INTERNATIONAL NUTRITIONAL CONCERNS

Nutritional concerns in the United States are centered on over nutrition, including fat density and excessive caloric intake.  In contrast, in many areas of the world the main concern is the limited quantity and quality of food.  Reasons for these problems are many, including the...

NUTRITION AND THE OLDER ADULT

Nutritional needs change as adult age.  Age-related changes to the structure and function of the body are primarily responsible for such altered nutritional requirements.  These changes can involve the teeth, salivary glands, taste buds, oral muscles, gastric acid production, and peristaltic...

FOOD ALLERGIES

There is a difference between being intolerant to certain foods and being allergic to particular foods.  Food intolerance means that a food upsets your intestines, usually due to enzymes deficiency.  A lactose deficiency, for example, causes lactose intolerance.  Lactose...

VEGETARIAN DIETS

A vegetarian diet relies on plant sources for all or most of the nutrients needed by the body.  This approach includes a range of diets from those that allow some animal sources of nutrients to those that exclude all animal sources.  Studies show that vegetarians who eat a balanced diet...

DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS

Aim for healthy weight. Exercise at least 30 minutes each day. Make food choices based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture food pyramid diagram Eat a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables da...

FOOD SAFETY

Technological advances in food manufacture and processing have done much to assure that the food we eat is fresh and safe.  Yet there is growing concern that certain recent developments may also produce harmful effects on humans.  For example, the preparation, handling, and storage of...

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

In 2000 it was estimated that Americans spent 17 billion dollars on a wide array of over-the-counter (OTC) products known collectively as dietary supplements.  These nonprescription products are legally described as: ·         Products (other than...

FOOD LABELS

Since 1973, the FDA has required food manufacturers to provide nutritional information (labels) on products to which one or more nutrients have been added or for which some nutritional claim has been made.  Originally, there was concern about whether additional information would be required.  So...

FOOD ADDITIVES

Today many people believe that the food they consume is unhealthy because of the 2,800 generally recognized as safe (GRAS) food additives that can be put into food during production, processing, and preparation.  But should these additives be banned? Food additives refer to substances...

FUNCTIONAL FOODS

At the forefront of healthful nutrition is the identification and development of foods intended to affect a particular health problem or to improve the functional capability of the body.  Functional foods contain not only recognized nutrients but also new or enhanced elements that impart medicine-like properties...

PHYTOCHEMICALS

Certain physiologically active components are believed to deactivate carcinogens or function as antioxidants.  Among these are the carotenoids (from green vegetables), poliphenols (from onions and garlic), indoles (from cruciferous vegetables), and the all1 sulfides (from garlic, chives,...

FAST FOODS

Fast foods deliver a high percentage of their calories from fat, often associated with their method of preparation (e.g., frying in saturated fat).  Fat density is a serious limitation of fast foods.  In comparison with the recommended standard (25% to 30% of total calories from fat),...

HEALTHY PYRAMID ALTERNATIVES

While most of the people are aware of the food pyramid as a guideline for healthy eating, less than 40% of Americans actually follow it.  Dr. Walter Willet has developed what he hopes will be accepted as the new food pyramid as he describe the current one as “built on shaky scientific ground.”...

THE FOOD GROUPS

The most effective ways to take in adequate amounts of nutrients is to eat a balanced diet – one that includes a wide variety of food group.  Over the past several decades, various methods of grouping foods have been used, identifying five, seven, four, and now (again) five food groups from...

TYPES OF NUTRIENTS

Let’s discuss the familiar nutrients first:  carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.  These three nutrients provide our bodies with calories.  Calories are used quickly by our bodies in energy metabolism, or they are stored in the form of glycogen or adipose (fatty) tissue. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates...

UNDERSTANDING YOUR NUTRITION

Healthy eating is important from the prenatal period throughout life, in order to maintain a high level of wellness.  Food provide the body with the nutrients required to produce the energy, repair damaged tissue, promote tissue growth, and regulate psychological processes. Physiologically,...