By Mrs. Krebs Period 4, 5, 6, & 81

Nutrition in Adulthood

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Physical Characteristics of Adults

Between the ages of 20 and 60 years. Adults should exercise at least 30 minutes 5 times

a week to maintain weight, muscle strength and reduce fatigue.

Around 30 years of age metabolism begins to slow and adults need fewer calories for daily functioning.

As people age their taste palate changes to incorporate a more diverse group of foods like blue cheese, salmon, asparagus, & ethnic cuisines like Thai & Indian.

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An Ideal Diet

For adults maintaining an ideal diet is key to long term health.

An ideal diet refers to eating healthy foods on a daily basis and not following a structured diet program.

In an ideal diet food choices are made based on nutritional and physiological needs.

Adults who do not follow an ideal diet may suffer from illnesses later in life.

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The ABC’s of Adult Diet

A Adequate – A person’s diet provides enough nutrients for health.

B Balance – A person’s diet provides balance from the Food Guide Pyramid.

C Calorie Control – A person’s diet provides enough calories for energy, but not too many that it leads to weight gain.

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The DMV’s of Adult Diet

D Dense with Nutrients – Diet provides foods high in nutrients but relatively low in calories.

M Moderation – Diet will not contain too much unwanted fat, cholesterol, salt & sugar.

V Variety – Different foods within each section of the FGP will be consumed rather than the same foods day after day.

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Foods to Avoid

Adults in general need to reduce their intake of cholesterol, salt, sugar and saturated fat.

They should limit: deep fried foods, frozen dinners (diet dinners may be acceptable), candy and sweets, heavy salad dressings, and red meat.

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Dietary Problems

Hypertension: sustained high blood pressure. This places stress on the circulatory system. Salt is known to aggravate blood pressure.

Cardiovascular disease: blocking and weakening of the blood vessels and heart. Heart attacks can be deadly in adults and is the number one cause of death for women. Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol are known to cause cardiovascular disease.

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Dietary Problems Continued

Diabetes: disorder in which a person’s body cannot regulate blood sugar regularly. People with diabetes need to monitor their carbohydrate intake to make sure they do not consume too much or too little sugar throughout the day.

Obesity: body weight 20% or more over ideal weight for height. Thought to lead to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and various other physical and emotional difficulties.

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Food and Life

Many adults find their career focus and life goals (self-actualization) centered around food. Careers in food related areas include dietitian, restaurateur, chef, caterer, food critic, food service director and etc.

Dining out with friends, family, and co-workers can be an important part of adult friendships and personal relationships.

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Food and Family

Meal time is an opportunity for parents to talk to their children about daily experiences and to teach them about manners, cooking, family traditions and other life skills.

Many adults enjoy preparing food for their family, especially during holidays and other special occasions.