|
|
|
|
The Well-Rounded Diet
|
|
|
|
|
With over 10,000 or more food choices today, it is hard to choose between nutritious food and junk food. If you let your likes and tastes alone tell you what to eat every day, your nutrition needs may not be met. You can eat a lot of food and still be poorly nourished. Nutrients - are the substances in food that provide energy, build new cells, and maintain the body process, which aids in growth and development. Eating a lot of just one food may not provide the right nutrients your body needs. The "Basic Food Groups" are only a guide to help you tell if you are getting proper nutrients for good health. You can easily plan for good nutrient intake by remembering to eat food from the basic food groups during each meal. |
What Each Nutrient Will Do For You ?
|
Needed for the never-ending building and replacements of all the cells in your body. When you eat a deluxe cheeseburger and drink milk, you are taking in proteins of other animals and plants. Inside your small intestine, the large protein molecules are broken into shorter parts called amino acids. Like tiny building blocks, the amino acids are joined together to form specific proteins that your body needs. The proteins in your body are made up of about 23 amino acids. Your body can most of these amino acids from proteins you digest. However, nine of the amino acids cannot be manufactured. These amino acids, called essential amino acids, must be in the foods you eat. The Meat group and the Milk Group are the best providers of such proteins. Proteins from the Fruit-Vegetable group do not have as many amino acids. Carbohydrates Starches and sugars are carbohydrates. There are plenty of carbohydrates in foods of the Bread-Cereal Group. They can also be found in fruits, vegetables, milk, ice cream, and potatoes. Carbohydrates are a fast source of energy. This energy is needed by the body, especially by the muscles and the brain. If you eat more carbohydrates then your body needs, the excess is stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen (stored sugar). If you eat more than could be stored, the excess is changed to fat and stored in fat cells. Overeating, not carbohydrates is what causes people to gain weight. Fats Found in many foods, such as milk, nuts, meat, oil, eggs, chocolate, margarine, olives, avocados, and butter. Many believe that fats are bad, so they avoid them. Large amounts of fats (30% of your daily calories) can cause certain problems. But your body needs fats for several reasons. Fats are stored as a reserve source of energy. Gram for gram, fats supply more energy than any other nutrients. fats also add flavor to many foods and help the body to absorb vitamins. |
Minerals Are Needed In Small But Steady Supply
|
This is the mineral in hemoglobin that attracts oxygen. Without it in your diet your muscles cannot contract properly and you get tired. This is known as iron-deficiency anemia. Good sources of iron are organ meats, beans, shellfish, spinach, nuts, eggs and enriched breads. |
|
These minerals are very important for strong bones and teeth. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and milk are high in phosphorus. Calcium also helps blood to clot, muscles to contract, and nerves to send messages. Good sources of calcium include milk, dark green leafy vegetables, hard cheese, beans, eggs and nuts. |
|
This prevents tooth decay. drinking water that has fluoride salts in it is the best source. |
|
This is needed for proper working of the thyroid gland. The body's need for iodine can be met by using iodized table salt. |
|
This is not true. Unneeded amounts of Vitamins B and C are removed from the body as waste. Overdoses of Vitamins A,D,E, and K may be harmful to you. Do you know how much vitamin intake your body needs, and which foods provide them ? CLICK HERE ~ Vitamins ~ continued |
The New Food Pyramid
