The diet of a creature is what it digests, and this is very much determined by the sensed palatability of edible materials (food).
Foods high in Zinc: Zinc plays important roles in growth and development, the immune response, neurological function, and reproduction.
| Article Index |
|---|
| Intro to nutrition |
| Energy |
| Requirements |
| Macronutrients |
| Micronutrients |
Since a poor diet can have an injurious impact on health, it is very important to understand the science of nutrition. Only by doing so can we be able to use food as our first medicinal resource for healh.
Even though nutritional science investigates the metabolic and physiological responses of the body to diet, it is also essential for us to understand why we eat what we eat, and how food affects our health and well being.
- Nutrition is the science of how the body uses food.
- It is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary (in the form of food) to support life.
- Nutriton is a process of intake and utilisation of nutrients (like carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water) by the organism.
- Nutrition equals life.
History
Humans have evolved as omnivorous hunter-gatherers over the past 250,000 years. The diet of early modern humans varied significantly depending on location and climate. The diet in the tropics tended to be based more heavily on plant foods, while the diet at higher latitudes tended more towards animal products. Analysis of postcranial and cranial remains of humans and animals from the Neolithic, along with detailed bone modification studies have shown that cannibalism was also prevalent among prehistoric humans.
Agriculture developed about 10,000 years ago in multiple locations throughout the world, providing grains such as wheat, rice, potatoes, and maize, with staples such as bread, pasta, and tortillas. Farming also provided milk and dairy products, and sharply increased the availability of meats and the diversity of vegetables. The importance of food purity was recognized when bulk storage led to infestation and contamination risks. Cooking developed as an often ritualistic activity, due to efficiency and reliability concerns requiring adherence to strict recipes and procedures, and in response to demands for food purity and consistency.
Understanding nutrition
These days, a wealth of nutrition information is at our finger tips. From diet books to newspaper articles, everyone seems to have an opinion about what we should be eating. While you already know it is important to eat a healthy diet, you may find it more difficult to sort through all of the information about nutrition and food choices.Malnutrition, as an example, remains severely under-recognised in the community, in hospitals, and in nursing homes. The current focus in the western world is on tackling the obesity epidemic, meaning most new policy or health promotion campaigns overlook the problem of malnutrition and the extent to which it impacts the population.
The Spanimax Method stresses the importance of either general or specialized knowledge of nutrition as a tool everybody can use to achieve personal health goals. In this introduction we give a general idea of the two first principles of nutrition, which are energy and nutrients in food. Energy deals with calories while nutrients are usually divided into two main groups: Macronutrients and micronutrients.
In general terms a diet should serve the individual, by providing all the necessary nutrients, not only to carry through, but to improve and reinforce the body's ability to survive in prime condition and fight off disease.
In weight management diets some foods are specifically recommended, or even altered, for conformity to the requirements of the particular diet. These diets are often recommended in conjunction with exercise. Specific weight loss programs can be harmful to health, while others may be beneficial (and can thus be coined as healthy diets). The terms healthy diet and diet for weight management are often related, as the two promote healthy weight management.
A video about some good nutrition principles all can benefit from:
Other articles of special interest:
- Mixing Macronutrients
- Fatty acids: A revolution
References:
- Understanding Nutrition; Whitney, Elanor and Sharon Rolfes.
- Report on human energy requirements; Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation
- Energy and protein requirements: FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation.
- Food energy – methods of analysis and conversion factors: FAO. 2003.
- Human energy requirements. A manual for planners and nutritionists; James, W.P.T. & Schofield.
- Understanding Nutrition; Whitney, Elanor and Sharon Rolfes.
- Human Biology and Health; Englewood Cliffs.
- The Benefits of Water; Cleveland Clinic.
- The Past, Present and Future of Vitamins; Jack Challem.
- Potential synergy of phytochemicals in cancer prevention: mechanism of action; The Journal of nutrition.
- History of the Study of Nutrition in Western Culture; Rai University lecture notes for General Nutrition course.
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