Concept of Food and Nutrition

Food : Any nutritious substance that people,

animal eat or drink that plant absorb in order to maintain life and growth. Food means a substance or a mixture of substances which severs to nourish or build up the tissues or supply the energy, essential for body. Food can be defined as any substance which nourishes the body and is fit to eat. It may be solid or liquid.

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Food provides the body with material for providing

energy, growth and maintenance, and regulating various processes in the body. These materials of which food is made up of are termed nutrients. Six nutrients are of importance in nutrition. They are: 1. Protein 2. Carbohydrates 3. Fats 4. Vitamins 5. Minerals 6. Water

Nutrition
Nutrition is the science of food and its relationship to

health. It is concerned primarily with the part played by nutrients in body growth, development, repair and maintenance. The word nutrient or food is used specific dietary constituents such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Good nutrition means maintaining a nutritional status that enables us to grow well and enjoy good health. Nutrition is the sum total of the processes involved in the taking in and the utilization of food substances by which growth, repair and maintenance of the body

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Nutrients are stored by the body in various forms

and drowns upon when the food intake is not sufficient. Nutrition plays an important role in the promotion and maintenance of health and in the prevention of health and in the prevention of human diseases. Malnutrition and undernutrition are the greatest international health problems of the present day. A sound knowledge of nutrition is therefore essential for a nurse.

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In the global campaign of health for all, promotion

of proper nutrition is one of the eight elements of primary health care. Greater emphasis is now placed on integrating nutrition into primary health care systems whenever goals to promote health and nutritional status of families and communities.

Classification of foods
There are many ways of classifying foods:

1.

2.

Classification by origin Foods of animal origin Foods of vegetable origin Classification by chemical composition Protein Carbohydrates Fats Vitamins Minerals

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3. Classification by predominant function Body-building foods, e.g. milk, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, pulses, groundnuts, etc. Energy-giving foods, e.g. cereals, sugars, roots and tubers, fats and oils. Protective foods, e.g. vegetables, fruits, milk.

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4. Classification by nutritive value Cereals and millets Pulses (legumes) Vegetables Nuts and oilseed Fruits Animal foods Fats and oils sugar and jaggery Condiments and spices Miscellaneous foods

Nutrients
Nutrients

are organic substance (protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin) and inorganic complexes (water and minerals) contained in food. Nutrients are the chemical substances obtained from food and used in body to provide energy, structural materials and regulating agent to support growth, maintenance and repair of body tissues, nutrient may also reduce the risk of some disease.

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Food is the source of all nutrients except vitamin

D. There are six major groups of nutrients, namely, Protein Carbohydrates Fats Vitamins Minerals water

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Nutrients are organic and inorganic complexes

contained in food. There are about 50 different nutrients which are normally supplied through the foods we eat. Each nutrient has specific functions in the body. Most natural foods contain more than one nutrient. These may be divided into: 1. Macronutrients 2. Micronutrients

Macronutrients

Macronutrients are those which the body requires in relatively large amount. These are proteins, fats and carbohydrates which are often called Proximate principles because they form the main bulk of food. For proper utilization of macronutrients need micronutrients. Macronutrient requirements are measured in grams. They contribute to the total energy intake in the following proportions: Proteins : 7-15% Fats :10-30% Carbohydrates : 60-80%

Micronutrients
These are vitamins and minerals. They are called

micronutrients because they are required in small amounts which may vary from a fraction of a milligram to several grams.

Relation of food and health

When the diet does not supply all nutrients in

required amounts, it results in ill-health or malnutrition. Malnutrition: Malnutrition (mal means faulty) is an impairment of health resulting from a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of nutrients in the diet. It includes both undernutrition or deficiency and over nutrition or excessive consumption. Undernutrition: It refers to a deficiency of calories and/or one or more nutrients in the diet. An undernourished person is underweight.

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Over nutrition: It refers to an excess of calories

and/or one or more nutrients in the diet. An excessive intake of calories results in over weight which can lead to obesity. An excessive intake of fat-soluble vitamins can cause hypervitaminosis or vitamin toxicity. Diet: A diet means the kinds and amounts of food and beverage consumed everyday. A diet may be a normal diet or it may be a modified diet which is used in the treatment of a specific disease or condition. Kilocalorie(kcal): It is the unit for measuring the energy value of foods or the energy needs of the body. It is the amount of heat required to raise the

Health
The WHO defines health as a state of complete

physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence if disease or infirmity. Health is a positive state of complete well-being and not just the absence of disease. When we are tired or exhausted, we cannot concentrate on our work. To remain healthy a balance between work and rest or recreation is necessary. This improves our work efficiency. A person must look healthy, feel healthy, and have a balanced mind and be a socially responsible individual.

Nutritional status
The nutritional status of an individual is defined

as the condition of health as influenced by the utilization of nutrients in the body. The nutritional status of an individual or a community can be assessed by surveying the kind and amount of food being consumed, signs of ill-health or deficiency symptoms if present, height, weight, and other measurements are well a level of nutrients in the blood and excreted in the urine. Good nutrition and health are closely interlinked. Clean, wholesome, and nutritious food promotes health and keeps away disease.

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A balanced diet is one of the essential factors in

ensuring good health. The other factors are the wholesomeness of food and a clean environment in which it is pared and eaten. The food handler should maintain high standards of personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent transmission of food-borne disease. To ensure that the consumer obtains the maximum health benefits from the food that is served, all food handless concerned with purchasing, storing, cooking and serving food, and planning meals should have a basic knowledge of nutrition and hygiene.

Food and its function

Physiological functions: each nutrient in food

has specific functions to perform in the body. The physiological functions performed by food are as follows. Providing energy: the body needs energy to carry out voluntary and involuntary work. Involuntary work includes all processes which are not under the control of our will such as digestion, respiration and circulation and go on continuously irrespective of whether we are asleep or awake. Voluntary activities which we wish to do such as walking, playing games, and working require energy, and the amount of energy required will depend on the nature of activity. The energy needed for these activities is supplied by

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Body building or growth: It is one of the most

important functions of food. An infant grows into a healthy adult by consuming the right kinds and amounts of food year after year. Our body is made up of millions of cells and when growth takes place, new cells are added to the existing cells and cells increase in size. Maintenance or repair: In the adult body, worn out cells are continuously being replaced by new ones. The daily wear and tear of cells need to be maintained. Proteins, minerals, and water are the main nutrients required for growth as well as maintenance of all cells and tissues in the body.

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Regulation of body processes: Food also

regulates numerous activities in the body such as the beating of the heart, maintenance of body temperature, clotting of blood, and excretion of wastes. Each of these processes is controlled and carried out by specific nutrients, for example, vitamin K and calcium are necessary for clotting of blood. Protective function: Nutrients keep body cells in a healthy condition to ward off infection. They help in building up the bodys resistance to disease and help the body recover rapidly from any infection. These function are performed by

Psychological function
We all have emotional needs such as need of

love, attention, and security. Food can play an important role in fulfilling these needs. A mother can be given as a reward for good behavior or deprived as a punishment for bad behaviour. People feel comfortable and secure when they are served food, they have been used to consuming. Many people eat to relieve anxiety and frustration, while some may eat less or refuse food when they are depressed and lonely.

Social function
Food carries a lot of social significance. Warmth

and friendship are expressed through sharing ones food or inviting people to dine. Preparing special foods or ones favourite food is a way of showing respect or affection. Food is a significant part of celebration for occasions such as birthdays, weddings, and other joyous occasions. Festivals such as tihar, dashain, Christmas, and Id have special menus prescribed for the occasions. Food also has religious significance. Some foods can be offered to God, while others are avoided on certain days for religious reasons. The type of food prepared and served is a status symbol.