Nutrition is defined as the provision, to cells and organisms, of materials necessary (in the from of food) to support life.
In real terms: Living things need to eat food! Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy
diet that includes all of the right vitamins, minerals proteins, anitoxidants and phytochemicals. Would you believe that you could
prevent cancer, heart disease and macular degeneration with the right food? You can! Here are the basics to get to know what to eat to prevent, and maybe even heal a dis-ease and help you live a longer, healthier life!
Basics of Nutrients:
There are 7 major classes of nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, fiber, protein, minerals, vitamins and water. The energy
offered from each gram of the "food" nutrients is as follows:
Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram
Proteins: 4 calories per gram
Fats: 9 calories per gram
Alcohol: 7 calories per gram
Fats: There are 2 different types of fat: essential and non-essential. Essential fatty acids include omega-3 and omega-6 and must be consumed through one's diet to maintain many functions throughout the body, including those for
cardiovascular health and proper hormone function, especially in women.
Sources of these fatty acids include: fish, flax seed oil,
soy beans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates fill numerous roles in nutrition in all living things such as the storage and transport of energy, aid in immune system
function, fertilization and body development.
Foods high in carbohydrates include bread, pasta, beans, potatoes, bran, rice and cereals. Although carbohydrates are the
most common food source of energy, they are not essential nutrients in humans. We can live without them, but our bodies
and brains function much more smoothly with the right types of carbohydrates in our daily diet.
Based on the effects on risk of heart disease and obesity, The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get between
40-65% of their dietary energy from carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates can be classified as Simple or Complex, where simple carbohydrates consist of simple sugars as candy and
sugary drinks, and Complex carbohydrates consist of fruits, dairy and whole grain products. You know, the healthy stuff!
An important note for diabetics is the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load of carbohydrates. Glycemic Index is a measure of how quickly food glucose is absorbed by the body while Glycemic Load is the measure of the amount of glucose in the food
that your body can absorb. A high glycemic index is crucial to maintain a consistant level of blood glucose, and can
help diabetics manage their blood glucose levels.
Fiber:
Fiber is a carbohydrate that humans cannot fully absorb to use for energy because we do not produce the required enzyme
to break it down. Fiber helps relieve constipation and diarrhea, and is thought to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Some soluble fibers produce a gel which slows the movement of food through the digestive tract, which might help to lessen insulin spikes, reduce the risk of diabetes, and makes you feel full longer.
Protein:
Protein is the basis of muscles, skin, hair and other body structures. They are composed of amino acids which the body
requires to produce new proteins and replace damaged ones. There are 2 types of proteins: Complete and Incomplete.
Complete Proteins: Contain all essential amino acids
Incomplete Proteins: Lack one or more essential amino acids, however, you can combine 2 incomplete proteins to
make them complete, such as rice and beans.
Good sources of protein are meats, tofu, eggs, soy products, dairy, grains and legumes.
There are many tools and resources that are used to determine your caloric requirements specifically designed to suit your personal needs based on your age, gender, level of activity and pregnancy. One of the best sites for this information is www.mypyramid.gov which can give you all of this nutrition information as well as calculate your body mass index and offer food and dietary suggestions.
Minerals also play a vital role in maintaining nutritional health. To learn about the benefits and sources of minerals in your diet
Minerals Information Page
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