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Nutrition & Health
A varied and balanced diet will provide all the necessary vitamins.
Almost every body function, everything from normal growth and development to keeping the body in good shape requires vitamins. There are at least 13 vitamins that are essential for human health, and only tiny amounts of vitamins are needed, but a lack of any of the essential vitamins can cause a deficiency disease. The body uses some vitamins to convert food into energy, but vitamins themselves do not supply the body with energy. Vitamins are found in tiny amounts in plant and animal products. The human body only needs vitamins in small amounts called micronutrients.
Why is fiber important to nutrition?
One of the most important effects of fiber is to provide bulk to help the body get rid of waste products. There is no recommended dietary allowance for fiber. However, nutritionists generally recommend that an average healthy adult consume 15 to 30 grams a day. In the short term constipation is often the result of a diet lacking in fiber. The long term health effects may be more serious. Low-fiber diets, in combination with other dietary factors such as a high-fat or high-calorie intake, have been linked to obesity and high blood cholesterol.
Fiber absorbs many times its own weight in liquid, helping to keep feces soft and bulky and to prevent constipation. Soluble fibers also help control blood sugar levels, to change the way the body digests fats, and to lower blood cholesterol levels. Fiber makes a person feel full even though it does not contribute calories. Thus, fiber is also important in controlling weight. There is also some evidence that a high-fiber diet may lessen the risks of heart attack and adult diabetes.
There are a number of different sources of fiber with different health benefits. It is therefore important that fiber comes from a variety of foods, which also guards against other nutritional deficiencies. Fiber supplements do not promote improved dietary habits, and excessive use can result in malnutrition due to the malabsorption of certain nutrients especially iron and zinc.
Adding fiber to your diet may also include starting off your day with a fruit and high-fiber breakfast. Breakfast cereals hot or cold can be a high source of fiber. You can also enhance green salads with fiber-packed additions, such as raisins, nuts, shredded carrot, sunflower seeds and fresh apple slices.
You can increase your fiber intake by eating:
- The skin of potatoes, apples, and other fruits and vegetables.
- The outer leaves of lettuce and the fibrous parts of vegetables (e.g.., celery strings, seeds, etc.), which tend to be higher in fiber than the softer, inner parts.
- Vegetables that are raw or lightly processed and fruits.
- Whole-grain cereals, breads, and brown rice instead of products made from white or highly processed flours.
- Dried beans, peas, and other legumes.
- Seeds and nuts.
- dried fruits.
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Raw or lightly processed fruits and vegetables are the best form of dietary fiber.
Protein
What is protein?
Why is protein important to nutrition?
Why is protein important to nutrition?
The word protein comes from the Greek protos meaning "of prime importance", which indicates the importance of its role in nutrition. Protein is the body's basic building material and is essential to all metabolism. One gram of protein contains 4 calories (the same number found in sugar and complex carbohydrates), and excess protein in the diet is converted to fat and stored that way. Some of the good sources of protein include foods containing all 9 of the essential amino acids and can be found in meat, poultry, and fish, egg whites, milk, yogurt, and other dairy products. Nuts and grains that are consumed with lentils, beans, and other legumes with rice, wheat, and corn form complete protein. Excessive protein intake makes the kidneys work harder to clear the body of the harmful byproducts of protein metabolism. Many high-protein foods (meats, milk, cheese, and nuts are also high in fats. Thus, a diet high in animal protein is likely to also be high in fats and calories, and excesses of these components have been implicated in many diseases, including obesity and hardening of the arteries. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, tuna and herring, help prevent blood clots forming. You will get more benefit from eating the fish itself than from taking fish oil supplements.
Why is protein important to nutrition?
Why is protein important to nutrition?
Why is protein important to nutrition?
The body uses 20 amino acids, the building blocks of protein, in its metabolic activity. Nine of these amino acids have to be obtained from the diet, and are known as the essential amino acids. The other 11 can be manufactured by the body, and do not need to be consumed in the diet. Proteins from the diet are necessary for repair and maintenance of body tissue, growth and development, production of mother's milk, growth of hair and nails, and production of certain hormones and enzymes. They are also important components of the of the immune system, and they help transport nutrients in the blood. Muscles and other body tissue are composed largely of proteins, which constitute approximately 75 percent of the body's solid material. Low protein diets are recommended for people with kidney disorders, Parkinson's disease, and certain metabolic diseases in which the body cannot metabolize protein. Good sources of Vitamin C found in fruit and vegetables include citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi and sweet peppers. A good source of beta-carotene can be found in vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, spring greens, spinach, cabbage, red and orange sweet preppers, sweet potatoes and pumpkins. High fiber foods include beans, peas, whole grain cereals and whole wheat pasta.
How much protein do I need?
Why is protein important to nutrition?
How much protein do I need?
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is calculated in grams per kilogram of body weight. Adults need about 0.36 grams per kilogram, while pregnant women and nursing mothers require twice this amount. All the protein that is needed can be obtained from an ordinary diet that contains a variety of vegetables and grains and a small amount of animal products. For example, 3 ounces of roast beef contains about 25 grams of protein, which is half of the RDA for a 150 pound adult male. Even a strict vegetarian diet that avoids all animal products provides more than adequate protein to meet all human needs, if complimented with vegetable proteins from grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Other good sources of protein can be found in peanuts or peanut butter with wheat, corn, or other grains; for example, a peanut butter sandwich made with whole-grain bread. Soluble fiber, found in oat bran and most legumes, vegetables and fruit, reduces the level of harmful cholesterol in the blood. A good source of Vitamin E-rich foods include vegetable and nut oils, avocados, nuts and egg yolks. Smarter eating can also include, citrus fruits, papaya, mango, kiwifruit, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet peppers, (all colors), broccoli and fresh leafy greens.
Eating For Health
It may sound incredible, but eating the right kinds of food on a daily basis can actually help reduce your risk of developing certain terminal illnesses. Fresh fruits and vegetables supply antioxidants and can help to prevent certain diseases. Fiber pushes free radicals out of the body, and less saturated animal fat means a lower risk of developing certain diseases. Too much fatty food, such as red meat and dairy products, raises blood cholesterol levels, leading to an increased risk of heart disease.
Changing your dietary habits doesn't mean having to switch to bland and boring foods. Increasing the fiber in your diet by eating more fruits, cereals and vegetables lowers your cholesterol levels and protects against heart disease. You can reduce health risks further by simply replacing some of the fatty items in your diet with tasty, low-fat alternatives. As the old saying goes, "You are what you eat, and You eat what you are".
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Tips for success:
- pack pieces of fresh fruit and vegetables for a healthy snack.
- Microwave or lightly stir-fry vegetables to retain more vitamins.
- Eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables.
- Eat more high bran cereals, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole grain bread.
- Cut down on high fat/high sugar snacks
- Cut down on fatty foods and full fat dairy products.
Home meal services are especially important for those who can no longer prepare their own meals.