2. Meaning of Balance Diet
A complete food, a diet contains adequate amounts of all the necessary
nutrients required for proper growth & maintenance of body.
Factors Affecting diet
(i) Age: - Age plays great role in making diet for like in growing age a child need more
protein but old aged people should avoid more proteins and fats but should take more
minerals & vitamins
(ii) Gender: - Sex difference causes variation in diet more caloric requirement to male
& less for female.
(iii) Profession: - Heavy physical activities work out needs more calories demand & less
physical activities work out less calories demand.
(iv) Body weight: - Obese person need more fibrous food, while slim or lean needs
more protein.
(v) Specific Sports Diet :- Various sports need specific diet like long distance runner
need more fat and carbohydrates, contact body games player need more protein,
explosing strength player needs more carbohydrates.
(vi) Pregnancy or feeding mother: - Pregnant mother needs extra diet - carbohydrates,
proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals especially high protein diet is recommended for a
pregnant woman.
3. Functions of balance Diet and nutrition/Importance of balance Diet and nutrition for body
1. Sufficient energy is given by balanced diet.
2. It helps individual to grow and develop to optimum level.
3. Proper functioning of organs is done by balanced diet.
4. It helps to repair or replace the worn out tissue.
5. Balanced diet improves the defense system of body.
6. It helps to improve the overall health status.
7. Balanced diet improves metabolism.
8. It prevents deficiency diseases and maintains body weight thus overall efficiency
9. of individual improves.
4. Meaning of Nutrition
It is the process of obtaining & consuming food or breaking down food & substances
taken in by the mouth to use for energy in the body.
Macro Nutrients
Macro Nutrients are needed in large quantities they normally include carbohydrates,
fat, protein and water.
1. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are needed to provide energy during exercise.
Carbohydrates are stored mostly in the muscles and liver. Complex carbohydrates are
found in foods such as pasta, bagels, whole grain breads, and rice. They provide
energy, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These foods are low in fat. Simple sugars, such as
soft drinks, jams and jellies, and candy provide a lot of calories, but they do not
provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
5. Simple carbohydrates are sugars. They consist of just one or two molecules. They provide a
rapid source of energy, but the consumer soon feels hungry again. Examples include white
bread, sugars, and candies.
Complex carbohydrates consist of long chains of sugar molecules. Wholegrain and foods that
still have their fiber in are complex carbs. They tend to fill you up for longer, and they are
considered more healthful, as they contain more vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Examples include
fruits, vegetables, pulses, and whole meal pasta.
Functions:
Providing energy and regulation of blood glucose.
Sparing the use of proteins for energy.
Breakdown of fatty acids and preventing ketosis.
Biological recognition processes.
Flavour and Sweeteners.
Dietary fiber.
6. 2. Fats: Fats are emergency sources of energy and stored in body. Fats carry Vitamin, A, D, E, K.
They are sources of energy for large activities. In proper functionary of glands and internal
organs against the blood clotting, maintains the skin and important functions of glands. Internal
organs helps
on blood clotting. Our diet should consist of 20%-25% of fat more in take more risk of obesity
and many heart diseases. So that nutrients and highly proportion of diet should be taken in
proper amount according to need.
Types of Fats:
1. Saturated Fats
A diet rich in saturated fats can drive up total cholesterol, and tip the balance toward more
harmful LDL cholesterol, which prompts blockages to form in arteries in the heart and elsewhere
in the body. LDL cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease.
2. Trans Fats
Small amounts of trans fats are found naturally in animal-based foods like meat and milk. But
most trans fats are made in an industrial process. Companies add hydrogen to liquid vegetable
oils to make them solid at room temperature.
7. 3. Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fats come mainly from vegetables, nuts, and fish. They're liquid at room
temperature. Because these fats are good for your heart, and the rest of your body, experts
recommend that you eat them in place of saturated and trans fats.
Unsaturated fats come in two forms:
•Monounsaturated fats have one unsaturated chemical bond. Oils that contain these fats are
liquid at room temperature, but they turn solid when you refrigerate them.
•Polyunsaturated fats have many unsaturated chemical bonds. Polyunsaturated oils stay liquid
both at room temperature and in the refrigerator.
8. Functions:
Fats are store in body and used as emergency sources of energy.
Fats are important sources of energy for long duration activities and important for proper
function of glands and other internal organs.
It helps in transportation of fat soluble Vitamins A, D.E.K.
It helps in blood clotting maintenance of skin & hair. Our diet should consist of 20%–25% of fat
higher intake of fat high risk of obesity and many heart diseases.
Fats maintain body temperature and protect it from effect of external temperature.
Fats make body soft & oily.
3. Proteins: Proteins are needed for growth and development of body. It helps and replaces
the worn out tissues. It does not provide energy under normal routine but give energy under
extreme starvation, High intake of proteins creates overload over kidney and livers. Deficiency
diseases are kwashioskar or marasmus.
9. Functions:
•Repair and Maintenance. Protein is termed the building block of the body.
•Energy. Protein is a major source of energy.
•Hormones. Protein is involved in the creation of some hormones.
•Enzymes.
•Transportation and Storage of Molecules.
•Antibodies.
4. Water: Water is the main component of our body fluids and makes up most of our weight.
The body needs more water than any other nutrient and we replenish it through the food we
eat and what we drink. Water serves as a carrier. It distributes nutrients to cells and removes
wastes through urine. It regulates body temperature and the ionic balance of our blood. Water
is also essential for the body’s metabolism.
10. Functions:
•Your brain is 75% water.
•Bones are 22% water.
•Muscles are 75% water.
•Your blood is 92% water.
•Water carries nutrients and oxygen to all cells in the body.
•Water is required for breathing.
•Water moistens oxygen for breathing.
•Water regulates your body temperature.
11. Micro Nutrients
Micronutrients mainly comprise vitamins and minerals which are required in minute quantities.
However, both macro nutrients as well as micro nutrients are essential. Micro nutrients are
chlorine, iron, manganese, zinc, boron, sodium, copper, molybdenum and nickel.
1. Vitamins
Water-Soluble Vitamins
Most vitamins dissolve in water and are therefore known as water-soluble. They’re not easily
stored in your body and get flushed out with urine when consumed in excess.
While each water-soluble vitamin has a unique role, their functions are related.
For example, most B vitamins act as coenzymes that help trigger important chemical reactions.
A lot of these reactions are necessary for energy production.
a) Vitamin B Complex : It is a group of 8 water soluble vitamins which are important for cellular
metabolism. These are described as below:
Vitamin B1- For growth & development.
Vitamin B2 - Helps in growth of RBC.
12. Vitamin B3 - Play important role in energy transfer, reactions in the metabolism of glucose, fat &
alcohol.
Vitamin B5 - In involved in oxidation of fatty acids & Carbohydrates.
Vitamin B6 - It helps in metabolism of amino acids.
Vitamin B7 - It play key role in metabolism of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates.
Vitamin B9 - Folic Acids needed for normal cell division especially during pregnancy and infancy.
Vitamin B12 -It involved in cellular metabolism of carbohydrates proteins and lipids and helps in
production of RBC in bone marrow.
b) Vitamin C : In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage
caused by free radicals.
Fat Soluble Vitamin
Vitamin A - Helps in normal growth and development of eyes and skin.
Vitamin D - Important for formation of strong bones & teeth.
Vitamin E - It protects the cell membrane and acts as antioxidant.
Vitamin K - Helps in Blood clotting and heals wounds.
13. 2. Minerals:
They are required for various activities such as formation of hormones, maintenance of
heartbeat, transmission of nerve impulses etc
a) Macro Minerals
1. Calcium: Necessary for proper structure and function of bones and teeth. Assists in muscle
function and blood vessel contraction
2. Phosphorus: Part of bone and cell membrane structure
3. Magnesium: Assists with over 300 enzyme reactions, including regulation of blood pressure
4. Sodium: Electrolyte that aids fluid balance and maintenance of blood pressure
5. Chloride: Often found in combination with sodium. Helps maintain fluid balance and is used
to make digestive juices
6. Potassium: Electrolyte that maintains fluid status in cells and helps with nerve transmission
and muscle function
b) Micro Minerals
1. Iron: Helps provide oxygen to muscles and assists in the creation of certain hormones
2. Manganese: Assists in carbohydrate, amino acid and cholesterol metabolism
3. Copper: Required for connective tissue formation, as well as normal brain and nervous
system function
14. 4. Zinc: Necessary for normal growth, immune function and wound healing
5. Iodine: Assists in thyroid regulation
6. Fluoride: Necessary for the development of bones
7. Selenium: Important for thyroid health, reproduction and defense against oxidative damage
Nutritive Components of Diet
1. Carbohydrates
2. Fats
3. Proteins
4. Vitamins
Fat Soluble Vitamins
Water Soluble Vitamins
5. Minerals
Macro Minerals
Micro Minerals
Non-Nutritive Components of Diet
Non-nutritive components of diet are compounds absorbed from the food but they do not pro,
energy in the form of calories. They can either help us or harm us. Given below is the
explanation of some of the non nutritive components:
15. 1. Water : Water is very important element of food or diet although it does not provide any
nutritional value to our body. Our blood contains 90% of water. Water helps to transport
nutrients of food in the body cells. It is also very useful for excretion of waste products from the
body. It controls the body temperature.
2. Roughage or Fibre : Roughage or Fibre has no nutrient value. Dietary fibre, or roughage is
the indigestible portion of food that cannot be digested by human intestinal tract. Its main
function is to add bulk to the diet, which In turn helps in the digestion process and healthy
function of the bowel system. Roughage comes in two different types, usually referred to as
soluble and insoluble fibre.
(a) Soluble fibre: It dissolves in water. It reduces blood sugar fluctuation and helps to lower
cholesterol.
(b) Insoluble fibre: It does not dissolve in water. It is a good stool softener.
Some of the Sources of roughage or fibre are: Peas, soybeans, oats, rye, chia, and barley, some
fruits (including prunes, plums, avocados, berries, ripe bananas, and the skin of apples, and
pears), certain vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and
onions (skins of these are sources of insoluble fibre also), flax seeds, nuts etc.
16. 3. Artificial Sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes that may be
derived from naturally occurring substances, including herbs or sugar itself. Artificial sweetener
ate attractive alternatives to sugar because they add virtually no calories to our diet. In add, we
need only a fraction compared with the amount of sugar we would normally us for Sweetness.
Artificial sweeteners are widely used in processed foods, Including baked goods, soft
powdered drink mixes, candy, puddings, canned foods, jams, jellies and dairy products etc.
4. Preservatives: A preservative is a naturally occurring or synthetically produced substance
that is added to foods, to prevent any undesirable chemical changes and increase their shelf life.
Preservatives can be divided into two types, depending on their origin:
(a) Natural food preservation: Naturally occurring substances such as rosemary extract,
hops, salt, sugar, vinegar, alcohol, diatomaceous earth and castor oil are also used as traditional
preservatives. Certain processes such as freezing, pickling, smoking and salting can also be used
to preserve food.
(b) Artificial food preservation: Man-made chemicals that are added to foods to stop them
from spoiling. Preservatives that are commonly used in foods in small amounts include sorbets,
which can be identified by the additive numbers (200-203), benzoates (2 10-218), sulphites
(220-228) and propionates (280-283). Some nitrites (249-250) are also classified as
preservatives.
17. 5. Food Additives: Food additives may be regarded as substances, either synthetic or natural,
which are normally not consumed as food itself, but is deliberately added, usually in small
amounts. These may include colour compounds or Flavour compounds.
(a) Colour compounds: Colour compounds are added by food producers to colour food or to
adjust the colour to desired level are among the commonly used food additives. They are used
to enhance the appearance and quality. Colour compounds are usually added to processed food
such as candies, snacks, margarine, cheese, soft drinks, jam/jelly gelatin, pudding and pastry
fillings. Colour compounds are divided into two groups based on their sources as natural and
synthetic. Natural colour compounds are produced from sources such as beetroot, grape,
cabbage and paprika. They are less stable to heat, light or pH, and their production is
inadequate to meet industrial demand. Synthetic colour compounds are substances which are
not found in nature due to chemical structures and obtained are by chemical synthesis.
(b) Flavour compounds: Flavour compounds increase taste and consumer acceptability of the
food item. A Flavour compound is defined as a substance that gives another substance flavour,
altering the characteristics of the solute, causing it to become sweet, sour, tangy, etc.
6. Plant compounds: Plant compounds are non nutritive components of diet. These
substances when ingested may have beneficial or harmful effects on the body. If taken in excess
there are many plant compounds which can harm our body. For example, caffeine when taken in
excess quantity may lead to increase heart rate, secretion of stomach acid and excessive
urination.
18. A Healthy Weight
A healthy weight is one that is right for your body type and weight .The most accurate
assessment of your ideal weight takes into account the composition of your body, how much of
your weight is lean body mass (muscles and bones) and how much is body fat. For optimum
health, body fat should be no more than 200/c of total weight for men and 30% for women. A
person is maintaining healthy weight or not, can be checked with the help of BMI
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat calculated on the basis of height and weight.
This method applies to both adult men and women.
BMI = (Weight in KGs) / (height in m)2
Once the BMI number is determined, the following table is used for determining whether the
person is of normal weight, overweight, underweight or obese
Classification BMI
Underweight <18.5
Normal weight e
Over Weight 25.0-29.9
Class I Obesity 30.0-34.9
Class II Obesity 35.0-39.9
Class III Obesity 40
19. Steps to achieve Health weight
Set an appropriate goa
Avoid strange diets
Limit intake of sugars
Eat balance diet and healthy diet
Limit the quantity of food
Balance calorie intake and expenditure
Do not skip meals
Avoid Junk Food
Active Lifestyle and Regular Exercise
20. The Pitfalls of Dieting
People use various techniques of weight loss such as taking diet pills, fasting, reducing calories
consumption, exercise etc. There are some dangers pitfalls of dieting that need to be checked
for reducing weight in a healthy way.
The pitfalls of dieting are mentioned below
1. Eating too Little In dieting people take just 1500-1 800 calories per day. But this is not
sufficient to meet the daily requirements. This may result in massive weight loss and other
related health problems.
2. More Drinking than Eating In order to reduce calorie consumption, more drinks are taken like
sweetened juices, sodas, tea and coffee with sugar. These increase the weight.
3. Skipping Meals not taking breakfast, lunch, dinner or proper meals reduces the metabolic
rate. Then the body starts conserving energy, the next time it gets food. This also results in more
intakes of calories in next meal.
4. Intake of Labeled Foods by taking foods that are labeled as Tow fat, Tow sugar, Tow calories’
may not produce proper results. For example, drinking more tea with sugar free results in more
intakes of tea and hence greater calorie consumption.
5. Not Performing Exercises No exercises reduce the level of metabolism drastically and there is
no burning of calories. In that case dieting will not be effective.
21. Food Intolerance
Food intolerance is the intolerance of certain elements in some foods that cannot be properly
processed by our digestive system. It is pretty common to have an adverse reaction to a certain
food, but in most cases it is intolerance rather than a true allergy.
Sign and Symptoms
•Nausea.
•Stomach pain.
•Gas, cramps or bloating.
•Vomiting.
•Heartburn.
•Diarrhea.
•Headaches.
•Irritability or nervousness.
22. Causes:
•Absence of an enzyme needed to fully digest a food. Lactose intolerance is a common example.
•Irritable bowel syndrome. This chronic condition can cause cramping, constipation and
diarrhea.
•Sensitivity to food additives
•Recurring stress or psychological factors.
Food Myth
Food myths mean a story about food with or without a determinable basic of fact or a natural
explanation, what to eat, when to eat, and how often to eat are such questions which usually
confuse.
1. Don’t take heavy Breakfast
2. Potatoes Increase obesity
3. Does eating sweets cause diabetes
4. Do not drink water during meals
5. Sweets are not good for health
6. Don’t take milk just after eating fish
7. Dieting reduce weight
