Nutrition

This book has been written to provide community nurses with basic and topical practical information on various aspects of nutrition, to help in the provision of comprehensive dietary advice and information. It discusses healthy eating and nutrition and includes an overview of the current healthy eating guidelines, dietary reference values and basic information on macronutrients, vitamins and minerals. It explains the role of the different nutrients and describes their relationship in promoting health and it outlines the differing needs and health concerns of various groups in the population, including pregnant women, infants, school children, adolescents and elderly people. The importance of nutrition in disease prevention is examined with a look at practical dietary advice for prevention and treatment of diet-related diseases.

Introduction. A healthy diet. Nutrients and health. Nutrition through life: preconception; pregnancy; breastfeeding; weaning; pre-school children; primary school children; teenagers; women of child-bearing age; men; the menopause; ethnic minority groups; low-income groups; older people. Nutrition and the prevention/treatment of diseases. Issues in the media. Assessing the quality of nutritional information. References. Useful addresses.