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NUTRITION |
| Definition: |
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Nutrition is the organic process by which an organism
assimilates and uses food and liquids for normal functioning,
growth and maintenance. It is also the study of the relationship
of food and drink to health and disease especially in
determining an optimal diet. |
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| Further details... |
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| Introduction: |
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The importance of good
nutrition is nothing new. Food alone is not the key to
a longer and healthier life. Good nutrition should be
part of an overall healthy lifestyle, which also includes
Physical activity not smoking or drinking alcohol excessively,
managing stress and limiting exposure to environmental
hazards. Though genes play a big part in your risk for
certain health problems but your diet, how and what you
eat is also influenced. Diet is the sum of food consumed
by the body. The chemicals that are used by the body
can be divided into two broad categories: macronutrients,
those substances that we need to eat regularly in fairly
large quantities, and micronutrients, those substances
that we need only in small amounts. Proper nutrition
for a human requires vitamins, minerals, proteins, and
fuel in the form of carbohydrates and fats. Excessive
reserves of adipose tissue or body fat results in imbalances
between the consumed fuels and expended energy. Changing
the dietary intake or going on a diet can change the
energy balance and increase or decrease the body fat
of a body.
The keys to good nutrition are balance, variety and
moderation. To stay healthy, your body needs the right
balance of carbohydrates, fats and protein --the three
main components of nutrition.
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| About Nutrition: |
Vitamins, Minerals and other
substances from other foods are also needed. No single
food has all the required components. So a variety of
food in moderation is essential. Moderation means eating
neither too much nor too little of any food or nutrient.
Too much food can result in excess weight and even too
much of certain nutrients, while eating too little can
lead to numerous nutrient deficiencies and low body mass.
Nutrition foods are the ones made with whole grains
such as wheat, rice, oats, barley and corn. A variety
of vegetables and legumes, beans, such as kidney beans
and soybeans, lentils and chickpeas, Fruits, including
fresh, dried and canned. Dairy foods preferably low
or reduced-fat varieties, such as milk, cheese, yogurt,
and calcium enriched soy alternatives. Here is a data
of the nutrition components and why they are useful
to us. There are 3 major classes of macronutrients that
are essential to living organisms: carbohydrates, fats
and proteins.
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| Carbohydrates: |
| Carbohydrates are the
main energy source or for the human body and are the most
readily converted energy source. Most medical experts
say that 60 percent of the calories you eat every day
should come from carbohydrates. Chemically, carbohydrates
are organic molecules in which carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
bond together. They are the simple and good source of
energy. Foods rich in carbohydrates are rice, maize, wheat
and legumes, other cereals, all types of potatoes, yams
and starchy roots, fruits and vegetables that also provide
important nutrients. Additional carbohydrate sources include
refined sugars, which do provide instant energy but unfortunately
don't offer the nutrients that the more complex sources
of carbohydrates do. |
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| Fat |
| Fat is an essential
nutrient that provides a very concentrated source of energy.
However one should be careful while eating fat foods and
they should be eaten sparingly as too much can lead to
weight gain, heart disease and some cancers. Foods rich
in fats are oils, some meat and meat products, lard, butter,
ghee and some other milk products, margarine, some types
of fish, nuts and soybeans.
Men should aim to eat around 40-60g of fat per day,
women and children about 30-50g per day and very active
teenagers and adults should consume 70g per day.
Poly and monounsaturated ('Good') fats can help reduce
cholesterol. They are found in sunflower, olive, canola
oils and margarines as well as many nuts, seeds and
soy foods.
Saturated and trans ('Bad') fats can raise cholesterol
levels and therefore increase your risk of heart disease.
Saturated fats are present in many foods and are generally
found in higher amounts in animal-based products and
commercially baked products. Trans fats can be found
in margarine and baked goods such as biscuits and pastries.
It is best to eat less of food that's high in saturated
fats and trans fats, or to select lean or low-fat alternatives.
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| Protein |
Every cell and tissue
in the body contains protein. Protein is important for
growth of body cells and makes up virtually every part
of the body. It is in the muscles, bones, hair, nails
and skin, accounting for 20 percent of total body weight.
In addition, different proteins work as enzymes, hormones,
neurotransmitters, antibodies and specialized proteins
such as hemoglobin and others, constantly repairing body
tissues to keep it healthy. Proteins are made of amino
acids. There are 20 amino acids. The body cannot store
amino acids so it is constantly breaking down and remaking
proteins. Proteins in the diet must constantly fuel this
'protein turnover' or recycling process. There will often
be excesses of some amino acids and of total protein.
The liver converts these to glucose, used to provide energy.
Protein can be found in dried peas, soy and baked beans,
peanut butter, nuts, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, lean
meat, poultry, fish and whole grains.
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| Calcium |
| Calcium is a mineral
important for the development of strong teeth and bones
and for healthy muscle and nerve function. Calcium is
found in dairy products such as milk and yogurt, sources
include milk, cheese, yogurt, goat's milk, fortified soya
milk, mineral water, ice cream, tinned fish, calcium-fortified
tofu, calcium-fortified juices and cereals; and broccoli,
green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds.
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