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Nutrition

Nutrition is one of the more important aspects of your health and well-being. It is often said, “That you are what you eat“. This can be both a good and bad thing.

A misconception of nutrition is that there isn’t a middle ground. But not everything that you’ve been told that is bad is actually bad but not everything good is good.

A healthy body and mind calls for action and knowledge about what we eat and what we do. Moderation is an important factor.

Exercise or lack there of can be the key to being healthy, often if Nutrition is involved.

Fads and Diets will always changed – it is important to understand the basics of nutrition.

Food provides the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy. Nutrients include: Protein, Vitamins, Fats, Carbohydrates, Minerals, Fiber, Water, and more.

Healthy eating is not hard. Some of the keys are:

1.)  Eat a variety of foods including: vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, and more
2.)  Eat lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, low-fat dairy, and more.
3.)  Limit intake of things such as: salt, sugar, alcohol, saturated fat, and trans fat in your diet
4.)  Drink lots and lots of water

Saturated fats are usually fats that come from animals. Look for trans fat on the labels of processed foods, margarines, and shortenings.

 

Below is a basic list of what you are eating and how it affects you:

 

1.) Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are compounds that are divided according to their structures (depending on the number of monomer (sugar) units they contain):

–  Monosaccharides
–  Disaccharides
–  Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates constitute a large part of foods such as pasta, breads, rice, noodles, and other grain based products.

Some vegetables such as: potatoes, beans, some fruits, yams, and other vegetables have some carbohydrate base. Fruit juices also have large amount of carbs and sugars.

Polysaccharides are often referred to as complex carbohydrates because they are typically long, multiple branched chains of sugar units.

It has been believed that simple carbohydrates (Monosaccharides and Disaccharides) are believed to be absorbed quickly, and therefore to raise blood-glucose levels more rapidly than complex carbohydrates. This, however, is not always accurate.

Many complex carbohydrates are digested at the same rate and simple carbohydrates.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that sugar should not represent more than 10% of total energy intake in a day.

2.) Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a molecule that is necessary and important in most humans, animals, plants and fungi

Classified and termed as a “sterol” which is a combination of a steroid and alcohol.

Is essential for life but in excess can lead to serious complications

Cholesterol in a human is produced in the liver

Can also be added to the Blood by ingestion from the diet, then it can be recycled and reabsorbed by the digestive system.

Is slightly water soluble

Elevated cholesterol leads to Hypercholesterolemia

3.) Fats

Fats is a group of compounds that are specifically referred to as insoluble in water.

They also can be called “lipids”, “oils” and others

May be found as solids or liquids at room temperature

Example of animal fats include:

–  Butter
–  Fish oil
–  Lard

Examples of plant fats include:

–  Sunflower
–  Peanuts
–  Coconuts
–  Vegetable oils
–  Sesame

Categories of fats

1.)  Saturated Fats
2.)  Unsaturated Fats

 

4.) Glycemic Index

Glycemic Index is a way to measure or compare probable reactions on blood sugars by carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are taken in by diet and are digested

Glucose is then taken up into the blood stream.

Some carbohydrates are rapidly digested while others occur more slowly.

The concept is based on first the digestion of a 50 grams of carbohydrate, then 2 hours must pass, then there is a response change in blood glucose.

5.) Lipids

Lipids are molecules that are considered fat-soluable or lipophilic. They help in the construction of cells and cell wall structures.

Other functions include helping in cell communication and energy storage.

Types:

–  Fats
–  Steroids
–  Cholesterol
–  Vitamins
–  Phospholipids
–  Monoglycerides
–  others

 

6.) Protein:

Protein is a large biochemical structure or compound that is made from amino acids – one or more.

Protein performs several functions including:

–  Catalyzing Metabolic Reactions
–  Building blocks of life
–  Maintaining good health
–  Replication of DNA
–  Regeneration or Cellular repair
–  Stimuli response
–  Transportation of molecules
–  And more

Proteins differ from each other depending on their amino acid chains.

This means that all proteins are not alike – some are better than others.

Nutritionally protein is consumed on a daily basis from a wide variety of foods.

 

7.) Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a large aspect of Nutrition and they mainly consists of animal fats and vegetable oils.

Chemically triglyceride is a “glycerol” that is esterified with the addition of 3 fatty acids.

The fatty acids that are attached are seen at different lengths of chains typically at lengths of 16, 18, or 20.

Fatty acids from nature are often even numbers

Bacteria can synthesis odd branch numbers

Metabolism

–  They are broken apart in the intestines
–  Broken into a “momoacylglycerol” and a “free fatty acid”
–  Lipolysis is term of breaking down a triglyceride
–  Enzymes from intestines help in the breakdown
–  Digestion then occurs
–  Are packaged along with cholesterol
–  Are transported throughout the body
–  Can be used for energy

 

8.) Vitamins

Vitamins are nutrients that should be considered as an organic compound that are required in growth, survival, and nutrition of the organism.

Often they are synthesized by the organism itself and are essential to metabolism.

When the organisms do not produce enough vitamins alone – the remaining vitamins must be obtained through diet.

The word “vitamin” is a very general term that does not encompass all compounds.

Certain foods therefore are much more rich in vitamins then others.

The health associated with vitamins has a long history.

Vitamins are classified by their biological and chemical activity, not their structure.

There are 13 name Vitamins:

–  Vitamin A
–  Vitamin B1
–  Vitamin B2
–  Vitamin B3
–  Vitamin B5
–  Vitamin B6
–  Vitamin B7
–  Vitamin B9  or look under Folic Acid
–  Vitamin B12
–  Vitamin C
–  Vitamin D
–  Vitamin E
–  Vitamin K

 

Nutrition related blogs and topics:

Check out the following blog article about nutrition:

Pregnancy and Nutrition

What are Vitamins?

Where is the Vitamin D?

What is More Essential: Carbohydrates or Proteins?

Can Kidney Stones be helped with Fruit Juices?