llelLlh Lesson 2
NUTRITION
What is Nutrition?
• Nutrition is the process of taking in food and converting it into energy and other vital
nutrients required for life.”
• Nutrients are the substances which provide energy and biomolecules necessary for
carrying out the various body functions. All living organisms need nutrients for proper
functioning and growth. But they show divergence in how they fulfill this demand. Some
animals feed on simple inorganic compounds to meet their nutrient requirement, while
others utilise complex compounds. The mode of nutrition varies from one species to
another.
• Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and maintain
a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases (like heart disease and cancer),
and promote your overall health.
• A healthy eating lifestyle does not mean you need to restrict yourself from all the foods
you love eating. It’s about having a balanced diet where you can get all the nutrition you
need. Including the right amount of go grow glow foods in your meals is a great way to
maintain good nutrition and get back to eating healthy and living healthy.
Healthy Food Pyramid
• The Healthy eating Pyramid is a simple
visual guide to the types and
proportion of foods that we should eat
every day for good health.
• The foundation layers make up the
largest portion of the Pyramid because
plant foods should make up the largest
portion of our diet.
• Cooking your own meals at home and
choosing minimally processed foods
will help limit added salt and sugar.
Module I
2
The 10 Healthiest Foods to Eat Every Day
1. Oatmeal
Oatmeal keeps cholesterol in check, helps fight against
heart disease, and keeps you full until lunch, thanks to
its soluble fiber. Look for old-fashioned or steel-cut
varieties.
2. Avocado
You'll get nearly 20 percent of your daily dose of fiber in one
1/2 cup serving of avocado, plus cholesterol-lowering
monounsaturated fats.
3. Walnuts
Walnuts are a solid source of omega-3 fatty acids—the fats
that lower the bad-for-you cholesterol (LDL) and raise the
good-for-you kind (HDL).
4. Mushrooms
Meaty and filling, as a stand-in for beef, mushrooms can slash
up to 400 calories from a meal.
5. Greek Yogurt
Rich in probiotics (bacteria that may improve digestion and increase
your immunity), this extra-thick style of yogurt can contain eight grams
more protein per serving than conventional yogurt.
6. Eggs
The whites offer up protein with minimal calories (and zero
fat or cholesterol). Egg yolks get a bad rap, but don't skip
them—they are awash with vitamin B12 and vitamin A, and
they contain choline, a nutrient that's particularly important
for pregnant women.
Module I
3
7. Nut Butter
Heart-healthy monounsaturated fats abound in these protein-rich spreads, especially peanut and
almond butter. Opt for those with just two ingredients: nuts and salt.
8. Kiwi
Ounce for ounce, this fuzzy fruit contains more vitamin C than
an orange and more potassium than a banana.
9. Sweet Potatoes
The darker the color, the richer these tubers are in the
antioxidant beta-carotene.
10. Pumpkin
The antioxidants in this winter squash keep skin healthy; its
potassium helps lower blood pressure.
GO Foods are foods with a high carbohydrate content. These foods a great at supplying the body
with quick-burning energy. Some examples of GO Foods are:
• Cereal
• Bread
• Pasta
• Potatoes
• Rice
• Dried fruit
• Jams
• Pizza
• Cookies/Cakes
• Apples & bananas
GLOW foods are those that are rich in
vitamins and minerals, such as fresh
fruits and green-leafy vegetables. They
Module I
4
are essential for keeping the body healthy. They are known to make the hair shine, the skin
glow, the bones strong and the eyes sparkle.
Two other essential substances found in glow foods are fiber and antioxidants. Soluble fiber aids
in good digestion, lowers bad cholesterol and maintains blood sugar levels. The antioxidants,
including vitamins A, C, E and selenium, help the body fight cell damage and strengthen the
immune system. Generally, the recommended daily intake for vegetables is five servings. Two
to three servings of fruit are recommended per day.
Mineral-rich glow foods:
• Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, bok choy, and lettuce
• Shellfish such as oysters, mussels, scallops, and clams
• Avocado, banana, apple, orange, grapes, and kiwi
• Soymilk, soybeans, and munggo or mung sprouts
• Dairy products like milk and cheese
• Cashews and peanuts
• Fish and beef
• Whole grains
Vitamin-rich Glow foods:
• Colorful fruits like mango, oranges, papaya,
pineapple, banana, berries, grapes,
pomegranate, grapefruit, pear, melon,
tomato, and avocado
• Dark leafy vegetables
like malunggay (moringa), kangkong (water
spinach), savoy spinach, and kale
• Poultry (chicken or turkey), lean cuts of beef
and pork, and fish (salmon, tuna, sardines,
and mackerel)
• Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, bell peppers, asparagus, and green beans
• Dairy products like low-fat or nonfat milk and cheese
• Whole-wheat grains, brown rice, quinoa, and barley
• Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage
• Beans, nuts, and seeds
GROW foods are protein-rich foods that help the body to develop, grow stronger, and healthier.
The proteins your body absorbs from Grow foods is an essential nutrient. Proteins are as the
building blocks of life as they build and repair cells and tissues, and make hormones, enzymes,
and antibodies.
Module I
5
Grow foods in your diet will help your body to build stronger and healthier bones, muscles,
teeth, and blood. The grow foods not only make you taller and vigorous, but it also improves
your brain health by increasing your alertness.
Grow foods, or protein-rich foods, are needed the most by children, pregnant and breastfeeding
women, the elderly, and athletes.
Protein-rich grow foods you need daily include:
• Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt
• Poultry, red meats, fish, and eggs
• Legumes such as peas, lentils, beans, and nuts
What is Diet?
• the customary amount and kind of food and drink taken by a person
from day to day.
Types of Diets
1. The Paleo Diet
• This is a natural way of eating, one that almost abandons all intake of sugar. The only
sugar in a Paleo diet comes from fruit. However, abandoning sugar is not the only
stipulation.
• Processed foods and grains are also eliminated from the Paleo diet. The fewer number of
carbohydrates in your system leads to a decreased amount of glucose. So your system will
then begin to use fat as its fuel source. In a Paleo diet, dairy is also eliminated. So what
can be eaten?
• A Paleo diet consists of fish, fowl, vegetables, fruits, nuts, oils, sweet potatoes, eggs and
meat, so long as that meat is grass-fed and not grain-fed
2. The Blood Type Diet
• Some doctors have started to research diets that coincide with particular blood types.
The premise of these diets attempts to match people with their common dietary needs
based on their blood type.
• For example, individuals with type O blood are recommended to eat lots of food that are
high in protein. In order to lose weight, spinach, red meat, seafood and broccoli are
suggested while dairy should be avoided.
• Those with type A blood are recommended to avoid meat and place an emphasis on
turkey, tofu, and fruit while weight loss is contingent on eating a diet that consists
primarily of soy, seafood and vegetables. Individuals with type B and AB blood also have
their own dietary restrictions and recommendations.
3. The Vegan Diet
• This diet is a form of a vegetarian diet as it eliminates meat and animal products. One of
the primary effects of this diet is that it reduces the intake of cholesterol and saturated
fat.
Module I
6
• It takes some planning, but if a vegan diet is rationed out properly, it can have many
positive effects. Studies have proven that those who practice a vegan diet minimize their
overall risk of coronary heart disease, obesity and high blood pressure. To compensate for
a lack of meat, vegans must find a way to incorporate more sources of protein and
vitamin B-12 into their diets.
4. The South Beach Diet
• This diet was first introduced in 2003 and is based on the premise of changing one’s
overall eating habits by balancing out one’s everyday diet. Certain carbohydrates are
completely avoided.
• It does not eliminate carbohydrates altogether, but aims to educate dieters on which
carbs to always avoid. This often leads to developing a healthy way of eating so that it
will be sustainable for the rest of people’s lives. The diet includes a selection of healthy
fats, lean protein, as well as good carbs.
5. The Mediterranean Diet
• This is another kind of vegetable-heavy diet that avoids a lot of meat, but does not
eliminate it altogether. This diet has been proven to help with depression, in addition to
controlling blood sugar levels and helping with weight loss.
• The Mediterranean diet recommends the use of oil as much as possible and that means as
an alternative to butter, salad dressings or marinades. It also emphasizes adding
vegetables to each meal and favors fish over chicken. Whole grains, nuts and herbs are
also used in larger amounts.
6. The Ketogenic Diet
• Keto, as it’s called for short, is a diet that prioritizes fat (65-75 percent of your daily
calories), with moderate protein consumption (20-30 percent) and very few carbs (only
about five percent, though some versions prohibit carbs altogether). Which means you’ll
be eating a lot of avocados, eggs, and bunless cheeseburgers.
• was designed to keep the body in a near-constant state of ketosis, a metabolic state
where the body creates ketones from fat to use as energy instead of sugar from carbs
(the body’s primary and preferred energy source). There have also been claims it may
help treat cancer and even respiratory illnesses. As mentioned above, weight loss comes
down to calories in vs. calories out. Several studies point out keto is no more effective
for weight loss when calories are matched with other diets.
7. Raw Food Diet
• This is a diet that places a premium on eating uncooked and unprocessed foods. The diet
eliminates the intake of any foods that have been pasteurized or produced with any kind
of synthetics or additives
• The diet is intended to create a surge in energy, a decrease in inflammation, while also
lowering the number of carcinogens in one’s diet.
Some Reasons to eat a Healthier Diet
• It's Good for Your Skin and Hair
• Keeps Your Digestive System Happy
• It's Good for Your Heart
Module I
7
• It Can Save You Money
• It Can Give You More Energy
• It's Good for Your Skin and Hair
• Keeps Your Digestive System Happy
• It's Good for Your Heart
• It Can Save You Money
• It Can Give You More Energy
• A healthy eating lifestyle does not mean you need to restrict yourself from all the foods
you love eating. It’s about having a balanced diet where you can get all the nutrition you
need. Including the right amount of go grow glow foods in your meals is a great way to
maintain good nutrition and get back to eating healthy and living healthy.
Module I