A Balanced Diet

We are what we eat - the biochemical basis of life is similar for all living organisms.

• A balanced diet – You need to know the basis of a balanced diet which needs to include:-
  • Fibre, Water, Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Vitamins, Mineral Salts – you need to know the role of each of these in a balanced diet (i.e., their job)
• A Healthy Diet - you need to be able to explain why current dietary advice says that a healthy diet is one that is HIGH in fruit and vegetables but LOW in salt and fat

Here’s some information that you may know already as regards the GI and GL: Oats are lower in the GI than white bread – oats contain certain complex carbohydrates that take the body much longer to digest than say, a biscuit. A biscuit, even a Digestive biscuit, is loaded with high GI carbohydrates and is heavily processed – it’s these sorts of foods that MAY lead to problems ----------because Type 2 diabetes and obesity are conditions that have been linked to the increased consumption of processed foods.

The role of gut bacteria such as the production of vitamin K by gut bacteria.

QUESTION: What do you understand about ISOTONIC sports drinks? An isotonic solution is one that is in physiological balance with the normal human chemical balance.

To summarise the above notes, you need to be able to look at information such as that contained in graphs, charts and tables and find: Evidence for links between diet and diseases or conditions and make balanced judgements about the nutritional value of processed food.