Module 7: Hunger, Eating, and Health

• Hunger


  A sensation of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, accompanied by the desire to eat
• Eating


  The physical act of putting food in the mouth and chewing it
• Eating in Response to Hunger

  • Ideal for maintaining a healthy relationship with food
  • Helps regulate appetite and prevent overeating by aligning food intake with the body's needs
• Exceptions to Eating in Response to Hunger

  • Scheduled Eating
  • Social or Cultural Reasons
  • Emotional Eating
  • Strategic Eating
• While it's generally advisable to eat in response to hunger cues, occasional eating without hunger signals isn't necessarily harmful
• It's essential to be mindful of why we're eating and to listen to our body's signals of fullness to avoid overeating
• Balancing eating habits with hunger cues and other factors such as social, cultural, and emotional influences can promote a healthy approach to food consumption
• Purpose of Hunger


  To induce eating when the body's energy reserves are depleted or when it requires essential nutrients
• Purpose of Eating


  To supply the body with the necessary nutrients and energy it needs to function optimally and sustain life
• The process of hunger prompting eating, which in turn satisfies hunger and provides the body with the necessary nutrients and energy, forms a cyclical pattern
• Steps in Digestion


  1. Chewing (Mastication)

  2. Saliva

  3. Swallowing and Moving Down Esophagus

  4. Stomach Breaks Down Food

  5. Small Intestine - Absorption

  6. Duodenum - Break Down Proteins, Starches, Simple Sugars, Fats

  7. Final Absorption and Excretion
• Gut Microbiome


  The community of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract
• Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)


  An abnormal increase in the number of bacteria in the small intestine, which can lead to digestive symptoms and nutrient malabsorption
• Gas Formation and Flatulence

  1. Breakdown of Food

  2. Fermentation

  3. Types of Gases

  4. Flatulence
• Concerning Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), it involves an imbalance of microorganisms in the gut, particularly an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine
• Lipids (Fats)


  Broken down into fatty acids and glycerol during digestion, which can be utilized by the body for energy production, cellular structure, and hormone synthesis
• Amino Acids


  Proteins are broken down into amino acids during digestion, which serve as building blocks for new proteins and can also be used for energy when necessary
• Glucose


  Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose during digestion, which is the primary source of energy for most cells in the body and is particularly important for brain function
• Energy Storage - Fats (Preferred)

  Excess energy from food, particularly in the form of carbohydrates and fats, is stored as triglycerides (a type of fat) in adipose tissue (fat cells)
• Energy Storage - Glycogen

  Glucose that is not immediately needed for energy is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles
• Energy Storage - Protein

  While protein is not typically stored as an energy reserve like fats and glycogen, amino acids can be converted into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis when needed for energy
• Glucose


  The main type of sugar found in the bloodstream, which serves as the major source of energy for the body's cells
• Saccharides (Carbohydrates)

  • Monosaccharides
  • Disaccharides
  • Oligosaccharides
  • Polysaccharides
• Sources of Glucose

  Obtained from the breakdown of more complex carbohydrates found in food, such as starches and sugars
• Storage as Glycogen


  When the body doesn't immediately need to use glucose for energy, it stores it as glycogen, which is composed of many connected glucose molecules and serves as a readily available source of energy when blood glucose levels drop
• Sites of Glycogen Storage

  • Liver
  • Skeletal Muscle
• Role in Energy Regulation

  The storage and release of glycogen are tightly regulated processes controlled by hormones such as insulin and glucagon
• Lipids

  • Fatty Acids
  • Glycerides
  • Sterols
  • Terpenes
• Three Phases of Energy Metabolism

  1. Phase 1: Digestion and Absorption

  2. Phase 2: Transport and Distribution

  3. Phase 3: Cellular Utilization
• Traction


  The grip or friction between a surface and an object in contact with it, especially during physical activity
• Energy Regulation


  The storage and release of glycogen are tightly regulated processes controlled by hormones such as insulin and glucagon
• Insulin and glucagon regulation

  1. Insulin promotes the uptake and storage of glucose as glycogen when blood glucose levels are high

  2. Glucagon stimulates the breakdown of glycogen into glucose to raise blood glucose levels when they are low
• Lipids


  A diverse group of organic compounds that share the common characteristic of being insoluble in water
• Main groups of lipids

  • Fatty Acids
  • Glycerides
  • Nonglyceride Lipids
  • Complex Lipids
• Fatty Acids


  Long hydrocarbon chains with a carboxyl group at one end, can be saturated or unsaturated
• Glycerides


  Lipids that contain glycerol, a three-carbon alcohol, linked to one, two, or three fatty acids via ester bonds
• Nonglyceride Lipids


  Lipids that do not contain glycerol as a backbone, including sphingolipids, steroids, and waxes
• Complex Lipids


  Combinations of simple lipids with other molecules, including lipoproteins and glycolipids
• Biological functions of lipids

  • Structural Components
  • Energy Storage
  • Signaling Molecules
• Structural Components

  Lipids serve as structural components of cell membranes, providing a barrier between the cell's internal environment and the external surroundings