Nutrition and fluids
Nutrition: is a basic human need that changes throughout the life cycle and along the wellness-illness continuum.
They are specific biochemical substances used by the body for growth, development, activity, reproduction, lactation, health maintenance & recovery from illness.
The science of nutrition: is the study of how food nourishes the body. It encompasses the study of nutrients and how they are handled by the body as well as the impact of human behavior and environment on the process of nourishment.
Some nutrients are considered essential because either they are not synthesized in the body or are made in insufficient amounts.
They are carbohydrates, fats, and protein. As macronutrients, micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are required in much smaller amounts to regulate and control body processes.
Non essential nutrients do not have to be supplied through dietary sources because they either are not required for the body functioning or are not synthesized in the body in adequate amounts.
Some nutrients can be converted to others in the body. For instant the body converts excess carbohydrates and protein into fat and stores them as triglycerides.
Of the six classes of nutrients, three supply energy carbohydrates, protein, and lipids (fats) and three are needed to regulate body process, vitamins, minerals, and water.
Energy balance:
Body needs energy to function; it is derived from the food the person consumes measured by calories.
Only carbohydrates, protein, and fat provide Energy.
If a person’s daily energy is more than needed the person will suffer from increasing of weight and if it is less it will be decrease in weight or if it is equal the person weight will stay stable.
Metabolic requirements:
Basal metabolism: is the energy required to carry on the involuntary of the body at rest, such as respiration, circulation, gastrointestinal and renal processes.
Those activities included maintaining body Temperature and muscle tone, producing and releasing secretions, contracting the heart and others.
Because of their larger muscle mass men need a higher basal metabolic rate. BMR.
Other factors increase the BMR includes growth, infections, fever, emotional tension and elevated levels of certain hormones.
Aging, prolonged fasting, and sleep all decrease BMR.
The more preferred methods to establish ideal body weight include BMI, It is ration of Weight in kg. to the height in meters.
BMI= weight in kilograms
Height in meters x height in meters
Recommended dietary allowance:
Recommended average levels to meet the nutrient requirements for healthy individuals by life stage and gender. The food guide pyramid was instituted to give people guidelines in making healthier, more nutritious food selections.
Factors affecting nutrition:
A person’s food patterns and habits are factors
Physical factors, e.g. geographic location, food technology and income.
Physiological factors e.g. hunger, health, and stage of development.
Psychological factors e.g. culture, religion, tradition, education, politics, social status, food ideology and learned aversions.
Anorexia:
Or lake of appetite may be related to systemic and local diseases, numerous psychological causes such as fears, anxiety depression, pain and impaired ability to smell and test.
It may occur secondary to drug therapy or medical treatments. Or some related to chewing and swallowing difficulties.
Vomiting:
If sufficient gastric juice is lost from the stomach, hydrogen, sodium, and chloride ions, potassium will be in insufficient which lead to fluid and electrolyte problems.
Diarrhea:
Intestinal secretions contain bicarbonate. For this reason diarrhea may result in metabolic acidosis, intestinal contains also are rich in sodium, chloride, water, and potassium.
Possibly contributing to (ECF deficit) extracellular fluid deficit and hypokalemia.
The development and promotion of dehydration fluids which replace the fluid and electrolytes lost in diarrhea have reduced worldwide death rates from diarrheal diseases particularly among infants.
Elimination:
Water, electrolytes and nitrogenous wastes are excreted in small amounts in sweat.
Urinary elimination:
Urinary system is essential to the body’s physical well-being, elimination from the urinary tract helps to rid the body of waste products and materials that exceed bodily needs.
The process of empting the bladder is known as micturition, voiding or urination.
The nerve centers for micturition are suited in the brain and the spinal cord.
When the higher nerve centers develop after infancy the voluntary control of micturition develops also.
Bowel elimination:
The gastrointestinal tract extends from the mouth to the anus. The major organ involved is the large intestine.
Defecation refers to the emptying of the large intestine. It is usually painless.
Normal elimination patterns can vary among individuals, although many adults pass one stool each day, other healthy people have a bowel movement of two or three times a week. Others two or three times a day.
Bowel elimination problems:
Constipation: may be the result of conditions such as diseases within the colon or rectum, injury to or degeneration of spinal cord, and megacolon. Stool assessment is an important diagnostic task for the nurse.
Outbreak of food poisoning can result in sever gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea.
Intestinal obstruction occurs when blockage prevents the normal flow of intestinal contents through intestinal tract.
Urinary Incontinent and retention:
It is any involuntary leakage of urine; it is a chronic problem, more prevalent in women and increased with age.
More experienced by the old age due to difficulty of controlling micturition.
The discomfort, embarrassing, of urine soaked clothing can diminish the person’s self- concept. There are so many types of Urinary Incontinent.
1. Transient incon.
2. Stress incon.
3. Urge incon.
4. Mix incon.
5. Overflow incon.
6. Functional incon.
7. Reflex incon.
8. Total incon.