An Introduction to Nutrition and Healthy Living
Learn to live a healthier life as you discover how to create a balanced meal and the importance of exercise and sleep.
Duration
6 weeksWeekly study
2 hours
An Introduction to Nutrition and Healthy Living
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Explore healthy eating and active living
This six-week course will introduce you to the importance of healthy eating and active living to help you improve your overall wellbeing.
From creating a balanced meal and understanding how our digestive system works to exploring nutrition at every stage of life, you’ll learn key nutrition concepts to apply to your everyday life.
You’ll finish the course with the vital tools to make nutrition and healthy activity a part of your lifestyle.
Understand what makes a balanced meal
You’ll learn about the digestive system as you unpack the role of macronutrients, micronutrients, water, and fibre in improving gut health.
Next, you’ll delve into nutritional strategies based on gender, age, target population, and more to understand how to create balanced meals and healthy eating for all different types of people.
Unpack healthy living and the importance of exercise
With an improved knowledge of healthy eating, you’ll investigate the role of exercise in supporting healthy living. You’ll explore the benefits of exercise and how you can do more of it, no matter what your age.
Next, you’ll investigate the importance of sleep and how lack of sleep affects us in different ways.
Delve into meal planning
Finally, you’ll learn the methods to effectively plan your meals to optimise your health. You’ll explore techniques such as mindfulness and food journaling to help further improve your health.
Learning from the experts at the University of California, Riverside, you’ll finish the course with a solid understanding of nutrition to ensure you no longer diet and instead, lead a healthier life.
Syllabus
Week 1
Understanding a Balanced Meal and Healthy Eating
Course Introduction
We introduce ourselves!
Eat Good, Feel Good
We break down how food can affect your mental health.
Calorie Intake
How do you measure the right amount of food to eat for adults vs kids?
Healthy Eating
We discuss MyPlate and healthy eating.
Week 2
The Role of Nutrients, Water, and Fiber
Understanding Nutrients
We discuss the importance and difference of micro and macro nutrients, carbs and the glycemic index.
Protein
We break down protein, the biological value of protein and discuss fats.
Vitamins and Minerals
We discuss micronutrients, toxicities and the importance of vitamins and minerals.
The Importance of Water
We discuss water, dehydration and the dangerous of sugar.
Fiber
We define what fiber is and discuss the benefits of it and how to ingest more fiber.
Nutrition Labels
We break down and discuss nutrition labels.
Week 3
The Digestive System and Improving Gut Health
The Digestive System
We identify the parts of the digestive system and the process of digestion.
Digestive Health
We discuss why digestive health is so important and it's affects on your mental health.
The Process of Digestion
We break down the process of digestion.
Common Digestive Disorders
We break down common digestion problems.
Addressing Chronic Digestive Issues
We discuss how to deal with certain digestion issues.
Week 4
Nutrition for Infants and Youth
Benefits of Physical Activity
We discuss the benefits of physical activity.
Exercising as a Family
The benefits of exercising as a family.
Sleep
We discuss sleep.
Benefits of Sleep
We go through the many benefits of sleep.
Week 5
Nutrition for Women, Men, and Seniors
Adults and Exercise
We discuss the benefits of exercise.
Exercise for Seniors
Exercise after age 65 still has its benefits.
Sleep for Adults
We discuss how sleep affects adults.
Week 6
Meal Planning and Mindfulness
Meal Planning
We introduce the concept of meal prepping.
Advanced Meal Planning
We dive deeper into meal planning.
Food Journaling
We introduce the concept of food journaling.
How Food Affects your Mood
We discuss the mental impacts that nutrition has.
Meditation
We discuss how meditation and mindfulness can impact your mental and physical health.
Course Conclusion
We review the course goals and the key to nutrition and healthy living.
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Investigate the role of macronutrients and micronutrients in healthy eating and living
- Identify the organs of the digestive system and how they work together
- Assess nutritional needs based on gender, age, sex, and target population
- Evaluate how methods like meal planning or food journaling can optimize one's health
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for anyone who wants to learn more about how to improve their diet and overall health.
Who will you learn with?
I am an Academic Director of Professional Programs at the University of California, Riverside Extension. I have a background in education and instructional design and will be facilitating UCR courses.
Who developed the course?
University of California, Riverside
Established in 1954, UCR University Extension is the continuing and professional development division of the University of California, Riverside (UCR), and is an internationally-recognized leader in education for individuals, organizations, and communities–regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Established
1954Location
UCR University Extension 1299 University Ave. Suite 201 Riverside, CA 92507 Tel: 951.827.4105
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Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
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- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
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- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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