Glossary

an approach to identify priorities and classify them in terms of importance and immediacy

also referred to as AMDR; ranges for each of the macronutrients to help guide nutritious eating patterns

People who prefer to work under pressure and thus deliberately decide to procrastinate.

Any simple sugar added to foods and beverages during processing or preparation.

also referred to as AI; some nutrients have AI: the level assumed to ensure nutritional adequacy when enough evidence hasn’t been developed for an RDA

the tendency to surround yourself with and gravitate toward people who are more like you, sometimes unintentionally leaving others out

an eating disorder characterized by: extreme concern with body weight and shape, fear of gaining weight and losing control, self-starvation, excessive weight loss, feeling fat or overweight despite dramatic weight loss or low weight, and denial about the problem

recommended only for well-conditioned, high-level athletes because it involves quick, specific movements through a joint’s range of motion and even bouncing.

sometimes referred to as resting energy expenditure; the amount of energy needed just to keep your body functioning at rest

breathe, assess, slow down, investigate, chew, savor

characterized by recurring episodes of uncontrollable, impulsive, or continuous eating beyond the point of feeling full, generally followed by feelings of guilt, embarrassment, shame, or self-hatred

sometimes referred to as body ownership; characterized by respect, acceptance, and having positive opinions toward one's body, while at the same time resisting and rejecting appearance-related ideals portrayed in the media or promoted by societal influences

the relative proportion of fat to lean mass in the body

an individual’s negative subjective evaluation of their body or shape

also referred to as body dysmorphic disorder; a mental health diagnosis involving a persistent concern for and constant consideration about one or more perceived flaws about one’s appearance; often includes obsession about a specific body part or body parts and a fixation on hiding or fixing that aspect of their body

defined by their internal perceptions, thoughts, and evaluation of one’s own outward physical appearance; exists on a continuum from body appreciation to extreme body dissatisfaction

the ability to accept negative thoughts about their body without letting the thoughts derail valued behaviors or goals around wellbeing

calculated using a person’s weight and height; intended to communicate whether a person has a healthy amount of body fat; a popular measure used in medicine and public health because it is noninvasive, inexpensive, and simple to calculate, but has many limitations.

the act of comparing actual performance with desired performance

eating disorder characterized by: eating abnormally large amounts of food, feeling guilty, and purging

a unit of energy derived from food and beverages

a component of fitness and refers to the body’s ability to supply and use oxygen and involves the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

a sudden and uncontrollable muscle weakness during wakefulness, sometimes triggered by strong emotions or vigorous activity; often experienced by people with narcolepsy.

diseases which develop and continue over long periods of time; includes conditions like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and type 2 diabetes, and, though not contagious, have become a leading cause of death and disability.

refers to the cycle that lasts about a day and functions as an internal or biological clock; governed by the suprachiasmatic nucleus—or SCN.

dramatic, misleading, or over-promising headlines written to entice someone to click the link

Biased and inaccurate ways of thinking about the world or ourselves.

provide adequate amounts of all nine of the essential amino acids.

made up of starch, which consists of long, interconnected chains of sugar molecules—the part of complex carbohydrates that provides energy—and fiber.

the shortening of the muscle—lifting the weight

might include slow jogging, walking, or light cycling after a workout.

a hormone produced within the adrenal gland in low levels throughout each day and higher levels in response to stress. Like melatonin, cortisol also follows a circadian rhythm.

participating in multiple types of activities across and within each of the components of fitness; can contribute to progressive overload and performance

cellular hormones that help the immune system fight infections. The body creates cytokines during sleep, so being well-rested improves the body’s ability to prevent and fight illness.

occurs when the amount of water in the body drops too low to properly carry out all of its important metabolic functions

or DOMS—typically sets in six to eight hours after the workout and lasts 24-48 hours.

a chronic delay in a person’s circadian rhythm and is characterized by falling asleep much later—sometimes 2 or 3 am—and waking later in the day compared to typical sleep-wake times; cause or prevalence is unclear, though some research indicates it may be more common for adolescents and young adults (AASM, 2005).

non-diagnostic term describing the eating disorder behaviors of individuals with type 1 diabetes whereby they manipulate the amounts of insulin they take for the purposes of weight control

includes a range of concerning eating behaviors, many of which are shared with diagnosable eating disorders, but differ in terms of severity or frequency.

also known as isotonic exercises--are those resulting in a change in the length of the muscle; a biceps curl is a good example

similar to ballistic stretching as it involves movement through a joint’s range of motion, but slower and without the bouncing. Example: arm circles—holding both arms straight out from the body and moving them in wide circles to warm up the shoulder muscles.

a group of mental health disorders that describe an individual’s struggle with internal arguments about food and eating, and in most cases, altered perception of their bodies

describes our eating habits, including when, why, how much, and what we eat, and involves our relationship with food

the lengthening of the muscle—lowering the weight

The tendency to maintain the focus and effort toward goals, despite potential distractions.

refers to the amount of energy—in terms of calories—in given food relative to its weight or volume, and is typically measured in grams; high energy density = a lot of calories for a seemingly small amount of food.

nine essential amino acids are required by the body for many vitally important functions, but must be consumed because the body can’t produce them

fat necessary for normal body function

Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat, Water, Vitamins, Minerals

Information based on research results.

any type of physical activity, but is planned, structured, or intentional, and intended to improve or maintain physical fitness.

ongoing situations that can lead to increased stress and therefore, hinder motivation or action toward change (e.g. ongoing family circumstances, unhealthy or stressful relationships, etc)

a point at which fitness is no longer improving

specificity and progressive overload are often referred to collectively as the FITT principle: frequency, intensity, time, and type of activity.

refers to the ability to move joints through their full range of motion; flexibility is specific to each joint and impacted by genetics and individual joint structure, which aren’t really modifiable.

“exists whenever the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways is limited or uncertain” (Andersen, 1990, p. 1575).

having consistent and reliable “physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (Committee on World Food Security, 2012, p. 4).

neuromotor fitness focused on balance, coordination, gait, and agility

an appetite-stimulating hormone

an action triggered by a contextual cue

assessment of a person’s body and mind with regard to whether or not they are experiencing illness or disease; this can be done in a number of ways.

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion defines a health disparity as a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage.

A continuous elevation of blood pressure.

A feeling of inadequacy that persists despite evidence to the contrary.

diseases which spread from person to person or animal to human and are caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites and include illnesses like pneumonia or tuberculosis

the first phase of habit formation where one chooses a specific behavior and specific context on which to focus

does not dissolve in water; it adds bulk to the diet, helping people feel full, and adds bulk to the stool, helping food move through the intestines and thereby regulating bowel movements and preventing constipation.

eating for fuel when the body is hungry; eating whatever they choose—taking into consideration what they want and what their body needs; eating intentionally and mindfully; eating just enough to satisfy hunger; using the energy from the food they’ve consumed to adequately fuel their daily activities and lifestyle.

the hormone that helps transport glucose from the blood into cells so that it can be used for energy.

results when cells become less receptive to insulin and blood glucose levels remain high because the glucose can’t get into cells as efficiently.

aspects of our physical or mental condition that reduce our motivation or interrupt your plans (e.g. feeling tired from sleeping less than usual)

adding intervals of greater intensity by increasing to a faster pace or adding hills for cardiorespiratory endurance

broken down fats resulting from lack of sufficient carbohydrates interrupting normal fat metabolism; the body can use ketones for energy if it doesn’t have enough glucose available, but ketones are acidic.

consists of water, organs, teeth, bone, connective tissue, and muscle

second stage of habit-formation; the individual repeats the specific behavior in the specific context, either for a predetermined duration or until the behavior plateaus and persists with less effort

also known as mastery goals—involve developing a skill or increasing knowledge; draws attention away from the end result and instead focuses on becoming more proficient at the task or activity

an appetite-suppressing hormone

our hearts beat at a rate of about 50 to 90 beats per minute and we take between 12 and 20 breaths per minute

another name for fats

protein, carbohydrate, and fat; supply energy in the form of calories and therefore fuel our bodies.

maximum heart rate is estimated by subtracting your age from 220; heart rate can be used to measure exertion by comparing your heart rate to your maximum heart rate

primary hormone that causes sleepiness

water, vitamins, and minerals; do not provide energy in the form of calories, but are extremely important for our health and functioning

naturally occurring inorganic solids; only some of them are essential.

Any departure, subjective or objective, from a state of well-being. In public health and healthcare, morbidity typically encompasses disease, injury, and disability.

death; mortality rate means frequency of occurrence of death among a defined population during a specified time interval (e.g. females 50 to 59 years old)

Doing more than one thing at a time.

characterized by someone having obsessive thoughts or worries of being too small muscularly, even if they have large or developed muscles

refers to the ability to hold a given level of muscle tension for a period of time or repeat such a muscle contraction multiple times before reaching fatigue

refers to the amount of force that a muscle can produce with a single maximum effort

a neurological disorder associated with REM sleep dysfunction and involves blurred boundaries between sleep and wakefulness.

excess fat that is stored just below the skin and around the organs; amount depends on genetics, metabolism, sex, age, diet, and activity level

non-rapid eye movement - comprised of four distinct stages which make up 75-80% of total sleep time

refers to the number of nutrients a food provides in proportion to the number of calories it contains. Foods with high nutrient density have a high nutrient-per-calorie ratio; they are relatively high in healthful nutrients and low in calories.

an evolving branch of science regarding food and beverages, their nutrients and other components, and overall eating patterns in relation to the body’s needs for metabolism, maintenance, growth, reproduction, health, and repair.

another type of eating disorder characterized by an obsession with healthy or righteous eating

alternative diagnosis for someone who exhibits signs, but does not meet the full criteria for anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder

eating based on emotional or external cues—such as being stressed, bored, or fatigued, or because the food is available or others are eating, for example—regardless of whether or not physical hunger is present

People who procrastinate in the traditional sense of the word and are often paralyzed by their indecision to act.

The nutrition facts panel lists this value which is based upon a 2000-calorie-a-day diet. Your calorie needs may be higher or lower than this.

Having extremely high standards for one’s self or others and valuing excellence.

provide a measurable criteria by which a person can evaluate their performance; primarily focused on the outcome.

any movement which involves the skeletal muscles and requires energy.

a type of dynamic exercise designed to help develop explosive strength useful in sports; typically involve jumping and quick changes in direction.

Original sources of information on new research or developments and are generally considered to be the most credible, or trustworthy, sources of information; they include journal articles of original research, conference papers, dissertations, technical reports, patents and tabulated sets of data, such as health statistics.

any food that has been altered by a food manufacturer.

The avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished or that is deemed as necessary for a particular outcome.

increasing the frequency, intensity, and time of an activity; making the body work harder, longer, or more often over time

occurs when a lapse is set right and the desired behavior reinstated

also known as PNF stretching—involves contracting the muscle while holding a stretch for a targeted muscle. Example: stretching the hamstring muscle while laying on your back by pulling a straight leg up through the air and back as far as you can, holding the stretch for about ten seconds

any attribute, characteristic, or exposure of an individual which decreases or mitigates the likelihood of developing a disease or injury; includes having safe places to exercise, positive role models, a sense of belonging in the community, or a sense of individual purpose, etc.

includes vomiting; abuse of enemas, laxatives, diuretics, or insulin; excessive exercise; and fasting or restrictive eating.

based on specific outcome standards, but with more flexibility. The low end of a range goal is something the individual knows they can achieve and the high end is a reach.

also referred to as RDA; the amount of an essential nutrient sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements among nearly all healthy people

returning to old behavior following an initial setback

Rapid eye movement sleep - makes up the other 20-25% of sleep time (along with NREM); is considered the fifth stage in a sleep cycle.

rubber tubes or bands that allow for variable resistance depending on the type of band and the tension set by the individual.

sometimes referred to as basal metabolic rate; the amount of energy needed just to keep your body functioning at rest

an unpleasant sensation in the legs, such as a creepy-crawly feeling, pulling, deep itching, or other abnormal sensations known as paresthesias

eating according to rules about when, what, and how much to eat

any attribute, characteristic, or exposure of an individual which increases the likelihood of developing a disease or injury

the feeling of satisfaction and readiness to stop eating and is both physical and psychological.

generally solid at room temperature and found mainly in animal-based foods

sources which summarize or reorganize information reported by researchers in the primary literature and typically  provide an analysis, evaluation, or interpretation of the existing research or data.

waking activities that require very low energy expenditure where the typical position is sitting or lying

"People’s judgment of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performance. It is not concerned with the skills that one has, but with the judgments of what one can do with whatever skills one possesses." (Bandura, 1986, p. 391)

A reflection of a person's belief in their abilities to use a variety of strategies, resist distractions, and complete tasks.

Our ways of knowing when to initiate, maintain, or terminate actions around a goal.

a series of multiple repetitions of a strength exercise

also known as simple sugars—are short chains of just one or two sugar molecules. Simple carbohydrates do not contain fiber.

also referred to as sleep-disordered breathing—diagnostic criteria is that a person stops breathing for a period of at least 10 seconds at least five times per hour while sleeping

the difference between the amount of sleep a person should be getting and the amount they actually get; increases every time sleep is cut short and accumulates over time.

The ratio of how much time you actually sleep to how much time you spend in bed.

Often caused by naps over 30 minutes and is characterized by confusion, grogginess, and reduced ability to think.

The amount of time it takes to fall asleep.

Refers to how deeply you sleep during sleep sessions,
rested you feel after sleep, and
satisfied you are with your sleep overall.

SMART = specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and time-based; individuals specify what action or actions they will take, how often they will do the action(s), and until what date.

the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age

(SEM) a model which illustrates the multiple levels of factors influencing health behaviors, and includes individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy.

fiber that dissolves in water and forms a gel; it absorbs fat, cholesterol, and glucose from the intestinal tract, reducing their absorption into the bloodstream

refers to how the body adapts to a particular type of stress placed on it.

the third stage of habit formation; occurs when the behavior persists with minimal effort

hazy period when we are just falling asleep; very light sleep that can be easily disrupted; lasts between two to seven minutes; is the period when a sleeping person is most susceptible to disturbances, like noises.

comprises about half of an adult’s total sleep time. Heart rate and body temperature decrease but sleeper can still be roused quite easily; stage typically lasts for about 10 to 25 minutes and gets longer during later cycles in a sleep session.

Along with stage 4 NREM, sometimes collectively referred to as slow-wave sleep or deep sleep; stage 3 typically lasts about five minutes

along with stage 3 NREM, collectively referred to as slow-wave sleep or deep sleep. Stage 4 generally lasts about 20 to 40 minutes and is longest during earlier cycles in a sleep session. Stage 4 NREM sleep is the deepest sleep and when the body does most of its repair work. A person in this stage is not likely to be easily roused.

also known as isometric exercises, involve muscle contraction without a resulting change in muscle length or joint angle; make use of an immovable object like a wall to provide resistance or involve tightening a muscle while holding still (examples: holding a plank position or performing a wall-sit)

involves slowly stretching a muscle to the point of feeling a slight pull or mild discomfort, holding the stretch for 10-30 seconds, releasing and resting for 30-60 seconds, and repeating two to four times to an accumulation of 60 seconds per stretch, trying to stretch a bit further each time

or SCN—picks up cues of lightness and darkness from the retina at the back of the eyes, directing the body’s schedule for sleeping and eating, as well as producing certain hormones.

sources which have been distilled and condensed into a brief, easy-to-read format for the general public; includes fact sheets, encyclopedias, magazines, and news sources.

or UL—the maximum daily amount of many vitamins or minerals beyond which adverse effects are likely to occur.

a type of unsaturated fat that occurs in foods; associated with negative health effects.

a more immediate event that contribute to a setback; could be practical problems or barriers (e.g. staying up late because a friend visits) or affected by our physical or mental state (e.g. feeling self-conscious about cooking for a friend who isn’t supportive of new food choices)

generally liquid at room temperature and found primarily in fish and other seafood, nuts, seeds, and oils from seeds and vegetables; include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.

organic compounds that perform specific and important functions in the body

measures the maximum amount of oxygen a person utilizes through a mouthpiece worn during an intense exercise session; the more oxygen a person is able to use during exercise, the more energy they will have. Considered one of the most accurate assessments for determining cardiorespiratory fitness.

consists of lower-intensity movements that are similar to those involved in the upcoming cardio or resistance routine; should include a minimum of five minutes of activity to warm the muscles

the repeated loss and regain of body weight

includes both institutional and individual actions toward larger people and the reactions and feelings of those individuals who are devalued.

state of balance or alignment in body, mind, and spirit. In this state, individuals feel content, connected, energized, resilient, and safe

being in or working toward a state of good health

foods direct from nature or close to their natural state.

those in which all parts of the grain seed—the bran, germ, and endosperm—remain intact