The Digestive System
Digestion is broken down into four steps: mechanical digestion (with our teeth), chemical digestion (with our enzymes), absorption (when we take the nutrients into our body), elimination (when we get rid of the waste).
Enzymes are chemicals in our body which make chemical reactions go faster; they are catalysts.
The digestive organ—from mouth to anus—is enormous. On average, it’s over thirty feet long!
Keeping your digestive system healthy involves several things:
- Eating healthy food; making sure to get all the right nutrients and fiber.
- Taking care of yourself if you contract a food-borne illness.
- Drinking lots of water.
Nutrition & Diet
What should we eat? What happens to food once we swallow it? How long is our digestive system? You’ll learn all about food, nutrients, how your digestive system works, and why the standard American diet of fries, shakes, and sodas wreaks havoc on our digestive system.
Food and Nutrients
We need to eat and drink to have energy, build and repair our bodies, and maintain homeostasis.
The six things we need to consume are protein (things like fish and certain vegetables), carbohydrates (things like bread), lipids (fat), vitamins (found in high concentrations in fruits and vegetables), minerals (certain molecules our systems need), and water.
Creating a Healthy Diet
The “My Plate” division of dietary recommendations from the USDA has replaced the old “My Pyramid”. (The DASH Diet is also highly recommended for overall health.)
A healthy diet is a balanced diet. A diet that includes the right amounts of protein, grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
We will also learn how to check the nutrition facts found on the labels of packaged food and drink. They will tell you the information you need to know to make smart food decisions!
Exercise is just as important as a good diet—we need both. A good goal is 60 minutes of exercise 3 times a week.
