"Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life."
Study of the relationship between diet and health.
Macronutrients: Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are the three main types of macronutrients that our bodies require for optimal health and performance. Understanding the role of each in the body is critical for creating a balanced diet.
Micronutrients: Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients that the body requires in small amounts. These essential substances help regulate bodily functions and prevent disease.
Digestion and absorption: The process by which our bodies break down food and absorb nutrients is critical for understanding how the food we eat impacts our health.
Caloric needs and energy balance: Understanding how many calories our bodies require and how to maintain an appropriate energy balance is essential for maintaining a healthy weight and preventing chronic diseases.
The role of water in the body: Water is essential for optimal health and plays a vital role in digestion, circulation, and regulation of body temperature.
The impact of dietary choices on disease prevention: A diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein has been found to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Dietary restrictions and considerations: Some people may have dietary restrictions or require special considerations due to medical conditions, allergies, or lifestyle choices.
Food labeling and nutrition information: Understanding how to interpret food labels and nutrition information is essential for making informed dietary choices.
The role of genetics in nutrition: A person’s genetics can play a role in how their body processes and metabolizes certain foods, which can impact their nutritional needs.
Sports nutrition and performance: Athletes have unique nutritional needs that must be met to optimize performance and recovery.
The impact of environmental factors on nutrition: Environmental factors such as access to healthy food, food insecurity, and food deserts can impact a person’s ability to maintain a healthy diet.
The impact of cultural and societal beliefs on nutrition: Cultural and societal beliefs about food and nutrition can influence dietary choices and impact health outcomes.
The impact of stress on nutrition: Chronic stress can impact dietary choices and have negative effects on health.
Nutritional supplements: Understanding the role and efficacy of nutritional supplements is important for making informed decisions about their use.
Mediterranean Diet: Based on the eating patterns of people in Mediterranean countries, this diet emphasizes plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. It also includes moderate amounts of fish, poultry, and dairy, with limited consumption of red meat.
Paleo Diet: This diet aims to mimic the eating habits of our Paleolithic ancestors. It involves consuming whole, unprocessed foods such as grass-fed meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, and nuts, while avoiding processed foods, grains, and dairy.
Keto Diet: A high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that aims to put the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This diet typically involves consuming high amounts of fatty foods such as meat, fish, avocados, and oils, while limiting carbohydrate-rich foods like grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables.
Vegan Diet: This diet excludes all animal products and focuses on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts. It can be challenging to get enough protein on a vegan diet, which is why many vegans opt for protein-rich foods like tofu and tempeh.
Atkins Diet: Another high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, the Atkins diet involves consuming primarily protein and fat while limiting carbohydrates. It has been shown to be effective for short-term weight loss, but there are concerns about the long-term health effects of consuming such high amounts of fat.
DASH Diet: Developed to lower blood pressure, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet emphasizes whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy. It also limits sodium intake and discourages processed foods and sugar.
Whole 30: A 30-day nutritional reset that eliminates all processed foods, added sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, and dairy. The emphasis is on whole, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood to reduce inflammation in the body.
Intermittent Fasting: Rather than a diet plan, intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating that involves alternating periods of fasting with periods of normal eating. There are several different methods, but the most popular include 16/8 (fasting for 16 hours and eating during an 8-hour window) and the 5:2 plan (eating normally for 5 days a week and severely restricting calorie intake for 2 days).
Plant-Based Whole Food Diet: Similar to a vegan diet, this plan focuses on whole, plant-based foods and eliminates processed foods and animal products, but can include small amounts of minimally processed foods like tofu, tempeh, and seitan.
Zone Diet: Developed by Dr. Barry Sears, the Zone diet involves eating a balanced ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fat at every meal to stabilize blood sugar levels and improve overall health.
"It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures."
"Failure to obtain sufficient nutrients causes malnutrition."
"Nutritional science is the study of nutrition, though it typically emphasizes human nutrition."
"Organisms obtain nutrients by consuming organic matter, consuming inorganic matter, absorbing light, or some combination of these."
"Some can produce nutrients internally by consuming basic elements."
"Some must consume other organisms to obtain pre-existing nutrients."
"All forms of life require carbon, energy, and water as well as various other molecules."
"Animals require complex nutrients such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins."
"Humans obtain complex nutrients by consuming other organisms."
"Humans have developed agriculture and cooking to replace foraging and advance human nutrition."
"Plants acquire nutrients through the soil and the atmosphere."
"Fungi absorb nutrients around them by breaking them down and absorbing them through the mycelium."
"The type of organism determines what nutrients it needs."
"Organisms obtain nutrients by consuming organic matter, consuming inorganic matter, absorbing light, or some combination of these."
"Animals require complex nutrients such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, obtaining them by consuming other organisms."
"All forms of life require carbon, energy, and water as well as various other molecules."
"Humans have developed agriculture and cooking to replace foraging and advance human nutrition."
"Plants acquire nutrients through the soil and the atmosphere."
"Fungi absorb nutrients around them by breaking them down and absorbing them through the mycelium."