Happy New Year!
My name is Jennifer and I am excited to have this opportunity to write a nutrition column for Anacortes Now. My goal is to provide you with accurate health and nutrition information, and to help you identify the misinformation that is pervasive, especially on the Internet. My qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, a Master of Science in Public Health, and eight years of teaching experience. So, let’s start at the beginning, and may you have a joyous and healthy 2014!
What is Nutrition? Nutrition is the study of the nutrients in foods and in the body; also the study of human behaviors related to food.
What are Nutrients? Nutrients are components of food that are essential to the body’s functioning. There are six basic nutrients: carbohydrates, protein, lipids (fat), vitamins, minerals, and water.
We receive energy, in the form of calories, from food. Carbohydrates, protein, and fat provide our body with calories; hence they are “energy-yielding” nutrients. We do not receive calories (energy) from vitamins, minerals, or water (pure H20). A calorie is a unit of energy. It is the amount of heat energy it takes to raise the temperature of one liter of water one degree Celsius.
Calories per gram:
Carbohydrates have four calories per gram.
Protein has four calories per gram.
Fat has nine calories per gram.
You can see that fat provides more than twice as many calories per gram than carbohydrates and protein. That is why it is important to consume fat in moderation.
Next time I will discuss what constitutes a nutritious meal. In the meantime, Take Good Care of Yourself.
Source: Sizer and Whitney. (2011). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies, 12th Edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.