VISN 8 MOVE and MOVEmployee - Food - Nutrition

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Nutrition Basics

Nutrition is the study of nutrients in food and how they are used and removed by the body.

Food and Nutrients

We use nutrients in food during digestion.  Some foods, like fruits and vegetables, contain many nutrients. Other foods, like candy, contain very little nutrients.  Fat, protein, and carbohydrate are important nutrients. They provide calories in our diet.  Alcohol also contains calories. Alcohol is not an important nutrient.  Alcohol contains many "empty calories" and should be limited. Vitamins, minerals and water are also important for good health. They do not have calories.  Most foods contain a combination of all of these nutrients.

Nutrients

• Fat contains 9 calories per gram.  Of all the nutrients fat has the most calories. Dietary fat is either saturated or unsaturated depending on the type of food. 
• Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram.  Alcohol contains a high amount of calories, but contains very little nutrients (i.e. vitamins, minerals, etc).
• Protein contains 4 calories per gram.  Protein foods can come from plant and animal sources.  Protein foods like bacon and prime rib can be very high in fat. Other protein foods, like skinless chicken breasts and legumes, are very low in fat.
• Carbohydrate contains 4 calories per gram.  A serving can be very low in calories (rice). A serving can be very high in calories (donut).  Sugar is the simplest form of carbohydrate.  Long chains of sugars are called starch.  Starchy foods can be very good sources of dietary fiber.

All nutrients provide functions for good health.  Consuming a varied diet is important to meet our nutrition needs.  On the other hand, overeating can cause obesity. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk for diseases.   

Calories

Calories are units of energy.  If we take in more energy (calories) than we use it will be stored as body fat. Extra stored energy causes weight gain.  Our bodies need energy (calories) to do physical activity.  Since physical activity uses energy it can help us lose weight. We can decrease the amount of energy that we take in by eating less food.   To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than your body uses. Healthy weight loss occurs through the increase in physical activity (increase in energy use) AND a decrease in energy (calorie) intake.  If we balance energy intake with energy use, we will maintain our body weight.

Each of us needs a certain amount of calories to perform normal bodily functions (breathing, digestion, blood flow).  This calorie level is called our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and it is different for everyone.

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