Unit 8 Diet and health Task 1 “How healthy is your diet” questionnaire In pairs ask each other the following questions. What other questions would you include if the aim of the questionnaire is to assess the nutritional value of someone´s diet? 1. Do you base your main meals around starchy foods, such as potatoes, rice, pasta or bread? 2. Do you regularly include pulses in your diet? 3. Do you regularly choose wholemeal bread or rolls rather than white? 4. Do you regularly eat pre-prepared meals, such as sandwiches or canned soups? 5. Do you skip meals on most days? 6. Do you use any dietary supplements? Task 2 Sports nutrition Complete the text with suitable words, the first letter is given. P_ _ _ performance requires commitment to training and a number of other aspects. Our d_ _ _ - what we eat and drink - is one of the areas which can influence sports performance. Sports nutrition is the what, when and how much of food and f_ _ _ _ _we should consume. Macronutrients and micronutrients 1. The keys to good nutrition are b _ _ _ _ _ _, variety and moderation. To stay healthy, your body needs the right balance of carbohydrates, fats, and p_ _ _ _ _ _ _ - the three main components of nutrition, or m_ _ _ _ nutrients. 2. You also need micronutrients, that is vitamins, minerals and other s_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ from many different foods, and while some foods are better than others, no single food or food group has it all - so eating a variety of different foods is e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Moderation means eating neither too much nor too little of any food or n_ _ _ _ _ _ _. Too much food can result in e_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ weight and even too much of certain nutrients, while eating too little can lead to numerous nutrient deficiencies and low body m _ _ _. Task 3 What dietary recommendations would you give to a person who - wants to lose weight - wants to build muscles - suffers from anaemia - is exhausted - is pregnant Task 4 Reading Before you read 1. Which cultures enjoy the healthiest food, in your opinion? Explain. 2. Surprisingly, the richest countries may not have the best diets. What do you think? Read the text and answer the questions below. 1 In recent years a large number of medical specialists and dieticians have devoted much effort to convincing us that just about everything we eat is bad for us. But now, if one accepts the findings of two recent international conferences held in San Francisco, there is some good news. Excellent health, increased longevity, and many simple pleasures of life are all available if you are prepared to follow “the Mediterranean Diet“, which is not so much a diet as a way of living. 2 Interest in the Mediterranean diet was first raised in the 1950´s, when researchers from Harvard University´s School of Nutrition became curious about why men and women on the islands of Crete and Sicily, many of whom lived well into their 80s, had one of the lowest rates of heart disease and cancer in the world. 3 They also noted a remarkably low rate of heart disease in other nations around the Mediterranean. Incidences of other diseases, such as breast and colon cancer, were also lower in the Mediterranean region, and in Greece and southern Italy life expectancy was about four years longer than in the U.S. or Northern Europe. 5 During more than 15 years of research, epidemiologists, who study large populations to identify “risk factors“ for diseases, were unable to identify the crucial factors, which affected the health of these Mediterranean populations. Finally, in 1964, the researchers began to focus on what they identified as the “traditional Mediterranean diet“. 6 They noted that the core of traditional Mediterranean cuisine of the 50´s and 60´s was an abundance of fruits and vegetables as well as large quantities of bread, pasta, legumes, nuts, couscous, rice and other grains. The overall diet included very little meat and only moderate amount of fish, poultry and dairy products. Sweets played a small role in the dining habits of the people and fruits were the main form of dessert. The two most striking features of the Mediterranean diet were that olive oil accounted for as much as 40% of all of the fat consumed by most Mediterranean people and that they consumed wine with nearly every meal. 7 This and subsequent research resulted in the creation of the Optimal Traditional Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. The pyramid consists of nine levels, each representing the stress to be placed on various elements of the diet. 8 Red meat, at the pyramid´s pinnacle, is recommended only a few times per month. Sweets, poultry, eggs and fish are recommended a few times a week, and olives, olive oil, dairy products, beans, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables and whole grains including pasta and rice are recommended on a daily basis. The major focus at recent conferences has been on olive oil and wine. 9 According to prof. Walter Willet, olives and olive oil lowers levels of LDL, which is considered the harmful or “bad“ cholesterol. Olive oil also contains high quantities of antioxidants, today´s nutritional miracle, and these are also thought to prevent heart disease. 11 As to the consumption of wine, the pyramid suggests that a moderate level of alcohol consumption, especially of red wine, also lowers the risk of heart disease and reduces overall mortality. 12 There are a few potential problems in all of this. Some point out, for example, that advocating a diet in which nearly 40% of the calories we take in comes from olive oil is problematic. Olive oil is pure 100% fat, and fat, no matter what its positive effects may be, is public health enemy number one. Reading comprehension 1. What is good news about diet, as found in two conferences? 2. What is the Mediterranean diet? 3. Where did doctors in the 1950´s find the lowest rates of heart disease? 4. What are two important parts of the Mediterranean diet? 5. How much red meat should be eaten, according to the article? 6. Why are olives and olive oil beneficial to one´s health? 7. Why might small amounts of wine be healthy? 8. What are some of the arguments against the Mediterranean diet? Vocabulary Complete the gaps using the words in italics from the text above. You may have to change their form. account for advocate crucial devote harmful incidence life expectancy moderate rate 1. It is _____________ that people are aware of nutritional value of the food they eat. 2. Even ____________ amounts of the drug can be fatal. 3. The ____________ of the population has been increasing over the last decades. 4. I could only ___________ an hour a day to exercising. 5. Most people walk at an average _________ of 5 km an hour. 6. The British market _______________ 30% of the company´s revenue. 7. Many experts ___________ rewarding children for good behaviour. 8. There is a high ____________ of heart disease in men over 40. 9. These substances are known to be ____________ to people with asthma. Task 5 Speaking a) Expressing opinion – phrases Complete these phrases with the words below: firmly – doubt – seems – opinion – convinced I am __________ that… I ____________ believe… It ____________ to me… In my humble __________ , … There is no ____________ that… b) To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “Even elite athletes can be vegetarians/ vegans.” Task 6 Listening Watch the TED ED programme on myths in health education. What were the most common misconceptions about diet and exercise in the past? MYTHS YOU LEARNED IN HEALTH CLASS (https://ed.ted.com/featured/IzCL8SMP) Task 7 Phrasal verbs Identify phrasal verbs in the sentences below. Can you guess their meaning? I´m afraid we´ve run out of milk. Can you get some from the shop? The cost of living in Oxford is eating into my savings. Drink up! It´s time to go. Anger suddenly boiled down in him. Some vegetarians give up eating meat primarily for ethical reasons. The effects of the drug wear off after about an hour. I´ve been chewing the problem over since last week. The meeting threw up some interesting ideas. (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/)