Introduction to Basic Food

Nutrition

Introduction to Nutrition

Nutrition is a vital component to overall wellness and health. Diet affects energy, well being and many disease states. There is a connection between lifetime nutritional habits and the risks of many chronic diseases such as cardio vascular diseases, diabetes, cancer.

A well balanced diet can prevent such conditions and improve energy levels and over all health and wellness. The basis of nutrition is food definition of terms:

1) Nutrition – is the study of food in relation to health.

2) Food – is any substance when ingested or eaten nourishes the body.

3) Nutrient – is a chemical component needed by the body to provide energy, to build and repair tissues and to regulate life process.

4) Digestion – it is a mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller components.

5) Absorption – it is a process where the nutrients from foods are absorb by the body into the blood streams.

6) Metabolism – is a chemical process of transforming foods into other substance to sustain life.

7) Enzymes – an organic catalyst that are protein in nature and are produced by living cells. A catalyst speeds up or slows down chemical reactions without itself undergoing change.

8) Nutritional Status – is the condition of the body resulting from the utilization of essential nutrients.

9) Calorie – fuel potential in a food. One calorie represents the amount of heat required to raise one liter of water one degree Celsius.

10) Malnutrition – It is the condition of the body resulting from a lack of one or more essential nutrients or due to excessive nutrient supply.