What is a Dietitian?
Dietitians are qualified to translate scientific information about nutrition and food into practical
dietary advice. Aswell as
... [Show More] this, dietitians also advise about food related problems to treat
diseases and ill health. A lot of dietitians work in the NHS, National Health Service, and may
work in 1 or more specialist areas. For example: diabetes, cancer, children's health, public
health, and renal (kidney failure).
Where to find a registered Dietitian:
You can find a dietitian by contacting your local GP surgery or hospital, healthcare professions
council and by searching for a freelance dietitian on their website (which is run in conjunction
with the British Dietetic Association, BDA)
Why is nutrition important for the human body?
Nutrition has a big impact on our health, regardless of our age. A balanced diet provides the
body with the nutrients and energy it needs to function properly and can reduce our risk of
developing health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. It is vital for maintaining a
healthy weight and helps us hold off colds and infections.
Concepts on Food Nutrition
It is safe to say that having healthy foods keep you healthy whereas eating unhealthy foods
make you unhealthy. Having a good nutrition is what makes you stay healthy and keeping you
happier than you would by eating unhealthy foods as is it is scientifically shown that nutrients in
food can promote the production of your body’s feel-good chemicals: serotonin and dopamine.
Serotonin regulates your mood and promotes sleep. Low serotonin is associated with
depression, although it’s not known whether it causes depression or depression causes it.
Dopamine manages motivation, attention and emotional reward. The satisfaction you feel when
accomplishing a goal is partly due to a dopamine rush. Low dopamine is associated with loss of
interest.
Most nutrients do their best work in the body when teamed with other nutrients. For example,
if you're feeling sick in the morning and don’t feel like eating anything, you can have a glass of
milk and a teaspoon of honey with it to give you the nutrients for the morning.
1Aram Mohammed Unit 19 Nutritional Health Task 1
No food, by itself, has all the nutrients needs for full growth and health. All persons, throughout
life, have need for the same nutrients but in varying amounts due to the difference in size, sex,
activates they do and their lifestyle. The way food is handles influences the amount of nutrients
in food, its safety, appearance, and taste. Handling means everything that happens to then food
while it is being grown, processed, stored and prepared for eating.
Different countries and religions may or will have different diets as their religion may not allow
them to eat certain foods. For example, Muslims are not allowed to eat pig as it is forbidden in
the Quran. This will decrease cancer cases in Asia as having a lot of red meat, especially when
its processed, can cause cancer. Red meat includes beef, lamb and mutton, pork, veal, venison
and goat, however, it does not include chicken, turkey, duck, goose, game birds and rabbit.
Red meat, such as beef, lamb and pork, is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and
can form part of a balanced diet. But eating a lot of red and processed meat probably increases
your risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer. That's why it's recommended that people who eat more
than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat per day cut down to 70g, as this could help
reduce your risk of bowel cancer. Other healthier lifestyle choices, such as maintaining a healthy
weight, keeping active and not smoking can also reduce your risk of bowel cancer.
What does processed meat mean?
Processed means refers to meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding
preservatives which include: sausages, bacon, ham, deli meats such as salami, pates, canned
meat such as corned beef and sliced luncheon meats, including those made from chicken and
turkey.
6Aram Mohammed Unit 19 Nutritional Health Task 1
Eat Well Plate
The eat well plate shows a proportion of how much of what food you should be eating to have a healthy
diet.
Fruit and Vegetables
The green section (fruit and veg) is one of the most important food group as they are a good source of
vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C and potassium. They're a great source of dietary fibre,
which can help to maintain a healthy gut and prevent constipation and other digestion problems. A diet
high in fibre can also reduce your risk of bowel cancer. They can help to reduce your risk of heart disease,
stroke and some types of cancer. Theres a wide range of fruit and veg to choose from so some for you
may taste delicious and they contribute to a healthy, balanced diet.
Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta (and other starchy foods)
Starchy foods are also one of the most important food group as they are a good source of energy and the
main source of a range of nutrients in our diet. As well as starch, they contain fibre, calcium, iron and B
vitamins. Some people think starchy foods are fattening however, they contain fewer than half the
calories of fat but keep a look out for the added fats you use when you cook and serve them as this will
increase the calorie content.
Milk and dairy foods
The milk and dairy foods group is important in our diet as these foods provide calcium which we need
for strong and healthy teeth and bones. Milk, cheese, and yogurt are a good example of food that fit in
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