You+Are+What+You+Eat



Introduction

It has often been said that you are what you eat. In many ways this is true because the level of nutrients in our bodies is directly related to our nutritional choices. In another sense, many foods contain a large proprotion of water and our bodies are also made of a high proportion of water. So in more ways than one, you are indeed what you eat. So what does this mean to you?

Well, you are about to learn about the body's requirements for healthy functioning. You will learn about the different types of foods found in the food pyramid and what proportions are suggested by the experts. You will also do some chemical tests on foods to determine the presence of the major nutrient groups.

Finally, we will look at our fifth and final body system for the year, the digestive system. We will start with the teeth and discover how our bodies convert the food we eat into a useful form as it travels from the mouth to the stomach and finally to the intestines. We will revisit cellular respiration as it relates to the food we consume and investigate what happens when we don't eat enough or we don't eat a balanced diet.




 * __Key Words: __**

Nutrients, **carbohydrates**, saccharides, **proteins**, amino acids, **fats and oils (lipids)**, enzymes, amylase, **vitamins**, **minerals**, mechanical digestion, chemical digestion, peristalsis, balanced diet, maintenance diet, malnutrition, food pyramid, respiration, mitochondria, bulimia, anorexia, obesity, salivary glands, oesophagus, stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, anus, appendix, bile

**11 March 2009** - As an introduction to this topic, brainstorm these questions on your own individual page (please take care to organise your page to make it clear and interesting to look at):
 * __Individual Work__** (click here to go to student pages)
 * Why do you need to eat? (There are several reasons here, so try to think of a few and be as specific as you can)
 * What do you typically eat during the day? Do you think your diet is healthy? Is it balanced and what does that mean?
 * What do you think is the perfect body? How important is your body image? What influences your ideas about this?

**19 March 2009** - Create a glossary section or page for the terms listed above in "Key Terms". create definitions of these terms __in your own words__. Start with the **bolded** words. What do you think these words have in common? (Hint: see textbook chapter on Nutrients). In your Science notebook, prepare tables to record information for food testing experiments to be carried out tomorrow. Click here for more information.

**25 March 2009** - Create a new page for your Energy Inputs/Outputs (e.g. Mr Slider's Energy Inputs/Outputs). Using the tables on pages 112-113 in your textbook and the table at this website ([]), determine as closely as you can, the amount of energy (in kJ) you intake during a typical day AND the amount of energy you output during the day. List all of the food items and their energy values (in kJ). Make sure to show all of the calculations clearly on your page.

After you have determined your energy inputs/outputs, answer the questions under "Investigation" on page 115 in your text book. Give this section a suitable heading before responding to the questions.