Course Syllabus

Nutrition is the science of food. This science combines chemistry, biology, medicine and even a bit of psychology into an attempt to understand how the body breaks down food (catabolism), uses food energy to make and repair cells (anabolism) and keep your body running on a daily basis (metabolism). Food science is always changing and evolving, and many of the basic questions about nutrition still remain unanswered. For example: what is the exactly correct proportion of food to eat each day? Why do some people struggle with weight while others don't? What is the best diet for disease prevention, health and athletic performance?

This course will investigate the answers to some of these questions. It will also look at popular trends like protein powders and fad diets. It will explain how your body uses food, and which types of food serve which purpose. It will help you understand why we need to eat a wide variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Nutritional science continues to advance, a few themes emerge over and over again: eating a wide variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables in a state as close to natural as possible, and eating several small portions of food at regular intervals throughout the day (as opposed to two or three large meals) tends to promote athletic performance, disease prevention, weight management and overall well-being.