Nutrition, Diet and Health Science

Lesson 1: Nutrition: Choices for Health. Food choices and what influences them; nutrients defined; what nutrients do; required quantities of each nutrient; assessing the nutritional health of the population; individual nutritional health needs.

Lesson 2: Guidelines for a Healthy Diet. The science of nutrition; using the scientific method; how to judge nutrition claims; types of nutrition studies; dietary standards; health and disease prevention; tools for planning a diet; the food guide pyramid; exchange lists; food labeling.

Lesson 3: The Digestive System: From Meals to Molecules. Food into fuel: the chemistry of life; the digestive system; sights, sounds, and smells; the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and intestines; digestive problems and solutions; how nutrients change as they are absorbed; the cardiovascular system and digestion; hepatic portal and lymphatic circulation; the cell; metabolism; waste elimination.

Lesson 4: Carbohydrates: Sugars, Starches and Fiber. Simple and complex carbohydrates and carbohydrate additives; carbohydrates in the digestive tract; carbohydrate metabolism; abnormal glucose regulation; refined sugars in the diet; recommendations for regulating carbohydrate intake; sugar substitutes; carbohydrates as additives.

Lesson 5: Lipids: Fats and Oils. Lipid digestion and absorption; transporting lipids in the body; lipid metabolism—fat for fuel and storage; fatty acids; glycerides; phospholipids; sterols; dietary fat, heart disease and cancer; recommendations for fat intake; tropical oils; saturated vegetable oils; hydrogenated oils; artificial fats.

Lesson 6: Proteins and Amino Acids. Proteins as amino acids; protein structure; protein digestion, absorption, and metabolism; amino acids for synthesis and energy; functions of proteins in the body; protein and health: deficiency and excess; determining your protein intake; proteins in processed foods; amino acids added to foods.

Lesson 7: Managing Your Weight. Food: the source of energy; energy quantity in foods; basal metabolic rate; physical activity; thermic effect of foods; determining energy needs; those few extra pounds and what they mean; desirable body weight and composition; the roles of genetics and environment in weight; choosing a weight management program; suggestions for weight gain; causes of bulimia, anorexia, and other eating disorders.

Lesson 8: The Vitamins. Vitamins in the balanced diet and their function in the body; vitamin deficiencies and toxicities; vitamin requirements; the B vitamins: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, pantothenic acid, B6, folic acid, and B12; Vitamin C in the diet; vitamin C requirements and toxicity; vitamin C supplements: promises and pitfalls.

Lesson 9: Water and Minerals. Water in the diet and in the body; the role of minerals in nutrition; the electrolytes; electrolyte requirements and deficiency symptoms; electrolytes and hypertension; the roles of calcium and phosphorous; osteoporosis; magnesium requirements and deficiency symptoms; sulfur in the diet.

Lesson 10: Meeting Our Needs: Food, Fortified Food and Supplements. Vitamin A—eat your carrots; vitamin D—the sunshine vitamin; vitamin E—from fertility to anti-aging; vitamin K—for coagulation; vitamin requirements and toxicities; phytochemicals; ways to meet your vitamin needs; using vitamin supplements properly.

Lesson 11: Nutrition, Fitness and Physical Activity. The health benefits of exercise; an exercise program for you; energy for activity; converting fuels into ATP; which fuels are used; energy needs; food and drink for sport; carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals needed for exercise; the importance of water; meals for competition; nutritional supplements and athletic performance.

Lesson 12: Nutrition, Pregnancy and Infants. The physiology of pregnancy; nutrition needs before pregnancy; energy, protein, micronutrient, and water needs during pregnancy; maternal health status; substances affecting the unborn child; lactation; nutrient requirements of the newborn and growing infants; introducing solids.

Lesson 13: Nutrition from 2 to 102. Nutrition and the health of America’s youth; providing for optimal growth and development; reducing the risks of chronic disease; developing nutritious eating habits; meeting the nutrient needs of children from ages one to ten; nutrition-related problems in children; influences from the outside world; the changing body: sexual maturation; meeting the rapidly changing nutrient needs of adolescents.

Lesson 14: How Safe is Our Food Supply?. Food-borne illnesses; safeguarding the world’s food supply; pathogens and parasites in food; the effects of pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones in foods; contamination from industrial wastes; food additives; processing and packaging; irradiated foods; biotechnology.

Lesson 15: Feeding the World. Undernutrition as a world health problem; the causes of food shortages; quantity versus quality in the diet; aquaculture; overnutrition—a growing problem; solutions to world hunger and undernutrition.