Nutrition: Human Nutrition and Canadian Standard Fundamentals

First off:
Nutrients are substances found in foods that are known to either play a role in the body, for growth, maintenance, or repair.
Essential Nutrients are substances that must be obtained from the diet. They are: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.
Nutrition is the biological science of nutrients in food and the functions they preform
Malnutrition is any disorder of nutrition or undesirable health status caused by lack of  or excess of nutrients.
Non-essential nutrients are produced by our bodies. For example: cholesterol.

The essential nutrients that are required from our food is:

21 minerals

14 vitamins

8 amino acids ( 10 for children )

2 fatty acids

Some examples of poor nutrition/dietary habits are high sugar intake, lactose intolerant, diabetes, a high intake of coffee/tea, bulimia, or poor vitamin C intake. Nutrition is the foundation of the entire body.


DRI'S (Dietary Reference Intakes) are reference values that can be used in the assessment of an individuals or groups nutrient intakes, the planning of feeding programs, development of nutrition education materials, formation of policy decisions on the fortification of foods and formulation of supplements and special dietary foods.


I'm sure everyone knows this but the 4 food groups are grain products (6-8 servings a day), fruit and vegetables (7-10 servings a day), milk and alternatives (2 servings a day), and meat and alternatives (2-3 servings a day). Unfortunately there is no chips and chocolate category :(.  Together these food groups provide more than 50 nutrients essential for health and growth.


It can be pretty difficult to estimate serving sizes, but using you hand as a guild can help

• A thumb equals 25 g of most cheeses (so 2 thumbs equal a serving)
• A thumb tip equals a teaspoon, and 3 thumb tips equals a tablespoon
• A palm equals a serving of meat, fish, or poultry (that is, without fingers and thumb)
• A fist equals a cup

Use this chart as a reference if a food group is omitted from your diet, to see what key nutrients your actually missing.

Grain Products

• Carbohydrates
• Fibre
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Iron

Vegetables and Fruit

• Carbohydrates
• Fibre
• Folacin
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A

Milk and Alternatives

• Protein
• Fat
• Riboflavin
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Calcium

Meat and Alternatives

• Protein
• Fat
• Niacin
• Vitamin B12
• Iron
• Zinc
• Magnesium

There are six classes of nutrients: 1) Carbohydrates, fats, protein, water, vitamins, and minerals.



1) Carbohydrates (CHO) are the body's preferred energy source (45-65% of energy should come from CHO)

2) Fats are a concentrated source of energy, they provide the essential fatty acids (linoeic, linolenic, and arachidonic), carry fat soluble vitamins A,D,E and K, they give food flavour and provide satiety. It is recommend that 20-35% of a persons energy should be provided by the fat in their diet. The two major classifications of fats are saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are mainly animal origin, but also include hydrogenated vegetable fats found in many processed foods and margarine's.
Hydrogenation is a process of changing a liquid oil (unsaturated fat) into a solid of semi-solid fat (saturated fat). Hydrogenation produces trans fatty acids which are not heart healthy!
Saturated fats should only make up 10% of total fat consumed. The other 20% of fat should come from plant sources such as vegetable oils, non-hydrogenated margarine's, or fish oils.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that makes up part of the cell membranes in all animals; therefore, cholesterol is only found in ANIMAL foods. It is recommended to restrict dietary cholesterol to only have 300mg or less a day.

3) Protein in normal, healthy adults require 0.86 g of protein pre kg of body weight
To calculate your protein requirement

• Determine your body weight in kilograms: lbs divide by 2.2
• Multiply your weight in kg by 0.86 and that will equal how many grams of protein your body needs pre day.

The recommended protein intake in 10-35% of total energy. Sources of protein include: meats, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts and seeds.
Some individuals need increased protein intake for growth and repair of tissues such as children, adolescents, athletes, pregnant/lactating women, surgical patient or anyone who require wound healing.

4) Water has a recommended adequate intake that varies with age, gender, and life cycle stage. Generally for adults the adequate intake ranges from 2.7-3.7 litres a day; almost 8-10 cups pre day(THAT'S A LOT OF WATER!). Since caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cola drinks, alcohol) have a diuretic effect, it is recommended that consumption of these be restricted to two to three small cups pre day
Diuretic= actually takes water out of your body

5) Vitamins are the organic substances that are required in minute amounts for proper growth, development, and optimal health. They assist the body in processing other nutrients; they participate in the formation of blood cells, hormones, genetic material and nervous system chemicals; and they act as co enzymes ti help enzymes carry our their functions
The best sources of vitamins are vegetables, fruits and grains. Vitamin supplements are not ordinarily required if you eat the number of servings as recommended in Canada's Food Guide. Supplements do not make up for poor eating habits as supplements do not contain all the required vitamins and minerals, they lack potential "phyochemical properties" and dietary fibre, and they may not provide vitamin in the correct portions. Too much of one vitamin may inhibit the other. Large doses of vitamins may have a drug like action in the body.

• *Vitamin C
• *Thiamin (B1)
• Riboflavin (B2)
• Niacin (B3)
• Vitamin B6
• *Folacin/Folic Acid
• Vitamin B12
• *Biotin
• *Pantothenic Acid

* = most important

If a person has vitamin B deficiency they may have symptoms including: glossitis (swollen tongue), gingivitis, and swollen lips.
If a person has vitamin C deficiency they may have symptoms including: scurvy, oral infections, and loose teeth.

The fat soluble vitamins are A,D,E, and K. Fat soluble vitamins are stored in the fatty tissue in the body and thus may cause toxicity of consumed in large quantities.

6) Minerals are inorganic substances that are also required to maintain balance to prevent deficiencies and taking excessive amounts of minerals may be harmful. The major  minerals are calcium, magnesium, sulfur, electrolytes (sodium, potassium and chloride) and phosphorus, and are needed in large amounts in the body. The average person doesn't get enough magnesium. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are good for recalcifying the teeth.

The minerals that are needed in smaller amounts (trace minerals) are: copper, manganese, fluoride, chromium, molybdenum, iron, zinc, iodine, and selenium

Food Product Labeling
By law, the following information must appear on all food labels in Canada:

• common name of the food
• new quantity in metric (ex: 425g)
• name and address of manufacturer
• ingredient list in descending order of proportion by weight
• durable life date and storage instruction's as required
• information must be in both French and English (except manufactures info- can be either)
• nutrition facts panel

Sugar free: contains less than 0.5g of sugar and less than 5 calories per serving.
No added sugar: contains no added sugars, no ingredients containing added sugars, or ingredients that contain sugar that substitute for added sugars
Reduced in sugars: modified to contain at least 25% less sugars, totalling at least 5g per serving
Calorie reduced: at least 25% less calories compared to a similar product
Light: foods that are either reduced in fat or reduced in calories