Introduction to Nutrition

What is a Dietitian? Dietitians are qualified to translate scientific information about nutrition and food into practical dietary advice. Aswell as this, dietitians also advise about food related problems to treat diseases and ill health. A lot of dietitians work in the NHS, National Health Service, and may work in 1 or more specialist areas. For example: diabetes, cancer, children's health, public health, and renal (kidney failure). Where to find a registered Dietitian: You can find a dietitian by contacting your local GP surgery or hospital, healthcare professions council and by searching for a freelance dietitian on their website (which is run in conjunction with the British Dietetic Association, BDA) Why is nutrition important for the human body? Nutrition has a big impact on our health, regardless of our age. A balanced diet provides the body with the nutrients and energy it needs to function properly and can reduce our risk of developing health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. It is vital for maintaining a healthy weight and helps us hold off colds and infections. Concepts on Food Nutrition It is safe to say that having healthy foods keep you healthy whereas eating unhealthy foods make you unhealthy. Having a good nutrition is what makes you stay healthy and keeping you happier than you would by eating unhealthy foods as is it is scientifically shown that nutrients in food can promote the production of your body’s feel-good chemicals: serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin regulates your mood and promotes sleep. Low serotonin is associated with depression, although it’s not known whether it causes depression or depression causes it. Dopamine manages motivation, attention and emotional reward. The satisfaction you feel when accomplishing a goal is partly due to a dopamine rush. Low dopamine is associated with loss of interest. Most nutrients do their best work in the body when teamed with other nutrients. For example, if you're feeling sick in the morning and don’t feel like eating anything, you can have a glass of milk and a teaspoon of honey with it to give you the nutrients for the morning. No food, by itself, has all the nutrients needs for full growth and health. All persons, throughout life, have need for the same nutrients but in varying amounts due to the difference in size, sex, activates they do and their lifestyle. The way food is handles influences the amount of nutrients in food, its safety, appearance, and taste. Handling means everything that happens to then food while it is being grown, processed, stored and prepared for eating. Different countries and religions may or will have different diets as their religion may not allow them to eat certain foods. For example, Muslims are not allowed to eat pig as it is forbidden in the Quran. This will decrease cancer cases in Asia as having a lot of red meat, especially when its processed, can cause cancer. Red meat includes beef, lamb and mutton, pork, veal, venison and goat, however, it does not include chicken, turkey, duck, goose, game birds and rabbit. Red meat, such as beef, lamb and pork, is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and can form part of a balanced diet. But eating a lot of red and processed meat probably increases your risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer. That's why it's recommended that people who eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat per day cut down to 70g, as this could help reduce your risk of bowel cancer. Other healthier lifestyle choices, such as maintaining a healthy weight, keeping active and not smoking can also reduce your risk of bowel cancer. What does processed meat mean? Processed means refers to meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives which include: sausages, bacon, ham, deli meats such as salami, pates, canned meat such as corned beef and sliced luncheon meats, including those made from chicken and turkey.