Lesson 1

NUTRITION CONCEPTS

NUTRITION
 Nutrition is the science that links foods to health and disease. It is the study of food
and how the body makes use of it.
 Nutrition deals not only with the quantity and quality of food consumed bur also with
the process of receiving and utilizing it for the growth and renewal of the body and for
the maintenance of the different body functions.

Function of Nutrition

The basic function of nutrition is to maintain life by allowing an individual to grow and
be in a state of optimum health.
The following are reasons why nutritional science is applied to nursing care:

1. the recognition of the role of nutrition in preventing diseases or illnesses;

2. the concern for adapting food patterns of individuals to their nutritional needs within
the framework of their cultural, economic, and psychological situations and styles;
and
3. the awareness of the need in specified disease states to modify nutritional factors for
therapeutic purpose.

NUTRIENTS

 Nutrients are components of food that are needed by the body in adequate amounts in
order to grow, reproduce and lead a normal, healthy life. Since nutrients are found
primarily in natural foods, adequate intake of these nutrients is necessary to carry out
physiological functions.
 Nutrients are classified according to the following:
1. Function – Those that form tissues in the body are body building nutrients while
those that furnish heat and energy are fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
2. Chemical properties – Nutrients are either organic or inorganic
3. Essentiality – Nutrients are classified based on their significant contribution to the
body’s physiological functioning.
4. Concentration – Nutrients are either in large or little amounts.
 Water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals are the six classes of
nutrients.
 There are over 40 essential nutrients supplied by food, which are used to produce
literally thousands of substances necessary for life and physical fitness.
Adequate, Optimum and Good Nutrition
 These are expressions used to indicate that the supply of the essential nutrients is
correct in amount and proportion. It also implies that the utilization of such nutrients
in the body is such that the highest level of physical and mental health is maintained
throughout the life-cycle.

FOOD
 Food is that which nourishes the body.
 Food may also be defined as anything eaten or drunk, which meets the needs for
energy, building, regulation and protection of the body.
 Intake of the right kinds and amounts of food can ensure good nutrition and health,
which may be evident in our appearance, efficiency and emotional well-being.

Functions of Food

1. Physiological functions of food

 To provide energy
 To build the body
 To regulate activities of the body
 To improve the body’s resistance to disease
2. Social functions of Food
 Used as an expression of love, friendship and
social acceptance
 Used as a symbol of happiness at certain
events in life
3. Psychological Functions of Food
 Satisfies sense of security, love and
attention

NUTRITIONAL STATUS
 The state of our body as a result of the foods
consumed and their use by the body. Nutritional status can be good, fair or poor.
 Good nutritional status
o alert, good natured personality, a well-developed body, with normal weight for
height, well developed and firm muscles, healthy skin, and reddish pink color
of eyelids and membranes of mouth, good layer of subcutaneous fat, clear
eyes, smooth and glossy hair, good appetite and excellent general health.
 Poor nutritional status
o may be the result of poor food selection, irregularity in schedule of meals,
work, sleep and elimination.
o evidenced by a listless, apathetic or irritable personality, undersized poorly
developed body, abnormal body weight (too thin or fat and flabby body),
muscles small and flabby, pale or sallow skin, too little or too much
subcutaneous fat, dull or reddened eyes, lusterless and rough hair, poor
appetite, lack of vigor and endurance for work and susceptibility to infections.
Poor nutritional status may be the result of poor food selection, irregularity in
schedule of meals, work, sleep and elimination
 Dietary status
o describes what a client has been eating. Although a client’s dietary status may
be adequate, his or her nutritional status may be poor

HEALTH
 The WHO (World Health Organization) has defined health as the ‘state of complete
physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity’.
 Malnutrition results from a lack, excess or imbalance of nutrients in the diet. It
includes undernutrition and overnutrition.
 Undernutrition is a state of an insufficient supply of essential nutrients.
 









Overnutrition refers to an excessive intake of one or more nutrients, which creates a
stress in the bodily function.





In the Philippines, malnutrition is one of the problems that the Philippine Health Agenda
2016-2020 aims to resolve.
 Diet refers to whatever you eat and drink each day. It includes the normal diet you
consume and the diet people consume in groups (hostel diet). Diet may also be
modified and used for ill persons as part of their therapy (therapeutic diets).

CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF NUTRITION

 Cumulative effects are the results of something that is done repeatedly over many
years. For example, eating excessive amounts of saturated for many years contributes
to atherosclerosis, which leads to heart attacks.
 Years of overeating can cause obesity and may also contribute to hypertension, type
2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, gallbladder disease, foot problems, certain
cancers, and even personality disorders.
 The practice of good nutrition habits would help eliminate many health problems
caused by malnutrition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4pmz2a24n8
1. View the Youtube link above and learn about FEL.
2. Acquire or download a copy of the latest Phil. FEL
3. Calculate your Desirable Body weight (DBW) and your Total Energy Allowance
(TEA). Refer to Caudal’s book, p.145 for the computation.
4. Distribute your TEA among Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats as follows:
CHO: 65% (50%-70%)
Proteins: 15% (10%-15%)
Fats: 20% (20%-30%
5. Compute for the corresponding energy contributions of the three nutrients in your
diet as follows:
CHO = TEA x 0.65 = _____ kcal
Prot = TEA x 0.15 = _____ kcal
Fats = TEA x 0.20 = _____ kcal
6. Calculate the number of grams of the three nutrients by multiplying the calories
for each nutrient by corresponding physiologic fuel values (CHO, 4 kcal/g; Prot, 4
kcal/g; Fats, 9 kcal/g)
CHO = _____ kcal x 4 = _______ g
Prot = _____ kcal x 4 = _______ g
Fats = _____ kcal x 9 = _______ g
7. Compute for your diet prescription(Rx) by rounding off calories to the neariest 50,
CHO, Proteins and Fats to the nearest 5 g. Thus your diet prescription is:
Diet Rx: _________________________