Food can be defined as anything edible that is solid, semisolid, or liquid that can be swallowed, digested, and absorbed

in the
body.
➢ Food keeps a person alive.
➢ It provides energy for doing various kinds of work.
➢ It is used for our growth and development.
➢ It repairs damaged parts of our body.
➢ It protects the body from diseases.
Saliva is a thick, colourless fluid in the mouth secreted by salivary glands, providing lubrication for chewing, swallowing, and
helping in digestion.When we chew a roti, saliva gets mixed with it. Saliva breaks down complex carbohydrates (starch) of
roti into sugar. That is why it tastes sweeter while chewing.
 The tongue is an extremely movable set of muscles that is located on the floor of the mouth.
➢ It helps in tasting, chewing, and swallowing food.
➢ It helps in removing food particles from teeth and gums. ➢ It is also used in speech
and the formation of sounds.
Tiny bumps on the surface of our tongue are called taste buds which help us to taste the food
we eat.
➢ Taste buds in front of the tongue taste sweet things.
➢ Taste buds at the back of the tongue taste bitter things.
➢ Taste buds at the back of both sides of the tongue taste sour things ➢ Taste buds in the
front of both sides of the tongue taste salty things.
We would not get any taste in other portions of the mouth like under the tongue, on the lips, or
the roof of the mouth. This is because these parts do not have any taste buds.
We cannot taste anything if we wipe the surface of the tongue by using a clean cloth.

The sense of smell and taste are related to each other. While chewing, the aroma of our food travels through our nasal area.
There the hair cells carry the odour-related information to the brain. But when we have a cold, due to the mucus in our nose we
are not able to smell the odour and hence our brain is not able to tell us about the flavour of the dishes that we eat. As a result,
we feel that our food tastes bland.

Digestion: The process by which food is broken down into a simpler form that can be absorbed and used by our body is
called digestion. Digestion starts from the mouth.

Digestion of the food starts from the mouth. Partially digested food enters the stomach
through a food pipe. The churning of food takes place in the stomach. The digested food
from the stomach enters into the small intestine and the complete digestion of food
takes place with the help of digestive juices produced in the small intestine. The
nutrients from the digested food enter into the blood through the walls of the small
intestine. Undigested food enters into large intestine where water absorption takes place.
The undigested food comes out of the body through the anus.
 Rules of Good Digestion

❖ Eat clean and fresh food. Eat a balanced diet.

❖ Eat your meals at fixed times.
❖ Chew the food well before swallowing it.
❖ Keep your mouth closed while chewing food so that you do not swallow air along with your food.
❖ Do not overeat.
❖ Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth before and after each meal.

Liver: The largest organ that is located on the right side of the upper abdomen.
Functions:
➢ The main function of the liver is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract, before
passing it to the rest of the body.
➢ It removes chemicals from our bodies.
➢ During the process of digestion, the liver breaks down the fats in the small intestine with the
help of bile juice produced in it.

Stomach: A muscular organ located on the left side of the upper abdomen.
Functions:
➢ Temporary storage for food, which passes from the food pipe to the stomach where it is held
for 2 hours or longer.
➢ Mixing and breakdown of food by contraction and relaxation of the muscle layers in the
stomach. ➢ Digestion of food takes place with the help of digestive juices produced by the
stomach.

Dr. William Beaumont was a surgeon in the U.S. Army who became known as the "Father of
Gastric Physiology" for his research on human digestion on Alexis St. Martin. Dr. Beaumont found
that:

➢ The digestive juices secreted by the stomach are acidic.

➢ Digestion is faster in the stomach than outside.
➢ The speed of the digestion process depends on the mood of a person. It gets faster when he/she
is happy and slower when he/she is sad.
Functions of water in our body
• It helps to regulate our body temperature.
• Our body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion. So, drinking water and eating food that contains water
help to rehydrate our body.
• Our eyes, nose, and mouth can be prevented from feeling dry.
• Water helps to remove waste materials from our bodies.
• Water makes the digestion process easier.
 A patient should be given a glucose drip when he is dehydrated. A glucose drip is also
given when the patient is unable to take his food orally. Glucose drip gives the patient
instant energy. It should be given as drips until the person can recover from illness
completely and eat his food without difficulty.

Importance of including roughage in our diet

➢ Roughage is the fibrous matter in our food that cannot be digested.
➢ It has no nutritional value.
➢ It provides bulk to the food, keeps the food and waste matter moving along the food tract, and helps to prevent
constipation.
The main sources of roughage are salad, vegetables, the skin of fruits, whole grains, and pulses.

Balanced Diet:
A diet that contains different types of food provides the
right amount of all the nutrients along with roughage and
water necessary for good health.

Along with a balanced diet, regular exercise, enough rest,

and proper sleep are essential for remaining healthy.

GOOD HEALTH IS LIFE’S MOST VALUABLE GIFT!