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    Nutrition Basics

    The primary puropse of eating is to provide nutrients necessary for energy, growth, and mainenance of the body, and proper functioning of body organs. Food consists of:
    • Macronutirents - Carbohydrates, Protein and Fats.
      Functions: Growth, repair and mainenance and energy (calories).
      Energy requires calories - 40-50% from carbohydrates, Fat - only after 20-30 minutes of continuous activity does your body begin to rely more on fat than on carbohydraes.
    • Micronutirents - vitamins and minerals.
      Vitamins regulate chemical processes. Minerals assist with this, and pay a role in body maintenance as well, notably in the formation of new tissue, including bones, teeth and blood.
      The FDA publishes Recommended Daily Values (DV) and Daily Reference Intakes (DRI's)
    • Water - Water provides a fluid medium for all chemical reacctions, circulation of the blood, removal of waste, lubrication, and regulation of body temperature.
    In addition to all the benefits of food, our diets have been implicated in a variety of cronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity.

    Types of nutrients

    Carbohydrates 50-58%
    carbo = different form of simple sugars (Glucose, Fructose and galactose) linked by polymers
    Fiber - Nondigestible carbohydrate. Slows down entry of sugar into blood. - good
    Starchy - complex - bread, pasta, rice - not as good
    Non-starchy - legumes, salad, fruit Best
    Sugar - alcohol, sweets - bad
    Protein 25-12%
    Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are the foundation of all life.
    9 essential amino acids are required.
    lean best - eggs w/o yolks, white meat
    Fat 25-30% (9 cal. / gram)
    saturated - butter, cheese, egg yolks,
    trans-fatty acids (partially hydrogenated vegitable oils) - margarine, french fries - bad
    unsaturated - olive oil, nuts, avocados - good
    Food conversion in the body -
    Carbohydrates converted to simple sugars
    complex are converted faster than simple Too much sugar produces insulin which signals to body to store fat
    References:
    Nutritional Content of specific foods
    "Prescription for Nutritional Healing, The A-to-Z gGuide to Supplements", 2002, Phyllis Balch
    Nutrition - Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates

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last updated 20 Jan 2003