CBSE Class 6- Science Chapter 3: Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body- Study Notes (PDF)

Study Guide: Mindful Eating: A Path to a Healthy Body

Study Notes

This study note provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of mindful eating, the components of food, and the importance of a balanced diet as presented in the Class 6 new NCERT science book (Curiosity).

1. The Significance and Diversity of Food

Food is an essential component of daily life, summarized by the Sanskrit saying “annena jātāni jivanti,” meaning “food gives life to living beings.” The concept of healthy eating is captured in another wise saying, which defines a healthy person as one who eats wholesome food in moderate quantities, appropriate for the season, time, and place.

Food Diversity Across India:

Regional Variation: The traditional food consumed in various states of India shows significant diversity. This variation is directly linked to the crops grown locally, which in turn depend on the diverse soil types and climatic conditions across the country.

Influencing Factors: Beyond local agriculture, food choices are shaped by taste preferences, culture, and traditions.

Examples of Regional Diets:

• Punjab: Key crops include maize, wheat, and pulses. Traditional foods are makki di roti, sarson da saag, chhole bhature, and parantha. Common beverages are lassi and chhach (buttermilk).
• Karnataka: Rice, ragi, and coconut are staple crops. Traditional dishes include idli, dosa, sambhar, ragi mudde, and rasam.
• Manipur: Rice, bamboo, and soya bean are locally grown. The diet includes eromba (chutney), utti (yellow peas and green onion curry), and kangsoi.

2. Evolution of Culinary Practices

Culinary (cooking) practices have changed significantly over time due to factors like technological development, improved transportation, and better communication.

Traditional Practice	Modern Equivalent
Cooking on a chulha (traditional stove)	Cooking on a modern gas stove
Manual grinding with a sil-batta (stone grinder)	Grinding with an electrical grinder

3. The Major Components of Food

Food contains substances called nutrients, which provide energy, support growth, help repair the body, and protect it from diseases. The major nutrients are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. In addition to nutrients, food also contains dietary fibres and water.

Energy-Giving Foods: Carbohydrates and Fats

These nutrients are the primary sources of energy for performing various activities.

Carbohydrates: Provide instant energy. Glucose is a simple carbohydrate.

• Sources: Cereals (wheat, rice, maize, bajra), vegetables (potato, sweet potato), and fruits (banana, pineapple, mango). Common sugar is also a carbohydrate.

Fats: A source of stored energy. They can come from plant or animal sources.

• Plant Sources: Nuts (groundnuts, walnuts, almonds), seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), soya bean, coconut.
• Animal Sources: Butter, curd, ghee.
• Note: Polar bears accumulate fat to serve as an energy source during hibernation.

Body-Building Foods: Proteins

Proteins are essential for the growth and repair of the body, making them crucial for growing children and athletes who need to build muscle.

• Plant Sources: Pulses, beans, peas, nuts, soya bean, edible mushrooms.
• Animal Sources: Milk, paneer, eggs, fish, meat.

Protective Nutrients: Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are required in small amounts but are essential for protecting the body from diseases and keeping it healthy.

Component	Function	Sources	Deficiency Disease	Symptoms
Vitamin A	Keeps eyes and skin healthy.	Papaya, carrot, mango, milk.	Loss of vision	Poor vision, night blindness, sometimes complete vision loss.
Vitamin B1	Keeps heart healthy; supports body functions.	Legumes, nuts, whole grains, seeds, milk products.	Beriberi	Swelling, tingling/burning in hands and feet, trouble breathing.
Vitamin C	Helps body fight diseases.	Amla, guava, green chilli, citrus fruits (orange, lemon).	Scurvy	Bleeding gums, slow wound healing.
Vitamin D	Helps body absorb calcium for bone/teeth health.	Exposure to sunlight, milk, butter, fish, eggs.	Rickets	Soft and bent bones.
Calcium	Keeps bones and teeth healthy.	Milk/soya milk, curd, cheese, paneer.	Bone & tooth decay	Weak bones, tooth decay.
Iodine	Helps perform physical and mental activities.	Seaweed, water chestnut (singhada), iodised salt.	Goitre	Swelling at the front of the neck.
Iron	Important component of blood.	Green leafy vegetables, beetroot, pomegranate.	Anaemia	Weakness, shortness of breath.

Note on Nutrient Loss: Some nutrients, like Vitamin C, can be lost during cooking due to high heat. Washing vegetables after they have been cut or peeled can also result in the loss of some vitamins.

Other Essential Components: Dietary Fibre and Water

Dietary Fibres (Roughage): Do not provide nutrients but are essential for helping the body get rid of undigested food and ensuring smooth passage of stools.

• Sources: Green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, wholegrains, pulses, nuts.

Water: Essential for absorbing nutrients from food and removing waste from the body through sweat and urine.

4. Balanced Diet and Healthy Eating

A balanced diet is one that contains all essential nutrients, roughage, and water in the right amounts for the proper growth and development of the body. Nutritional requirements vary based on age, gender, physical activity, and health status.

Junk Foods: These foods are high in calories from sugar and fat but low in proteins, minerals, vitamins, and dietary fibres. Frequent consumption can lead to obesity and other health problems. Examples include potato wafers, candy bars, and carbonated drinks.

Millets (Nutri-cereals): Grains like jowar, bajra, ragi, and sanwa are highly nutritious native Indian crops. They are good sources of vitamins, minerals (iron, calcium), and dietary fibres, contributing significantly to a balanced diet.

5. From Farm to Plate: Food Miles

Food miles refer to the total distance a food item travels from its producer to the consumer. This journey involves multiple steps: farming, threshing/winnowing, storage, grinding/packing, and transport to retail shops. Reducing food miles is important because it:

• Cuts down on transportation costs and pollution.
• Supports local farmers.
• Keeps food fresh and healthy.

6. Simple Tests for Food Components

The presence of certain nutrients can be detected with simple tests.

• Test for Starch: Add 2-3 drops of diluted iodine solution to a food item. A blue-black color indicates the presence of starch.

• Test for Fats: Press a food item wrapped in paper. An oily patch on the paper, which makes the paper translucent when held against light, indicates the presence of fat.

• Test for Proteins: Make a paste of the food item in a test tube with water. Add two drops of copper sulphate solution and ten drops of caustic soda solution. A violet color indicates the presence of proteins.

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Review Quiz

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences.

1. What factors influence the diversity of traditional food consumed across the different states of India?

2. Explain the difference between energy-giving foods and body-building foods, providing an example of each.

3. What are dietary fibres (roughage), and why are they considered an essential component of our food despite not providing nutrients?

4. Describe the simple test used to detect the presence of starch in a food item.

5. What is a balanced diet, and why do nutritional requirements vary from person to person?

6. Define “food miles” and explain two reasons why it is beneficial to reduce them.

7. What is scurvy, and which nutrient deficiency causes it? Name two food sources that can help prevent this disease.

8. Why are millets often referred to as “nutri-cereals”?

9. Describe two significant changes in culinary practices that have occurred over time.

10. What are junk foods, and why is their frequent consumption considered unhealthy?

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Answer Key

1. The diversity of traditional food in India is primarily influenced by the locally grown crops, which depend on the regional soil and climate. Other significant factors include local taste preferences, cultural practices, and traditions.

2. Energy-giving foods, like carbohydrates and fats, are the primary sources of energy for our bodies’ activities; an example is rice (carbohydrate). Body-building foods, like proteins, are essential for the growth and repair of the body; an example is pulses (protein).

3. Dietary fibres are an essential food component, mainly from plant products, that do not provide nutrients. They are crucial because they help the body eliminate undigested food and ensure the smooth passage of stools, preventing issues like constipation.

4. To test for starch, a few drops of diluted iodine solution are added to the food sample. If starch is present, the food item will turn a blue-black color, indicating a positive result.

5. A balanced diet is a diet that contains all essential nutrients, roughage, and water in the correct proportions for the body’s proper growth and development. Nutritional needs vary based on factors like age, gender, level of physical activity, and overall health status.

6. “Food miles” is the total distance a food item travels from where it is produced to the consumer. Reducing food miles is beneficial because it helps cut down on transportation pollution and costs, and it also supports local farmers while ensuring the food is fresher.

7. Scurvy is a deficiency disease characterized by symptoms like bleeding gums and slow healing of wounds. It is caused by a deficiency of Vitamin C, which can be prevented by consuming citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, or other sources like amla and guava.

8. Millets are called “nutri-cereals” because they are highly nutritious small-sized grains. They are good sources of vitamins, minerals like iron and calcium, and dietary fibres, making them an integral part of a balanced diet.

9. One major change is the shift from cooking on a traditional chulha to using a modern gas stove. Another is the move from manual grinding with a sil-batta (stone grinder) to using an electrical grinder for convenience and ease.

10. Junk foods are foods that are high in calories from sugar and fat but contain very low amounts of essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibres. Their frequent consumption is unhealthy as it can lead to obesity and other related health problems.

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Essay Questions

Develop a detailed response for each of the following questions.

1. Analyze the relationship between a region’s agriculture, climate, and its traditional cuisine. Use the examples of Punjab and Karnataka from the text to support your analysis.

2. “Health is the Ultimate Wealth.” Discuss this statement in the context of a balanced diet versus a diet high in junk food, explaining the long-term health implications of each.

3. Describe the specific roles of vitamins A, C, and D, and the minerals Calcium and Iron in the human body. For each, detail the symptoms of deficiency and list at least two dietary sources.

4. Explain the entire “farm to plate” journey for a common food item like a chapati. Discuss the concept of “food miles” within this journey and propose strategies for a consumer to minimize them.

5. Imagine you are a nutritional expert advising a school. Explain the distinct functions of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Based on these functions, argue why it is critical for growing children to have a diet rich in all three, and not just one.

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Glossary of Key Terms

Term	Definition
Anaemia	A deficiency disorder caused by a lack of iron, with symptoms including weakness and shortness of breath.
Balanced Diet	A diet containing all essential nutrients, roughage, and water in the right amounts for proper growth and development.
Beriberi	A deficiency disease caused by a lack of Vitamin B1, with symptoms like swelling, trouble breathing, and a tingling or burning sensation in hands and feet.
Carbohydrate	A major nutrient and primary source of energy. Found in cereals, fruits, and vegetables like potatoes.
Culinary Practices	The practices and methods associated with food preparation and cooking.
Deficiency Diseases	Diseases or disorders that are caused by the lack of one or more essential nutrients in the diet over a long period.
Dietary Fibres	Also known as roughage. An essential component of food that does not provide nutrients but aids in the removal of undigested food.
Fats	A major nutrient that serves as a source of stored energy.
Food Components	The various substances present in food, including nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals), dietary fibres, and water.
Food Miles	The entire distance a food item travels from the producer to the consumer.
Goitre	A deficiency disease caused by a lack of iodine, characterized by swelling at the front of the neck.
Iodised Salt	Common salt that has been supplemented with salts of iodine to prevent iodine deficiency.
Junk Foods	Foods with high calories from sugar and fat but low amounts of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibres.
Millets	Small-sized, highly nutritious grains such as jowar, bajra, and ragi. Also called nutri-cereals.
Minerals	A group of protective nutrients, required in small amounts, that help protect the body from diseases. Examples include calcium, iron, and iodine.
Nutrients	Food components that provide energy, support growth, help repair and protect the body, and maintain bodily functions.
Proteins	A major nutrient essential for the growth and repair of the body. They are also known as body-building foods.
Rickets	A deficiency disease caused by a lack of Vitamin D, resulting in soft and bent bones.
Roughage	See Dietary Fibres.
Scurvy	A deficiency disease caused by a lack of Vitamin C, with symptoms including bleeding gums and slow healing of wounds.
Vitamins	A group of protective nutrients, required in small amounts, that protect the body from diseases and keep it healthy. Examples include Vitamins A, B1, C, and D.