Portage Learning/BIOD 121 Nutrition module 1Exam
Study guide Graded A 2024/2025
What You Eat & Why
Good nutrition leads to a healthy life.
What is Nutrition?
Nutrition compared to other sciences is a fairly young science. New
discoveries are constantly being made and scientists and nutritionists are
always evaluating ways in which nutrition impacts our lives. To begin we need
to understand what nutrition is. Nutrition by definition is the science that
links foods to health and disease. It includes the processes by which humans
ingest, digest, absorb, transport and excrete food substances. Nutrition spans
all ages and impacts our well- being from conception to death. Good nutrition
as well as exercise is the key to good health.
When evaluating one’s health, there are actually five dimensions that can be
evaluated, including physical health, intellectual health, emotional health,
social health and spiritual health.
Physical Health - ability of the body to perform daily functions for survival
Intellectual Health - the cognitive ability to learn
and adapt Emotional Health - the ability to
express or suppress emotion Social Health -
ability to interact with others
Spiritual Health - purpose for human existence, cultural practices
,Making good food choices and eating a variety of nutrients daily can
contribute to a healthy life style.
What is the difference between food and nutrients? Food provides energy in
terms of calories, nutrients are substances found in food that provide the
materials for building and maintaining body parts, regulators for key
metabolic processes and participate in metabolic reactions that provide
energy to sustain life. The science of nutrition provides the information
consumers need to make wise food choices, evaluate the amounts of nutrients
required daily for one’s particular age and lifestyle, and make choices that
may reduce our risk of disease and contribute to longevity. Americans today
have a much longer life expectancy than our parents or grandparents. Making
wise food choices to prevent disease throughout our lives is more important
today than ever before.
Why do we make the choices we do?
Remember that appetite is defined as psychological external influences that
encourage us to find food and consume it. While internal forces control
hunger, external forces control appetite.
Likely you have found yourself eating something in the past without really
feeling hungry. This is related to appetite and not the physical sensation of
hunger. When we are hungry there are many external forces that influence
our food choices. Each individual’s food choices are a reflection of who they
are based on a number of external influences. In general there are four types
of external forces that influence our eating habits. Let’s look in depth at some
of the external forces that influence what we eat.
1. Sensory - flavor, texture and appearance
,Taste - sweet, sour, bitter, salty or Umami (ooh-ma-mee) - umami means
meaty sensation. This is very individualized. Some people prefer salty foods
while others opt for sweet. Our taste preferences are mainly determined by
our genetic makeup.
Smell
Texture - soft, hard, crunchy or slimy
Color
Moisture
Temperatu
re
2. Cognitive
Habits - routines are tied to our food choices. Most of us eat about 100 basic
foods. Often times the habits are learned from family routines and habits.
What you eat likely reflects eating habits learned from your parents.
Comfort foods - early influences expose us to a variety of foods that we relate
to people, places
, and events. Many of our diet habits begin during childhood and the memories
carry through for the rest of our lives. Consuming our favorite foods can
make us feel better, provide security, decrease anxiety and relieve stress.
Positive or negative feelings associated with particular foods may begin in
childhood but persist throughout our lifetime.
Advertising - this is a major media tool that is used to influence our food
choices in terms of intake as well as what we purchase. Advertisements aimed
at children are a major marketing strategy. The US food industry spends
billions of dollars each year on advertising. Some of the most popular food
items advertised are high in sugar or fat.
Social Factors - it is rare to attend any type of social event and not find food.
The occasion may be happy, sad or business related but society seems to
dictate that food must be served. Social factors have a strong influence on
what we eat. Much of this is learned from parents and influenced by peers. In
addition, time is limited for many of us and the food industry has responded
by providing many convenience options for consumers. Supermarkets now
provide many options for time pressed consumers in the form of
microwavable meals and snacks, prepackaged vegetables, quick prep frozen
products and home-style meals.
Nutritional value - individual choices can be determined by stage in the life
cycle, health status, educational background and social status. Nutrition
information provided on food labels can aid consumers who are trying to
make healthy food choices.
3. Environmental
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