Common Nutrition Terms I Use With Clients

⚡ Macronutrients – The main nutrients that make up the foods we eat and they include  carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and alcohols.

⚡ Micronutrients – Vitamins and minerals needed by the body in very small amounts.

⚡ Calorie – A unit of energy in food. Carbohydrates, fats, protein, and alcohol contain calories.

⚡  Polyunsaturated Fat – Liquid at room temperature. There are two types of polyunsaturated fatty acids: omega-6 (found in liquid vegetable oils) and omega-3 (plant-based and found in canola oil, flaxseed, soybean oil, walnuts, and fish).

⚡ Saturated Fat – Solid at room temperature and found in butter, cheese, whole milk,, coconut oil, lard, palm oil, and meats.

⚡ Partially Hydrogenated Oils (aka Trans Fat) – A type of fat that is created when liquid oils are changed into solid fats to make them last longer . These can be found in shortening, some margarines, crackers, cookies, and snack foods. Your body has no need for these.

⚡ Triglycerides – A type of fat found in your blood. Too much of this type of fat may raise the risk of coronary artery heart disease.

⚡ Cholesterol – A waxy, fat-like substance in all cells of the body. It is needed to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs.

⚡ Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) – The “bad” cholesterol because it contributes to plaque buildup that can clog arteries.

⚡ High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) – The “good” cholesterol because it removes harmful cholesterol by transporting it to the liver where it is reprocessed. HDLs also keep the walls of blood vessels healthy.

⚡ Soluble Fiber – “soluble” in water.  When mixed with water it forms a gel-like substance and swells. Soluble fiber has many benefits, including moderating blood glucose levels and lowering cholesterol.

Good sources of soluble fiber include oats and oatmeal, legumes (peas, beans, lentils), barley, fruits and vegetables (especially oranges, apples and carrots).

⚡ Insoluble Fiber – Does not absorb or dissolve in water. It passes through our digestive system in close to its original form (helps with digestion). Insoluble fiber offers many benefits to intestinal health, including a reduction in the risk and occurrence of hemorrhoids and constipation.

Most of the insoluble fibers come from the bran layers of cereal grains.

⚡ “Organic” – Long story short… The U.S. Department of Agriculture allows the use of the USDA Organic seal on products that are 95% organic… meaning the other 5% of ingredients are questionable.

Simple solution: Eat foods that ARE organic, not foods that HAVE organic ingredients.

⚡ Artificial Sweeteners – Chemicals like aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame K, and neotame are so sweet that they can change your palate and actually cause you to crave more sugar.  These chemicals have also been linked to serious health conditions and cancers.

⚡ “Low Sugar” – Usually means there are fake sugars like Aspartame. Most artificial sweeteners are several times sweeter than traditional sugar.

For example, Splenda is almost 600x as sweet as sugar. This can cause your taste buds to get used to overly sweet foods and make you MORE addicted to sweet foods.

⚡ “Low Fat” – Usually means more fake ingredients, possibly more sugar, and much less satisfying…. Meaning you may end up eating more calories anyway!