Nutrition Class Resources

Perhaps the most important way to guarantee good health is to ensure that you are getting the proper nutrition. The human body requires the right amounts and combination of nutrients for optimum health, and it is impossible to get adequate nutrition if you are unaware of your body’s general nutritional needs and its nutritional needs under certain circumstances. It is easier than ever to be well-informed about proper nutrition and health. Take the time to learn about these important topics and you will be well on your way to leading a long and healthy life.

Protein, Fats, and Carbohydrates

• Dietary Fats: Know Which Ones to Choose: Looking for how to tell the difference between healthy fats and unhealthy fats? This resource page is a great guide.
• Fats 101: Get the basics on fats and their role in proper nutrition with this resource from the American Heart Association.
• Learning About Carbohydrates: Here is a good all-around resource on the importance of carbohydrates to the body.
• The Nutrition Source: Protein: This is an excellent overview of the different kinds of proteins and what they are used for in the human body.
• Protein in Diet: The University of Maryland Medical Center hosts this page that has a good, basic introduction to proteins.

The Different Types of Vitamins

• Vitamin C’s Function in the Body: Read this page in order to learn just what vitamin C does in the human body.
• Vitamin D and Other Vitamins and Minerals: The interplay of vitamin D and the other vitamins and minerals the human body needs is explained in this helpful article.
• Vitamin Supplements and Children: This article considers whether children need vitamin supplements, and it explains the food sources for various necessary vitamins.

Learning About the Digestive System

• The Digestive System: This is an excellent overview of the digestive system, which extracts nutrients from our foods to fuel our bodies.
• From Food to Fuel: Digestion: This site explains the process of digestion and the body’s absorption of nutrients.
• Virtual Anatomy Textbook: Digestive System: On this page, visitors can read a basic introduction to the digestive system and click on individual parts of the system to learn more about them.
• Why it Matters: Digestion: This site explains why we have various digestive organs and what they do.

Metabolism and Energy

• Five Tips to Speed Up Your Metabolism: Learn how your metabolism works and how you can make it work harder here.
• Controversies in Metabolism: On this page, readers can learn about some disputed areas of human metabolism and what we do and do not know about the human metabolic processes.
• How Does Human Metabolism Work? (PDF): Here is a good, brief resource on the basic facts of human metabolism.
• Metabolism and Energy: If you are looking for information on how much energy different foods produce as a result of the metabolic process, this page will provide the answer you want.
• Overview of Metabolism: Click on this link in order to get a good overview of human metabolism and the role of different nutrients in human nutrition.

Pregnancy and Child Nutrition

• Foods to Eat While Pregnant: Look to this page from the Cleveland Clinic for an overview of the foods pregnant women should eat to stay healthy and to have a healthy baby.
• Nutrition for School-Aged Children: Stanford Children’s Health has created this resource to help parents make sure their kids get the proper nutrition.
• Nutrition Needs of Adolescents: Teenagers have specific nutritional needs, and this guide from the University of Minnesota can help parents, teachers, and others make sure that they are providing the right nutrients to adolescents.
• Pregnancy Nutrition: The American Pregnancy Association has put together this helpful page on the proper nutrition for pregnant women.
• Vegetarian Diets for Pregnancy: Pregnant women can maintain a vegetarian diet and still have a healthy baby as long as they get the proper mix of nutrients. This page will help pregnant vegetarians do just that.

Exercise and Sports Nutrition

• Dietary Supplements: This article looks at various dietary supplements and their potential benefits for those who engage in rigorous exercise.
• Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know: Read about dietary supplements and their nutritional benefits using this resource from the National Institutes of Health.
• Nutrition and Athletic Performance: This resource explains why the right nutrition is so important for good athletic performance.
• Sports Nutrition: This is an excellent overview from Nutrition Australia on making sure you get the proper nutrients during your workout and other forms of exercise.
• Tips for Teens: Sports Nutrition: Read this page for some good tips on the proper nutrition for teens involved in sports.

Obesity and Eating Disorders

• APA Eating Disorders: Learn about eating disorders and the importance of treating them on this page from the American Psychological Association.
• Fast Facts on the State of Obesity in America: Read this page for a quick introduction to facts on obesity in America.
• How Parents Can Fight the Obesity Epidemic: This site has good tips that will help children prevent obesity in their kids.
• Preventing Obesity in Children, Teens, and Adults: Look to this resource for help on preventing obesity in people of all ages.
• Types and Symptoms of Eating Disorders: The National Eating Disorders Association has created this overview page that gives the basics of various eating disorders and their symptoms.

Dietary Guidelines

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans: The U.S. government has put together this excellent resource for helping Americans understand how to eat right and get the proper nutrition on a daily basis.