The body and diet

Summary: To live a healthy and long life, it is good to know what the body needs. You can read what influence food has on your body in the theory sections. In addition, you can also read an article about sugar and confirm or debunk some food myths you might be wondering about. The material also includes various tasks and experiments. Among other things, you can calculate the fiber content of your homemade bread, play sugar police or determine the daily menu for a cyclist.

Over the years, we have become more inactive than active. Children and young people have better access to television and computers, and adults have more sedentary jobs. Even if the body is not used in the same physical way as 50 years ago, it still needs to be refueled with food. However, there is a big problem. Too many Danes eat unhealthy food. Many people love foods that are high in sugar and fat, and there is also an explanation for this. Our brains were created to live about 100,000 years ago. Back then, it was difficult to get hold of food, and in order for the body to get the necessary amount of energy for survival, it was important to eat foods high in sugar and fat.

Today, the world is different. Due to new technologies, the body is used less physically while being refueled with sweet and fatty foods. This can have consequences that, among other things, can lead to obesity, which can ultimately lead to a number of lifestyle diseases such as type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The project consists of a number of theory sections that explain the structure of the digestive system, the structure of various nutrients, and a description of the consequences of excessive intake of nutrients. After the theory sections have been read through, you can test your knowledge of the topics by working on the exercises. During the project, reference will be made to various videos from the Biostrip. They will either review the described section or elaborate on the text.

I wish you every success in your work!

Theory:

Most people know the posters with the food pyramids. Already in the 1970s, the first food pyramid was launched by FDB (The Joint Association of Danish Cooperatives). It has since been updated due to new knowledge in the field. In addition to the food pyramid from FDB, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has also established 10 dietary guidelines. Together, they will help the population choose healthier foods and inform which foods are climate-friendly. The higher up a food item is in the pyramid, the worse it is for the environment. Therefore, avocados are among others placed higher up than beets and leeks, because avocados cannot be grown on Danish soil.

The pyramid can be compared to the body: when building a pyramid, a solid foundation is important. In the same way, the body also needs to get nutrients so that it can cope with a whole day. Therefore, the foods from scratch are the ones you should eat the most of.

At the bottom are rye bread, potatoes, coarse vegetables and water.
In the middle you will find light bread, pasta, cereals and rice, as well as fruit, milk and yogurt.
At the top are poultry, fish, red meat, eggs, cheese and oils.

The dietary guidelines

The 10 official dietary guidelines are about:

Eat varied
Eat fruits and many vegetables
Eat more fish
Choose whole grains
Choose lean meats and cold cuts
Choose lean dairy products
Eat less saturated fat
Eat less salt
Eat less sugar
Drink water

There is a connection between the food pyramid and the 10 official dietary guidelines. Among other things, it is important to eat more coarse vegetables than fruits, because fruits contain a large amount of fruit sugar, while coarse vegetables contribute fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals. This also indicates the food pyramid, since vegetables are located at the bottom, while the fruits are found in the center.

The food pyramid and dietary guidelines have been prepared based on the knowledge we have about the effect of food on the body. To gain an understanding of the food pyramid and the structure of dietary guidelines, the different nutrients found in our food will be reviewed in the articles on “The body’s fuel”.

Figure 1. A sample of the current food pyramid from 2011. It is built in three levels, where the bottom shows the foods that should be eaten the most. In the top those that should be eaten the fewest of. Each level also shows the climate friendliness of each food. The further down they are, the better they are for the environment.

You can access the theory sections by pressing the buttons below.

Exercises:

Six different exercises are associated with the Body and Diet. They include how to calculate the fiber content of your homemade bread, what a cyclist’s daily menu consists of and the energy distribution in your morning meal.

Learning Activity: Calculating the Fiber Content of Homemade Bread

Learning Activity: A Cyclist’s Day Menu

Learning Activity: The Energy Breakdown in Your Breakfast

Learning activity: Are Danes sweet as sugar?

Learning Activity: Different Food Habits

Learning Activity: What do you know about sugar?

For each exercise, a teacher’s guide has been prepared. These, as well as other useful documents, can be downloaded here.

Source reference:

This project was released in January 2016. It was created by the Biotech Academy and has been updated regularly.

The project is prepared by Sebrina Thyssen.
Sebrina is studying for an MSc in Engineering in Technical Biomedicine.
Read more about Sebrina here.

Sebrina Thyssen

The National Food Institute has been a sparring partner for this primary school project.

National Food Institute

Lundbeck is a global pharmaceutical company working to improve the quality of life for people suffering from brain disease. Lundbeck has been a sponsor of this primary school project.