Know everything about your diet
Have you ever thought of what kind of diet are you following daily. What kind of substances are present in the food that we take daily. Then, this is the time to think!
It's not just exercise that keeps us fit but also the diet that we should follow. Balanced diet and regular exercise will keep one fit and healthy.
So, lets understand what is a balanced diet and how to maintain it to be fit and healthy.
A balanced diet should contain carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fibre. Each of these are essential for our body and they should go in proper proportions.
Carbohydrates: This is the major source of our energy. It mainly consists of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. They have a variety of sizes. The smallest carbohydrates are the simple sugars, which are made up of one or two sugar molecules. The best known simple sugar is table sugar, which is also known as sucrose, a disaccharide (made of two sugar molecules). Other simple sugars include the monosaccharides (made of one sugar molecule) like glucose and fructose, which are found in fruits, and the disaccharides, which include sucrose, lactose (found in milk), and maltose (in beer and malt liquors). The larger carbohydrates are made up of these smaller simple sugars and are known as polysaccharides (many sugar molecules) or complex carbohydrates. Usually they are made up of many linked glucose molecules, though, unlike simple sugars, they do not have a sweet taste. Examples include potatoes, beans, and vegetables.
The biggest group of energy providers are things like sugar, starches, cereals, porridge, oatmeal, cornflour, rice, fruit, bread, cake, potatoes, spaghetti, biscuits, etc.
Proteins: These provide source of materials for growth and repair. Proteins are composed of the elements carbon (C), oxygen (O), hydrogen (H), and nitrogen (n). They have a variety of uses in the body, including serving as a source of energy, as substrates (starter materials) for tissue growth and maintenance, and for certain biological functions, such as making structural proteins, transfer proteins, enzyme molecules, and hormone receptors. Proteins are also the major component in bone, muscle, and other tissues and fluids. When used for energy, protein supplies an average of 4 kcal/g. Proteins are formed by the linking of different combinations of the twenty common amino acids found in food. Of these, ten are essential in the synthesis of body proteins.
Protein may be found in a variety of food sources. Proteins from animal sources (meat, poultry, milk, fish) are considered to be of high biological value because they contain all of the essential amino acids. Proteins from plant sources (wheat, corn, rice, and beans) are considered to be of low biological value because an individual plant source does not contain all of the essential amino acids. Therefore, combinations of plant sources must be used to provide these nutrients.
Excess intake of protein is not considered to be harmful for the average healthy individual. However, when protein intake is inadequate, but total caloric intake is sufficient, a condition known as kwashiorkor may occur. Symptoms of kwashiorkor include an enlarged stomach, loss of hair and hair color, and an enlarged liver. Conversely, if protein and caloric intake are both inadequate, a condition known as marasmus occurs. Marasmus presents with a stoppage of growth, extreme muscle loss, and weakness.
Meats that are lean, cheese, eggs, dairy products (milk) and a little from bread, beans and peas – these are all sources of proteins for our diet.
Vitamins: These are required in very small quantities to keep you healthy. Vitamins are chemical compounds that are required for normal growth and metabolism. Some vitamins are essential for a number of metabolic reactions that result in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. There are thirteen vitamins, which may be divided into two groups: the four fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) and the nine water-soluble vitamins (the B vitamins and C). These two groups are dissimilar in many ways. First of all, cooking or heating destroys the water-soluble vitamins much more readily than the fat-soluble vitamins. On the other hand, fat-soluble vitamins are much less readily excreted from the body, compared to water-soluble vitamins, and can therefore accumulate to excessive, and possibly toxic, levels. This means, of course, that levels of water-soluble vitamins in the body can become depleted more quickly, leading to a vitamin deficiency if those nutrients are not replaced regularly. Deficiencies of vitamins may result from inadequate intake, as well as from factors unrelated to supply. For instance, vitamin K and biotin are both produced by bacteria that live within the intestines, and a person can become deficient if these bacteria are removed by antibiotics. Other factors that may result in a vitamin deficiency include disease, pregnancy, drug interactions, and newborn development (newborns lack the intestinal bacteria that create certain vitamins, such as biotin and vitamin K).
Minerals: These are required for healthy teeth, bones, muscles etc. Minerals are different from the other nutrients discussed thus far, in that they are inorganic compounds (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins are all organic compounds). The fundamental structure of minerals is usually nothing more than a molecule, or molecules, of an element. The functions of minerals do not include participation in the yielding of energy. But they do play vital roles in several physiological functions, including critical involvement in nervous system functioning, in cellular reactions, in water balance in the body, and in structural systems, such as the skeletal system.
As minerals have a very simple structure of usually one or more molecules of an element, they are not readily destroyed in the heating or cooking process of food preparation. However, they can leak out of the food substance that contains them and seep into the water or liquid the food is being cooked in. This may result in a decreased level of minerals being consumed if the liquid is discarded.
There are many minerals found within the human body, but of the sixteen (or possibly more) essential minerals, the amount required on a daily basis varies enormously. This is why minerals are subdivided into two classes: macrominerals and microminerals. Macrominerals include those that are needed in high quantities, ranging from milligrams to grams. Calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium are macrominerals. Microminerals are those necessary in smaller quantities, generally between a microgram and a milligram. Examples of microminerals include copper, chromium, and selenium.
Minerals are things like Zinc, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, etc. They are all minerals found in the world around us – not surprising that we need them for all the chemical processes that go on inside us!
We get Iron from some green vegetables, liver, and a lots of other sources. It is best eaten from different foods -some don’t let us absorb it quite so easily by just eating those foods.
Fats: Lipids, which consist of fats and oils, are high-energy yielding molecules composed mostly of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) (though lipids have a smaller number of oxygen molecules than carbohydrates have). This small number of oxygen molecules makes lipids insoluble in water, but soluble in certain organic solvents. The basic structure of lipids is a glycerol molecule consisting of three carbons, each attached to a fatty-acid chain. Collectively, this structure is known as a triglyceride, or sometimes it is called a triacylglycerol. Triglycerides are the major form of energy storage in the body (whereas carbohydrates are the body's major energy source), and are also the major form of fat in foods. The energy contained in a gram of lipids is more than twice the amount in carbohydrates and protein, with an average of 9 kcal/g.
Lipids can be broken down into two types, saturated and unsaturated, based on the chemical structure of their longest, and therefore dominant, fatty acid. Whether a lipid is solid or liquid at room temperature largely depends on its property of being saturated or unsaturated. Lipids from plant sources are largely unsaturated, and therefore liquid at room temperature. Lipids that are derived from animals contain a higher amount of saturated fats, and they are therefore solid at room temperature. An exception to this rule is fish, which, for the most part, contain unsaturated fat. The important difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids is that saturated fatty acids are the most important factor that can increase a person's cholesterol level. An increased cholesterol level may eventually result in the clogging of blood arteries and, ultimately, heart disease.
Not all fatty acids are considered harmful. In fact, certain unsaturated fatty acids are considered essential nutrients. Like the essential amino acids, these fatty acids are essential to a person's diet because the body cannot produce them. They serve many important functions in the body, including regulating blood pressure and helping to synthesize and repair vital cell parts. Lipids are also required for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and they are generally thought to increase the taste and flavor of foods and to give an individual a feeling of fullness.
Fibre: This is required to help your intestines function correctly; it is not digested. The main function of fibre is to keep the digestive system healthy and functioning properly. Fibre aids and speeds up the excretion of waste and toxins from the body, preventing them from sitting in the intestine or bowel for too long, which could cause a build-up and lead to several diseases.
Fibre passes through the body virtually unchanged along with other digested food until it arrives at the large intestine. What happens next depends on which type of fibre is present. They are of two types soluble and insoluble.
Sources of soluble fibre
Soluble fibre-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, lentils, peas, beans, oats, barley, oatmeal, potatoes, dried fruit, soya milk and soya products.
Foods that are low in fibre
Eating a diet that does not contain enough fibre can lead to bowel irregularities and stomach discomforts. Foods that do not contain any or contain very little fibre include refined cereals and white bread, meat and animal products, dairy produce and fast foods.
So, maintain a balanced diet and be healthy.
It's not just exercise that keeps us fit but also the diet that we should follow. Balanced diet and regular exercise will keep one fit and healthy.
So, lets understand what is a balanced diet and how to maintain it to be fit and healthy.
A balanced diet should contain carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fibre. Each of these are essential for our body and they should go in proper proportions.
Carbohydrates: This is the major source of our energy. It mainly consists of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. They have a variety of sizes. The smallest carbohydrates are the simple sugars, which are made up of one or two sugar molecules. The best known simple sugar is table sugar, which is also known as sucrose, a disaccharide (made of two sugar molecules). Other simple sugars include the monosaccharides (made of one sugar molecule) like glucose and fructose, which are found in fruits, and the disaccharides, which include sucrose, lactose (found in milk), and maltose (in beer and malt liquors). The larger carbohydrates are made up of these smaller simple sugars and are known as polysaccharides (many sugar molecules) or complex carbohydrates. Usually they are made up of many linked glucose molecules, though, unlike simple sugars, they do not have a sweet taste. Examples include potatoes, beans, and vegetables.
The biggest group of energy providers are things like sugar, starches, cereals, porridge, oatmeal, cornflour, rice, fruit, bread, cake, potatoes, spaghetti, biscuits, etc.
Proteins: These provide source of materials for growth and repair. Proteins are composed of the elements carbon (C), oxygen (O), hydrogen (H), and nitrogen (n). They have a variety of uses in the body, including serving as a source of energy, as substrates (starter materials) for tissue growth and maintenance, and for certain biological functions, such as making structural proteins, transfer proteins, enzyme molecules, and hormone receptors. Proteins are also the major component in bone, muscle, and other tissues and fluids. When used for energy, protein supplies an average of 4 kcal/g. Proteins are formed by the linking of different combinations of the twenty common amino acids found in food. Of these, ten are essential in the synthesis of body proteins.
Protein may be found in a variety of food sources. Proteins from animal sources (meat, poultry, milk, fish) are considered to be of high biological value because they contain all of the essential amino acids. Proteins from plant sources (wheat, corn, rice, and beans) are considered to be of low biological value because an individual plant source does not contain all of the essential amino acids. Therefore, combinations of plant sources must be used to provide these nutrients.
Excess intake of protein is not considered to be harmful for the average healthy individual. However, when protein intake is inadequate, but total caloric intake is sufficient, a condition known as kwashiorkor may occur. Symptoms of kwashiorkor include an enlarged stomach, loss of hair and hair color, and an enlarged liver. Conversely, if protein and caloric intake are both inadequate, a condition known as marasmus occurs. Marasmus presents with a stoppage of growth, extreme muscle loss, and weakness.
Meats that are lean, cheese, eggs, dairy products (milk) and a little from bread, beans and peas – these are all sources of proteins for our diet.
Vitamins: These are required in very small quantities to keep you healthy. Vitamins are chemical compounds that are required for normal growth and metabolism. Some vitamins are essential for a number of metabolic reactions that result in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. There are thirteen vitamins, which may be divided into two groups: the four fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) and the nine water-soluble vitamins (the B vitamins and C). These two groups are dissimilar in many ways. First of all, cooking or heating destroys the water-soluble vitamins much more readily than the fat-soluble vitamins. On the other hand, fat-soluble vitamins are much less readily excreted from the body, compared to water-soluble vitamins, and can therefore accumulate to excessive, and possibly toxic, levels. This means, of course, that levels of water-soluble vitamins in the body can become depleted more quickly, leading to a vitamin deficiency if those nutrients are not replaced regularly. Deficiencies of vitamins may result from inadequate intake, as well as from factors unrelated to supply. For instance, vitamin K and biotin are both produced by bacteria that live within the intestines, and a person can become deficient if these bacteria are removed by antibiotics. Other factors that may result in a vitamin deficiency include disease, pregnancy, drug interactions, and newborn development (newborns lack the intestinal bacteria that create certain vitamins, such as biotin and vitamin K).
Minerals: These are required for healthy teeth, bones, muscles etc. Minerals are different from the other nutrients discussed thus far, in that they are inorganic compounds (carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and vitamins are all organic compounds). The fundamental structure of minerals is usually nothing more than a molecule, or molecules, of an element. The functions of minerals do not include participation in the yielding of energy. But they do play vital roles in several physiological functions, including critical involvement in nervous system functioning, in cellular reactions, in water balance in the body, and in structural systems, such as the skeletal system.
As minerals have a very simple structure of usually one or more molecules of an element, they are not readily destroyed in the heating or cooking process of food preparation. However, they can leak out of the food substance that contains them and seep into the water or liquid the food is being cooked in. This may result in a decreased level of minerals being consumed if the liquid is discarded.
There are many minerals found within the human body, but of the sixteen (or possibly more) essential minerals, the amount required on a daily basis varies enormously. This is why minerals are subdivided into two classes: macrominerals and microminerals. Macrominerals include those that are needed in high quantities, ranging from milligrams to grams. Calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium are macrominerals. Microminerals are those necessary in smaller quantities, generally between a microgram and a milligram. Examples of microminerals include copper, chromium, and selenium.
Minerals are things like Zinc, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, etc. They are all minerals found in the world around us – not surprising that we need them for all the chemical processes that go on inside us!
We get Iron from some green vegetables, liver, and a lots of other sources. It is best eaten from different foods -some don’t let us absorb it quite so easily by just eating those foods.
Fats: Lipids, which consist of fats and oils, are high-energy yielding molecules composed mostly of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) (though lipids have a smaller number of oxygen molecules than carbohydrates have). This small number of oxygen molecules makes lipids insoluble in water, but soluble in certain organic solvents. The basic structure of lipids is a glycerol molecule consisting of three carbons, each attached to a fatty-acid chain. Collectively, this structure is known as a triglyceride, or sometimes it is called a triacylglycerol. Triglycerides are the major form of energy storage in the body (whereas carbohydrates are the body's major energy source), and are also the major form of fat in foods. The energy contained in a gram of lipids is more than twice the amount in carbohydrates and protein, with an average of 9 kcal/g.
Lipids can be broken down into two types, saturated and unsaturated, based on the chemical structure of their longest, and therefore dominant, fatty acid. Whether a lipid is solid or liquid at room temperature largely depends on its property of being saturated or unsaturated. Lipids from plant sources are largely unsaturated, and therefore liquid at room temperature. Lipids that are derived from animals contain a higher amount of saturated fats, and they are therefore solid at room temperature. An exception to this rule is fish, which, for the most part, contain unsaturated fat. The important difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids is that saturated fatty acids are the most important factor that can increase a person's cholesterol level. An increased cholesterol level may eventually result in the clogging of blood arteries and, ultimately, heart disease.
Not all fatty acids are considered harmful. In fact, certain unsaturated fatty acids are considered essential nutrients. Like the essential amino acids, these fatty acids are essential to a person's diet because the body cannot produce them. They serve many important functions in the body, including regulating blood pressure and helping to synthesize and repair vital cell parts. Lipids are also required for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and they are generally thought to increase the taste and flavor of foods and to give an individual a feeling of fullness.
Fibre: This is required to help your intestines function correctly; it is not digested. The main function of fibre is to keep the digestive system healthy and functioning properly. Fibre aids and speeds up the excretion of waste and toxins from the body, preventing them from sitting in the intestine or bowel for too long, which could cause a build-up and lead to several diseases.
Fibre passes through the body virtually unchanged along with other digested food until it arrives at the large intestine. What happens next depends on which type of fibre is present. They are of two types soluble and insoluble.
Sources of soluble fibre
Soluble fibre-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, lentils, peas, beans, oats, barley, oatmeal, potatoes, dried fruit, soya milk and soya products.
Foods that are low in fibre
Eating a diet that does not contain enough fibre can lead to bowel irregularities and stomach discomforts. Foods that do not contain any or contain very little fibre include refined cereals and white bread, meat and animal products, dairy produce and fast foods.
So, maintain a balanced diet and be healthy.
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2 comments:
i a so glad my posts have been helping you! thats why i write them . Plus you have a really nice blog and lots of great information
goodluck
Thank you very much maya...
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