The topic of your lesson this week is Metabolism. You may think of metabolism as it relates to weight gain and weight loss. Actually, metabolism is the sum of all reactions occurring in the cell. Some reactions require an input of energy (Endergonic) and some reactions release energy (Exergonic). We consume food in our diet and this fuel is broken down to provide energy in the cell to do work. An example of work would be muscle cells contracting so that you can walk to your car or pick up your latte. The energy in our food is measure in calories and if we consume more calories than our cells use, we will gain weight. If we consume less calories than our cells use, we will lose weight. What is a calorie? In chemistry, a calorie (c) is the amount of energy it takes to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius. A kilocalorie (C) or 1000 calories (c) is the amount of energy it takes to raise 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius. In food labels the calories that are listed are actually kilocalories (C).

If you recall from lesson 3, you learned that of the four macromolecules, three of those provide energy (Calories) in your diet – Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats. Did you know that for every gram of protein and carbohydrate you consume, it provides 4 Calories of energy? Fat provided 9 Calories of energy for every gram that you consume.

We don’t eat only to provide energy for our cells. Another important aspect of diet is the nutritional value of our food. As you learned in this lesson, most enzymes need cofactors and coenzymes to function. Vitamins (coenzymes) and minerals (cofactors) are obtained through our diet.

There are many popular diets today. Three diets we will highlight in this discussion board are the Atkins Diet, the Paleo Diet, and the Keto Diet.

The Atkins Diet was introduced in the 1960’s by Dr. Robert Atkins. Click this link for some basic information on this diet.

The “Paleo Diet” was published by Loren Cordain in 2002. Click this link for some basic information on this diet.

The Keto Diet was actually developed as a treatment for epilepsy. It is now used by some for weight loss. Click this link for basic information on this diet.

For this discussion board:

• Choose two of the three diets (Atkins, Paleo, Keto). Focus on the types of foods included and excluded. Answer each question in numbered paragraphs (numbered 1. – 4.).  A one or two sentence answer will be considered too brief for full credit.

1. Describe the basic diet plan for one of the three diets. Explain how the diet is meant to help with weight loss or improved health. Relate this to what you know about metabolism.
2. Describe the basic diet plan of the second of the three diets. Explain how the diet is meant to help with weight loss or improved health. Relate this to what you know about metabolism
3. Explain at least three similarities or differences between your two chosen diets
4. Explain any possible health benefits or concerns (at least 3) that could result from following your chosen diet plans 
5. Read your classmate’s posts and respond to one who identified a health benefit or consequence that yours did not identify

It will be necessary for you to find sources to get information on these diets. Remember to always give credit or cite your source information. This should be written in your own words. You show understanding of the topic when you can summarize it without using the same phrases or word choice as the original article. Changing a few words in a sentence is still plagiarism. The link below is a good tutorial about avoiding plagiarism in your writing.

https://library.tccd.edu/resources/tutorials/plagiarism/index.php

Cite your sources using APA style. The website below has information to help you cite your source(s) correctly.

https://library.purdueglobal.edu/writingcenter/citationguides

Hover over “Citation Guides” to choose the correct type of source.

Below is another resource regarding APA style from the TCC Library.

https://library.tccd.edu/academic_support/citations

Choose reliable sources like those found using the article database from the TCC library (Today’s Science and Science in Context by Gale are great), information from universities, and governmental websites (https://www.choosemyplate.gov

https://www.usda.gov/topics/food-and-nutrition) Wikipedia and personal websites/blogs are not good sources.

Grading criteria (Please see Grading Rubric for more detailed criteria):

10 points – grammar and source information, numbered paragraphs

8 points – describe the basic diet plan for one of the three diets

8 points – describe the basic diet plan for the second of the three diets

8 points – explain at least three similarities or differences between your two chosen diets

8 points – describe at least three health benefits or concerns for your chosen diets

8 points – read your classmate’s posts and respond to one who identified a health benefit or concern that yours did not identify.