Nutrients And Nutrition

There's a lot of talk about what's good to eat and how to eat healthy, getting the purest and best food in you system, etc. And it's a pretty healthy sign that instead of being the species that is devoting time to coming up with the latest junk food, we want to figure out the best health food.

Humankind has come a long way since the industrial revolution that was all about mass production and run of the mill products. TV dinners and the like were the result of this mass production which treated the human need for food as just another business opportunity. But now as the cost of health is soaring as well as the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart conditions increase, it's becoming a better choice for everyone to simply opt for the ‘prevention is better than cure' theory. Hence the attention is now towards both healthy food and a healthy lifestyle.

Scientifically speaking, the nutrients that all foods posses are divided into five categories; proteins, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals. And yes, fat is a nutrient, though it's often perceived as the enemy by most, and it till recently a lot of dieticians really did think fat was an evil. We'll get into the justification of fat in a moment, but first let's take a look at each nutrient individually.

1. Protein: proteins are the building blocks of nature. They are made of amino acids which are used by the body in the repair and construction of organs. Hence you need proteins to grow. Some of the best sources of proteins are meat and eggs. White meat is considered as a better source than red meat because it's better for the heart and doesn't harm blood pressure. For vegetarians, a good source of proteins can be soy protein and whey protein. Broccoli also has a good quantity of protein. Milk is also a good combination of all essential nutrients and is hence considered the ideal health drink. If you're trying to lose weight, then go skimmed. Any excess protein that you my eat will not cause you to gain weight, your body will simply expel the excess.

2. Carbohydrates: carbohydrates are the sweet stuff that food is made up of. Carbohydrates are found both in nature as well as processed food. Naturally occurring carbohydrates are complex and take more time for the body to digest. Still, if I were to rank the nutrients in order of earliest to break down first, carbs would top the list. The body uses carbs for instant energy but an excess amount of carbs can actually raise blood sugar and mess with insulin levels. Insulin is the hormone that helps in the breakdown of sugar in the body. The problem with cabrs in the human diet came when the carbs were refined. Refined, simple carbs are instantly digested, raise the insulin levels at a high pace, give a jolt of energy that's vey short lived and you end up having sugar cravings. For this reason doctors and dieticians advise you go for the natural carbs such as whole grains, whole wheat, brown rice, brown sugar, etc.

3. Fats: as mentioned earlier, fats have been the underdog of the nutrition world, and most of the former diet plans focused on cutting fats from the diet to lose weight. The fact is that there are healthy fats like omega fats which are used by the cells of the body for repair and growth. In this regard, you can see that fats are just as important as proteins. They are also harder to digest, so when you take some fat in your diet, you stay full longer. The problem arises when you pack greasy hamburger after greasy hamburger. Take fats from olive oil, avocado oil, etc.

4. Vitamins: your body needs vitamins in small quantities but it does need them to perform its routine functions such as metabolism and clotting of the blood. The best sources of vitamins are fresh fruits and vegetables.

5. Minerals: minerals like calcium, zinc, sodium etc are also needed by the body. They directly impact the strength of the skeleton and their deficiency can be dangerous. The best sources of minerals are green leafy vegetables. So time to become best friends with your salad bowl.

• John Palsson
• 29/11/2008, 4:59 PM
• 0 Comments