Guatemala

UNIVERSIDAD MESOAMERICANA Quetzaltenango,Thursday October 13, 2011.

Teacher: Lennert Rohde. INGLES II Research topic:

NUTRITION

Students: Jaqueline Raquel Schaeffer Pineda. Raquel Martínez Castro. Analilian Waleska, Galindo Santiago. Raynnier Pablo, Batres.

NUTRITION
Eating a nutritious, well balanced diet is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce the risk of heartdisease, cancer and other health disorders. Good nutrition is to eat a variety of foods, limiting consumption of certain foods and beverages and control the amount of food and calories you eat. A balanced diet helps to reduce cardiovascular risk by reducing both cholesterol and blood pressure and weight.

Food and N utrients
The body needs nutrients to function properly. The nutrients arecarbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. The body gets these nutrients from food. Carbohydrates Proteins Fats Vitamins Minerals and trace elements Salt (sodium chloride) Omega-3 fatty acids or “fish oil” How to read food labels What you can do (Check your food) Calculator Body Mass Index (BMI) Healthy snacks and food tips for the holidays They are always numerous articles on food andnutrition in the news. Many of these items make it difficult to know what is or should not eat. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), there is no single recommended diet. Instead, the AHA has developed a set of guidelines that take into account that people need a variety of food and some have specific health problems make it necessary to limit consumption of certain foods. If you think noteating a balanced diet, if you have health problems or if you want to implement major changes in your diet, talk to your doctor or dietitian can help you establish a nutrition plan for you. T he Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Social Services have changed their recommendations regarding healthy eating. The new recommendations, known as “Power Guidelines forAmericans 2010” emphasize balancing calories with physical activity and encourage people to eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nonfat dairy products or low fat and seafood. They also recommend eating less sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, added sugars and refined grains.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main source of calories in a balanced diet. The body converts carbohydrates intoglucose which is a type of sugar. The body uses some of this glucose immediately for energy and excess glucose is converted into a sugar called “glycogen”. The body stores glycogen in the liver and muscles for future use. Glycogen can be quickly converted into glucose to meet the needs of the organism. When the body has made enough glycogen stores glucose as fat remaining. Sugars and starches arecarbohydrates. Sugars are simple carbohydrates are also called “mono” or “simple sugars”. The most common form of simple sugar is glucose. When several glucose molecules together, they form larger molecules called “complex carbohydrates”. Starches and fiber are examples of complex carbohydrates. Most carbohydrates are in the form of starchy foods such as cereals, potatoes or other starchy vegetables.Another common source of starch in the diet are refined grains like white bread and pasta. Starches can also be added to foods to thicken or stabilize. In general, sugars and starches that are added to foods add calories, but do not provide essential nutrients. While most people consume adequate amounts of total carbohydrates, consume too many added sugars and refined grains and do not eat enoughSugars
The sugars or simple carbohydrates, provide the body a quick source of energy because it can be used immediately. Refined sugars and brown, syrup and honey are examples of sugars. Sugars added to foods such as candy and soft drinks provide more calories than nutrients. According to the “Guidelines for Americans Power 2010” should reduce the amount of calories from added sugars. It is...