In this module, we will introduce some of the basic concepts of module one, food and nutrition standards. One of the first things we always talk about in nutrition is why we choose the foods that we do. So, if you sit down and think about it, why did you choose the foods that you did for breakfast? There are various reasons why we choose to eat the foods that we do. For many people it's culture, tradition, sometimes it's cost or convenience, religion is often a good choice, emotions, body image, health...a lot of different reasons. But what amazes me, is how marketing professionals use these ideas of why we choose to eat foods against us. I have several videos available for you to watch, and these are kind of old videos of commercials, but as you are watching them really think about how they use different ways to entice your emotions or your views of cost and convenience, body image and wanting to be healthier to get you to choose their products. Now the reason that we even talk about this is because it's very important to understand that when dealing with nutrition. It's not such a black-and-white issue. It's not eat this, don't eat that it. Really, we have to consider all the reasons why we choose the foods that we do, and what boils down to the most important one that all people have is taste. So, if it doesn't taste good people are not going to eat it. As we approach this semester you have to kind of keep in mind that we're talking about human beings that have a lot of reasons for choosing foods so we would be remiss not to consider things like emotions when we're talking about weight loss. Let's get into the classes of nutrients. So, if we take all of the nutrients available we can put them into six different categories of nutrients. So those nutrients are carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, and water. The first three are considered the macronutrients, and then vitamins and minerals are considered micronutrients. I have to say also that water is a macronutrient. We just often have it separated out because it does not provide energy like our other three macronutrients. Macro really refers to larger amounts, so it's not that they're more important, but they're needed in larger amounts in our body, whereas the micronutrients are needed in smaller quantities. Just as important, but much less of them are required. As we go through the term, we will have specific sections associated with each of these six classes of nutrients. As we study them in-depth, we will look at the elements that make up each of these nutrients. Of course you all know water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen. But the other nutrients also are made up of elements. We know that carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Lipids are the same. Proteins have the extra of nitrogen, and minerals are actually elements in and of themselves. The significance of this is that as you think about how our body is made up...like the cells down to the very small portions of our bodies. What are they made up of? Well, there's carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, and minerals. Everything that is in your body, every function, every cell, that makes up every tissue that makes up every organ and system that allows you to do every single thing that you do in a day, is made up of a nutrient in one way, shape, or form. So, you know your mom was right (or maybe it was your grandma)... you are what you eat. Not in the literal sense. But the carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and minerals that make up your cells come from the foods that you eat. That's why nutrition is so important and oftentimes so difficult because we have to know and understand even down to the cellular level how the nutrients are going to play a role in your body's function. And alternatively, when the functions are not happening correctly because of disease.