Glossary of Nutrition and Health Related Terms

Amino Acid - Building block of protein and the result of protein digestion. The body uses amino acids to build proteins to make hormones and enzymes and to repair tissues. Of the twenty amino acids, nine must be obtained from the diet.

Aerobic - Literally means ‘with oxygen’ - If a certain exercise is ‘aerobic’ then it means that oxygen is being used as part of an energy system to fuel the body. There are other body systems which do not e.g. The Lactic Acid System.

Bonobo - Man’s closest living primate relative, very cute but with outdated centre parted hairstyles. Shares over 98% of genes with human beings.

Calorie - Simply a unit of energy. In nutrition, the term “Calorie” refers to “kcal” or the amount of energy it take to raise the temperature of 1Kg of water by 1 degree Celcius. You need to burn approx 3500 Calories (kcal) to lose one pound of fat. So a 500 kcal deficit per day will lose you one pound per week.

Calorie Density or Caloric Density - The calorie content per volume of food. This is an idea rather than a figure that is worked out. The idea being that low calorie density foods will fill you up more and prevent overeating.

Calorific Value of Macronutrients (Calories per gram) - Fat 9, Alcohol 7, Protein 4, Carbohydrate 4, Sugar-free sweeteners (not recommended) 2.4

Carb. - Short for Carbohydrate.

Carbohydrate - Mainly sugars and starches. One of the three main Macronutrients (macro=big). Important for storing and converting energy in the body. The body has only a limited storage capacity for carbs unlike fat storage which is virtually unlimited. All carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars and transported as glucose in the bloodstream. Carbs have 4 calories per gram. More information about carbohydrates.

Carotene - Orange pigment in carrots and other fruits/veg. Can be stored in the liver and converted to vitamin A as needed.

Centenarian - Someone over 100 years old.

C.V. - ‘Cardio Vascular’ - A term used to describe the aerobic part of a workout to train heart and lungs (fitness).

Digestive Leucocytosis - A phenomenon discovered by Dr. Paul Kouchakoff in 1930 whereby cooked foods were observed to cause an increase in the number of white blood cells. Leucocytosis is a rise in the white blood cell above normal levels. It is thought that the body does not recognise cooked foods and treats it as if it were an pathogen (infectious agent).

Fat - One of the three macronutrients, fats are lipids and many lipids are essential for life and good health. Over twice the calorie count per gram of carbs and protein at 9 cals per gram.

Fibre/Fiber - Indigestible form of carbohydrate that is essential to keep you regular.

Glucose - A simple sugar and the end result of carbohydrate digestion.

Glycogen - Storage form of glucose in the liver and muscles.

Glycaemic Index - A list of carbohydrate foods in order of the speed that they cause blood sugar levels to rise. All natural foods are medium to low (fruits and veggies) with a couple of exceptions. Does not take into account portion size and so the Glycaemic Load was introduced which does. Watermelon is often quoted as high glycaemic when in fact, on the glycaemic load, it is not. Bottom line, eat fruit and veg freely except if you have blood sugar disorders when you need to watch figs, bananas, etc.

GM - Genetic Modification or Genetically modified - The process of inserting genes from one species into another to obtain certain “benefits”. Comes under the broader umbrella of Genetic Engineering. Benefits such as improved disease resistance or greater yield for example. However all that glitters isn’t gold. Playing God with genetics seems plain wrong to me. GM once done cannot be undone. Are we not taking a big risk?

Highly Refined, high glycaemic food - A food that has been denatured by processing and that, because of this processing is broken down rapidly in digestion and causes a quick rise in blood sugar levels. Generally speaking this is a very bad thing. Plus these foods are poor nutritionally. Examples are white flours and refined sugars (table sugar etc)

Hari Hachi Bu - The Okinawan cultural practice of eating until 80% full. Okinawa is an island in the Pacific Ocean, the 47th prefecture of Japan and currently tops the list of longest lived peoples with more centenarians (as a percentage of the population) than anywhere else on earth.

Homocysteine - An amino acid that damages artery walls. It’s a new risk factor for heart disease. High levels are found in people who don’t eat enough ‘folate’ (e.g. green leafy vegetables). It’s also been linked to a decline in mental function in elderly people.

Lycopene - Bright red pigment, a phytonutrient (phyto=plant) present in tomatoes and other red fruits. Recent studies have shown increased amounts in cooked food and this if often used as argument for cooking food. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant.

Macronutrient - The calorie containing part of food - carbohydrate, protein, fat and alcohol.

Micronutrient - Nutritional elements needed only in small quantities but nonetheless essential. Vitamins and minerals are generally thought of as micronutrients.

Natural Diet (Habit Guide definition) - A diet that is in harmony with our genetic inheritance and that looks to nature as inspiration for optimal nutrition. What constitutes ‘natural’ can vary enormously depending on geographic location, racial adaptation and personal philosophy. See Discover Your Natural Diet

Net Carbs - Total Carbs minus fibre (indigestible bit). This gives the actual calorie carb content.

Neurotransmitter - A chemical that is secreted by a neuron to “talk” to another neuron (nerve cell or “impulse conducting cell”). The gap between neurons is called the synapse. The effect is to excite or inhibit the other nerve cell. Acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin are examples of neurotransmitters.

Nutrient Density - An term used to explain that eating processed foods is depriving you of vitamins and minerals etc. Processed foods have a lower nutrient density i.e. less vitamins etc per calorie. It’s not an actual figure to be worked out.

Omega 3 - One of the ‘Essential Fatty Acids (EFA‘s)’ that enjoy current celebrity in the media. Their importance has only recently become common knowledge. The omega 3 issue adds significant weight in the mounting evidence against our food industry, since some foods that are high in omega 3 in natural foods have little or none in commercial foods. Incidentally some supermarket oranges have been found to have NO vitamin C!!!

Phenylalanine - One of the essential amino acids. Some people cannot metabolize it and that’s why you see products labelled ‘contains phenylalanine’ on them.

Phytochemical or phytonutrient - A chemical or nutrient from a plant source.

Pottenger’s Cat Study - Fascinating Study by Francis Pottenger who found rapid degeneration in cats fed a cooked diet and excellent health of cats fed a raw diet. He was a fan of Weston Price and felt his study on cats mirrored Price’s findings in human diets of tribal people vs. those eating refined foods.

Protein - One of the three main macronutrients. Large molecule made of amino acids essential for growth and repair of the body. Protein has 4 calories per gram. See How Much Protein Do We Need? for more details.

Raw Diet - A diet that consists of mainly uncooked foods - The term generally refers to raw vegan diets but there are also other classes of raw diet such as instincto.

Stone Age - Our most recent pre-agricultural past. It’s thought by some health professionals that since agriculture only began roughly 10,000 years ago that we need to look beyond that to the stone age era for clues about what human beings should really be eating. In genetic terms 10,000 years is the blink of an eye.

THV - Terrestrial herbaceous vegetation. A general term often seen in descriptions of the feeding habits of primates. I have yet to see a definition but I assume it mean “general plant stuff” :-)

Vegan - Someone who does not consume foods of animal origin.

Vegetarian - Someone who does not comsume anything that had a mother - eggs are usually included and dairy products. There are however, various sub-classifications of ‘vegetarian’.

Weston Price - Pioneering dentist who travelled the world and studied remote peoples and their diets. He concluded that many of our ills are caused by consuming unnatural foodstuffs. His book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration is a must in any health seekers library (it’s expensive though ouch!)

Zone Diet, The - Popular book by Dr. Barry Sear, citing evolutionary theory as principle evidence for his theory. Other evidence comes from longevity studies, eicosanoid theory (hormonal responses to food) and athletic success. It’s often quoted as 40-30-30 diet although this is a confusing oversimplification.

Mike Kinnaird
Author of Habit Guide: How to be Happy & Healthy

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