Balanced diet – a diet that contains all the different substances your body needs, in the right amounts to keep you healthy.
Bile – a yellow/green fluid made by the liver to help digest foods containing fat and cholesterol.
Bowel – another name for the intestine or gut, that runs from the stomach to the anus.
Diet – the range of food a person eats.
Calories – units of energy, sometimes written as kilocalories (kcal) or kilojoules (kj).
Carbohydrates – substances that give energy, such as starch (found in bread, rice and potatoes) and sugars (found in fruit, honey and jam).
Glucose – a simple sugar and main source of ‘quick’ energy for the body (it is the sole source of energy for the brain).
Glycogen – stored in the liver and the muscles, glycogen is the way that the body storescarbohydrates. It is easily changed back to glucose when the body needs energy fast.
Hepatic – anything relating to the liver.
Intestine – another name for the gut or bowel (see above).
Nutrient – something that must be eaten in the diet to provide energy or material for growth. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins are all nutrients.