Associate Diploma In Food And Nutrition

Study by Distance Learning and Work in the Food and Nutrition Industry - NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!

OAMPS welcomes Professional Indemnity insurance applications from ACS graduates. Click here if you are in the Natural Therapy industry. For all your insurance queries please contact OAMPS Insurance Brokers using the contact details below:

This Associate Diploma is internationally recognised by IARC

COURSE STRUCTURE

The course is made up of the following 100 hour long modules:

Module 1.      Nutrition I

There are nine lessons in this course, each requiring about 10 hours work by the student.  Emphasis is placed on understanding the body, the food we eat and it's affects, our mental, emotional health (state of mind), and physical health.

The nine lessons are as follows:

1. Introduction to Nutrition
2. The Digestive System
3. Absorption & Enzymes
4. Energy Value and Foods
5. Carbohydrates and Fats
6. Proteins
7. Vitamins and Minerals
8. Water
9. Nutrient Disorders
   

Module 2.      Nutrition II

This course is divided into eight lessons as follows:.

1. Cooking And Its Effect On Nutrition
2. Food Processing And Its Effect On Nutrition
3. Recommended Daily Intake Of Nutrients
4. Vitamins
5. Minerals
6. Planning A Balanced Diet
7. Assessing Nutritional Status & Needs
8. Timing Of Meals & Needs For Special Groups
   

Module 3.      Nutrition III

This course is divided into eight lessons as follows:

1. Problems With Eating
2. Dental Problems
3. Fibre and Bowel Diseases
4. Different Ways of Eating
5. Food Toxicity A
6. Food Toxicity B
7. Detoxification/Body Cleansing
8. Consulting/Giving Advice

4.      Children's Nutrition

There are 10 lessons in this module as follows:

1. Introduction to Child Nutrition
2. Nutrition for Pre-Pregnancy
3. Nutrition in Pregnancy
4. Nutrition in Infants
5. Nutrition in Childhood
6. Nutritional Concerns
7. Healthy Eating Behaviours
8. Issues in Child Nutrition
9. Childhood Obesity
10. Diet Plans

5.      Human Biology 1A

There are 6 lessons as follows:

1. Cells & Tissues -
   Explains the human body at a microscopic level, including the structure and function of cells, tissues and membranes.
2. The Skeleton -
   Examines features of the human skeletal system.
3. The Muscular System -
   Describes the human muscular system, in terms of structure and basic function.
4. The Nervous System –
   Looks at the human nervous system, in terms of structure and basic functions.
5. Digestion & Excretion -
   Explains different physiological systems of digestion and excretion in the body.
6. Physiological Systems –
   Focuses on the different physiological systems of the body.

6.      Human Biology II

There are 8 lessons as follows:

1. How Nerves Work -
   how nerves cause reactions in the human body.
2. Nerves & Motor Skills -
   how the nervous system affects motor skill performance
3. Skeletal Muscle -
   function and structure of skeletal muscle in the human body
4. Muscle Organisation -
   organisation of muscle tissue in the human body
5. Muscular Movement -
   mechanics of muscular movement
6. Muscular Development -
   development of muscular strength and muscular endurance.
7. Muscle Flexibility -
   selecting muscular flexibility exercises
8. Muscles & Posture -
   significance of muscles to posture and general well being.

7.      Human Biology III

There are 7 lessons as follows:

1. The Science of Blood
2. Blood Pressure
3. Pulmonary Ventilation
4. Gas Exchange & Transport
5. Blood Flow & Gas Transport
6. Cardio Respiratory Control
7. Cardio Respiratory Disease

8.      Research Project I

There are 7 lessons as follows:

1. Determining Research Needs
2. Searching For Information
3. Research Methods
4. Using Statistics
5. Conducting Statistical Research
6. Research Reports
7. Reporting On A Research Project.

9.      Research Project II

There are 6 lessons in this module as follows:

1. Identifying research issues
2. Acquisition of technical information
3. Specialised research techniques
4. Research planning and designing
5. Statistics
6. Conducting research

10.      Research Project III

There are five lessons in this module as follows:
1. Determining research priorities.
2. Planning research improvement
3. Testing the viability of alternative approaches
4. Conducting detailed research into commercial work procedures
5. Developing an improved approach to a workplace procedure

A major research project undertaken at the end of this course will involve at least half of the total duration.

11.      Biochemistry I (Animals)

There are 10 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction to biochemistry
2. Lipids and proteins
3. Enzymes and hormones
4. Nucleic acids
5. Thermo-regulation
6. Carbohydrate metabolism
7. Absorption
8. Acidity and alkalinity
9. Chemical analysis
10. Biochemical applications
    

12.      Sports Nutrition

There are 9 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction to Human and Sports Nutrition
2. Energy
3. Energy in the Athlete’s Body
4. The Training Diet
5. The Competition Diet
6. Fluids
7. The Athlete’s Body Composition
8. Weight Management
9. Training for Size and the Use of Sports Supplements

13.     Food and Beverage Management

This subject has 9 lessons as follows:

1. Human Nutrition in Food Service Industries - This covers all the major food groups and their importance in a nutritional diet. Also including factors in nutrition from compatibility and range of ingredients through to healthy cooking and eating methods.
2. Cooking - Includes various cooking methods for a variety of different foods, covering both palatability and digestibility through to the nutritional value in processing foods.
3. Kitchen & Food Management - Learn to maximise efficiency and service through proper management of kitchen facilities, including the handling of food storage and preparation, hygiene and ethics.
4. Planning A Menu - Covering menu planning for the needs of special groups in different situations, including children; adolescents; elderly people; expectant and nursing mothers; immigrants; vegetarians and other health related diets.
5. Alcoholic Beverages - Learn how to provide adequate variety and product knowledge in order to manage the provisions of alcoholic beverages appropriately for different situations.
6. Tea, Coffee and Non-Alcoholic Beverages - This lesson provides an understanding of non-alcoholic beverages available in the catering industry and how they should be made and served.
7. Scope & Nature Of Catering Services - Learn to understand the differences in appropriate management and catering for a variety of situations from pubs to a-la-carte.
8. Personnel Management -(waiting skills, staffing a restaurant, kitchen etc) This lesson covers the management of people in the food and restaurant industry, including training programs, job specifications, recruitment etc.
9. Management Of Catering Services - By consolidating the skills developed throughout this course you are given a comprehensive understanding of marketing through to food purchasing in order to effectively manage in the food and beverage industry.

14.     100 hours of industry meetings

15.      PLUS another module of the student’s choice such as Food Preparation, Counselling skills and Starting a small business, or business operations.

Common foods which some people have problems with mostly include proteins: wheat, sugar, chocolate, seafood, soy, eggs, dairy and peanuts. Chemicals in foods, such as preservatives and colourings, may also cause intolerance or allergic reactions. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an example of an allergen food chemical. Food intolerance and allergies may manifest with “mild” and often chronic symptoms, like poor digestion, belly bloating, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), sinus, asthma, headaches and migraines, woolly head, irritability, depression and behaviour changes. They can also manifest in more sudden and dramatic symptoms, like diarrhoea, nausea, or anaphylactic shock that can require hospitalization and if untreated, or not treated promptly can result in death. It is important to note that some allergies to foods can be so severe that separate cooking utensils and pots must be used – an example being nut allergies.

Food Intolerance

This is the most common reaction to food. It is an adverse reaction to a food or component of food that does not involve the immune system. In some cases it is due to the body not being able to properly digest a proportion of the food because it lacks the right enzyme, like in dairy intolerance. In this case, the result is usually diarrhoea or nausea because the person lacks the enzyme in the bowel that digests lactose, the sugar found in dairy products. Many people manifest only mild symptoms throughout their lives, without realizing or connecting those symptoms with the foods they consume. In the long term impaired digestion can lead to chronic malnutrition that end up showing as chronic conditions or contributing significantly to them.

Allergies

Allergies (food hypersensitivity) involve an adverse immune response to a food. Allergens found in food are often proteins, and can stimulate the body to produce antibodies specific to that food. If an individual who has inherited a specific food allergy is first exposed to that food, their immune system produces IgE (immunoglobulin) antibodies. The antibodies reside in white blood cells and mast cells in the body, particularly in the skin, the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract, i.e. the parts of the body that come into contact with the air and the food that we eat. These cells also contain substances such as histamine that are released when the antibodies once again come into contact with the food allergen.    

It is the histamine and the other chemicals that cause the allergic reaction resulting in such symptoms as swelling of the skin, itchiness, hives, and itchy eyes. The gastrointestinal tract may respond with vomiting, cramps, diarrhoea and nausea as attempts to remove the allergen. Symptoms in the respiratory tract may include runny nose, coughing, and sneezing. In severe cases anaphylactic shock and death may result.  This is essentially a situation where the body’s immune system goes completely overboard trying to save itself from the allergen and the side-effects of its efforts kill it instead.. 

Ninety percent of allergens found in food are proteins derived from milk, eggs, seafood, wheat, soy protein and nuts (particularly peanuts). Additives such as sulphites used as preservatives can also cause allergic reactions. It may be possible to self-diagnose and to avoid certain foods, though in more complex cases it may be necessary to consult a dietician, food allergist or physician to ensure that a proper diet is followed, avoiding deficiencies in protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.

TERMINOLOGY

Food has a language all of its own.

You must learn this language if you are to communicate in this field.

In some lessons you will be given several terms. These may or may not be new to you.