Nutrition Vocab Flashcards

BMR Definition: Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories you burn as your body performs basic (basal) life-sustaining function. Commonly also termed as Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), which is the calories burned if you stayed in bed all day.

A calorie is a unit of energy. In nutrition, calories refer to the energy people get from the food and drink they consume, and the energy they use in physical activity. Calories are listed in the nutritional information on all food packaging. Many weight loss programs center around reducing the intake of calories.

What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates, or carbs, are sugar molecules. Along with proteins and fats, carbohydrates are one of three main nutrients found in foods and drinks. Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of energy for your body's cells, tissues, and organs

Overview. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels.

With diabetes, your body doesn't make enough insulin or can't use it as well as it should. When there isn't enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.

What is fibre? Dietary fibre is found in wholegrain cereals and fruit and vegetables. Fibre is made up of the indigestible parts or compounds of plants, which pass relatively unchanged through our stomach and intestines. Fibre is mainly a carbohydrate. The main role of fibre is to keep the digestive system healthy.

The digestive system is made up of organs that are important for digesting food and liquids. These include the mouth, pharynx (throat), esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus.

Electrolytes are minerals in your blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge. Electrolytes affect how your body functions in many ways, including: The amount of water in your body. The acidity of your blood (pH) Your nerve and muscle function.

Fats are nutrients in food that the body uses to build cell membranes, nerve tissue (including the brain), and hormones. The body also uses fat as fuel.

Macronutrients are the nutrients we need in larger quantities that provide us with energy: in other words, fat, protein and carbohydrate. Micronutrients are mostly vitamins and minerals, and are equally important but consumed in very small amounts. We generally get our micronutrients along with macronutrients.

Metabolism (pronounced: meh-TAB-uh-liz-um) is the chemical reactions in the body's cells that change food into energy. Our bodies need this energy to do everything from moving to thinking to growing. Specific proteins in the body control the chemical reactions of metabolism.

Micronutrients, often referred to as vitamins and minerals, are vital to healthy development, disease prevention, and wellbeing. With the exception of vitamin D, micronutrients are not produced in the body and must be derived from the diet¹.

A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having an orderly internal structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form, and physical properties.

a substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life.

Protein is a nutrient your body needs to grow and repair cells, and to work properly. Protein is found in a wide range of food and it's important that you get enough protein in your diet every day. How much protein you need from your diet varies depending on your weight, gender, age and health.

Saturated fat is a type of dietary fat. It is one of the unhealthy fats, along with trans fat. These fats are most often solid at room temperature. Foods like butter, palm and coconut oils, cheese, and red meat have high amounts of saturated fat.

Trans fat is considered the worst type of fat to eat. Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats — also called trans-fatty acids — raise "bad" cholesterol and also lowers "good" cholesterol. A diet laden with trans fats increases the risk of heart disease, the leading killer of adults.

An unsaturated fat is a fat or fatty acid in which there is at least one double bond within the fatty acid chain. A fatty acid chain is monounsaturated if it contains one double bond, and polyunsaturated if it contains more than one double bond.

Vitamins are organic molecules that are essential to an organism in small quantities for proper metabolic function. Essential nutrients cannot be synthesized in the organism in sufficient quantities for survival, and therefore must be obtained through the diet

Water, substance composed of the chemical elements hydrogen and oxygen and existing in gaseous, liquid, and solid states.