foods are phytochemicals that give foods the characteristic taste and smell. FOOD CHOICES • Select foods to provide adequate amounts of nutrients and energy! • When humans eat, foremost in their minds is that they are consuming foods, not nutrients! • The following influence food choices: • Personal Preference • Advertising • Positive Associations • Availability • Geographical location • Convenience • Social Pressure • Economy • Values and beliefs • Comfort • Body weight • Ethnicity • Habit • Nutritional Value CHALLENGE OF CHANGING FOOD HABITS • Food is about more than feeding the body. It is embedded in family life, culture and religious ritual. • Food has always been the most direct, intimate tie to a nurturing earth and a primary means of bonding with each other. • Food has helped us to know where and who we are. RELEASING NUTRIENTS FROM FOOD • Digestion – process of breaking food into small substances to be absorbed by the body and subsequently used for fuel, growth, maintenance and repair. Simple (e.g., phagocytosisengulf and form food vacuoles in which food is broken down in the unicellular amoeba). Complex (e.g., cooking and chewing food before introducing it to the sophisticated multiorgan, digestive system in multi-cellular humans). PRODUCTS OF DIGESTION (Energy Nutrients) GLUCOSE CHO FATS PROTEINS Gastrointestinal System FRUCTOSE GALACTOSE FATTY ACIDS GLYCEROL AMINO ACIDS MEASURING FOOD ENERGY • Food energy measured in calories. • A calorie is not a component of food. ENERGY Plants use the sun’s energy to combine carbondioxide and water to form glucose and oxygen. • Plants store energy as starch. • Humans eat plants and other animals that have also eaten plants. • 6H2O + 6CO2 = C6H12O6 + 6O2 The Energy Cycle The Cycle of life begins with the sun! THE ABC….. OF A NUTRITIOUS DIET • • • • • • Adequacy Balance Calorie control Moderation Nutrient Density Variety DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS NUTRITION AND HEALTH • Health professionals agree that the overall composition of the diet has an important effect on health. • Eating too much fat, sat. fat and cholesterol and not eating enough vegetables, fruits, and fiber has been linked to an increase in heart disease and other cancers. • The federal government constantly revises its official U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans to help consumers choose a healthy diet. • These guidelines make Recommendations for Americans 2 years of age and older. NUTRITION GOALS FOR THE USA Disease Related • Reduce coronary heart disease; • Reduce cancer deaths; • Decrease incidence of diabetes; • Reduce prevalence of osteoporosis; and • Reduce dental caries. HOW MUCH FOOD DO WE NEED? RDA (recommended dietary allowances) • Primary nutrient intake standards for US for many years. DRI (dietary reference intake) • Recently replaced RDA as primary standards • Expands on RDAs DRI GROUPS • Recommendations made for various age and gender groups as follows: – Men – Women – Pregnant and lactating women – Children – teens – elderly MEAL PLANNING GUIDES • Food group plan • Exchange system • Daily Food Guide – (Food Pyramid) EXCHANGE SYSTEM • • • • Originally developed for diabetics Lists of foods that can be exchanged Food values are approximations User makes an educated approximation = = CHOOSING FOODS ……… • • • • Let the Pyramid guide your food choices. Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. Keep food safe to eat! FOOD LABELS • Food labels provide the following information: – Common name of product. – Name and address of manufacturer, packer or distributor. – Net contents (wt, measure or count). – Nutrient content of product – Serving size – Servings per container – Calories/calories from fat – Nutrient amounts and percentages of Daily Values – Daily values and calories/gram reminder – Ingredients CHECK THE FOOD LABEL BEFORE YOU BUY • Food labels have several parts: – Front panel, • Added nutrients (e.g., “enriched grain/pasta” means thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, and folic acid have been added. – Nutrition Facts, – Ingredients list, • What’s in the food including e.g., added fats, or sugars. • Ingredients listed in descending order by weight. USING THE NUTRITION FACTS – Look at the % Daily Value (%DV) column to see whether a food is high or low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium. – If you want to consume more of a nutrient (e.g., Calcium), choose foods with a higher %DV. – Foods with 5%DV or less contribute a small amount of that nutrient. Those with 20% or more contribute a large amount. • Nutrition Facts serving sizes may differ from Food Guide Pyramid (e.g., 2 ozs of dry macaroni yields about 1 cup cooked, or two [½ cup] Pyramid servings). HELPFUL HINTS • Use the Food Guide Pyramid to help select healthy foods. • Eat a variety of plant foods, including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. • Eat some low-fat dairy products and low-fat foods from the meat and beans group. • Enjoy fats and sweets occasionally. DIETARY ASSESSMENT The following dietary assessment methods are used: • 24 Hour recall • Food Record/Diary • Food Frequency Questionnaire KEEPING TRACK……… Food Record Do the following: • Record everything you eat and drink for 3 consecutive days • Amount (ozs, g) – Time eaten – Mood before and after each meal • Note other things you did that same day QUIZ How many calories does this meal of 110 g of carbohydrates, 25 g of protein, 20 g of fat, and 5 g of alcohol? a. c. 160 560 b. d. 345 755 Teacher’s Pet THE END Assignment: Continue being exceptional educators! A+ Thank You REFERENCES • Whitney E, Rolfes S. Understanding Nutrition. 7 th ed. New York: West Publishing Company; 1996. • Lappé F, Lappé A. Hopes Edge: The Diet of a Small Planet. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putman, 2002. • Google Image Search. Available at: http://www.google.com. Accessed June 2004.