Nutrition and Food Groups

Nutrition and Food Groups

Carefully planned nutrition must provide an energy balance and a nutrient balance. A good nutritionally sound diet is central to overall good health and will provide all the nutrients and minerals the body needs. The key to a healthy balanced diet and good nutrition is not to ban or omit any foods or food groups but to balance what you eat by consuming a variety of foods from each food group in the right proportions for good health. Good nutrition means choosing the correct foods, eg. Slow releasing carbs over simple carbs, along with a lean protein as a meal, you will be fuller for longer, so less likely to head to the biscuit tin!

I follow the 90/10 rule, 90% of the time I make the correct nutrition choices, and 10% I’m allowed a treat. Remember 80% of your results will come from nutrition, so make sure you are eating correctly. You can’t out train a bad diet! You can find out how many calories you need to be eating for weight loss by using a calorie calculator.

The 3 energy sources are:

Proteins – essential to growth and repair of muscle and other body tissues

Carbohydrates – our main source of energy

Fats – one source of energy and important in relation to fat soluble vitamins

To have a healthy balanced diet you will also need to get enough vitamins and minerals from your diet or take a supplement. You will need to consume at least 2 litres of water per day, and make sure you’re getting enough fibre too!

Protein

Other than water, protein is the most abundant nutrient in the body. Protein is a chain of linked units called amino acids. The protein you eat is split apart into these amino acids, absorbed in the small intestines, then rearranged and put back in the blood stream. These new arranged proteins carry out specific functions to maintain life. All living tissues are made up of twenty-two essential and nonessential amino acids. Essential amino acids are not made by the body and must be supplied through diet. There are nine essential amino acids: Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine. The remaining thirteen are nonessential amino acids produced in the body and not essential to consume through the diet.

Some good lean protein sources would be lean turkey, lean chicken, tuna and salmon. If you’re stuck for time or are often in a rush, keep a protein shake handy!

Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates include bread, pasta and cereals. They are digested at a slower rate than simple carbohydrates. This slower digestion offers a more continual and stable flow of energy. Simple carbohydrates deliver the same amount of energy, four calories per gram, but at a far more rapid pace. Therefore, simple carbohydrates provide an immediate boost in blood sugar. But the boost comes with a price — it wears off quickly and more is needed to sustain blood sugar levels. Sugar and Carbohydrates are broken down into smaller versions called glucose. All cells in the human body depend on glucose. This makes carbohydrates the body’s number one energy source. The brain and nervous system run directly off glucose. The human body will convert protein to glucose without enough carbohydrates in the diet. Carbohydrates spare other nutrients (protein), and allow these nutrients to carry out their intended functions.

The bulk of your carbohydrate choices should be complex carbs, while most of your simple carbohydrates should come from fruits and milk or yogurt. That way you’ll get a steady release of energy, and the maximum quantity of essential vitamins and minerals.

Some good carbohydrate choices would be: Apple, really low fat yogurt, wholemeal pasta, quinoa,

Fats

Saturated fats remain solid at room temperature, are found in animal sources, coconut, palm oil and in excess are linked to heart disease. Unsaturated fat are found in oils and plants. These unsaturated fats stay in the form of a liquid at room temperature. These fats found in oils and plants make up the essential fat you body needs through diet called linolaic acid. Linoleic acid cannot be manufactured by the body, thus, it is an essential fatty acid that must be supplied through the diet. Fat accomplishes many things: It gives us energy for activities, providing nine calories per gram, surrounds and protects vital organs, takes part in cellular function and structure, gives a longer lasting feeling of satiety, regulates hormonal production, balances body temperatures, and transport fat soluble vitamins.

Some good fat choices would be olive oil, seeds like pumpkin seeds, and avocados.

For ideas on foods you should be consuming for good nutrition read the post Top 10 Food Choices for Healthy Eating