Basic Concept in Nutrition and Diet Therapy:

I. Introduction to Basic Concept in Nutrition and Diet therapy

Lesson 02

Introduction:

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” ~ La Rochefoucauld.

The effective management of food intake and nutrition are both key to
good health. Smart nutrition and food choices can help prevent diseases. Eating the right
foods can help your body cope more successfully with an ongoing illness. Understanding
good nutrition and paying attention to what you eat can help you maintain or improve your
health.

Food and nutrition are the way that we get fuel, providing energy for our bodies. We
need to replace nutrients in our bodies with a new supply every day. Thus, water is an
important component of nutrition as well. Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are all required.
Maintaining key vitamins and minerals are also important to maintaining good health and
body continuum.

Hence, Diet therapy is the branch of dietetics concerned with the use of foods for
therapeutic purpose. It is a method of eating a prescribed diet by a physician or Nutritionist-
Dietitian to improve health. Diet therapy usually involves the modification of an existing
dietary lifestyle to promote optimum health.

It is a branch of dietetics related with the use of food for therapeutic purposes. It is
ordered to maintain, restore and correct nutritional status, to decrease calorie for weight
control, provide extra calorie for weight gain. It also balances amount of carbohydrate,
protein, fats and other nutrient for diet modification and disease prevention.

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the student can:
1.Describe the importance of nutrition to human health.
2.Define the Basic concept in Nutrition.
3.Determine the Basic concepts in Diet therapy.

Topic Outline:
I. Introduction to Basic Concept in Nutrition and Diet therapy.
A.Basic Concept in Nutrition.
A.1. Nutrition and Its Importance to Human Health.
A.2.The benefits of the study of nutrition on individual.
A.3.Basic Concept in Nutrition:
A.3.1. Important Terms.
A.3.2.Nutrient Classification.
B. Basic Concepts in Diet therapy.
B.1. Important Terms.
B.2.Basic Concept in Diet therapy.
 Try this!
Directions: Discuss the significance in the Study of Food, Nutrition and Diet therapy as a
student taking up Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Food:

Students (BSN)
Nutrition:

Diet Therapy:

Think ahead!
Directions: Discuss the responsibilities of a health worker in the Study of Food, Nutrition
and Diet therapy.

Food:

Health Workers

Nutrition:

Diet Therapy:
 Read and Ponder!
A.Basic Concept in Nutrition:
A.1. Nutrition and Its Importance to Human Health.

Nutrition is rapidly emerging as a vital component in health care and in our

developing national health policies to meet human needs. A sound base of nutrition
knowledge and skills is fundamental relating to a personal concern for your own health and
fitness, or a professional educational concern for the health and health care of others.

Indeed, we live in a world with rapidly changing elements, our environment, food
supply, population, and scientific knowledge. A realistic study of nutrition in human health
must focus on health promotion. A primary basis for promoting health and preventing disease
must always be a wholesome food supply for all persons and the sound nutrition it provides.

It is always the goal of the government to have a happy, healthy community. One way
to achieve this is through good nutrition. This goal tend to failed because of lack of
knowledge and nutrition information in spite of so many government agencies involved in
nutrition program.

Many families serve inadequate meals because of lack of knowledge as to what a

proper diet consist of. We will analyze the problems identified in the following areas:

1. Rural and depressed areas — the problem is due to lack of quality food
contributed to lack of knowledge and lack of nutrition information.
2. In urban areas - most affluent families experienced
inadequacies in terms of
the amount and kind of food selection necessary to provide good nutrition
contributed to improper or wrong choices of buying food.

When the problems are of both quality and quantity which contributed to lack of
knowledge, lack of nutrition information, lack of money due to poverty, this problem refers to
as hollow hunger.

When the problem is only quality which is contributed to lack of knowledge and
lack of nutrition information, this problem refers to as hidden hunger.

Whatever the problem, either hallow hunger or hidden hunger, your health as health
worker or as a nurse is indispensable. Also it is your role in the community to give nutrition
information. Therefore the reason why it is included in your curriculum since you are
expected to be equipped with a basic knowledge on nutrition principles and concepts.
A.2. The study of nutrition will benefit on individual for the following reasons:
1. Responsibility of yourself — you will personally benefit by feeling and looking better
to be able to meet the demands of your profession and set on example for others.
2. Responsibility to your family — planning and preparing better meals for the family,
helping child develop good food eating habits, guiding an elderly person in making
adjustment in his diet.
3. Responsibility as a nurse or health worker — nutrition is essential part of a total care
of the patient.
4. Responsibility as a citizen — as a nurse or health worker many people look to you
as an example and ask for and advice.

A.3. Basic Concept in Nutrition:

A.3.1.Important Terms:
Nutrition
 The study of food in relation to health of the individual, community or society
and the process through which food is used to sustain life and growth.
 The science of food, the nutrients and other substance therein, their action,
interaction and balance in relation to health and disease, the processes by which an
organism ingest, digest, absorbs, transports, utilizes and excretes food substances
(P.D. 1286).
 The combination of processes by which a living organism receives and utilizes
materials or substances needed for the maintenance of its functions and for growth
and renewal of its components.
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 Any substance, organic or inorganic when ingested or eaten nourishes the

body by building and repairing tissues, supplying heat and energy and
regulating bodily processes.
 Any matter eaten by man to sustain life and nourish the body
 Includes articles used as drinks or food, and the article for the component of
such. (FDA)
 Is something that does not only alleviates hunger and nourishes the body but
satisfies the human senses.
 Carrier of nutrients.
Basic Food Groups:
a. Energy- giving foods
b. Body — building foods
c. Body- regulating foods
Nutrient
 A chemical component by the body for one or more of these function:
1. To provide heat and energy.
2. To build and repair body tissues.
3. To regulate body processes.
Six Basic Nutrients:
1. Carbohydrates (CHOS) 4. Minerals
2. Protein (CHON) 5. Vitamins
3. Fats 6. Water
A.3.2. Nutrient Classification:
1. According to the amount present in the body
a. Macro nutrients — carbohydrates, protein, fats, and water
b. Micro nutrients — Vitamins & minerals
2. According to the chemical composition
a. Organic nutrients — carbohydrates, protein, fats and vitamins
b. Inorganic nutrients — minerals and water
3. According to essentiality:

a. Essential nutrients — nutrients must be supplied in the diet everybody

ex. all the 6 basic nutrients.
b. Non-essential — nutrients that need to be supplied in the diet everyday
because the body can be synthesized from the essential nutrients.
4. According to function:
Nutrients can be classified according to function:
a. Energy-giving nutrient — carbohydrates, protein and fats
b. Body—building and repairing nutrients — protein and amino acids
c. Body-regulating and protecting nutrients — vitamins, minerals and water

Caloric Content of Nutrient:

Carbohydrates (CHO) — 4 kcalories/gram or 17 kjoules

Protein (CHON) - 4 kcalories/gram or 17 kjoules
Fat - 9 kcalories/gram or 38 kjoules

Important principles behind the nutrient constituent found in food.

 One (1) Food may contain one or two different

nutrients Ex. Meat — protein, fat
Rice — carbohydrates, protein
 2 different food may contain the same type of nutrient:
Ex. Rice
bread
corn carbohydrate & protein
noodles
 Certain food is known for its higher content of specific nutrients
Ex. Table banana - potassium
Guava - vitamin C
Meat - protein
Enzymes - Organic catalyst that are protein in nature and are produced by living cells.
Most enzymes are recognized by ending — ase.
Ex. Maltase, lipase, amylase
Hormones - Organic substance produced by special cells of the body which are
discharged into the blood to be circulated and brought to specific organs
to tissues that are remote from the sources or point of
manufacture. Ex. Pancreas — insulin
Thyroid - thyroxin
Ovary — estrogen and progesterone
Breast — prolactin
Basic Concepts in Nutrition:
1. Nutrition is the food you eat and how the body uses it.
 We eat food to live, to grow, to keep healthy, and to get energy
for work and play.
2. Food is made up of different nutrients needed for growth and health.
 All nutrients needed by the body are available through food.
 Many kind and combination of food can lead to a well — balance diet.
 No food by itself contains all the essential nutrients needed
for growth and health
 Eat variety of foods everyday
3. All persons throughout life have need of the same nutrients but in varying amounts.
 The amounts of nutrient needed by the person are influenced by age,
sex, physical activity, and state of health.
4. The way food is handled influence the amount of nutrients in food, its safety, appearance,
and taste.
 Handling means everything that happen to food while it is being
grown, processed, stored, and prepared for eating.

B..Basic Concept to Diet Therapy:

B.1.Important Terms:
1) Diet
 An allowance of food and drink consumed regularly by an individual
 The usual food and drink regularly consumed.
2) Diet therapy
 The branch of dietetics that is concerned with the use of food for therapeutic
purposes.
 The modifications of the normal diet to meet the physiological requirements of
the sick individual.
 The use of food as a factor in aiding recovery from illness.
3) Dietetics
 The combined science and art of regulating the planning, preparing, serving of
meals to individuals or groups under various conditions of health and diseases
according to the principles of nutrition and management with due consideration
to economic, cultural, social and psychological factors (RA 2674)
 Refers primarily to the therapeutic and food service aspects of the delivery of
nutritional service in hospital and other health care institution (PD 1286)
4) Diet Prescription
 Serves the same purpose as drug prescription in medicine.
 It may indicate the daily caloric requirement and the amount needed for protein,
fat and carbohydrate, vitamin and minerals or non-nutrient substances.
5) Therapeutic Diets
 A diet modified or adopted from the normal diets commonly to suit specific
disease conditions; one designed to treat or cure diseases
 6) Nutritional Care
 Science and art of human nutrition in helping people select and obtain food for
the purpose of nourishing their bodies in health and disease throughout the life
cycle.
7) Cinical/Medical Nutrition
 The treatment of patients requiring modifications in their nutritional requirement.
 That branch of the health sciences having to do with diagnosis, treatment, and
prevention of human disease cause by deficiency, excess or metabolic imbalance
of dietary nutrient.
8) Nutritionist-Dietitian (ND)
 A person professionally qualified to provide leadership and assume
responsibilities for the promotion of the nutritional well-being of individuals or
groups within the framework of community life.
 These responsibilities include the preventive, therapeutic and food service
administration aspects of nutritional care.
 His/Her role includes:
a) Administrative
b) Therapeutics
c) Teaching
d) Research
9) Health Team
 Professionals involved directly or indirectly with the care of the people. The
following are included in the health team: Physician, Nurse, N.D., Social
Worker, Pharmacist, Physical Therapist, Medical technologist, and Health
Educator.
 The team concept in health care implies that the professional health personnel
work together in planning, prescribing, and evaluating patient’s care.

A. Therapeutic Diets
 Are modifications of the normal diet and have one or more of the following objectives:
1. To maintain good nutrition or correct any deficiency
2. To provide rest to an organ or to the whole body as affected by the illness.
3. To adjust weight to a desirable level
4. To supply a dietary regimen according to the patient’s tolerance and metabolism
for kind, amount and time of eating of the food.
B. General Principles in the Dietary Management for a Specific Disease:
 Simplifications – the therapeutic diet should vary from the adequate normal diet as
little as possible.
 Liberalization – the diet therapy should meet the body requirement for essential
nutrients as generously as the disease condition permits.
 Individualization – the diet program should take cognizance of the patient’s food
intake habits, preference, economic status, religious practices, and any environmental
factors that have a bearing on the diet.
C. Responsibilities of the Dietary Department in Patient Care
 Provides food services primary for the patients and oftentimes feed the hospital staff
and personnel.
  Food Service Director or Administrative Dietitian
a) Supervises food production and service, utilizing the principles of nutrition and
efficient management.
b) Maintains close communication with the hospital administrator with regards to
food and equipment budget, personnel policies, sanitation and safety, physical
lay- out
c) Continually plans, evaluates, and varies her menus
d) Provide in-service training for her staff and personnel and teach dietetic interns
and trainees.
 Clinical or Therapeutic Dietitians
a) Coordinates her activities with the physician and nurse in the comprehensive
teamwork for patients cure and care.
b) Participates in ward rounds, visits and interviews patients, provide diet counseling
especially for those requiring specials diets, and record food intake of some
patients.
c) She also teaches student nurses, dietetic interns, and trainees in her area of
specialization
 The Clinical Dietitian or an authorized alternate professional is responsible for
documenting nutrition information and actual dietary care provided for a patient.
 Dietetic Technician
a) Assist either the administrative or clinical dietitian whenever needed.
b) Usually checks in-coming food and equipment, helps plan menus, bring food
service in wards, work out personnel schedules, complies educative materials, and
helps in food recording.
D. Responsibilities of Nursing Department in Patient Care
1) The nurse is usually the first person who observes the patient’s feeding problem
(inability to chew, any physical handicap to feed him, complaints about the food,
etc).
2) She has more direct and continuous communication with the patients and must
therefore be well-informed about the principles of diet, food allowed and avoided.
3) If she is not sure for her answer to the patient regarding his food, she must notify the
dietitian as soon possible.
4) a) A nurse should immediately forward the diet prescription slips as ordered by the
physician as soon possible to the dietary department.
b) If the patient is going home on special diet (discharge diet, take home diet), the nurse should
notify the dietitian immediately.
c) Usually food charting is accomplished by the nursing staff.
5) a) The nursing aides sees to it that the patient ready for his food try.
b) The patient may need help in washing his hands, sitting-up, cutting his meat, pouring water. Etc.
c) She helps in encouraging the patient to eat, tidying his besides table, and cleaning up.
d) She should remove the try promptly and make sure to note down left-over if food recording is
needed.
 See if you can do this!

Directions:Since you read and understood the responsibilities of each department in

the patient care? Summarize the responsibiilties of each health workers…you may add
information aside from the lectures above.
Responsibilities of the Responsibilities of the Remarks:
Dietary department in the Nursing Department in the
patient care: patient care:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

2.Conclusion.

..

Goodluck!