Food for health

MACRONUTRIENTS!

Carbohydrates are known as...

Carbohydrates provide main source of energy for the body

Carbohydrates are broken down into two categories; Simple and Complex carbohydrates.

Simple carbohydrates: are considered honey, brown sugar, maple syrup  

sucrose;extracted from plants to table sugar, fructose;fruits, maltose;grain products, lactose;milk products

Simple Carbohydrates fuel our body with quick energy.

Complex carbohydrates: Are found in Fiber and starches such as potatoes,grains,rice, pasta, breads, and corn

Complex gives off fuel to keep our energy for a long period of time.

Fats:-Our body relies on fats to function our body accordingly. It is a source of energy to our body, transports vitamins to our body, protects vital organs.
          
 cholesterol: is a fat like substance that is present in our cells. It helps with the digestion of fat consumed, is manufactured in the liver, and is found in meats, eggs, any animal product.
         
-LDL: low density lipoprotein ARE BAD FOR YOU BECAUSE...
         It is a chemical that takes cholesterol from the liver to wherever its needed, and the excess build up in artery walls can causes sever risks of having a stroke or a heart attack.

Monosaturated fats: Are fats that can help lower your LDL cholesterol levels
         
-HDL: high density lipoprotein ARE GOOD FOR YOU BECAUSE...
          It takes all the extra cholesterol back to the liver.

Proteins:

Are essential for our body because protein helps to repair and maintain your body tissue,and it is a source of energy and consists of 13% of our daily diet.

Mainly supplied from meats.

Protein known as amino acids...

Complete protiens contain 9 essential amino acids our body requires

MICRONUTRIENTS

NAME	SOURCE	FUNCTION	TOO MUCH/TOO LITTLE
Thiamin	-liver -pork -whole grain	- turn carbohydrates into energy -muscle coordination -healthy nervous system	Too little: -fatigue, weak muscles, anorexia, weight loss, confusion, irritability, beriberi disease
Niacin (B3)	-meat -poultry -fish -peanuts -peanut butter	-helps body release energy from Macronutrients	Too little: – cause skin eruption, digestive and decline in muscle
Riboflavin (B2)	-beef liver -asparagus -milk!	-repairs body tissues -formation of red blood cells -releases energy from glucose	Too little: -ariboflavinosis
Vitamin B6	-poultry -whole grain -legumes	-helps body use carbohydrates/proteins -healthy nervous system	Too little: -weakened immune function, swollen tongue,confusion
Vitamin B12	-animal products	-use carbohydrates, fats, proteins better -teams up with folate to build red blood cells and form genetic material -needed for healthy nervous system	Too much: -no limit Too little: -megaloblastic anaemia, depression, weakness, weight loss, constipation
Folic Acid	-beans -spinach	- prevent birth defects of brain and spinal cord	Too little: – weakness, fatigue, - defects in babies(neural tube)
Biotin	-green leafy veggies -whole grain products -liver -egg yolks	-helps body use macronutrients	Too little: - hair loss -rash around the mouth nose and eyes at times - decreasing appetite
Vitamin C	-bell peppers -tomatoes any citrus fruits -potatoes Broccoli!	-prevent cell damage  -Helps promote iron absorption -helps to heal wounds and infections	Too much: -kidney stones, increased oxygen demands -diarrhea -nausea Too little: -tiredness -poor healing of wounds
Vitamin A	-butter -cheese -the yolk of eggs	-maintain healthy skin and mucous membranes -essential to vision -ensure full bone development	Too much: -painful joints, poor blood clotting, vomiting, diarrhea, tiredness Too little: - decreased immune function, dry skin, leads to blindness
Vitamin D	sunlight -eggs -fish oils	-strengthening and repair of the bones	Too much: -excess calcium deposits leads to kidney stones Too little: -poor weak bones
Vitamin E	-soy bean oil -grains -fruits/ vegetables	-stabilize cell membranes	Too much: -nausea distress in the intestines
Vitamin K	Milk -liver - vegetables (Dark greens)	produce proteins that allow bones to absorb minerals that are needed for human growth.	Too little: -fatal nose bleed, -increased bruising on the body (sensitive)
Sodium	-meat -processed foods	-equal flow of water going  in/out of cells	Too much: -increased blood pressure - heart disease
Potassium	-dried fruit -potatoes	-needed for the functioning of muscles and nerves	Too much: - weakness, nausea –potentially fatal medical condition called hyperkalemia Too little: -weakness, muscle cramps
Calcium	-dairy products	- calcium phosphate, providing strength and structure -aids blood clotting, muscle action, causes regular heartbeat	Too little: -can contract osteoporosis which is a loss of bones density
Phosphorus	-animal protein or beans	-carry and release energy during metabolism -component of DNA -combines with proteins and lipids for transportation of nutrients to cells	Too much: -decrease in bone density( decrease in calcium absorption) Too little: - loss of appetite, muscle pain, bone pain, infections,
Chloride	- salt	-control blood pH - acid used to digest food in stomach	Too much: - rapid breathing,       Too little:      -  muscle spasms, or quick, shallow breathing
Sulfur	-Meat -beans	-strengthens nails and hair	Too little: - arthritis, allergies, acne
Magnesium	-legumes -nuts -whole grains	-balance effects of calcium to help regulate circulation and respiration -helps teeth regain calcium	Too much: -muscle weakening, may cause breathing to be difficult in some cases.
Iron	-meat -beans	- Forms part of haemoglobin molecule(carries oxygen to red blood cells)	Too much: -dizziness, headache, vomiting Too little: -fatigue, reduced cognitive function, blood loss (menstruation)
Fluoride	-toothpaste -water we drink	-strengthen bones -helps prevent cavities in the teeth	Too little: -causes tooth decay!
Zinc	-peanuts -liver -oysters	-makes DNA -metabolize digestion -helps heal wounds	Too little: decreased sense of taste and smell causing a loss of appetite, frequent infections, skin sores

The Digestive System

Occurs in order for us to ingest and digest foods to survive.

In Defense of Food

Michael Pollan

By: Victoria Boone

Michael Pollan, the author of the book “In Defense of Food” writes a quote “eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” and has become a famous mantra expressing the feeling of many who are rejecting the contemporary food culture as proliferated by nutrition science and the industrialization of food over the past century and has become a very profound statement. This one quote describes the way that we can live throughout our life and also explains in a short sentence a guide line to help us survive and live a long life while eating healthy, nutritious food. It changes the view you have towards food and your attitude towards your food culture.

When Pollan says “eat food” he means eat real food not food like substances that are found in every supermarket now days that don’t expire for a long period of time nor has ingredients you cannot pronounce. He is saying when eating food or purchasing food you should try and go for costly foods because the higher the price of foods the better the quality and don’t be fooled by the cheap prices because all you will be receiving is processed food and food like products. Don’t go for foods that are not normally recognized as healthy foods. For instants “Tastes great, less filling.” Pollan says. (pg150) The foods that surround the supermarkets today are filled with preservatives, fats, salts, and sugar that supply us with a lot of quick energy but little nutritious value but when you eat real food as Pollan suggests it supplies you with energy and good sources of nutrients.  You shouldn’t eat any foods that won’t rot because any food that will never rot is not considered healthy or natural food. Pollan is suggesting that we stick to eating the traditional healthy foods and snacks instead of the quick pre-processed snacks and meals available today. Pollan is saying to reject the contemporary food culture because we have a lot of unhealthy fake processed foods that people are choosing over healthy foods due to large price differences and quick availability. We should try to avoid all the processed foods found in local super markets because they are extremely fatty and unhealthy for our bodies and aren’t worth the money spent on them. The Western food culture is being rejected due to diseases people gain by eating Western food such on a day to day basis such as obesity and diabetes from the entire sugar, fat, and calorie intake and the lack of interest in vegetables. There is a large population of people who are not eating healthy foods and would rather eat unhealthy processed foods because it tastes good and it’s quick to make. The Western Culture also don’t make an effort to go to local farmers markets to spend extra money on healthy foods but much would rather processed foods from the nearest supermarket. People will more than likely not listen to this message because many people in the Western culture aren’t willing to pay extra for top quality food and won’t find anything wrong with what they are eating on a day to day basis. There will be the odd few that will agree with Michael Pollan but many will find it difficult to switch onto all healthy foods and they won’t be willing to give up that delicious sugary, fatty, and salty processed food which is also not very costly.

            “Not too much” Pollan realises that most of our problems with lack of healthy food being consumed and purchased is to do with quantity as appose to quality. The more processed food we consume the higher our weight will be and the more likely we will become to having health problems such as obesity. We are eating a larger portion of food for every sitting than we used to years ago and were doing so because all of the processed junk food isn’t costly and it’s easy. Pollan says try not to snack in between main meals to prevent over eating and if you do go for something light and nutritious such as a banana. One way of stopping us from having too big of portions is to adapt other countries traditions at meal time such as not eating to the point of complete fullness but eat until you are almost full. A way of not eating too much is stopping yourself from eating anywhere but at your table as appose to a desk, a car, or in front of the tv that way when you are for instance in front of a tv you won’t have the urge to snack. “For people prone to overeating, communal meals tend to limit consumption, if only because we're less likely to stuff ourselves when others are watching.” Says Pollan (pg192) to prevent you from over eating try preventing yourself from eating alone because when you eat with people you are immune to eating less food because you are self-conscious about how much you eat. The more you see and the more that is physically available to you will affect the amount you eat. “The closer the bowl of M&Ms, the more of them we eat.” (pg193) Pollan suggests that you follow the Japan’s ways and stop eating when you are 80 percent full because the brain does not allow the stomach to know it is full until after 20 minutes. Also when you have a smaller portion of food eat it at a slower pace so that the stomach has time to digest the food and this will cause you to become fuller faster therefore not eating as much. Pollan is suggesting that we reject eating large portions of unhealthy foods, to stop ourselves from eating alone because we are then more likely to gorge ourselves rather than eat until we are reasonably full. Also he rejects that the we will eat more when things are physically available to us so if there is chips for example beside you while watching tv you will constantly continue to eat the chips.  No I don’t believe that the message Pollan is trying to send to everyone will not make an impact on most of the western community because most don’t have the time or care to change their eating habits especially in front of the television or when they become bored.

            “Mostly plants” More than half of your diet should be of plants such as grains, beans, nuts and so on because plants consist of antioxidants which are needed to help “stimulate the liver to produce the enzymes that are necessary to break down the antioxidant itself, enzymes that, once produced, go on to break down other compounds” (pg163) Antioxidants also help detoxify harmful chemicals in our body and therefore the more plants we consume the more we are protecting out body from harmful chemicals. “There are literally scores of studies demonstrating that a diet rich in vegetables and fruits reduces the risk of dying from all the Western diseases.” (pg164) This shows that the more plants we eat the healthier and safer we will be from eating all of the processed foods. It’s been shown that countries that eat mostly fruits and vegetables, the rate of cancer is half of what it is in the Western culture so therefore making vegetables and fruits a large part of our diet is crucial for our overall body health. The contemporary food cultures that Pollan is rejecting that the Western culture does not consume enough fruits and vegetables on a day to day basis. He does not approve of the lack of effort of consuming the fresh plants. This food culture eats too much processed food including processed and unnatural fruits and vegetables because they last longer periods of time but is not healthy for you to be consuming and it doesn’t make up for the lack of fresh plants you don’t eat. This is not a message that the Western food culture will listen to because they many will choose to buy artificial fruits and vegetables because of the convenience of them and they last a lot longer than fresh plants. Many people are so immune to having the processed fruits and vegetables and grain products that having fresh farm grown products won’t taste good therefore they won’t spend the extra money on them.

            Furthermore “eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Is a very simple and profound 7 word statement because it quickly describes all the components you are supposed to have or need to live a healthy life. It explains to you how to change your eating habits if you are not eating right and gives you key points as to prevent health issues in your future by eating healthy and farm grown, organic food. This statement changes the way you will view food and our food culture.