Course Goals 

(As provided by American University Course HLTH 645 Nutrition for Health)

• Provide students with foundational knowledge about the science of nutrition and the application of that science to healthy food choices.

• Improve students’ understanding of the macronutrients and their relationship to energy, health and chronic disease.

• Expand students’ familiarity with the research literature about nutrition and healthy eating.

• Encourage students to engage in further exploration of nutrition education issues that are of particular interest to them.

• Provide opportunities for collaboration and investigation in an online environment.

 

Artifacts

Click on each apple for more…

Discussion-Glucose and Physical Activity

 

 

Research Paper-Educating Adolescents About the Benefits of a Healthy Diet and Exercise as a Means to Reduce the Likelihood of Chronic Disease

 

 

Reflection

In this course we were asked to reflect on what two topics we wanted to learn more about and why they were important.  Here is what I had posted:

Discussion Week 8:  Synthesis

1.      In week 3, “Fats, Lipids, Triglycerides and Cholesterol”, it explained that cholesterol is found in every cell membrane and also contributes to the myelin sheath around the nerves.  If too little cholesterol (or too much) is consumed, does this impact myelin sheath around the nerves, limiting the number of connections within synapses in the brain, possibly contributing to dementia and Alzheimer’s?  I know that a build-up of a protein is what causes the process to begin and once the protein builds up, there are no treatments known to break that protein down, at least for right now.  I thought that since some cholesterol was found around nerve cells, that it may have something to do with the build-up or attraction of the protein.  I would like to learn more about this because my dad was diagnosed with dementia a few years ago and I have been trying to understand the development, contributing factors and progression of the disease, also how the medication that his neurologist has prescribed assists with slowing down the disease, unfortunately not reversing it. As a nutrition educator, I would also like to know more about this topic to be able to explain to clients/students the importance of why we need some cholesterol and possible side effects if too much or too little is consumed.

2.       In week 5 we discussed the basics of energy metabolism.  We know that high protein diets constantly break down protein and amino acids to be used as energy.  According to our lecture notes for that week, it mentions that high protein diets use more calories creating a greater energy output than input, resulting in weight loss.  I this necessarily true?  I thought we needed to stress a balanced diet and focus on moderation?  As I council clients and/or students, I would like to be able to explain why this is a good thing or not. I am concluding that it is not the case based on the instruction that we have received and that moderation is key when looking at the macronutrients together and a healthy diet.