What is nutrition or dietetics?
Nutrition is a term used for science or study of food and how the body uses the constituents of food.

What is food?
- cover virtually all substances that we eat or drink and can include both solid and fluids
- including nutritional supplements
- does not include drugs or medications
- provide nourishment and energy to enable the body to function such as grow, reproduce, move, maintain its temperature, repair & renw tissues, prevent & fight infection, recover from injury/illness, eliminate & excrete waste products
- provide energy
- either originate from vegetation or animal sources
- eaten raw, cooked, on its own or along with other food

What is nutrients?
- collection of components that occur in food which are necessary to sustain life, growth, and health.

Types of nutrients:

• Carbohydrates – energy for growth, body maintenance and all movement, e.g. rice
• Protein – growth and repair of body tissue, e.g. eggs, meat
• Fats – maintain body temperature, e.g. meat
• Minerals(e.g. Calcium, Magnesium, Iron) – body functions and metabolism, growth of skeletal system, bone strenght, nerver regulation & control, enable energy production, e.g milk, seafood
• Vitamins(e.g. A, B, C, D, E, K) – support & regulate cellular processes, growth, prevent diesease, and repair tissues, e.g. fruits
• Dietary fibre/roughage – food residues that body needs but does not absorb for gastro-intestinal function and other health benefits, e.g. vegetables
• Water – not strictly “nutrient” but is life essential for cellular function, prevent dehydration and onset of systemic problems