Lesson 1: Body basics

Do you know how your body works? Before you can know what food to put into your body to improve your health, you have to know more about your body basics. In this lesson we explore general healthy eating patterns and how they are related to health and disease. We also delve into the inner workings of the digestive system and learn more about how these important organs work together to digest, absorb and utilize food you eat to keep you alive. Throughout this lesson we use fun and interesting analogies to help you better understand these complex concepts.

Lesson 2: Carbohydrates

Feeling confused about carbs? The media and subsequent information overload has many people feeling this way, and understandably so. In this lesson we learn more about what macronutrients are and how they contribute to our energy intake, how carbohydrates are utilized in the body, what insulin is and why it is so important that we manage our blood sugar levels. You will learn how to easily identify healthier carbohydrate sources and get the low down on low carb diets, sugar and sweeteners. 

Lesson 3: Proteins

Be lean and mean, eat your protein! Do you think more is better? In this lesson we discover why protein is such an important nutrient and discuss how it is digested, what our protein requirements are for different age groups, as well as how to interpret these in terms of real food. You will learn more about various protein sources and we will weed fact from fiction when it comes to red and processed meat, soya and fish. We end this lesson by understanding the hype about high proteins diets. 

Lesson 4: Fats

The fatty truth. Fats still maintain some of their ‘bad rep’ from popular low fat diets of the 90’s. This leaves many of us feeling a bit unsure of where we stand with regards to this vital nutrient. In this lesson, we dip a little deeper to understand why including fat in your diet is important. We explore what the different types of fats are as well as the associated health risks and benefits of each and will also learn the truth about coconut oil, low fat products and eggs. We wrap up by learning how to make practical fat substitutions that will improve your general health and well-being. 

Lesson 5: Micronutrients

Mighty micronutrients- Small things pack a big punch! An adequate micronutrient status is vital for good health and so it is important that we learn what these valuable nutrients are, where we can find them and what common deficiencies occur when we don’t have enough of them. You will learn more about phytonutrients and the invaluable role they play in bettering our health. Practically, we will also be looking at cooking methods to retain the most micronutrients and how food processing changes the amount of micronutrients available to us in the food we eat. 

Lesson 6: Hydration

Happy hydrating! Do you know that the first signs of dehydration are fatigue, irritability and loss of concentration? Do you often feel like this at the end of a long and busy day and just think that this is your lot in life? In this lesson we unpack the 8 glasses of water a day recommendation and learn more about all forms of hydration, including the pros and cons of each. We will also be dispelling some popular hydration myths (like if caffeine is dangerous to your health), and at the end of this lesson you will be an absolute hydration hero! 

Lesson 7: Salt, Seasoning & Flavouring

‘The most nutritious and beautifully presented meal in the world cannot be enjoyed unless it tastes good.’ Salt is used as a universal flavour improver because at low concentrations it will reduce bitterness, but increase sweet, sour and umami, all of which can produce incredibly tasty results. Salt is the second most frequent food additive by weight, and it is no wonder as we do enjoy delicious food. This lesson delves into the science of salt and expands on a variety of other seasonings and flavourings as well.  

Lesson 8: Sweeteners

It is said that we are born with an inherent preference for sweet things and this preference may have even helped our ancestors find calorie-dense options that were safe to eat. Unfortunately, in our fast-paced world where overconsumption is rife, added sugars are contributing to our obesity pandemic. In response to this, scientists have developed an entire range of alternative sweeteners for you to choose from. This lesson dissects the various forms of sweeteners and explains each in detail to help you make an evidence-based decision on which suits you best.  

Lesson 9: Food Selection and Evaluation

Why do you choose to eat the foods you do and why do you avoid others? There are many factors that influence our decisions from genetics to exposure to various flavours. In days gone by, we had very few choices to make when it came to the variety of food we had available to us. But in this day and age, there are literally thousands of choices, and food manufacturers base a lot of their decision on what we inherently like (not necessarily what is healthy for us). In this lesson, I will expand on your 5 senses and how they help us choose food and we will also briefly touch on some other factors that influence our decisions.  

Lesson 10: Case Study

Having all the knowledge in the world is not helpful if you are unable to put it into practical use. In your final lesson of Module 1, we will be taking all the recommendations learnt over the last 9 lessons and apply them to a case study. This will be your first opportunity to see how to do the actual calculations and how to start making practical changes to your current diet.