Monday's Notes on Calories
Tuesday's Notes on Carbohydrates
Definition – organic macromolecules that
contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the ratio of CnH2nOn
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)
