Vitamin C: This is a component of our immune system, it also necessary for collagen the main structural protein found in connective tissue. A healthy dose if vitamin C will protect our body from infection and maintain healthy bones and teeth as well as quicken the body’s ability to repair wounds you can get vitamin C in foods such as citrus fruit, green vegetables, potatoes and peppers. If an individual does not get enough vitamin C then they could become ill with scurvy, their teeth would fall out and old scar tissue can open up and start bleeding, a individual would also may look pale and could feel depressed.
Vitamin D: The main function for Vitamin D is that it is needed for calcium for bones without it children can suffer from rickets, bowlegs, soft bones, pain and muscular weakness. You can get Vitamin D from eating fortified cereals, oily fish, eggs, and margarine. Without Vitamin you can suffer from severe muscular pain ad it enables immune functions and the function of the muscles. If individuals don’t get enough Vitamin D they can develop weak muscles, hearing loss, muscles spasms, weight gain/obesity and allows infections to enter the brain. If individuals have too much Vitamin D they would develop poor appetite, weight loss, and a change in blood calcium levels causing changes in mental status such as confusion.
Calcium: This is important for strong bones and teeth and it is especially important for children and young adults to have this mineral. Also an effective amount intake of calcium can prevent many cancers such as ovarian and breast cancer. Individuals can get Calcium from foods such as milk, cheese, yogurts, broccoli, Soya beans and bread.
Iron: This is a mineral that is essential for good health; it forms part of our haemoglobin the pigment that gives our blood its dark red colour. Iron help transport oxygen to the cells, it is also important for muscles protein and traces of it occur in our liver, bone marrow, and muscles. Iron deficiency can cause anaemia, lethargic and constipation. Individuals can get iron from foods such as red meat, green leafy vegetables, spinach, liver, fish, nuts, and eggs
Sodium: This is vital component of nerves as it stimulates muscle concentration. Sodium also helps to keep calcium and other minerals soluble in the blood as well as stimulates the odrenal glands. High sodium levels can cause high blood pressure sodium aids in preventing heat prostration o sunstroke. Too little Sodium in the diet disturbs the tissue and acid base balance that is important to good nutritional status. Individuals can get Sodium from eating foods such as salt, fish and bacon.
Fruit & Vegetables: This gives individual’s fibre and important vitamins and minerals; we should eat at least 3-5 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables every day. Fruit is a good source of vitamins mostly Vitamin C and Folate; it provides carbohydrates, natural sugars mostly in the edible skins. Vegetables are a good source of vitamins mostly vitamins A & C, vegetables come from many different parts of plants, including the leaves, roots, flowers, steams, seeds and the shoots. If individuals do not eat enough fruit and vegetables they can get a weaker immune system and could have semi-constipation.
Dairy: All fluid milk products and many foods made from milk are considered part of this food group. Mostly dairy foods made from milk retain their calcium content are also part of this group. Dairy products is linked to improve health in bones and could reduce the risk of Osteoporosis, the intake is important mostly for children and young adults when bone mass is being built. Individuals can find food products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese in this food group.
Fibre: This is naturally found in plant-based foods such as whole grain, vegetables, and fruit, pulse and seeds. There two types of fibres which are soluble and insoluble fibre; they are both important in a role of our digestive system. The benefits of fibre are that is slow down the breakdown of complex carbohydrates helping to maintain good blood sugar balance. Fibre also can help reduce cholesterol levels by excreting excess cholesterol in stools; moreover it can help with the control of appetite and weight management by bulking foods.
Malnutrition: This is the condition that develops when the body does not get the right amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy issues and organ function. Malnutrition is a serious condition that occurs when a individuals diet does not contain enough nutrients to meet the demands of individuals bodies. This can effect growth, physical health, moods, behaviour and many functions of the body. Individuals’ can also become malnourished if their diet doesn’t contain the right amount of nutrients, it is possible to eat a diet high in calories but contain few vitamins and minerals. This means you become Malnutrition even though individuals might be overweight or obese. Being malnourished does not always mean that you are skinny, some symptoms of malnutrition are:
- Lack of strength or energy to undertake routine activities or poor physical performance
- Lack of energy and breathlessness
- Change to skin and nails
- Inability to concentrate and becoming unusually irritability
- Failure to grow to there expected adult height so they become studded in growth.
Body Mass Index (BMI): Individuals Body Mass Index is calculated on individual’s age, height, and weight. Once calculated it would tell you if you are under weight, average, or underweight. Knowing this about you individuals decide whether individuals want to do something about it. Being underweight has many health issues, such as studded growth, lack of strength, lack of energy, and breathlessness. Being overweight also has its health risks such as coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and stroke.
Dietary Reference Values (DRV): The human body needs a variety of nutrients, this is called the nutrient requirement these are the groups who require DRV’s: Boys & Girls aged 0 – 3 Months, 4 – 6 Mouths, 7 – 9 Months, 10 – 12 Months, 1 – 3 Years, 4 – 6 Years, 7 – 10 Years. Males ages 11 – 14 Years 15 – 18 Years 19 – 50 Years, and 50+ Years and pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNI): An estimate used as part of DRV in the UK as a standard of the amounts of each nutrient needed by different groups of individuals in the population to maintain health. The RVI is defined as an estimate of the levels of Protein, Vitamins & Minerals that should meet the needs of the group to which they apply. The RNI is the amount of a nutrient that is enough to ensure that the needs of the entire group are met.
Eat Well Plate & Food Group: The Eat Well Plate is based on 5 food groups Carbohydrates, Protein, Dairy, Fruit/Vegetable and Fatty Foods. The Eat Well Plate applies to most people whether they are health weight to overweight and whether they eat meat or are a vegetarian. But doesn’t apply to children under the age of 2 because they have different nutritional need, between the ages of 2 -5 children should gradually move to eating the same foods as the rest of the family in the proportion of the Eat Well Plate as babies and toddlers only drinks breast milk/instant formula. Their nutritional needs differ to adults. The Eat Well Plate is a visual representation of how different food contributes towards healthy diet. The Eat Well Plate has been proven to help people maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Food Labelling: This is important process in the Food Labelling process chain and should not be over looked; the label is the first point of the contact between a consumer and the producer. It is used to identify one product from another and also to make a decision over which product to purchase the label is therefore the most important marketing tool for a product. Important points for food labelling are:
- Product Name
- Manufacture name of food labelling
- Date of manufacturing and best before date
- Ingredients
- If product contains nuts, additive’s, wheat, gluten etc.
- If product is vegan/vegetarian approved
Unit 21 P3: Explain Possible Influences on Dietary Intake
Dietary Habits: When I wake up in the morning I very rarely eat breakfast, I have had this habit since I was in primary school, and this is due to me waking up late and getting ready for school and then not having enough time to eat anything. This would affect me by making me feel very tired during the day because of the lack of nutrients in my body. I find it hard to concentrate during the day and I feel as though I have no energy, this is because I am not consuming nutrients to give my body energy. If I continue to do this, it will cause my blood sugar levels to decrease this is called Hypoglycaemia and can cause severe symptoms of dizziness, sweating, being pale and feeling weak. The foods individuals usually have for breakfast are toast, porridge and cereal, these foods are high in carbohydrates and protein; they provide energy for the body and help within the physical growth of the body. Another dietary habit I have is drinking coffee; this is a very unhealthy thing to do because coffee contains a lot of caffeine, when I drink coffee while I skipping a meal it takes away my hungry, this is very unhealthy because I am replacing nutrients that’s should be in my body with sugar and caffeine. Having too much sugar in my body can lead to getting type 2 diabetes, drinking too many caffeine drinks, as a result of this I cannot sleep at night this is due to the energy drinks containing caffeine which is a drug and this affect central nervous system to increase the body’s alertness and the flow of faster thoughts, this causes restlessness and can lead to anxiety. When the body costumes too much caffeine to can lead to high blood pressure can affect the heart. With coffee not making me feel hungry and keeping me awake all night it leads to my body not having the nutrients I need to
Lifestyle: With going I college three days a week, on the day I have college I rarely eat breakfast so for a few hours has little amount of energy which makes me feel tired and affects my concentration. I don't get the nutrients from breakfast meals such as toast and cereals so my body doesn't get enough fibre and carbohydrates on the eat well plate it shows that most of our diet should consist of carbohydrates. At college I have 30mins break so I would usually have cereal bars and water, which makes me feel hydrated and helps me to concentrate better. College is surrounded by fast food plates which tempers me to eat fast food, this means it would make my body feel lazy, too fuel and want to eat dinner quiet late, this is unhealthy because meals eaten after 6:00pm are stored in the body as fat ad if I have too fat in my body it can lead to obesity. I also don't have any snacks I between which means my body is not having any nutrients to refuel my body. Due to being busy during the week my body does not get enough nutrients but it does get a lot of water but not many carbohydrates or protein, however on weekdays I do manage to eat 3 meals a day and snacks I start my day which lunch which contains the right amount of carbohydrates. I eat a lot of vegetables with my dinner, which increases my intake of vitamin and minerals.
Economic: When coming to college I have £5 to spend every day I spend £2 on break, which leaves me with £3 for lunch meal. At lunch I would sometimes get hungry if I didn't have lunch money. At lunch I go to Tesco and have sandwich which contains smoked salmon, brown bread, cream cheese and lettuce, this is quiet healthy ad it contains carbohydrates, protein and the lettuce contains vitamins and minerals. I feel though £3 is enough for a meal but on day when I don't have enough money I would just buy £1.50 chips obviously due to the grease and fat and my body does not get the nutrients it needs.
Socio-cultural: In my household I have been brought up to have mainly home cooked meals during the week which consist of vegetables ad fish or Quern which means my body gets a good intake of vitamins and minerals. The means I often prepare contain many species herbs and chilli, which is good for the body because chillies contain vitamins that help the blood vessels, the skin and organs in the body. I also eat pizza puttanesca often for my meals in the week, the pasta contains carbohydrates which I need for energy, the fish gives me protein which would also give me energy and the spinach would give me iron, vitamins and minerals. In my household we don't buy fizzy drinks we only drink squash, herbal tea and water hitch is healthier way of my body getting the right amount of sugar. Fridays are often days we have take out in our house on this day I usually eat greasy foods which contains a lot of fats, these provide my body with energy and amino acids that my body needs and cannot make itself, these amino acids help build the muscles and red blood class in the body.
Education: I know what I need to eat to have a healthy balanced diet I try to follow the eat well plate and use it to determine what I am going to eat during the day. I know it is very unhealthy to not eat anything in the morning for breakfast, so even though I don't have enough time I do try to quickly eat something that won't take long to eat like a piece of melon, a biscuits which contains carbohydrates my body needs for energy.
Social Polices: Affect my diet because I don’t follow them instead I eat at a take away so even if the college was serving nutritional food I don’t eat it but I properly should so my body can get the right nutrients it needs and I will not consume as much fat in the body can lead to heart problems although if I did follow social polices I would be eating more fruit and vegetables which will be good for my nutrition because my body will get the vitamins and minerals it needs. Every child matters makes sure all children have a nutrition meal at whatever school they attend because due to the economy that can be the only nutritional meal they can get because nutritional food is expensive for some parents. Due to social polices such as National Standards Schools should serve nutritional meals which have not have been deep fried and have bread available because deep fried food is very unhealthy due to the saturated fat in some oils eating fried foods makes individuals feel full quickly and bread is full of carbohydrates and nutrients which will give children energy throughout the day schools should also serve fresh water and no fizzy drinks or confectionary because having too much sugar can make children hyper active and can lead to tooth decay. At college they serve out fruit but I do not enjoy eating fruit so I don’t really buy it and this means my body doesn’t get enough vitamins and minerals that it needs from fresh fruits and not having enough vitamins can lead to problems with the body’s organs especially the brain.
Unit 21 M1: Discuss similarities and differences in the nutritional and energy requirements of 2 groups of individual.
Pregnant Women/Breast feeding Women: It is important for pregnant women to understand what kind of food is best for them and their baby as it will fully protect the health of the mother and provide optimal growth and development of their unborn baby. In the first half of pregnancy nutrition requirements mainly concern while in the second half quality is also an issue to ensure the babies growth. Proper nutritional habits should already be established at the start of this second life if possible even before conception to ensure development as well as growth, health and functioning of the uterus as well as the placenta. A daily increase of 150 calories in food consumption is recommend at the start of a mothers pregnancy which should eventually reach a extra 250 calories a day by the end of pregnancy the average weight gained is between 9-12kg although there is a natural variation between individuals. With over weight women it would be less while thinner women may gain more however pregnant women require more protein, vitamins A, C, D and B Vitamins and also folic acid throughout pregnancy.
Calcium: Is very important for the mother and the foetus throughout the pregnancy allowing the baby bone and teeth formation when its skeletal growth reaches its peak in the last 3 months the foetus draws on the mothers food storage this is when the consumption of high calcium containing foods such as milk and milk products must be increased since calcium will damage the mothers teeth and makes her bones brittle.
Iron: The demand for iron essential for food formation is also increased during pregnancy because the mothers blood volume increase and the foetus red blood cells have to be developed. Iron is found in food such meat, fish, egg, yolk, wholegrain products and vegetables.
Folic Acid: This vitamin supports the development of the babies central nervous system and prevents developmemental defects of the neutral tube folic acid is found in food such as vegetables, wheat germ, tropical fruits and in egg yolk additional folic acid intake is necessary in the months before pregnant and during the first stages
Adolescence:
Unit 21 M2: Assess how influences on dietary intake many affect the nutrition health of individual
Factors that could influence what people eat include could be health factors which resist dietary choices as nutritional intake could be underlying health condition such as lactose intolerance where dairy products within the diet is restricted so the person will have to get calcium from other products like fish and also use alternatives for milk like Soya or rice milk. The person could have a food allergy like that nut allergy so this means they can't eat products that contains bits nuts or traces of nuts. Dietary habits can influence on the times the person eats food because they won't have consistent meal times and are eating all different times of the day. Snacking could be another actor because they may get bored waiting for food to cook as decided to snack this could lead to putting on weight also food availability if try live in and area this is surrounded by take away rather than cook as it is easier. This fits in to lifestyle the person might not live near a gym and lib near a deprived area and may not want to go for a run to get exercise they may also go out with friends for social eating/drinking there all have an impact on a person’s health. A persons occupation is a factor is someone has a job that requires sitting at a desk they aren't getting much exercise and gain weight however if their job is being a fitness trainer or a football coach then they will get consistent exercise, the economic climate is a big factor as wages have stayed the same and the price of food and drinks has gone up and access to shop the person may not have a car or the funds spare to get a bus and if their corner shop raises its prices of food then the person will have to pay them as they can't afford to get a bus or a taxi. They may not be able to afford healthy food and processed foods are often cheaper like pizza and microwave meals so it is easier. If a person has cultural beliefs if they are a vegetarian and a vegan this can their dietary choices, as they only want to eat non-meat products/non-animal produce, often these products are more expensive. Education has a big impact on health factors, as many people haven’t been educated on what nutrition labels mean, so they understand what is on food labels. If an individual is lactose intolerant then they won’t be able to eat or drink products that have dairy products within them, and natural sugar that is found in milk it is added to foods they won’t be able to eat cream, cheese, yogurt, biscuits and chocolate and many breakfast cereals. This means that they won’t be getting enough calcium (high dairy products) or magnesium in the diet, this can lead to brittle bones and teeth, and calcium also aids the stopping of blood clots. If a person chooses a lifestyle of living on their own this can have a major impact on their nutritional health because if they live on their own it is easier to have a takeaway or a microwave meal than to cook a portion of food for themselves which requires washing up. It is faster to cook a meal in the microwave or order some foods from the takeaway. It is also more expensive to store food in the fridge which is the person isn’t in a lot due to working then this could mean wasting money on food going off and not getting used when only one person is in. This could lead to a high BML, high cholesterol and lead to a person becoming over weight because they will not be getting a balanced diet or following the eat well plate to stay healthy. There are many ways to reduce negative influences that are impact on a individuals diet if an individual is lactose intolerant they can still have calcium and magnesium this is due to individuals taking substitutes to help with digestion. If an individual smokes and they are smoking instead of eating, then this means that they are not getting a balanced diet or getting all the nutrients the individual’s body needs. As a result of this the individual would have to cut down on smoking and eat more meals when they are hungry instead of replacing meals with cigarettes. A individuals who lives on could also get healthier meals that can be cooked in the oven for a short time, they also could look online on what the traffic light labels means to ensure they are eating microwave meals to check if they are high in energy and low in salt and sugar. If they work shift patterns they should ensure the food that they are providing is healthy and that they don’t just go to the chicken shop because it is easier.
