Diet, nutrition and health
Factors that influence diet, nutrients, lifestyle diseases, TB, asthma, epilepsy and diabetes. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.
Know it already? Jump straight to the quiz
Healthy eating
- White bread and a cold drink? Swap to brown bread with a filling, fruit and water. A good goal: vegetables or fruit at every meal.
- Pap, samp and brown bread are starchy foods; lentils are a good protein source. Fats and oils only a little: the extra is stored as fat.
- Maize meal and bread flour are fortified with vitamins and minerals by law.
- Useful bacteria turn milk into amasi, help your digestion and break down compost.
Illnesses and how to help
| Condition | What it is | How to help |
|---|---|---|
| Asthma | Airways narrow; dust, pollen or cold air can trigger it | Help them sit up, use their inhaler, call an adult |
| Epilepsy | A brain condition that causes seizures | Stay calm, move hard objects away, cushion the head and time the seizure. Never hold the person down or put anything in their mouth. Afterwards turn them onto their side and call an adult; call an ambulance if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes |
| Type 1 diabetes | The body makes little or no insulin, so blood sugar rises too high; the person needs insulin injections. If blood sugar then drops too low (a ‘hypo’), the person becomes shaky, sweaty and confused | For a hypo: call a teacher and give a sugary snack or drink |
| Obesity | Too much body fat, harming health | Balanced diet and active every day |
| Tuberculosis (TB) | An infectious disease caused by bacteria, usually in the lungs; spread through the air when a sick person coughs or sneezes | Get tested at the clinic; take every tablet for the whole course (about 6 months); cover your mouth when you cough; open windows |
- Signs of diabetes: very thirsty and needing the toilet often. People live well with medicine, healthy food and exercise.
- Signs of TB: a cough lasting 2 weeks or longer, fever, night sweats, weight loss and tiredness. TB can be cured; testing and treatment at public clinics are free. Crowded homes with little fresh air and poor nutrition help TB spread more easily.
- Poverty can mean poor housing and too little healthy food. Treat a classmate with a chronic illness normally, include them and keep it private.
Remember this and test yourself
- Diet is influenced by five factors: ecological (what grows locally), social (family habits, friends, advertising and the media), economic (money), cultural/religious (halaal, kosher) and political (sugar tax, school meals).
- Carbohydrates give quick energy; proteins build and repair; calcium for bones; fibre for digestion.
- A chronic illness lasts a long time and needs care; go to the clinic regularly.
- Diabetes: the body cannot control blood sugar well; type 2 is linked to poor eating and too little exercise.
- Public clinics give free health care; Childline (116) is free.
Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.
Five factors shape what you eat: Every Sunday Everyone Cooks Pap — Ecological (what grows), Social (family, friends, adverts), Economic (money), Cultural, Political (laws).
Important words
First say what the word means, then turn the card over.
Match column A to column B
Tap a word in column A, then its meaning in column B. You can also start in column B.
True or false?
Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.
Now the real quiz!
The quiz has many more questions on this topic. Every question shows straight away whether you are right and explains why.
Take the quiz: Diet, nutrition and health- Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
- The ticks (“I know this”) are saved on this device only. We never ask for names or emails.
Follows CAPS for Grade 7 Life Orientation. Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.