632298 Unit 19 nutritional health
Sheika hamed task 1
P1 - Explain how the concepts of nutritional health
Explain what nutritional health means-
Nutritional health is how drinks and food can have an effect on our bodies. Nutrition is the food that
we intake and what our bodies need to support the human health. However, if we have poor
nutrition health it can reduce the human health by reducing its mental and physical development
and immunity. The nutritional substances in food provides energy for the body which is converted to
body tissues. These nutrition's are: fibres, carbohydrates, fats, water, proteins, minerals and
vitamins.
Explain what healthy eating is and what a balanced diet is-
Healthy eating is an intake of food which gives the body the nutrition's it needs. It is important to
choose the correct quantity of food from all groups of the Eatwell plate. It is important that our
balanced diet gives our body all the nutrients it needs to function properly. Which includes five main
groups fruit and vegetables, bread and other cereals, milk and dairy products, food with fat and
sugar, meat and fish. 1
Explain in detail what the Eatwell guide is-
The Eatwell guide is a representation of the different foods that individuals should eat and it
promote healthy eating to everyone. It helps individuals plan a healthy meal and gives individuals a
knowledge on what food they should be eating. It classifies the amount of food in each section of
the Eatwell plate we should eat this will help individuals maintain a balanced healthy diet. 33
percent of the Eatwell plate consists of fruit and vegetables 2 for example, cabbage, strawberries,
bananas, grapes, mushrooms and peppers. They are important in the diet because they are low in
fat and have a lot of nutrients, this will help individuals' bodies to function and protect them from
diseases. It is recommended to eat 5 fruit and vegetable a day. Carbs and starches are 33 percent of
the Eatwell plate3, they consist food such as bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and other starchy foods
which is naturally low in fat. This section is important to have in our meals because carbs provide the
body with energy. It is recommended that we always include carbs and starchy food in our everyday
meals. Another part of Eatwell plate is the dairy section which is 15 percent 4, which consists of milk,
butter, cheese and other dairy stuff. This section of the plate helps provide calcium to build and
maintain our bones. However, diet which includes too much dairy products can risk individuals
getting high levels of cholesterol in the blood, heart attack or a stroke. 12 percent of the Eatwell
plate consists of protein for example. 5Meats, fish, eggs and beans. Protein is important to our diet
as they are the building block of bones, skin, cartilage, blood and muscles. It is important for
individuals to aim for 2 portions of fish every week and one should be an oily fish like mackerel or
salmon.6 The Eatwell plate also recommends that we include a 7 percent of sugars and fats into our
diets. 7This includes food such as, chocolate, crisp, rich sauces, pastry. These are the food which
gives individuals a lot of calories and that why individuals should have a small intake of this type of
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Unit 19 text book.pdf (cadcol.ac.uk) - chapter 19 page 466
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Unit 19 text book.pdf (cadcol.ac.uk) - chapter 19 page 466
3
Unit 19 text book.pdf (cadcol.ac.uk) - chapter 19 page 466
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Unit 19 text book.pdf (cadcol.ac.uk) - chapter 19 page 466
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Unit 19 text book.pdf (cadcol.ac.uk) - chapter 19 page 466
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The Eatwell Guide - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
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Unit 19 text book.pdf (cadcol.ac.uk) - chapter 19 page 467
,632298 Unit 19 nutritional health
Sheika hamed task 1
food. Therefore, these are not needed in our healthy diet and should be eaten in small amounts or
less often.
Explain what malnutrition, undernutrition, obesity and overweight-
Malnutrition is a condition where the body doesn’t receive the correct amount of nutrients to allow
it to function properly, this can include under nutrition or over nutrition. Under nutrition is due to
the absence of calories or essential nutrients in the diet. This can be resulted because of a poor diet
or a condition where nutrients cannot be digested from the diet, such as ulcerative colitis this is a
condition that makes food pass quickly through the digestive tract before the nutrients can be
absorbed in to the bloodstreams. An example of an undernutrition, underweight is individual whose
body mass index is lower than 18.5. overweight is individuals who are greater weight to height ratio.
If you have a body mass index that is equal or greater than 25 then you are considered as
overweight.8 This can have many impacts on your health such was type 2 diabetes, high blood
pressure and arthritis risks. Obesity is individuals with a lot of body fat and have a mass index equal
or greater than 30.9 There are a lot of risks to obesity such as coronary heart disease, stokes and
cancer. Obesity can take 9 years off your life span.
Explain how the way we process and prepare food can affect its nutritional value-
The way we prepare and process food can have an impact on our nutritional value. The nutritional
value can be affected by the way we prepare our food as raw vegetables has a high nutritional level
than cooked vegetables as some vitamins can be lost. Food is canned without air to prevent aerobic
bacteria, this method can retain proteins and carbohydrates however, vitamin c and b are lost.
Freezing food after harvest don’t need preservatives and vitamins and antioxidants are retained
however, ready meals can be addictive and high in sugar and salt. Vacuum packed is when air is
removed from the package, it can last 2-3 weeks, however it is high in salt content. UHT is when
food is sterilised by heating which kills bacteria and spores making it last for 6 to 9 months however
the taste of the food can be affected. Pasteurisation has no negative effects; it is when food is
heated to 73C and makes the food last longer. Additives are substances that is added to food which
improves the flavour, colour and taste however some people can have a reaction to it. Curing is
preserved food using salt, sodium or potassium nitrite which increases the shelf time however the
salt content in it is high which can cause health risks. Jams and preserves are fruits that are boiled
with sugar it dehydrates the bacteria to prevent the fruit from rotting however it has a bit of
nutritional value because the vitamins are destroyed from the heating. Smoking food can inhabit the
growth of bacteria; however, it produces chemicals which can be linked to cancer. 10
Explain what self-prescribed health supplements and genetically modified foods-
Food supplements are sold in dose form and are intended to add to, not replace, the normal
diet.11 An example of this is mineral and protein tablets. To maintain a balanced diet, it is
important to include all the nutrients that the body needs. Individuals can find it hard to
consume the correct amount of minerals this could be from allergies or medical conditions
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Unit 19 text book.pdf (cadcol.ac.uk) - chapter 19 page 467
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Unit 19 text book.pdf (cadcol.ac.uk) - chapter 19, page 468, table 19.1
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The Food Supplements (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (legislation.gov.uk) - food supplements
regulations
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Food, genetically modified (who.int)
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Sheika hamed task 1
which makes them unable to consume it or they could be fussy eaters. Food supplements can
benefit individuals like this and can also benefit females who have heavy periods and need iron.
Genetically modified is when the DNA in food of the cells make up the food that has been
altered.12 genetic modification is used to produce a lot of crops in developing populations, it is
also used to remove pests which decreases the exposure of the farm workers to them. some are
genetically modified so the crops last longer or to make them more nutritious as it increases
vitamin A in the crops.
P2: – Explain the sources of essential nutrients and their functions in the
body.
Carbohydrates-
Carbohydrate is needed in the body to create energy for the body to function as cells need nutrients
to function and the brain need energy to send messages across your body and to replace cells which
is called basal metabolism. Sugars can be found in milk, fruit, carrots, honey and wheat. Having a lot
of sugar in your diet can increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart diseases. However, if
we lack sugar in our body, it can cause low blood sugar which can release stress hormone, therefore
you start to become dizzy, tired, ill, hunger, shakiness. It can also cause hypoglycaemia and the body
starts to burn fat for energy. This can cause ketosis.
Starch is a type of carbohydrate which is made of a big number of hydrogens, oxygen and carbon.
Starch is usually found in bread, rice, cereals and potatoes. Starch is a source of energy which is
released slowly which make energy last long. They also contain iron, vitamins and fibres. Starch is a
polysaccharide which can be broken into glucose to provide energy. Non starch polysaccharides are
also needed for a healthy diet as they are essential for digestion and elimination. However, if the
body lacks in starch it starts to effect it by causing dry skin, fatty food craving, depression and weak
muscles.
Proteins-
Protein is needed for the body for growth and repair which is needed for injuries and for children.
Protein is made from amino acids and 20 amino acids makeup a polypeptide. We have 9 essential
amino acids which come from the food we eat. Which includes food such as eggs, cheese, fish, meat
and milk.13 The rest are called no essential amino acids which comes from our body. Proteins benefit
the body as all tissues in the body have protein like our bones. They are also used in all activities in
our body like muscles contraction and sending messages though our nerves. Protein helps improve
muscle mass by building or maintaining it, weight management- helps individuals feel full, stabilises
blood sugar levels, promotes healthy brain function and learning, maintain strong bones and slow
aging.14 Protein intake is according to size, gender, age and how active individuals are. When the
body doesn’t receive the correct amount of protein the body needs then individuals will have an
increased risk of infections and illnesses, swelling in the leg, high blood pressure if pregnant, wound
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Unit 19 text book.pdf (cadcol.ac.uk) - page 466
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Unit 19 text book.pdf (cadcol.ac.uk) chapter 19 page 474
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The Benefits of Eating Protein - BodyUK
