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Week 1

Nutrition GSCI 1045 (George Brown College)

Introduction to Nutrition
Welcome to the first learning module for our online nutrition course.
Before you begin, be sure to read all of the information in the Welcome-Start Here folder
and in the Assessment/Assignment folder accessible from either the Main Content page or
from the left hand menu.
Be sure to update your email address in the Global Blackboard settings and review how to
navigate the modules. In this first learning module, we'll discuss some of the basics of
nutrition.
What exactly do we mean when we use the word nutrition?
Well, specifically we will be referring to the science of human nutrition. One of the key
words here is "science." Every day we see something new in our travels about what we
should or shouldn't be doing to improve our health. It's the science behind all these reports,
stories, and tales that will help us distinguish the fact from the fiction. To understand any
topic, we need to look at the parts that make it up - so we'll begin to delve into the six
essential nutrients: Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Water, Vitamins and Minerals. We'll
also discuss the importance of nutrition and what ways we have to assess nutrition.
Things to do this module:
• Review contents of Welcome/Start Here! folder
• Review contents of Assessment Assignment folder. Especially read all about the Diet Plan
Project that is due in week 9.
• Read the content and review the video content included in the pages of this module
• Read Chapter 1: Nutrition and You in the Essentials of Nutrition: A Functional
Approach textbook.
• Complete the Module 1 Practice Test to check your understanding of key concepts
• Create your first discussion posting Identity and Nutrition (worth 6 marks) and reply to at
least two of your classmates postings by Friday at 11:30 pm.
What is Nutrition?
Every day we have to make a number of decisions; nutrition choices make up many of
these. We are constantly bombarded with information and misinformation about what we
should eat, what we should avoid, the latest superfood and the latest super villain. How do
we know which nutritional choice is correct?
What influences your nutrition decisions?
Where do you get your nutrition information?
Do you give your food choices much thought? How much?
o Human nutrition is the science of how food and nutrients can impact our health and
well-being.
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o Nutrition is a science that incorporates the principles of biological, chemical,

psychological and social sciences. Like any science, it evolves. What we believed years
ago may not necessarily be what we believe to be accurate today.
o The field of nutrition is active, changing and includes a growing body of knowledge
composed of organized facts.
The Scientific Approach
Nutrition is an evidence-based science. Nutritional scientists use a systematic process to
answer questions by testing theories. See the next page to review the parts of the scientific
method. We will talk more about the scientific method in a later module as it relates to
critically analyzing nutrition information.
Health
Individuals with a variety of conditions and illnesses can improve their health and quality of
life by receiving nutritional therapy.
Nutrition Related Careers
Those who study nutrition can have careers as registered dietitians, public health
nutritionists, chefs, food service managers, food scientists and food inspectors working for
agencies such as The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). On the next page, review the
steps involved in the scientific method and then on the page following that, watch a video
introducing you to some key definitions and concepts related to nutrition.
The Scientific Method
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What is Nutrition?
o The food we eat determines the nutrients our bodies will receive; nutrients are simply
the substances that allow our bodies to make the energy we need, build and maintain
our tissues and regulate many of our body processes.
o A diet filled with healthy nutrients will help us enjoy good health. We can think of
nutrition as the process we just described- taking in nutrients from the foods we eat.
o To delve into those nutrients further, we will look at the six classes of nutrients:
Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Water, Vitamins and Minerals. This module will give a
brief overview of these, but never fear we will go into much greater detail in the
modules that follow.
Macronutrients and Micronutrients - We can further classify our nutrients into two broad
categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. And as you may already have guessed from
the prefixes "macro" and "micro", one set, the macronutrients are required in large
amounts and the other set, the micronutrients are required in small amounts.
Macronutrients are important because they provide our bodies with energy in the form of
calories. The micronutrients are Carbohydrate, Lipids Proteins. Some nutritionist also
include water in the macronutrient category because we need it in large amounts but
sometimes it is placed in its own category because it has such unique functions. Water
makes up about 60% of our body weight and functions to lubricate our joints, transport
substances around our body and regulate our body temperature.
Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Lipids and Proteins, Carbohydrates
Our bodies look to carbohydrates for quick energy.
There are three different types of carbohydrates: sugars, starches and fibres. When we eat
a cookie, we are mostly consuming sugars; a pasta dinner would have a lot of starch which is
made up of complex carbs made of many sugars, and when we eat fruits, we get a lot
of fibre. Fibre is good for helping food move through the body.
Lipids
Lipids, commonly called fats, have more calories per gram than the other macronutrients.
They can be considered energy-dense and are a source of sustainable energy. There are
saturated fats (solid a room temperature), like butter and unsaturated fats (liquid at room
temperature) like vegetable oils. We'll talk a lot about healthy and unhealthy fats later on.
Proteins
Proteins are important for growth, development and repair, and our bodies only use protein
as a last resort source of energy. We get protein from a variety of animal and plant based
foods. Meat and beans are two examples of good sources of protein. Protein is broken
down by our bodies into amino acids.
Micronutrients: Vitamins & Minerals
As we mentioned above, micronutrients are needed in small amounts. They do not contain
calories; therefore, they do not directly provide us with energy.
Vitamins
Vitamins are either fat soluble or water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in fatty
tissue in the body but water soluble vitamins dissolve in water, so they are easily flushed
away. One function of vitamins is energy metabolism. They help or bodies convert calorie
containing nutrients into energy. They maintain in our vision, protect our cells from damage
and help with blood clotting.
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Minerals
Minerals have many functions including transporting oxygen in our blood, helping with
proper thyroid function and strengthening our bones. Trace minerals are needed in small
amounts and Major minerals are needed in large amounts.
Quick Review
Nutrition is the process of taking in nutrients from foods.
Nutrients are substances that allow your body to make energy, build and maintain tissues
and regulate body processes.
6 Classes of Nutrients: Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Water, Vitamins, and Minerals.
Macronutrients: Nutrients required in large amounts. Includes Carbohydrates, Lipids and
Proteins .
o Carbohydrates are quick energy. The different types of Carbohydrates are Sugars,
Starches and Fiber.
o Lipids provide sustainable energy. The different types of fats are Saturated Fats and
Unsaturated Fats.
o Proteins are a last resort source of energy. The basic building blocks of proteins are
called Amino Acids.
o Water makes up about 60% of your body weight. The functions of water are that they
lubricate your joints, transport substances around your body and regulate your body
temperature.
Micronutrients: Nutrients required in small amounts. Include Vitamins and Minerals
o Vitamins are either Fat Soluble or Water Soluble. The functions of vitamins include
maintaining your vision, protecting your cells from damage and helping with blood
clotting.
o Minerals are either Trace Minerals or Major Minerals. The functions of minerals include
transporting oxygen in your blood, helping with proper thyroid function and
strengthening your bones.
Why is Nutrition Important
o Nutrition affects all aspects of our life and if applied correctly can be a powerful tool to
live a healthy and well balanced life. A good diet can reduce the chances of getting ill,
boost our immune system and give us the energy to stay fit and active. Learning about
nutrition can also provide information about how to heal the body with foods and boost
our mental health.
o Furthermore, with all the information available in the media, being aware of the science
of nutrition can help us discern accurate and reliable information from misleading fads.
This knowledge can then be used in meal planning to achieve desired goals like
maintaining bodyweight or improving athletic fitness.
o Nutrition also enables us to reflect on why we eat the things we do, and in turn
empowers us to make better choices for our overall wellbeing. Our food choices are
often based on what we are familiar with, what we grow up eating, and the things that
are convenient for our day to day lives. Our food choices often reveal to us a lot about
our own history and cultural practices.
o Therefore, studying nutrition can be the groundwork through which we learn more
about the cultural aspects of food that impact the way we socialize, the way we grow
our food, and how it relates to our future generations.
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The ABCD’s of Nutritional Assessment

We can never measure nutritional status in its entirety, so instead we measure discrete,
specific indicators:
▪ A-Anthropometric Measurements:
Anthropometric Measurements Include physical measurements that assess one’s body
composition, specifically their body fat percentage. There are many methods of measuring
one’s body composition from using indices like the Body Mass Index (BMI) to taking a Waist
Circumference (WC) measurement to utilizing more advanced pieces of technology like Air
Displacement Plethysmography (ADP) or Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA).
o B-Biochemical Analysis:
When discussing biochemical analysis in relation to nutrition status, we are referring to a
series of techniques or tests that are done to analyze a client or patient’s chemical
composition. E.g. A simple blood test to determine iron levels or the analysis of hair follicles
to determine selenium levels.
o C-Clinical Examination:
Clinical examination includes a visit to the physician where they will ask a series of questions
and do a series of physical assessments. This can include asking about your family health
history, taking heart rate or blood pressure and/or assessing neurological health via reflex
testing.
o D-Dietary Intake:
Assessing or analyzing a client’s food consumption may also provide vital information in
regard to whether they are obtaining sufficient, optimal or suboptimal nutrition. There are
many methods to assessing one’s dietary intake and include techniques such as Food
Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ), 24 hour or 3-day diet analyses, and/or surveys.
o On the next page, watch the video that goes into more detail about the ABCDs of
Nutritional Assessment.
Assessing Your Nutrition, Diet and Health: How to Avoid Disease
Review
The tools of the nutritional assessment take into consideration body composition, body
chemistry, physical status and food intake to piece together a picture of an individual or
group.
The purposes of nutritional assessment include identification of people at risk of
malnutrition and development a healthcare plan to optimize health and avoid disease.
Nutritional Assessment is the evaluation of data to determine the nutritional status of a
person or group of people.
The ABCD’s of nutritional assessment
The “A” stands for ‘anthropometric assessment’ which is the measurement of the human
body.
o Anthropometric measurements include body mass index or BMI which is a measurement
of the waist to height ratio.
o A BMI of 30 or greater indicates obesity and an increased risk of diabetes and
cardiovascular disease.
o The waist to hip ratio or WHR is a measurement of the size of your waist divided by the
size of your hips.
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o A high ratio reveals an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A high risk
WHR is greater than point .80 for women and a high-risk the WHR is greater than .95 for
men.
The “B” stands for “biochemical assessment” for example a blood in urine test can pick up
abnormalities in the body's metabolism and nutrient levels.
The “C” stands for “clinical assessment” which is a physical exam that looks for physical
clues of nutritional deficiencies or issues by examining the body.
The “D” stands for “dietary assessment or intake” which is a food diary, as well as
questions and observations from a professional.
o This information can then be compared to standard food guides to evaluate if a person
is meeting the minimum nutritional requirements for the prevention of disease.

For more information see the slides posted here: The abcd’s of nutritional assessment
slides from Amy Symington, MSc
Checklist Week 1
Before proceeding to the next module check that you have completed all of these things:
• Reviewed all the items in the Welcome- Start Here Folder and the
Assessment/Assignment Folder (reviewed outline, how to navigate the course,
assignment, and assessment details, read the welcome message)
• Reviewed all the content in the first learning module and completed the activities within
• Read Chapter 1, Nutrition and You in Nutrition Essentials: A Functional Approach
textbook.
• Completed Discussion Posting - Wk 1 Identity and Nutrition ( includes creating an avatar,
explaining your avatar, introducing yourself, telling us about something interesting you
learned from module 1, posting an avatar or photo of yourself in Global Blackboard
Personal Settings, and replying to 2 classmates postings) before Friday at 11:30 pm. (6
Marks)
• Completed Module 1 Practice Quiz.