Saturated Fat - a class of fat that is solid at room temperature
(20-25°C or 68-77°F). Fats found in dietary intakes are blended mixtures of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fatty acids. Saturated fat is present in fat-rich dairy products (like cheese, whole milk, cream, butter, and regular ice cream), fatty meats (both fresh and processed), the skin and fat of poultry (turkey and chicken), suet, coconut oil, and palm oil. They have the identical number of calories as do monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (9 calories per gram), and, if eaten in excess, could largely contribute to weight gain. In addition, a diet that is rich in saturated fat raises blood cholesterol and chances of cardiac diseases. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans published in 2005 advocate that individuals who want to be or remain physically fit should consume under 10% of total calories consumed in the form of saturated fats each day.
Binge Eating - an eating disorder characterized by the consumption of vast quantities of food and where the binger feels unable to control either what is being eaten or how much is being eaten, without throwing up or laxative purging.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) - a critical diabetic condition that necessarily requires emergency treatment. It occurs when blood glucose levels get excessively high, with a severe shortage of insulin.
Galactose - a monosaccharide present in both levorotatary and dextrorotatory forms as a constituent of FSO or fructo-oligosaccharides) and GOS or galacto-oligosaccharides) (such as lactose and raffinose) plus polysaccharides, which are a class of carbohydrates made up of a number of monosaccharides (such as agar and pectin). Galactose is the sugar derived when the digestive system assimilates and breaks down lactose (`milk sugar`). Lochia - vaginal discharge of blood, mucus, and tissue following childbirth, which persists for up to 6 weeks.
Intense Sweeteners - see `low-calorie sweeteners`
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) - a quality-based methodology used in the food & beverage sector to recognize potential food safety risks. The fundamental strategy under HACCP to prevent food-borne diseases and to promote high quality standards is to identify the red-zone areas and attempt to avoid them. Rather than putting the burden on the government to identify that there is indeed a problem that concerns food safety, HACCP moves responsibility to the food sector to ensure that the foods it manufactures are free of potential health hazards. Food producers are required to take suitable precautions to safeguard against bacterial contamination from taking place to start with. HACCP ensures food quality through the following guidelines: Be familiar with the possible health hazards to consumers regarding a certain product; Recognize the crucial milestones in the food-processing cycle (CCPs or `critical control points`) where the health-hazards could occur; Set up precautionary actions to preclude the health-hazard from taking place; Monitor in order to be sure that the security practices are working; Establish a fitting solution if monitoring throws up an issue that needs redressing; Set up in-depth record-keeping to document any issues that emerge during the monitoring and how issues were addressed; Substantiate that the entire system is working.
Quadriceps - also referred to as `quads`, the muscle group consisting of four muscles of the front of the thigh. Quadriceps flex the legs at the hips and extend the knee. Keeping them strong could help ward off injuries to the knee.
Basal Metabolism - the energy (calories) used for metabolism when the body is at complete rest. Basal metabolism is inter-related to an individual`s muscle mass (metabolically active tissue as opposed to fat deposits alone).
Lean Body Mass - all the body`s muscle and organ tissues with the exception of body fat.
Fat - an essential nutrient present in food sources, which is the predominant provider of energy from nutrients consumed. Fats found in any food contain 9 calories for each gram. Fat enables the body to utilize vitamins that require a certain amount of fat in the diet to be absorbed (fat-soluble vitamins), like vitamins A, D, E, and K, and natural fat-soluble pigments found in certain plants (carotenoids). Some kinds of fats, particularly fats contained in dairy products, meat, poultry, and some vegetable oils, may cause blood cholesterol to increase and also heighten the danger of developing coronary disease. Other types of fats, such as those that usually come from vegetable sources and fish, do not increase blood cholesterol. Fats that are present in foods are a mixture of monounsaturated fatty acids (found in foods such as olive oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, nuts, and avocados), polyunsaturated fatty acids (found in foods such as such as flax seed and fish oils), and saturated fatty acids (found in foods from animal sources). Fats are an important nutrient in a healthful diet. They supply necessary fatty acids, like linoleic acid, which is especially crucial to the development of children. Fat helps maintain healthy skin, regulates the synthesis and use of cholesterol, and is a building block of prostaglandins, which are chemicals derived from essential fatty acids that could control inflammation. One molecule of fat is comprised of one molecule of glycerol and three molecules of fatty acids. Thus, the chemical terminology for fats is triglycerides. Gene - a structural unit of the the hereditary DNA, which forms the physical foundation for the transmission of the characteristics of all animate things from one generation to another. The essential hereditary code is basically unchanged in each animate thing; it consists of chains of macromolecules of nucleotides, which are the building block of genetic material -- DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in the greater number of life forms and ribonucleic acid (RNA) in particular potential pathogens (viruses) -- and furthermore is usually connected in a linear grouping which (partially) constitutes a chromosome. Cardiovascular - relating to the heart and blood vessels as a unified system in the body: heart (cardio) and blood vessels (vascular).
Electrolytes - mineral elements or chemicals, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, that act to keep your nerves firing and muscles moving. Nitrite - a safe food additive that has, for hundreds of years, been of use in preserving meats, fish, and poultry. It also contributes to the distinctive flavor, tint and consistency of processed meats like frankfurters. Since nitrite protects smoked or cured meats against the most fatal foodborne bacterium of all, Clostridium (C.) botulinum, its inclusion is supported by public-health groups. The human body generates substantially more nitrite levels than are added to food. Nitrates ingested in foods like carrots and green vegetables are synthesized to form nitrite by the digestive process. The presence of nitrite in the human body is instrumental in assisting with blood clotting, healing burns and wounds, and improving immune function in order to kill tumor cells.
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) - a substance that is the chief source of energy for most metabolic processes in living organisms, including muscle contraction, and many other tasks.
Insulin-Dependent Diabetes - a condition in which the pancreas is unable to secret any insulin, leading to abnormally high levels of blood glucose (sugar). Also known as Juvenile Diabetes.