Week 4 reflection

Everything when smoothly. Learn quite a bit about how energy is being used and stored.

Week 3 reflection

This week, i learn that if we don't excersise, our body will store the food as fats. When our body needs energy but does not have enough food, the fats will be used to give us energy instead.

week 2 reflection

Everything went well. Learn quite a bit about cholesterol.

I found this interesting info in my e-mail

Cholesterol could easily be described as the smoking gun of the last two

decades. It’s been responsible for demonizing entire categories of foods (like

eggs and saturated fats) and blamed for just about every case of heart disease in

the last 20 years.

Yet not too long ago, cholesterol, and the fear that yours is too high was rarely

talked about. And even long before that there was no such thing as a heart

disease epidemic.

Somewhere along the way however, cholesterol became a household word --

something that you must keep as low as possible, or suffer the consequences.

You are probably aware that there are many myths that portray fat and

cholesterol as one of the worst foods you can consume. Please understand that

these myths are actually harming your health.

Not only is cholesterol not going to

destroy your health (as you have been

led to believe), but it is not the cause of

heart disease.

And for those of you taking cholesterol-

lowering drugs, the information that

follows could not have gotten to you

fast enough. But before I delve into this

life-changing information, let’s get some

basics down first.

What is Cholesterol, and Why Do You Need It?

That’s right, you do need cholesterol.

This soft, waxy substance is found not only in your bloodstream, but also in every

cell in your body, where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin

D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps in the

formation of your memories and is vital for neurological function.

Your liver makes about 75 percent of your body’s cholesterol,1 and according to

conventional medicine, there are two types:

1. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL: This is the “good” cholesterol that

helps to keep cholesterol away from your arteries and remove any excess

from arterial plaque, which may help to prevent heart disease.

2. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL: This “bad” cholesterol circulates in

your blood and, according to conventional thinking, may build up in your

arteries, forming plaque that makes your arteries narrow and less flexible

(a condition called atherosclerosis). If a clot forms in one of these

narrowed arteries leading to your heart or brain, a heart attack or stroke

may result.

Also making up your total cholesterol count are:

• Triglycerides: Elevated levels of this dangerous fat have been linked to

heart disease and diabetes. Triglyceride levels are known to rise from

eating too many grains and sugars, being physically inactive, smoking

cigarettes, drinking alcohol excessively and being overweight or obese.

• Lipoprotein (a), or Lp(a): Lp(a) is a substance that is made up of an LDL

"bad cholesterol" part plus a protein (apoprotein a). Elevated Lp(a) levels

are a very strong risk factor for heart disease. This has been well

established, yet very few physicians check for it in their patients.

Total Cholesterol is NOT a Good Indicator of Your Heart Disease Risk

Health officials in the United States urge everyone over the age of 20 to have

their cholesterol tested once every five years. Part of this test is your total

cholesterol, or the sum of your blood’s cholesterol content.

The American Heart Association

recommends that your total cholesterol is

less than 200 mg/dL, but what they do not

tell you is that total cholesterol level is just

about worthless in determining your risk

for heart disease, unless it is above 300.

I have seen a number of people with

levels over 250 who actually were at low

heart disease risk due to their HDL levels.

Conversely, I have seen even more who

had cholesterol levels under 200 that were at a very high risk of heart disease

based on the following additional tests:

• Your HDL/Cholesterol ratio

• Your Triglyceride/HDL ratios

HDL percentage is a very potent heart disease risk factor. Just divide your HDL

level by your cholesterol. That percentage should ideally be above 24 percent.

You can also do the same thing with your triglycerides and HDL ratio. That

percentage should be below 2.

Keep in mind, however, that these are still simply guidelines, and there’s a lot

more that goes into your risk of heart disease than any one of these numbers. In

fact, it was only after word got out that total cholesterol is a poor predictor of

heart disease that HDL and LDL cholesterol were brought into the picture. They

give you a closer idea of what’s going on, but they still do not show you

everything.

Cholesterol is Neither “Good” Nor “Bad”

Now that we’ve defined good and bad cholesterol, it has to be said that there is

actually only one type of cholesterol. Ron Rosedale, MD, who is widely

considered to be the leading anti-aging doctor in the United States, does an

excellent job of explaining this concept:2

“Notice please that LDL and HDL are lipoproteins -- fats combined with

proteins. There is only one cholesterol. There is no such thing as “good” or

“bad” cholesterol.

Cholesterol is just cholesterol.

It combines with other fats and

proteins to be carried through the

bloodstream, since fat and our

watery blood do not mix very well.

Fatty substances therefore must be

shuttled to and from our tissues and

cells using proteins. LDL and HDL are forms of proteins and are far from

being just cholesterol.

In fact we now know there are many types of these fat and protein

particles. LDL particles come in many sizes and large LDL particles are

not a problem. Only the so-called small dense LDL particles can

potentially be a problem, because they can squeeze through the lining of

the arteries and if they oxidize, otherwise known as turning rancid, they

can cause damage and inflammation.

Thus, you might say that there is ‘good LDL’ and ‘bad LDL.’

Also, some HDL particles are better than others. Knowing just your total

cholesterol tells you very little. Even knowing your LDL and HDL levels will

not tell you very much.”

How is food digested?

http://www.kitses.com/animation/swfs/digestion.swf

Click on the link above to understand more about digestion.

Week 1 reflection

So far everything gone smoothly for the first phrase of the project. I have learn a few things about Digestion and nutrition.

Tally of how many food groups eaten in a 4 day period

During the 4 day period the dinner i eat always consist of 3 t0 5 food groups. Breakfast & lunch will consists of 2 to 4 food groups.

But i am certain i ate from all food groups each day.

My learning targets

1. The importance of digestion and nutrition.

2. The facts of digestion and nutrition.

3. The advantages & disadvantages.

Meal log (4th day)

Breakfast : Bread with chocolate spread

Belongs to the Carbohydrates, dairy group

Lunch : Hokkien mee

Carbohydrates, meat, fish, vegetables fat & oil group.

Dinner : Rice with chicken nugget and chye sim

Carbohydrates, Vegetables, chicken, Fats & Oil group.

I ate from all food groups everyday.

Meal log (3rd day)

Breakfast : Chicken burger

Belongs to the Carbohydrates, meat, vegetables, dairy group

Lunch : Porridge, chicken, Kang kong

Carbohydrates, meat, vegetables group.

Dinner : Crab & french loaf

Carbohydrates, Vegetables, Seafood, Fats & Oil group.

I ate from all food groups everyday.

Meal log (2nd day)

Breakfast : Chinese pancake

Belongs to the Carbohydrates, dry beans & nut group

Lunch : Fried beehoon

Carbohydrates, vegetables group.

Dinner : Fried rice

Carbohydrates, Vegetables, Seafood, Fats & Oil group.

I ate from all food groups everyday.

Meal log (1st day)

Breakfast : Beef sandwich

Belongs to the Carbohydrates, Vegetables, Meat group.

Lunch : Pork porridge

Carbohydrates, Meat group.

Dinner : Ala-carte ( beef rendang, egg, Chye sim)

Carbohydrates, Vegetables, Meat, Fats & Oil group.

I ate from all food groups everyday.

How is food digested?

Food is digested by digestive enzymes in your digestive system. The first digestive enzyme is called amylase and it is found in you mouth, in other words your saliva, this enzyme breaks down carbohydrates/ sugars. Then your food is churned with your teeth and becomes a bolus ( a ball of food), that then travels down to the stomach through methods of peristalsis. The food enters the stomach upon passage through the cardiac orifice, also known as the esophageal sphincter. In the stomach, food is further broken apart through a process of heuristic churning and is thoroughly mixed with a digestive fluid, composed chiefly of hydrochloric acid, and other digestive enzymes to further denature proteins. The parietal cells of the stomach also secrete a compound, intrinsic factor which is essential in the absorption of vitamin B-12. As the acidic level changes in the small intestines, more enzymes are activated to split apart the molecular structure of the various nutrients so they may be absorbed into the circulatory or lymphatic systems. Absorption is when smaller molecules, such as glucose or alcohol, pass through the membrane of the stomach directly into the blood stream.After being processed in the stomach, food is passed to the small intestine via the pyloric sphincter. This is where most of the digestive process occurs as chyme enters the first 10 inches (25 cm) of the small intestine, the duodenum. Here it is further mixed with 3 different liquids:

1. bile (which helps aid in fat digestion, otherwise known as emulsification) (Bile also contains pigments that are by-products of red blood cell destruction in the liver; these bile pigments are eliminated from the body with the feces.) 2. pancreatic juice and enzymes, (made by the pancreas) 3. intestinal enzymes of the alkaline mucosal membranes. The enzymes include: maltase, lactase and sucrase, to process sugars. Trypsin and chymotrypsin are other enzymes added in the small intestine.

Most nutrient absorption takes place in the small intestine.

The nutrients pass through the small intestine's wall, which contains small, finger-like structures called villi. The blood, which has absorbed nutrients, is carried away from the small intestine via the hepatic portal vein and goes to the liver for filtering, removal of toxins, and nutrient processing. The primary activity here is regulation of blood glucose levels through a process of temporary storage of excess glucose that is converted in the liver to glycogen in direct response to the hormone insulin. Between meals, when blood glucose levels begin to drop, the glycogen is converted back to glucose in response to the hormone glucagon.

What is the function of the digestive system?

What Is the Function of the Digestive System?

The primary function of the digestive system is to break down the food we eat into smaller parts so the body can use them to build and nourish cells and provide energy.

The digestive system is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. Inside this tube is a lining called the mucosa. In the mouth, stomach, and small intestine, the mucosa contains tiny glands that produce juices to help digest food.

Two solid organs, the liver and the pancreas, produce digestive juices that reach the intestine through small tubes. In addition, parts of other organ systems (for instance, nerves and blood vessels) play a major role in the digestive system.

When we eat things like bread, meat, and vegetables, they are not in a form the body can use as nourishment. Our food and drink must be changed into smaller molecules of nutrients before they can be absorbed into the blood and carried to cells throughout the body. Digestion is the process by which food and drink are broken down into their smallest parts so that the body can use them.

Info from: http://digestive-system.emedtv.com/digestive-system/function-of-the-digestive-system.html

What makes up the digestive system?

Mouth, Oesophagus, Stomach, Liver, Gall Bladder, Small intestines, Pancreas, Large intestines. ( Image from: http://eatwellgetwell.wordpress.com/2006/05/14/the-digestive-system/)

What is the importance of a nutritional and healthy diet?

Nutrition

The foods you eat provide the energy your body needs to function. Just like you need to put fuel in your car or recharge your cell phone battery, your body needs to be fed energy-providing foods every day. The main form of energy for your body is carbohydrates.

Your body has the easiest time digesting carbohydrates like sugar and starch. Carbohydrates are broken down into individual glucose, fructose or galactose units. Glucose is your body’s favorite form of energy. If you don’t get enough carbohydrates, your body can make glucose from protein or fat and if you get too many carbohydrates, your body is very good at storing them as fat.

Good Nutrition Provides Raw Materials

Protein in the foods you eat is broken down into individual amino acids. Your body uses the amino acids to build and repair the various parts of your body. Your muscles contain lots of protein, and you need to replenish that protein through your diet. Your body also needs protein for components of your immune system, hormones, nervous system, and organs.

Another raw material your body needs is calcium. Calcium has several functions in your body, but it's best known as the mineral that is stored in your bones and teeth. You need calcium from your diet to keep your bones and teeth strong.

Your body also needs fats to be healthy. Membranes that contain fats surround all the cells of your body. Your brain has fatty acids, and fats are also needed to signal hormones.

Having a healthy diet prevents you from diseases.