COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction to Nutrition

• Important factors in nutrition.
• Ingredients and cooking methods.
• Understanding eating.
• Major food groups.
• Food allergies and Intolerance introduction.

2. The Digestive System

• The Alimentary Canal- Muscular Structures.
• Accessory Digestive Organs.
• Digestive Tract Linings.

3. Absorption and Enzymes

• Physical and Mechanical breakdown.
• Understanding biochemical breakdown.
• Biological breakdown.
• Digestive Hormones.
• Digestive Enzymes.
• Absorption - anatomical adaptations for absorption.
• Absorption (general).
• Detoxification mechanisms.
• The Urinary System.
• Physiology of the urinary system.
• Skin and sweat glands.

4. Energy Value of Foods

• The science of nutrition.
• Diet.
• Energy Value in Foods.
• Nutrients.
• Energy Production.
• Basal Metabolic Rate.

5. Carbohydrates and Fats

• Types of Carbohydrates - Monosaccharides, Oligosaccharides and Polysaccharides.
• Carbohydrates in the diet.
• Carbohydrates in the body.
• Alcohol.
• Fats and fat biochemistry.
• Fats in the diet.
• Fats in the body.

6. Proteins

• Uses in the body.
• Recommended protein intakes.
• Grains.
• Vegetables.
• Nuts and Seeds.
• Beef, Poultry and Fish (meat structure).
• Meat Quality.
• Eggs and Dairy.
• Proteins in the diet.
• Proteins in the body.

7. Vitamins and Minerals

• The Recommended Daily Allowance.
• The Dietary Reference Intake.
• Summary of Vitamins.
• Fat soluble vitamins.
• Water soluble vitamins.
• Common minerals.
• Inorganic elements.
• The Calcium Debate.

8. Water

• Water in the body (function).
• Water retention.
• Water loss and chronic dehydration.

9. Nutrient Disorders

• Selected digestive system disorders.
• Vomiting.
• Peptic ulcer.
• Jaundice.
• Lactose intolerance.
• Haemorrhoids.
• Cirrhosis.
• Allergies.
• Cholesterol, heart disease and atherosclerosis.
• Bowel Cancer.
• Problems with nutrition.

Each lesson includes an assignment which students are to complete and submit to the school for marking.  Your tutor will return this to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

COURSE AIMS

On successful completion of the course you should be able to do the following:

• Explain the role of different food types in human health.
• Explain the physiology of digestive processes.
• Recommend appropriate intake of vitamins.
• Recommend appropriate intake of minerals.
• Recommend appropriate food intake to meet an individual's energy needs.
• Recommend appropriate carbohydrate intake.
• Recommend appropriate fat intake.
• Recommend appropriate protein intake.
• Recommend appropriate water intake in different situations.
• Recognise signs and symptoms of the major nutrient disorders.

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS

Here are some examples of things you may be doing: 

• Distinguish between nutrition terms including food, nutrition and diet.
• Distinguish between characteristics of all major food groups, including
  - chemistry and foods which are a good source.
• Explain the significance of each of the major food groups, including:
  - Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Minerals, Vitamins.
• Label on unlabelled illustrations, parts of the digestive system, including:
  - Oesophagus, Liver, Stomach, Gall bladder, Pancreas, Duodenum, Ascending colon, Caecum, Appendix, Transverse colon, Descending colon, Ileum, Sigmoid colon, Rectum.
• Explain the function of different parts of the digestive system, including:
  - Salivary Glands, Liver, Stomach, Gall bladder, Pancreas, Duodenum, Colon, Ileum, Rectum.
• Distinguish between digestion and absorption of food.
• Explain the different layers of the digestive tract, including:
  - Mucosa, Submucosa, Muscularis, Serosa.
• Explain different physiological processes involved in absorption
• Explain how different hormones control the digestive process, including:
  - Gastrin, Gastric Inhibitory Peptide, Secretin, Cholecystokinin.
• Explain the action of different digestive enzymes.
• Convert calories to joules.
• Explain the meaning of basal metabolic rate (BMR).
• Describe how the intake of different types of food may affect metabolic rate.
• Explain how different factors other than food intake can affect digestion, including stress and disease.
• Compare energy values of different foods, on a given food chart.
• Explain possible implications of mismatching food intake to individual's energy needs, through over or under intake of energy requirements.
• List foods which are a common source of carbohydrate.
• List common foods in your own diet which are poor sources of carbohydrate.
• Distinguish between monosaccharides and disaccharides in your own normal diet.
• Explain relative values of alternative sources of carbohydrates.
• Explain factors which affect the bodies demand for carbohydrate.
• Develop guidelines to determining appropriate carbohydrate intake, in accordance with an individual’s specific requirements.
• List foods which are a common source of fats.
• Distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fats in the diet of a specific person.
• Explain the relative value of alternative sources of fats.
• Explain factors which affect the bodies demand for fat.
• Explain the role of fat in the body, including an explanation of different physiological processes involving fat.
• Develop a set of guidelines to determining appropriate fat intake, in accordance with an individual's specific requirements.
• List foods which are a good source of protein.
• Explain the role of protein in the body, including examples of different physiological processes involving protein.
• Explain relative values of different sources of protein.
• Explain factors which affect the bodies demand for protein.
• Develop guidelines to determining appropriate fat intake, in accordance with an individual's specific requirements.
• List different sources for each of several different minerals considered essential to human health.
• Explain the role of different minerals in the body.
• Consider the relative values of different sources of minerals in your own diet, to determine minerals which may be supplied in inappropriate quantities.
• Describe symptoms of different nutrient disorders including deficiencies and toxicities.
• Explain the use of different mineral supplements in a specified human diet.
• Distinguish between sources of different types of vitamins which are important to human health, including: - Retinol, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Ascorbic acid, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Nicotinamide, Pyridoxine, Pantothenic acid, Biotin, Cyanocobalamin, Folacin.
• Explain the role of different vitamins in the body.
• Explain the relative values of different sources of each of five vitamins.
• Explain proliferation of vitamin supplement usage in modern society.
• Describe symptoms of five different vitamin disorders including deficiencies and toxicities.
• Explain the role of water in the body, for different physiological processes.
• List factors which affect the body's requirement for water.
• Compare different methods of purifying water, including different commercially available water purifiers.
• Explain the physiology of dehydration, at different levels.
• Discuss the effect of different water impurities on human health.
• Distinguish between the signs and symptoms of forty common problems associated with nutritional disorders, including: - deficiencies, sensitivities, diseases.
• Describe different techniques used by health practitioners for determining food/nutrition disorders.
• Explain the importance of obtaining a recommendation from a medical practitioner, when a nutritional disorder is suspected.
• Explain the significance of "second opinion", when diagnosing nutrient disorders.

What Are the Advantages of Studying with ACS Distance Education?

• You can start at any time to suit you.
• The courses are self-paced.
• You can study when and where suits you. They are flexible to fit in around you and your lifestyle.
• Keep up to date on your learning.
• Update your CV.
• It is not just a course, it is a package of learning that includes – course notes, tutor feedback, self-assessment tests, research tasks and assignments.
• Our tutors are all experts in their field, with years of experience in their field.
• They are also keen and enthusiastic about their subject and enjoy working with students to improve their knowledge and skills.
• Courses are also updated regularly to meet the demands of the changing needs for knowledge and to keep our courses up to date.

HOW TO GET RELIABLE INFORMATION ABOUT NUTRITION

Information today is so readily available with the internet, though one does need to question what you read; particularly when you discover information that is contradictory.

Anyone can publish on the internet - some information sourced from the internet is very useful, but some will be written by people who are not well informed!

It is always important to understand who wrote what you are reading; when they wrote it, and the context in which it was written.

Internet sources of nutritional information

Healthcare websites have become a very popular source of health care information. For example one study found that around 80% of internet users had searched online for health information. Good internet sites can encourage healthy behaviours and allow people to make informed decisions and take control over their health. However, as with all sources of information, some internet sites will be better than others. To help you judge the credibility of an internet site consider the following:

Does the internet site provide information about the people/ organisation responsible for it? This can allow you to research their credibility. Also consider whether the website is trying to sell you something. Internet sites that are trying to sell products such as a nutritional supplement, or services such as a weight loss plan, are likely to be biased in favour of their product or service. Other important considerations include whether a website has been recently updated as historical advice may have disputed by more recent findings. Also consider whether any advice given on a website is backed up by reliable research studies (see above). Again be cautious if you are looking at sponsored sites where research may contain bias.

Even credible organisations like universities don't always keep their web sites up to date; so be cautious about material that may have been written and published many years ago.

Our courses are regularly updated and written by industry experts.

What Next?

This is an in depth, introductory course to healthy nutrition. You might study the course because you want to -

• work in the food or health industries.
• improve your existing knowledge.
• make better food choices for yourself or your family.
• support others to improve their health and wellbeing through good nutrition.

If you have already studied nutrition, or once you have completed this course, we also offer other options, such as more advanced nutrition courses, food coaching, nutritional therapy and more. Contact us if you would like more information on these courses.

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