D) Read the article to check your ideas.

D) Listen to the recording again and complete the sentences with the appropriate prepositions.

1. I’m not blaming my culture ____ my lack of interest in food at an early age.

2. Unfortunately you’re setting yourself _____ for a higher dose of the blues.

3. You decide to treat yourself ____ a bar of chocolate – nothing ____ chocolate to perk you up.

4. That’s because chocolate bars have a hefty amount of fat and sugar – which takes a long time to digest and can draw energy ______ from your brain – and caffeine which will temporarily boost your mood and alertness but send you crashing ____ down as soon as its effect starts to wear off.

5. Does this mean snacking is a bad idea when you’re feeling ______?

6. In addition, marmalade is loaded _____ the type of sugar that spurs the release of mood-lifting chemicals in the brain.

7. Tuna, bananas, nuts and whole wheat bread are high ____ vitamin B6, which has been scientifically proven to help preserve cognitive skills.

8. Protein-rich food contains a nutrient called Tyrosine, which studies have shown, are linked ___ clear thinking and alertness.

9. Many scientists these days believe that indulging ___ life’s little pleasures may actually help improve your health because of the psychological lift it gives you.

E) Explain the definitions of food from the recording.

What idea did the author get across?

^ Ex 3a). Match the words that describe people in terms of their attitude to food with their definitions. Which of these words describe you? Discuss with a partner.

connoisseur epicure foodie fruitarian gourmet

herbivore nibbler vegan vegetarian

1. a person who eats by taking small bites of food

2. a person who does not eat any animal products such as meat, milk or eggs. Some of them do not use animal products such as silk or leather

3. any animal that eats only plants

4. a person who eats only fruit

5. a person who does not eat meat or fish

6. an expert on matters involving the judgement of beauty, quality or skill in art, food or music

7. a person who knows a lot about good food and wines and who enjoys choosing, eating and drinking them

8. (informal) a person who is very interested in cooking and eating different kinds of food

Ex. 3b) Which of the words from 3a are associated with healthy eating for you? Explain why/

Ex. 4a) Match the words to their definitions. Make up questions using these words to ask your groupmates.

nutrient nutrition malnutrition

1. the process by which living things receive the food necessary for them to grow and be healthy

2. a poor condition of health caused by a lack of food or a lack of the right type of food

3. a substance that is needed to keep a living thing alive and to help it to grow

4b) In pairs: find out if you can explain the meaning of the words below. What is their role in our life? Which of them can be called nutrients?

calories minerals vitamins

4c) Answer the following questions before you read the article:

1- What is the essential role food plays?

2- What is food a source of?

3- What types of nutrients do you know? What are they responsible for?

4- What are the possible health problems malnutrition can cause?

d) Read the article to check your ideas.

Nutrition and Food

A) Nutrition begins with food. The science of nutrition concerns everything that the body does with food in order to live, function, grow, and heal. Foods that are eaten on a regular basis make up a diet. Although geographic location and family traditions play major parts in forming dietary habits, food choices vary from person to person. To a high degree, what people eat affects their health and their enjoyment of life. In turn, healthy habits and a happy outlook can improve the ways in which the human body makes use of food.

CALORIESThe body's most basic need is for energy. To get energy it needs food as a fuel and oxygen to burn it. The amount of energy foods can produce is measured in units called calories. A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of water 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

The body changes the calories in food into energy, which is necessary for every act from blinking an eye to running a race. Energy is also used for the growing process, for rebuilding damaged cells, and for regulating body systems.

If a person takes in more food than required to meet the body's needs, the excess calories are converted to fat – a stored form of energy. That causes weight gain. Eating too little causes weight loss because the fat is used for energy.

If weight loss is advisable, the best way to lose is by eating less of high-calorie foods and getting more exercise. Strict dieting to lose weight should be attempted only under a physician's care. So-called quick and easy weight-loss diets are fads. Most are unbalanced, emphasizing one type of food and excluding others. The more unbalanced the diet, the more dangerous it is. Knowledge of the body's nutritional needs helps to guard against promoters of fad diets and special “health” foods that have no advantages and that may even be harmful.

NUTRIENTS To function, the human body must have nutrients. The nutrients known to be essential for human beings are proteins, carbohydrates, fats and oils, minerals, vitamins, and water.

Proteins Proteins are made of amino acids, small units necessary for growth and tissue repair. Protein is the body's most plentiful substance except for water and, possibly, fat. Animal foods such as meat, fish, poultry, milk, and eggs are rich in protein. Good plant sources of protein are beans, peas, nuts, bread, and cereals.

Carbohydrates Starches and sugars are carbohydrates, the main source of the body's energy. Carbohydrates account for about half of the calorie intake for most Americans and up to four fifths of the calories in diets of African and Asian peoples. Carbohydrate-rich foods are also the main sources of protein for most of the world. Rice, wheat, corn, and potatoes are common rich sources of carbohydrates. Sugars are not essential foods. They provide energy (calories) but no nutrients. For that reason sugar is called an “empty calorie” food. Occasional sweets are not harmful to a healthy, active person, but excessive sugar can lead to tooth decay and other, much more severe health problems.

Fats and Oils Fats and oils (which are liquid fats) are a concentrated source of energy. Fats in the diet are necessary for good health. They make certain vitamins available for use in the body, they cushion vital organs, they make up part of all body cells, and they help to maintain body temperature. Fats also delay pangs of hunger because a food mixture containing fat remains longer in the stomach.

Nutritionists distinguish between different types of dietary fats, or fats in food. Saturated fats usually are solid in form and of animal origin. In many typical diets, meat fat is the main source. It is known that saturated fats can raise the level of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a natural waxy substance made by the body. It helps to form digestive juices and does other important work. It is present in the body no matter what is eaten. When the body cells cannot absorb any more cholesterol, any excess begins to accumulate in the walls of the blood vessels and gradually narrows them. This condition may lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Minerals Minerals are neither animal nor vegetable; they are inorganic. Almost all foods contribute to a varied intake of essential minerals. Most minerals are easy to obtain in quantities required by the body. A major exception is iron for children under age 4 and adolescent girls and women in the childbearing years. These groups need more iron than a normal diet may provide. Iron helps to build red blood cells. It also helps the blood carry oxygen from the lungs to each body cell. Rich sources of iron are meat, especially liver; egg yolks; and dark green vegetables.

Everyone at every age needs calcium. This mineral builds bones and teeth, and it is necessary for blood clotting. The best sources are milk and hard cheese. Others are leafy greens, nuts, and small fishes – such as sardines – with bones that can be eaten.

Phosphorus works with calcium to make strong bones and teeth. A diet that furnishes enough protein and calcium also provides enough phosphorus. Other important minerals are sodium, potassium, iodine, magnesium, zinc, and copper.

B) Vitamins The discovery of vitamins began early in the 20th century. It is likely that some still are undiscovered. Eating a wide variety of foods ensures getting enough vitamins whether or not they are identified. All living things need vitamins for growth and health. The body either cannot manufacture them at all or cannot normally manufacture them in sufficient amounts, and so must absorb them from food. Each vitamin has specific roles to play. Many reactions in the body require several vitamins, and the lack or excess of any one can interfere with the function of another.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1519