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Glossary
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Aerobic Exercise
Physical activity that uses oxygen. Also known as endurance activity. Examples include running, cycling, and swimming.
Amino Acids
The basic building blocks of protein. Our bodies need 20 different amino acids to function, 9 cannot be made by your body, they need to be obtained from food.
Beta-Carotene
A form of vitamin A found naturally in yellow/orange vegetables and fruits.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI is a way to evaluate whether an individual is at a healthy weight. It is calculated by dividing weight (kg.) by height (meter²).
Calorie
A unit of energy. Calorie is a measure of food energy, or the energy the body needs to maintain itself. In foods, there are four key calorie sources - carbohydrates (4 calories/gram), protein (4 calories/gram), fat (9 calories/gram), and alcohol (7 calories/gram).
Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating
The Food Guide is a tool to help individuals make wise food choices. Using a rainbow pictorial, it identifies the recommended number of daily serving from four foods groups for healthy eating.
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are one of the major sources of energy for powering your body, providing 4 calories per gram. The most basic form is a simple sugar such as fructose or glucose. Simple sugars are the building blocks for another type of carbohydrate called a complex carbohydrate. Complex carbohydrates are found in starchy foods such as potatoes, pastas, whole grains, and breads.
Cardiovascular
Relating to the heart and blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries).
Carotenoids
Pigments commonly found in plants and animals, some of which are converted to vitamin A in the body (examples of carotenoids include Beta-Carotene, Lycopene, Lutein). Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables derive their colour from carotenoids.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is present in all animal cells. In the body, cholesterol is used to make estrogen and testosterone. Blood (or serum) cholesterol is the cholesterol that circulates in the bloodstream. It is a combination of the cholesterol obtained from food and the cholesterol that the body makes. Foods high in cholesterol include egg yolk, liver, and red meats.
HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol are forms of lipoproteins. Lipoproteins help transport cholesterol throughout the body. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the "good" cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the "bad" cholesterol. HDL participates in removing excess blood cholesterol from the body; LDL is the form that can build up in artery walls and thus is a serious risk factor for heart disease.
Coronary Artery Disease
Narrowing of the coronary arteries, usually as a result of atherosclerosis.
Dietitian (Registered)
A Registered Dietitian, designated by the letters RD, RDN, Pt.P and R.Dt., is an authority on healthy eating, food and nutrition. She/He has a Bachelor's degree specializing in food and nutrition, has completed an internship or graduate degree, and is a member of a provincial College of Dietitians. The title "dietitian" is protected and can only be used by individuals who meet these high educational standards. The term "Nutritionist" is not protected and may be used by people with different levels of education and knowledge.
Exercise (Physical Activity)
A general term for any sort of muscular effort, but especially the kind intended to train, condition, or increase strength, endurance, and flexibility of the muscular and skeletal systems of the body.
Fats, Dietary Fats
Fat provides 9 calories per gram. Fat is important to maintain cell walls, provide insulation and concentrated energy. Fat also carries the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K through the body. Food sources of fat include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, butter, margarine, oil and some dairy products.
In food, there are two types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and come chiefly from animal food products. Examples are butter, lard, meat fat, solid shortening, palm oil, and coconut oil. Unsaturated fats, which include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, are liquid at room temperature and come from plant oils such as olive, peanut, corn, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, and soybean.
Hydrogenated fats are unsaturated fats that have been processed (hyrdogenated) to make them more saturated, spreadable, and longer lasting. Hydrogenation produces trans-fatty acids, which may have health effects similar to those of saturated fatty acids. The most common sources of hydrogenated fats are stick or tub margarine, commercial baked goods, and fried foods from restaurants and fast-food chains.
Fatty Acids
Basic units of fat molecules. Fats are mixtures of different fatty acids including monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated, omega-3, and trans-fatty acids.
Fibre
Found only in plant foods, fibre refers to the remnants of plant cell walls that are resistant to digestion by the human body. Dietary fibre, the fibre in our diets, can be either soluble or insoluble. Soluble fibre, such as that contained in oats, dissolves in water and is associated with blood cholesterol reduction. Insoluble fibre, such as bran, does not dissolve in water and produce bulk in the diet.
Gram
A unit of weight in the metric system. There are 28 grams in 1 ounce or 454 grams in 1 pound.
Milligram (Mg)
Abbreviation for milligram, a unit of weight in the metric system. There are 1,000 milligrams in one gram.
Myocardial Infarction
Also called a heart attack; results from permanent damage to an area of the heart muscle. This happens when the blood supply to the area is interrupted because of narrowed or blocked blood vessels.
Nutrient
A substance derived from food, and is needed by the body to supply energy
and maintain normal cell functioning, repair, and growth.
Protein
One of four food sources that supply energy. Protein provides 4 calories
per gram. Proteins are essential to the processes and structural integrity
of body tissue and its growth, repair and replacement.
Recommended Daily Intake
Recommended Daily Intakes for vitamins and mineral nutrients is a reference standard created for use in the nutrition labelling of foods in Canada. It is based on the Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Canadians, and corresponds to the highest recommended intake of each nutrient for each age/sex group, excluding supplemental requirements for pregnancy and lactation.
Risk Factor
Any condition that increases the risk of developing a disease. For example, smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer and hypertension is a risk factor for heart disease.
Salt or Sodium (Sodium Chloride)
While there are many types of salts, the commonly used terms salt and sodium generally refer to sodium chloride, or table salt. Sodium is necessary for the regulation of fluid balance, to maintain heart rhythm, and for muscle contraction and relaxation. Combined with chloride, sodium chloride, or salt, is used as a seasoning and a preservative.
Vegetable Oils
Oils obtained from vegetable sources, including soybeans, peanuts, cottonseeds and palms. Vegetable oils are generally high in unsaturated fats, with the exception of tropical oils, which are considered saturated. Vegetable oils are used in cooking, and in salad oils and dressings.
Vegetarian
A person who does not include meat in her or his diet. Approaches to vegetarianism differ and are described by the following terms:
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: Person whose diet includes eggs and milk products, but no animal flesh (e.g., beef, pork, poultry, fish).
Lacto-vegetarian: Person who chooses diet with dairy products, but not meat, poultry, fish or eggs.
Vegan or strict vegetarian: Person whose diet includes only plant foods, excluding any animal meats or animal products (e.g., dairy). Vegans also avoid any foods that include animal products as ingredients such as baked goods made with eggs or butter.
Semi-vegetarian: Person who most always follows vegetarian eating patterns, but may occasionally consume animal foods.
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