Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 2

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Define nutrition, diet, and food safety.
• Explain the importance of food safety for good health.
• Identify examples of wholesome foods and their benefits.
• Analyze the impact of poor nutrition on physical health.

Lesson summary

This lesson explores the fundamental link between what we eat (our diet) and how our bodies use it for growth, energy, and overall health (nutrition). In Ghana, where we are blessed with a rich variety of foods from *banku* to *waakye*, understanding this relationship is crucial for making healthy choices. We will also delve into food safety and wholesomeness, which are critical for preventing common illnesses like diarrhoea and typhoid that can arise from consuming contaminated food, a real concern at home, in school canteens, and from street vendors. This knowledge empowers you not just to excel in sports and academics but to live a long and healthy life.

Lesson notes

This lesson is divided into two main parts, directly addressing the two clauses of our indicator. Part A: The Relationship Between Nutrition and Diet What is Diet? A diet refers to the sum of all the food and drink a person consumes regularly. It is simply *what you eat*. Your diet can be varied or limited, healthy or unhealthy. Example: A student's diet might consist of Hausa koko for breakfast, waakye for lunch, and fufu with light soup for supper. This entire collection of food is their diet. What is Nutrition? Nutrition is the scientific study of how the body uses the food we eat. It is a *process* that involves: Ingestion: Taking food into the body. Digestion: Breaking down food into smaller molecules. Absorption: The body's cells taking in these small molecules (nutrients). Assimilation: The cells using these nutrients for energy, growth, and repair. Egestion: Removing waste products.

The key components our body gets from food are called nutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Vitamins, Minerals, and Water. The Crucial Relationship: Diet Fuels Nutrition Think of it like this: Diet is the fuel you put into a car (e.g., petrol, diesel). Nutrition is the engine's process of burning that fuel to make the car move, power the lights, and keep everything running smoothly.

If you put poor quality fuel (a poor diet) into the car, the engine (your body) will not perform well. It might sputter, break down, or not run at all. If you put high-quality fuel (a healthy diet) in, the engine runs perfectly. Therefore, the relationship is: Your diet provides the raw materials (nutrients) that the process of nutrition uses to keep you healthy, strong, and energetic. A good diet leads to good nutrition (a healthy, well-functioning body). A poor diet leads to poor nutrition, or malnutrition (which includes both undernutrition, like kwashiorkor, and overnutrition, like obesity).

Example in a Ghanaian Context: Student A's Diet: Kenkey with fried fish, shito, and a side of vegetables (e.g., sliced tomatoes and onions). Nutritional Outcome: This provides carbohydrates (from kenkey for energy), protein (from fish for muscle repair), fats/oils, and vitamins/minerals (from vegetables). This is a balanced diet that supports good nutrition. Student B's Diet: Instant noodles and a sugary soft drink. Nutritional Outcome: This diet is high in refined carbohydrates, salt, and sugar but very low in protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Over time, this poor diet will lead to poor nutrition, resulting in low energy, poor concentration in class, and a weaker immune system.

Evaluation guide

• Demonstrate knowledge and
• understanding of the
• relationship between nutrition and diet in health. Explain the concept of food safety and wholesomeness
• Di