Download There are three basic categories of molecules that our bodies use

HOW FOOD AFFECTS THE BODY
MSA Nutrition Education
R.Whiting
Are you really what you eat?
A. Food sources – eating what you like
while making healthy choices; using
moderation to your advantage
B. Vitamins & minerals – getting what you need
can also be getting what you want!
C. Food processing 101 – basic digestive system
D. Learn how food affects your brain – improve
how you think & feel
There are three basic categories of
molecules that our bodies use from food
Carbohydrates – energy that fuels bodily functions;
make ATPs that help you walk, talk, wink, blink,
think… This is what our bodies are currently
designed to run on.
Proteins* – build structures (muscle, hair) or make
enzymes, hormones, and antibodies
Fats* – dissolve vitamins, act as insulation and
protection; emergency fuel stores that your body
turns to in the event of starvation
* Your body will make carbs out of proteins & fats if necessary!
Glucose = the molecule
that our body craves for
energy & doing work
CARBS: breads, potatoes, rice, pasta, bran, and
cereals *Easiest way to yield glucose  ATPs
PROTEINS: meats, nuts, beans, grains, meats,
and dairy and dairy products
FATS: unsaturated (good), saturated (not good),
trans-fats (altered/not good)
Find foods from each group that you like!
Vitamins and Minerals
You should get these from foods, not pills, particularly
if you have a good, balanced diet (pay attention
during the “choose-my-plate” presentation!).
Pick some fruits and vegetables of every color that
you do like—and eat some of these every day.
What should you choose to eat?
Eating a variety of foods is the best way to get all the
vitamins and minerals you need, as well as the right
balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and calories.
Whole or unprocessed foods — like fresh fruits and
vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean
meats, fish, and poultry — are the best choices for
providing the nutrients your body needs to stay
healthy and grow properly.
Complex carbohydrates – like whole wheat breads and
pastas, starchy vegetables and fruits – will break
down more slowly in your system and not cause your
blood sugar to drop.
Complex carbohydrates versus Simple Sugars
“Eating complex carbohydrates is good; eating sugar is bad.”
You may even have felt this in your own body.
The following quote from The Yale Guide to Children's Nutrition explains why:
• If complex carbohydrates are broken down to monosaccharides in the intestines
before they are absorbed into the bloodstream, why are they better than refined
sugar or other di- or mono-saccharides? To a great extent it has to do with the
processes of digestion and absorption. Simple sugars require little digestion, and
when a child eats a sweet food, such as a candy bar or a can of soda, the glucose
level of the blood rises rapidly. In response, the pancreas secretes a large amount
of insulin to keep blood glucose levels from rising too high. This large insulin
response in turn tends to make the blood sugar fall to levels that are too low 3 to 5
hours after the candy bar or can of soda has been consumed. This tendency of
blood glucose levels to fall may then lead to an adrenaline surge, which in turn can
cause nervousness and irritability... The same roller-coaster ride of glucose and
hormone levels is not experienced after eating complex carbohydrates or after
eating a balanced meal because the digestion and absorption processes are much
slower.
Food is processed via a one-way tube
within our bodies:
See video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08VyJOEcDos
• Nutrients begin to break down in the mouth, then in
the stomach, and finally in the small intestine.
• Absorption of nutrients occurs in the small intestine.
• Water and minerals are absorbed in the large intestine.
Label the digestive system
using these terms:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
a. Liver
b. Rectum
c. Stomach
d. Mouth
e. Anus
f. Salivary glands
g. Small intestine
h. Gall bladder
i. Pancreas
j. Esophagus
k. Large intestine (colon)
How’d you do?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
d. Mouth
f. Salivary glands
h. Gall bladder
a. Liver
i. Pancreas
g. Small intestine
j. Esophagus
c. Stomach
k. Large intestine (colon)
b. Rectum
e. anus
How Food Affects the Brain
Credit: Dreamstime
Feed your Brain!
The brain accounts for 2 percent of our body
weight but sucks down roughly 20 percent of
our daily calories. It needs glucose, but of a
certain kind and in the right doses.
• It's common to resolve to lose weight, but any
sane person dreads a diet's dulling effect on the
brain.
• In fact, many studies have shown that counting
calories, carbs or fat grams, is truly distracting —
to the point that it taxes short-term memory. But
how we eat can affect our minds at more
fundamental levels, too.
• Check out these eight (8) brain-builders:
• whiting - brain foods.docx
EAT WELL,
BE WELL!