HW - 3/22/13

Your homework over break is to complete Assignment 18. This involves reading the following article and answering the associated questions.

Assignment 18 - Reflecting on Our Focus Upon Micronutrients

Answer the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences.

1. Summarize the article in a paragraph. Be sure to define any new terms (ex. reductionism, epistemology, etc.)

2. What is your reaction to the contents of the article? Should we change how we think about food and nutrition (which is typically in reductionist manner - focusing on individual nutrients over the food/meal as a whole)?

3. How does this article relate to our recent discussions in food science class?

NOTE: If you thought the topic of this article, then check out Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food. But don't feel bad if you thought the article itself was a bit... dry.

HW - 3/21/13

There is no formal homework tonight. Feel free to work on Assignment 17 and/or review your notes from this/last week (ESPECIALLY if you are going to take the quiz make-up).

Assignment #17 - Saving the World, One Micronutrient at a Time

Your task is to draft a convincing proposal for an idea for effectively and efficiently trying to alleviate micronutrient malnutrition in the developing world.

Convincing proposals:

·         Have a clear goal and claim

·         Explain what is going to be done

·         Support why the proposal is such a good idea

o   Use evidence from texts, data sets, etc. in order to do so

§  Think about the roles of different nutrients studied this week – for example, its role(s) in the body as well as symptoms and problems associated with deficiency

o   Use paraphrasing/direct citations from sources and a bibliography

·         Acknowledge that other possible plans exist but discuss their shortcomings in order to strengthen the original proposal

Resources for setting up an APA bibliography/citations can be found here.

HW - 3/20/13

Tonight's homework is to complete Assignment #16. See below.

Assignment #16 - Iodine Comprehension Questions

Answer all of the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences.

1. Why is it a problem if people (especially young children) do not consume enough iodine?

2. What factors can affect one’s ability to obtain enough iodine in one’s diet?

3a. Based on what you read, what interventions are possible to alleviate iodine deficiency malnutrition?

3b. Record these interventions with today’s notes.

3c. Once again, suppose that you were charge of a group tasked with improving nutrition in the developing world. This time, your job is to tackle iodine deficiencies. Based on what you have read, which intervention(s) seems like the most effective way to improve iodine intake? Explain.

HW - 3/19/13

Tonight's homework is to complete Classwork 72. See below.

Classwork #72 – Immune System Overview Part 2: Immune Responses

Answer all of the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences.

1. When Bethany was six, she contracted the chicken pox virus from her older sister. Describe (in detail) how she created antibodies to response to this pathogen.

2. How is the role of the helper T cell and cytotoxic T cell different in the specific immune response?

3. Describe the difference between antigens and antibodies.

4. HIV infection destroys the helper T cells in the immune system. Why is this so devastating to the immune system? Be specific.

5. Why do you think it is beneficial for the human body to possess both non-specific and specific immune responses?

6. In a disease called severe combined immune deficiency, a child is born without T cell immunity. Evaluate the effects of this disease. Try to be specific. 

March Madness Brackets!

Click here (or here if you accessing this on a smartphone) to set up a men's bracket or here (or here if you are using a smartphone) for a women's bracket. See me for the password or if this does not work.

Prepare to lose.

Notes 3/18/13 - 3/22/13

Vitamin A Notes

- a vitamin an organic molecules that is consumed in small quantities (less than a gram) but is necessary for normal function
- ex. A, D, E, K - fat soluble vitamins - can be stored but also can build up and become toxic with time and overconsumption
- B vitamins, C - water soluble vitamins - cannot be easily stored and overconsumption usually leads to excretion

- Vitamin A - aka retinol
 - beta-carotene is a closely related precursor to vitamin A

- daily requirements - women - 700 micrograms/day - men - 900 micrograms/day

- sources of vitamin A - liver, oils from animals, milk fat, spinach, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes

- functions - vitamin A is involved in vision (In order to see, proteins in the cells of your retina need to change shape in order to send a signal to your brain. A form of vitamin A makes this protein) , epithelial cell integrity, immune response, RBC production, skeletal growth, fertility, and embryogenesis

- deficiency - With vitamin A deficiency, cells lose their columnar shape and ‘dry out’ (keratinization)
- Deficiency can have very severe consequences - most noticeably in the eye - In children Vitamin A deficiency can also cause growth retardation. Between 100 and 140 million children are vitamin A deficient. An estimated 250,000 to 500 000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight. (World Health Organization)

- interventions to control vitamin A deficiency 
 - Supplementation –Vitamin A capsules – contain 100x RDA and are well absorbed and stored
 - Fortification / genetic engineering – Ex.  Sugar or golden rice
 - Diet diversification Diversifying diet will provide more natural sources of Vitamin A
 - Promotion of breastfeeding Breastfeeding – if mother is supplemented and has proper stores, she can give the baby all the vitamin A he/she needs for the first six months of life
 - Infectious disease control - Less disease --> less death due to deficiency and fewer children excreting vitamin A above normal

HW - 3/18/13

Tonight's homework is to complete Assignment 14 based on today's notes and the reading. See below.

Assignment #14 - Vitamin A Comprehension Questions

Answer all of the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences.

1. Why is it a problem if people (especially young children) do not consume enough vitamin A?

2. Why are some populations unable to obtain vitamin A?

3. Suppose that you were charge of a group tasked with improving vitamin A nutrition in the developing world. Based on what you have read, which intervention(s) seems like the most effective way to reduce vitamin A deficiency? Explain.

Useful Resources

"The Great Yellow Hype" by Michael Pollan for the NY Times

HW - 3/14/13

Tonight's homework is simply to prepare for tomorrow's quiz and assessment (for the nutritional analysis lab this week). Review your notes. See previous posts for some of the notes.

HW - 3/13/13

Tonight's homework is to complete Assignment 13 in order to help you review for Friday's quiz. See below.

Assignment #13 - Digestion and Macronutrients Quiz Review Questions

Answer all of the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences.

1. Define a calorie in your own words. Be specific.

2. Rank the macronutrients that we have studied in terms of the amount of calories per gram they store.

3. Contrast mechanical and chemical digestion.

4. Which organs are responsible for mechanical digestion?

5. Which organs are responsible for chemical digestion?

6. Describe the complete path that ingested food takes through the digestive system.

7. Complete the following table.

Macronutrient	Role(s)	Examples	Sources	Organ(s) Responsible for Digestion and Absorption of Macronutrient
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins

8. Describe the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats.

9. Use the nutrition label on the right to answer the following questions.

a. How many grams of unsaturated fat does the food contain?

b. How many grams of starch does the food contain?

c. How many calories from carbohydrates does this food contain?

HW - 3/12/13

Tonight's homework is to simply make sure that you have explained any observations and inferences that you made during class AND also to continue to prepare for the quiz on Friday.

HW - 3/11/13

There is no homework tonight if Assignment 12A is complete. If you intend on bringing any foods to test tomorrow, then please remember to do so.

HW - 3/8/13

This weekend's homework is to complete Assignment 11A and 11B. See below.

Assignment 11A

Answer all of the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences on another piece of paper.

1. Compare and contrast the foods assessed in Labels A and B. How are the nutrients found in these foods similar? How are the nutrients different? Support your conclusions with evidence.

2. Examine the nutritional label below. Would you recommend that the food described and assessed be consumed on a regular basis? Support your answer with reasoning and evidence. 

Assignment 11B

Recently, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has examined current food labels and put forth recommendations for changes to the labels mandated by the Food and Drug Administration. Examine the proposed changes and answer the following questions.

CSPI's Proposed Packaging and Nutrition Facts Changes

1. Summarize the changes made to current labels.

2. What is your opinion on these proposed changes? Support your reasoning.

3. Getting political, do you think the government has the right to mandate that companies include detailed information about the healthfulness of their food products?

Questions to ponder to help you answer #3:

-       Being that you are (or almost are ) an adult, who has the right to tell you what you can eat?

-       Should foods high in fat or sugar be regulated by the government (ex. taxed like cigarettes)?

-       If there is evidence that eating choices can cause harm to one’s health, does the government have a right to protect its citizens? Or does it have a duty? Or is individual liberty the most important factor to protect?

In Class and HW - 3/7/13

Tonight's homework is to complete Assignment 10 and prepare for the check-in tomorrow on this week's material.

Assignment #10 - The Skinny on Fats

Procedure

1. Log into your account at fitday.com.

2. Pay attention to which version of fitday.com you are using.

a. Using Fitday 2 (the default version usually) - Highlight the “Reports” tab and then click on “Nutrition.” Then highlight the proteins bar (found on the left side).

b. Using Fitday Classic – Click on “Reports” tab (top right) and then click on “Nutrition Facts.”

3. Observe and record the following:

·      Your total fat intake for each day recorded

·      The number of calories from fat

·      The percentage of your caloric intake from fat

“The Skinny on Fats” Comprehension Questions

Answer the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences.

1. What inferences can you make from your observations of your fat intake? For example, do you feel as though you consume a lot of fat?

2a. Based on what you read and learned about today, what recommendations about fat intake, the sources of fat in one’s food, etc. would you make to a friend who is curious, but not knowledgeable about what to eat?

2b. Explain the rationale behind your recommendations.

2c. Which of the recommendations apply most or resonate most with you? Explain why.

3. Summarize what you learned about fats/lipids today. Be sure to include definitions/explanations in your own words.




Use the following links to learn more about the answers to your questions. Take notes on the answer to your question below today's lecture notes.

Fats and Cholesterol - The Bottom Line

Fats and Cholesterol: Out With the Bad, In With the Good - Table of Contents

Understanding Cholesterol

Science Exhibition Help

The Powerpoint presentation from yesterday's advisory

HW - 3/6/13

Assignment #9 - The Power of Protein!

Procedure

1. Log into your account at fitday.com.

2. Pay attention to which version of fitday.com you are using.

a. Using Fitday 2 (the default version usually) - Highlight the “Reports” tab and then click on “Nutrition.” Then highlight the proteins bar (found on the left side).

b. Using Fitday Classic – Click on “Reports” tab (top right) and then click on “Nutrition Facts.”

3. Observe and record the following:

·      Your total protein intake for each day recorded

·      The number of calories from protein

·      The percentage of your caloric intake from protein

“The Power of Protein!” Comprehension Questions

Answer the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences.

1. What inferences can you make from your observations of your protein intake? For example, do you feel as though you eat a lot of protein?

2. Explain why foods made from animals typically contain higher quality proteins than found in plant foods.

3. Propose an explanation for why diets high in protein are associated with higher rates of obesity and heart disease.

High-Protein Plant Foods

Do Athletes Need More Protein?

4. Using the class website or the handouts from class, read “Do Athletes Need More Protein?” or “High-Protein Plant Foods.” Summarize the content in the selection and explain how knowing about proteins in food can promote health and healthier eating.

5. Summarize what you learned about proteins today. Be sure to include definitions/explanations in your own words.

Notes 3/4/13 - 3/8/13

Monday's Notes on Calories

Tuesday's Notes on Carbohydrates

Definition – organic macromolecules that contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the ratio of C_nH_2nO_n

Role – primarily to store energy – in some cases structure

Examples – monosaccharides - glucose – seldom found in food but used as body’s fuel

Fructose – very sweet, occurs naturally in fruits/veggies

Galactose – rare in food, found in lactose (milk sugar)

Disaccharides – sucrose – table sugar (glucose + fructose)

Lactose – sugar in milk (glucose + galactose)

Maltose – product of starch breakdown (glucose + glucose)

Oligosaccharides – short chains of carbohydrates – found in dried beans, peas, lentils, human milk

Polysaccharides – long chains of carbohydrates – starch (grains (wheat, rice, corn, oats), legumes (peas, beans, lentils) and tubers (potatoes and yams)).

Glycogen – animal starch, used to store carbs in liver and muscle

Fiber – carbs from plants that cannot be digested – ex. cellulose

Excess – extra energy is stored as glycogen and then fat typically – increased weight gain is associated with a variety of maladies – type 2 diabetes, heart disease

Deficiency – without the energy from carbohydrates, your body will use your protein and fat stores for energy – your brain only runs on glucose so different sources (ex. fat) must be converted to glucose – w/o carbs your liver cannot completely break down fat and produces ketone bodies – your cells can run on these but if they build up it can lead to ketosis making your blood dangerously acidic (and you can hallucinate)

Wednesday's Notes on Proteins

Definition – organic macronutrients made of amino acids (which contain C, H, O, N, sometimes others) – proteins have a 3D shape that determines their ability to function

Roles and examples– structure – ex. collagen, keratin

movement – ex. actin, myosin

enzymes – ex. amylase, lipase

hormones – ex. insulin

immune system – ex. antibodies

fluid balance – proteins in blood help attract fluid from in between cells

energy source – 4 kcal/gram

transport – help substances move into/out of cells

Sources – plants (legumes – ex. lentils, peas, soybean, tofu, grains, veggies, nuts) and animals (chicken, beef, pork, etc.) – animal protein is typically higher quality than plant protein (more variety of amino acids in proper proportions)

Excess – kidneys excrete protein normally so more protein can strain the kidneys – can also lead to loss of minerals like calcium – higher intake is associated with higher rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer, and osteoporesis

Deficiency – kwashiorkor – lack of protein – leads to edema (fluid in limbs), decrease in height/weight, dry/flaky skin, sores, brittle hair

Marasmus – lack of calories and protein – leads to wasting (loss of muscle and fat), drops in BMR, body temp., and a halting of growth

Thursday's Notes on Fats

Definition – organic molecules that dissolve in organic solvents like alcohol or acetone (non-polar, but not water (polar) – composed of fatty acids (carbon chains of varying lengths) -

Saturated fatty acids – fully loaded with hydrogen (no double bonds) – long chains are solid at room temp. while short chains are liquid

Unsaturated fatty acids – have one double bond (C=C) – liquid at room temp.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids – have multiple double bonds – liquid at room temp.

Trans fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fatty acid

Triglycerides – three fatty acids attached to a glycerol

Roles and examples –

energy source

energy reserve – adipose tissue

insulation/protection

carry fat soluble compounds – ex. vitamins

make up cell membranes and hormones

Sources – cheeses, milk, animal proteins, oils, nuts

Excess – diets high in fat, saturated fat, and trans fat increase the risk of heart disease and several types of cancer

Deficiency – possible issues with mood (depression) and concentration – problems absorbing fat-soluble nutrients (A,D,E, and K)

In Class and HW - 3/5/13

Assignment #8 - Sweet, Sweet Carbohydrates

Procedure

1. Log into your account at fitday.com.

2. Pay attention to which version of fitday.com you are using.

a. Using Fitday 2 (the default version usually) - Highlight the “Reports” tab and then click on “Nutrition.” Then highlight the carbohydrates bar (found on the left side).

b. Using Fitday Classic – Click on “Reports” tab (top right) and then click on “Nutrition Facts.”

3. Observe and record the following:

• Your total carbohydrate intake for each day recorded
• The number of calories from carbohydrates
• The percentage of your caloric intake from carbohydrates

Answer the following questions to the best of your ability in complete sentences.

1. What inferences can you make from your observations of your carbohydrate intake? For example, do you feel as though you eat a lot of carbohydrates? Do you eat mainly simple, refined carbohydrates or complex carbohydrates?

2. Some diets (ex. Atkin’s, South Beach, etc.) propose trying to minimize or eliminate carbohydrate sources such as sugar, bread, and grains from a person’s diet in order to promote weight loss. In some cases, adhering to these diets does produce weight loss in the short term.

Propose an explanation for this. In other words, why might removing carbohydrate sources such as bread and grains lead to weight loss?

3. Using the class website or the handouts from class, read “The Glycemic Index of Foods: Useful or Useless” or “Unfounded Claims Against Sugars.” Summarize the content in the selection and explain how knowing about carbohydrates in food can promote health and healthier eating.

4. Summarize what you learned about carbohydrates today. Be sure to include definitions/explanations in your own words.