NCFE Level 2 Award in Nutrition and Health Unit 1 NCFE Level 2 Nutrition and Health Part A 1
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NCFE Level 2 Award in Nutrition and Health Introduction NUTRITION AND HEALTH Welcome to NCFE s Level 2 Award in Nutrition and Health. We hope you find all of the information contained in this resource pack interesting and informative. This learning resource and the assessment questions have been approved by NCFE as a great way to meet the learning outcomes for this qualification. (A complete list of the learning outcomes can be found on the last page of this resource.) The course is made up of two parts. This is Part A which contains one unit. This unit is: unit 1: Exploring the Principles of Healthy Eating As you start to read through each page you will be able to make notes and comments on things you have learnt or may want to revisit at a later stage. At the end of each section, you will be asked to go to your assessment booklet and answer the relevant questions. Once you have answered the questions go to the next section and continue studying until all of the assessments have been completed. Please make sure that you set aside enough time to read each section carefully, making notes and completing all of the activities. This will allow you to gain a better understanding of the subject content and will help you to answer all of the assessment questions accurately. Good luck with your study. Now let s begin! 1
Unit 1: Explore the Principles of Healthy Eating Welcome to unit one. This unit is split into five sections. These sections are: Section 1: Diet and Health Section 2: Components of a Healthy Diet Section 3: Nutrients and their Role in Maintaining Health Section 4: Healthy Food Preparation Section 5: Food Safety Awareness Section 1: Diet and Health In this section you will learn about: The meaning of healthy diet Lifestyle diseases associated with an unhealthy diet Energy and its sources Obesity Salt 2
The meaning of healthy diet The word diet is defined as meaning: The food which a person consumes or ingests. In order for the human body to stay healthy, it requires certain foods and fluids. We must also ensure that our consumption of food and fluid is of the correct type and amount. Therefore, a healthy diet can be described as: A diet that provides us with the correct type and correct amount of nutrients needed for good health. A balanced diet is essential for good health. There are certain building blocks for a healthy balanced diet, which include: Carbohydrates Fats Proteins Vitamins Minerals Fibre Water. 3
Food type How does it help? Where do we get it? Carbohydrates Provides a quick energy release. Pasta, cereals and potatoes. Fats Provides a slow energy release. Oils, dairy products, nuts and fish. Proteins Builds and repairs muscle. We only need 15% of our diet to be protein. Meat, pulses and fish. Vitamins (A, B, C, D and E) Helps the body work. Helps concentration. Fresh fruit and vegetables. Minerals (Calcium, Iron, Iodine) Helps release energy from food. Helps decision making. Fruit, vegetables and fish. Fibre Fills you up and aids digestion. Fresh fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals. Water Maintains fluid levels. Water sources such as taps, bottled etc. In our diet we need to make sure that the foods we eat are made up of, and contain, the correct amounts of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fibres. A healthy diet also contains certain fats and acids. An adult s healthy diet is one which provides and ensures that they can stay fit and healthy. A child s healthy diet is one which provides and ensures they can stay fit, healthy and can grow and develop properly. Children need more fat than adults, not only so they can grow and develop, but because children burn fat at a faster pace than adults. Children need as much calcium as young adults so that their teeth and bones can develop and grow strong. Both adults and children should be consuming diets full of lean meats and fruit and vegetables. 4
Lifestyle diseases associated with an unhealthy diet Healthy eating advice aims to lower the risks of developing lifestyle diseases. Lifestyle diseases can be encouraged to develop through poor eating habits and the incorrect consumption of foods, over a period of time. The following are lifestyle diseases which could be related to an unhealthy diet: Heart Disease Heart disease happens when the blood vessels that supply the heart with nutrient and oxygen rich blood becomes clogged. This can cause pains in the chest (angina) and heart attacks. Stroke A stroke happens when the blood flow to the brain is interrupted. The effects on the body depend upon which part of the brain has been affected. For example, a stroke could affect a person s speech, movement, memory etc. Type 2 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes happens when not enough insulin is released into the body, or the body cannot use the insulin that is released. Insulin acts like a key that unlocks the cells of the body to let the nutrients in. When it is not present, or the body cannot use it, it causes the nutrients to stay in the blood which results in high blood sugars Obesity Obesity describes an increase in the storage of fat that could seriously affect health. Obesity increases the risk of developing, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis A healthy diet can greatly reduce the chances of the development of these diseases. i Key Fact By informing people about healthy eating choices we can encourage changes in eating habits to help increase the chances of a long, active and healthy life. STOP AND THINK! What did you eat and drink yesterday? Is your diet healthy or unhealthy? What could you change? 5
Energy and its sources How much energy you need depends on your body type and the amount of physical activity you do. How you use or store energy influences your weight, shape and performance. Energy is sourced from the three main nutrients found in the food we eat, these are: Carbohydrates Fats Proteins. When people wish to lose weight quickly, they can become tired and they lack energy through crash dieting, which involves a sudden and dramatic decrease of food. This usually involves reducing one or more of the essential nutrients listed above which help to supply our body with energy. The body can cope with emergencies such as a sudden reduction or stoppage of food, but only for a limited period of time. When this occurs, the body uses its fat stores, and in extreme cases its muscle stores, in order to produce the energy it needs. Kilocalories (kcal) We can measure the energy we gain from food in kilocalories (kcal), more commonly known as calories. This is the most common way of identifying energy from food. (A kilojoule (kj) is another way of measuring the energy provided by food but this is not as common). Quite often when managing weight, we will consider how many calories the food provides by looking at the food label on the product. Food labels are studied more closely in Unit 3 of this course. 6
The following points show how many calories are included in 1 gram of fat, 1 gram of carbohydrate and 1 gram of protein. 1 gram of fat supplies the body with 9 kcal 1 gram of carbohydrate supplies the body with 4 kcal 1 gram of protein supplies the body with 4 kcal C Case Study: Samantha s sandwich Samantha eats a sandwich for her lunch. The sandwich contains: 3 grams of fat 2 grams of carbohydrate 1 gram of protein. A Activity 1: How many kilocalories? How much energy in kilocalories will the sandwich provide Samantha with? 30 grams of fat = kcal 20 grams of carbohydrate = kcal 10 gram of protein = kcal Total energy = kcal i Key Fact Fat provides more energy than carbohydrates or proteins. However, carbohydrates and proteins provide the same amount of energy per gram. You should have found that Samantha s sandwich would provide her with: 270 kcals from the fat 80 kcals from the carbohydrate 40 kcals from the protein A total of 390 kcals. 7
STOP AND THINK! Think of your favourite sandwich. Take each component and find out how much fat, carbohydrate and protein there is in each part. Then find out the total number of calories for the whole sandwich. Could you swap any of the ingredients for healthier alternatives? Energy requirements An understanding of the energy we require on a daily basis can help us manage our weight. We need enough energy to meet the demands of our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and our Physical Activity Levels (PAL). Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of energy used while we are at rest, to keep our vital functions going. BMR makes up around 60-75% of our total energy expenditure. Physical Activity Levels (PAL) Physical Activity Levels (PAL) represents the number of calories needed to fuel every physical activity of ours. This component of energy expenditure is the most changeable. Physical activity makes up around 15-30% of our total energy expenditure. 8
i Key Fact Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and your Physical Activity Levels (PAL) make up your daily energy requirement. The following table provides an average of how much energy different types of people need each day. It is important to remember that these statistics are averages and that each individual will require a different amount of calories to complete their daily tasks. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Individual Male (kcal required daily) Female (kcal required Physical Activity Levels (PAL)* daily) 8 year old (child) 2000 1800 15 year old (teenager) 2500 2200 Adult office worker 2500 2000 Adult labourer 3400 2500 Retired person 1950 1700 This table shows the amount of energy in kcals that people of different weights need to complete a certain activity for an hour. For example, a person who weighs 140lbs would need 400 kcals to play tennis for one hour. 120lbs 140lbs 160lbs 180lbs Aerobics (high intensity) 440 500 580 660 Badminton (leisure) 250 290 330 370 Cycling (moderate intensity) 330 380 440 500 Gardening (general) 220 250 290 330 Golf 280 320 370 420 Housework (moderate tasks) 190 220 250 280 Jogging (moderate intensity) 560 650 750 840 Resistance training (moderate) 160 190 220 250 Squash 550 660 770 880 Swimming (moderate pace) 480 540 620 700 Tennis 360 400 460 520 Walking 380 440 500 580 9
BMR + PAL = DAILY ENERGY REQUIREMENT C Case Study: Sameena Sameena is a secretary for a pharmaceutical company. After work she drives to the gym and takes part in a one hour aerobics class. A Activity 2: Working it out Use the Case Study above and the tables on the page 9 to work out an estimate of Sameena s energy requirements for the day: Sameena s BMR (kcal): Sameena s PAL (kcal): Sameena s daily energy requirement (kcal): 10
A Activity 3: Daily energy requirements. Can you use the equation on the previous page along with the information in the tables on page 9, to find out an estimate of your own daily energy requirements? Your BMR (kcal): Your PAL (kcal): Your daily energy requirement (kcal): 11
STOP AND THINK! Think of every physical activity you do throughout the day. How much energy do you think you use? Is it more or less than you thought you used? Make notes in the space below about the activities you do and the energy you require to do them. Factors affecting energy requirements The amount of energy a person requires can be very different from the energy requirements of another person. The amount of energy needed is dependent upon three factors. These are: 1. Age 2. Gender 3. Level of activity (physical activity and / or level of exercise). 12
Energy balance Energy balance describes energy intake in relation to energy expenditure. Energy Balance Energy Intake (Food and drink) = Energy Expenditure (BMR, Activity) If energy intake is equal to energy expenditure, this describes a neutral energy balance which means body weight will remain the same. If energy intake is greater than energy expenditure, this describes a positive energy balance which means weight gain will occur. If energy intake is less than energy expenditure, this describes a negative energy balance which means weight loss will occur. 13
Obesity Obesity occurs when a person has put on weight to the point that it could seriously endanger their health. The problems associated with obesity are due to an excess quantity of fat stored within the body. Obesity increases the risk of developing: Heart disease Type 2 diabetes High blood pressure Osteoarthritis There is a link between obesity and death. It can shorten life expectancy on average by nine years. What happens when we eat too much? We know that if we take in too much energy, our body weight increases. The body stores the excess energy as fat. This is the body planning ahead in case these reserves are required in the future, due to starvation or the restriction of food. Weight loss occurs when the amount of energy consumed is less than the energy expenditure required by the muscles in the body. The body uses the reserves of fat to provide energy - reducing the amount of fat in the body and therefore reducing our weight. In the UK today, obesity is a recognised problem in children and in adults. The government and health authorities are challenging this issue through raising the awareness of health related issues and healthy eating advice. STOP AND THINK! Are there any changes to your own or your family s diet that you could make in order to raise your awareness of the problem of obesity? 14
Obesity statistics* In the UK today, obesity is on the rise. The government and health authorities are challenging this fact through raising the awareness of health related issues and healthy eating advice. In the UK today: 62.8% of adults (aged 16 or over) are overweight or obese 30.3% of children (aged 2-15) are overweight or obese 26.1% of all adults and 16% of all children are obese. These statistics highlight the problem of obesity in the UK. Furthermore, compared with a man of healthy weight, a man who suffers from obesity is: Five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes Three times more likely to develop cancer of the colon More than two and a half times more likely to develop high blood pressure which is a major risk factor of stroke and heart disease. Similarly, a woman who suffers from obesity, compared to a woman who maintains a healthy weight is: Almost 13 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes More than four times more likely to develop high blood pressure More than three times more likely to have a heart attack. i Key Fact Obesity and obesity related diseases are estimated to cost the NHS 50 billion per year by the year 2050. * Statistics taken from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/04/obesityfacts/ 15