Rationale
My goal for this curriculum unit is to help students understand the link between nutrition and diabetes. For many of my students, their connection to this topic is personal. Many of the students in my classes have family members that have diabetes and other health problems associated with obesity. Further, many of them are making their own decisions about what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The easiest choices, in terms of cost and convenience, are found at fast food restaurants and corner stores. Educators must teach students about good nutrition at all grade levels; the eating habits that they develop as teenagers are likely to continue throughout adulthood. The evidence is clear that the Western diet, which includes abundant fast food, contributes to heart disease and diabetes, among other illnesses. Obesity rates and diabetes incidence is especially high in African-American, Native American and Hispanic populations. Accurate knowledge and familiarity with a diversity of foods will ultimately have a positive impact on our life span and the quality of life of us all.
The major macronutrients of our food are commonplace in daily language: carbohydrates (carbs), proteins and fats. Unfortunately, we have developed vast misconceptions about these nutrients, because of media, fad diets and influential food marketing. All of these nutrients are essential for life. Fats are essential components of cell membranes; proteins have structural, defense and enzymatic roles in the body; and carbohydrates are the basic fuel for the body, providing energy to all the cells. In many popular diets, both fat and carbohydrates are largely forbidden, while some diets consider animal protein to be detrimental to health. The bottom-line for those who want to lose weight is a simple fact; the input of calories must be less than your output of calories. A low-fat high carb diet can contribute to weight gain, because carbohydrates (specifically glucose molecules) that are not burned are converted into fat and stored in the fat cells. In the same way, when glucose stores are in short supply, protein and fat can be converted to glucose, to satisfy the bodies' needs.
Through this curriculum unit, students will learn about healthy eating and research healthy recipes that they will enjoy cooking and eating. In this way, students can be empowered to change their eating and learn some of the tools for cooking foods that taste good and are healthy. Evidence suggests that encouraging students to add more fruits and vegetables in their diet is more successful than negative messages telling students not to eat certain foods 1. Further, by educating students with information that links nutrition directly to health, I believe that students are more likely to make dietary changes that endure.
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