1.

Majority of the nutrients we need for body growth and development come from the food we
eat. We, human beings,nutrients are substances needed for growth,metabolism,and for other body
functions. All substances that nourish the body, such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals,
vitamins, and water, are considered nutrients.

Nutrients are classified into two types: macronutrients, and micronutrients. Macronutrients
(macro=large) are those nutrients required in large amount for the body to function correctly. They
essentially include proteins, carbohydrates,and fats. Their large amount demonstrates how important
they are for a healthy body growth and function. Animal-based foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and
dairy foods) tend to be good sources of complete protein that are essential for muscle building, to build
and repair tissues. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy.Major food sources of
carbohydrates are vegetables, fruits, whole grains, milk products.Fats are used to store energy.Food
source of fats are chicken skin,whole-fat dairy products (milk, cream, cheese),Butter, Olive, peanut, and
canola oils. Micronutrients on the other hand (micro=small) are those nutrients needed in small
amounts. Some of the most important micronutrients include vitamin C which helps the body fight
infection, and vitamin D, which aids in calcium absorption, are two of the most crucial micronutrients.
Iron and zinc are two more minerals that are crucial for sustaining energy levels and preventing illness.

What a person or human being needs to know is how much food is appropriate for them to eat,
as well as what amounts of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are best for them. In nursing
field,nurses need to familiarize on what kind of nutrients and amount of food that should be taken by
patient. When people as well as nurses are aware of these factors, they can maintain a
patient's balanced diet throughout their lives and generally for them to eat properly.

2. Good nutrition means that our body receives all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs to
function at its finest. We must always choose healthy foods because our daily food choices make a big
difference in our health.The nutrients we get from the food we eat can lead to energy production, keep
skeleton healthy and strong, for building and maintaining body's muscle cells, immune cells and help
maintain a healthy body weight.Good nutrition can help prevent many chronic conditions, including
heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. It can reduce high blood pressure,lower high
cholesterol,improve your well-being,improve your ability to fight off illness, to recover from illness or
injury and increase your energy level.So we,future nurses must be equipped with the knowledge
necessary to help patients make healthy choices about food and for them to get successful treatment
and recovery.
 Digestive activity begins when we see, smell, taste, or even imagine a tasty meal. Only
by looking at or smelling appetizing food, the brain send messages to the salivary glands to
make the mouth moist and to the stomach to generate gastric juice. The smell of food triggers
the salivary glands in our mouth to secrete saliva, causing our mouth to water. As we see and
smell tasty food, our salivary glands get active.
As food is crushed and broken down, salivary glands secrete enzymes that help soften
the food and make it into a paste. A digestive enzyme in saliva called amylase chemically digests
starch in the food. Then a bolus, or little ball of food, is created. When a person swallows, the
bolus is then forced downward toward the esophagus by involuntary muscle contractions in the
throat. Then food enters into the stomach by a process called peristalsis, which involves a
sequence of muscle contractions in the esophagus. A muscular ring or valve at the end of the
esophagus, known as a sphincter, permits food to enter the stomach before closing to prevent
food or liquid from flowing back up into the esophagus.Then the stomach mix and grind the
food with digestive juices that have acids and enzymes, breaking it into much smaller, digestible
pieces. By the time food is ready to leave the stomach, it has been transformed into a thick
liquid called chyme, which is then squirted into the small intestine where further food digestion
takes place to allow the body to absorb the nutrients.
Small intestines is made up of three segments — the duodenum, jejunum, and
ileum.The duodenum is primarily in charge of the ongoing breakdown process while the jejunum
and ileum are mostly in charge of nutrient absorption into the bloodstream. The muscles of the
small intestine mix food with digestive juices from the pancreas, liver, and intestine and push
the mixture forward to help with further digestion. Then the walls of the small intestine absorb
the digested nutrients into the bloodstream.The blood delivers the nutrients to the rest of the
body.
From the small intestine, undigested food (and some water) travels to the large
intestine through a muscular ring or valve that prevents food from returning to the small
intestine.When food enters the large intestine, the process of absorbing nutrients is almost
complete.
The primary function of the large intestine is to remove water from the undigested
material and form solid waste (poop) that may be excreted.
The large intestine is divided into the cecum, colon and rectum. The cecum is the
beginning of the large intestine.Then stool, or waste left over from the digestive process, is
passed through the colon by means of peristalsis, first in a liquid state and ultimately in a solid
form. The colon has three parts: the ascending colon and the transverse colon, which absorb
fluids and salts; and the descending colon, which holds the resulting waste.
Then the rectum is where feces are stored until they leave the digestive system through
the anus as a bowel movement.