We need energy to survive and function properly. What we eat on a daily basis will be used as energy to keep our bodies running throughout the day. The food we eat consists of calories and the number of calories any human being needs depends on their age, height, weight, gender and how active they are on a daily basis. The equation is simple: if the number of calories we take in daily is greater than the calories we can expend, we will begin to gain weight and eventually become overweight.
In all these calories that we consume, we must ensure that it contains the right amount of vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy life. You hear a lot about Recommended Daily Allowances, which were basically set due to the fact that we don’t get enough of these nutrients to maintain a healthy body. There are a lot of nutrients out there, all of which fight disease in a slightly different way or a different nutrient for a different health problem. There are many vitamins and minerals out there, and because of our poor nutrition, supplement companies now supply us with daily multivitamins and a variety of vitamins and minerals to help supply our bodies with nutrients we no longer take in. Why is this, you ask? Well, let’s take a look at our daily diet and everything will become a little clearer.
Let’s do a quick breakdown of the calories we consume.
– Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories
– Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories
– Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories
– Alcohol: 1 gram = 7 calories
Now, as you can see, fat contains the most calories with 9. According to all dietary information, your diet should not exceed 30% fat intake per day. It is easily done with our diets. The problem is that the fat we consume does not come from healthy sources. We consume unhealthy saturated fats that tend to increase our blood cholesterol level. You will recognize saturated fats as solid at room temperature, with the exception of tropical oils. Stick to healthy polyunsaturated fats, which tend to lower blood cholesterol levels, and monounsaturated fats, which lower LDL cholesterol levels (the “bad” cholesterol).
Carbohydrates are our main source of energy and should make up the majority of our daily intake. They are divided into two categories. Sugar, which is found in fruits (sucrose, glucose, fructose, and pentose), milk (lactose), and then the sources we don’t want to get our sugars from, soda and candy. The second category is complex carbohydrates which include all whole grains, oatmeal, and of course flour, rice, corn, potatoes, and legumes.
Protein has fought a battle with good and evil. There were times when protein was called the bad nutrient and should be doomed not to be eaten at all. Fortunately we came to our senses and discovered that protein is very necessary, especially to help speed up the metabolic rate and prevent the body from eating itself. In other words, if our activity levels increase, the body will look for energy and generally turn to the muscles. The body then goes into a catabolic state where muscles are wasted and we just get more overweight. Still, protein should make up around 10 to 20% of our daily intake. It is very important to consume protein due to the regulation function of hormones and enzymes to support the growth and repair of body tissues. We should consume a wide variety of proteins such as meat, milk, cheese and eggs. They are full of essential amino acids that act as building blocks for our bodies.
This brings us to all the important vitamins and minerals. Why do we have to consume pills and powders that we buy off the shelf these days to get our daily recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals? Actually, for one simple reason, we no longer eat the right foods. Vitamins and minerals are necessary for the metabolic function of the body and are found in all natural foods that we eat or do not eat.
Let’s take a quick look at a grocery store. Where do you want to buy? Only two places really. In the island of fresh food and vegetables and in the butcher shop, where you will find fresh meat and fish. There you go, shopping done. Vitamins and minerals consumed. Healthy and energetic bodies will be with us for a long time. But we don’t do our grocery shopping this way and this is where we need to look a little closer at what vitamins and minerals are out there to make sure we get them.
Vitamins come in two varieties, fat-soluble and water-soluble. What is the difference? Fat soluble vitamins can be stored in the body for long periods of time, they are vitamins A, D, E and K, while water soluble vitamins will be excreted from the body quickly and need to be replaced more frequently. These include vitamin C and all of the B vitamins. The reason it’s so important to get vitamins is that our bodies don’t make them, we need to eat them.
Fat Soluble Vitamins:
Vitamin A:
– Better eyesight and night vision.
– Helps healthy skin
– Helps with natural growth.
– Found in:
Liver
orange fruits and vegetables
Dark green leafy vegetables
B vitamins:
– metabolic activity
– Production of red blood cells.
– Found in:
– whole grains
– Fish and shellfish
– Poultry
– Eggs
– Beans and Peas
– Green leafy vegetables
– Dairy products
Vitamin C:
– Help with healing.
– Helps the body resist infection.
– Found in:
– kiwi fruit
– Citric fruits
– Strawberries
– cabbage
– Broccoli
– Cantaloupe
– Tomatoes
Vitamin D:
– Strong bones and teeth
– Helps the body absorb calcium
– Found in:
– Liver
– Eggs
-Fish
– Milk
Vitamin E:
– Maintains body tissue.
– Protects the lungs
– Important in the formation of red blood cells.
– Found in:
– Egg yolks
– Nuts and seeds
– sardines
– Green leafy vegetables
– Wheat grains
Vitamin K:
– Helps blood coagulation.
– Found in:
– Broccoli
– Dairy products
– Green leafy vegetables
minerals
Again, to get the minerals necessary for your body to function at an optimal level, you need to eat specific foods because our bodies do not make minerals. According to the nutrition expert, we will obtain adequate amounts of minerals just by eating a balanced diet.
There are some who say that there are 16 essential minerals that are needed for your body to function properly.
There are two types of minerals, macro and trace. Our bodies need more macro minerals than trace minerals and these consist of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. Trace minerals are not as abundantly needed as macronutrients and these include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.
Calcium:
– Helps build strong bones
– Develop strong teeth
– Found in:
– Dairy products
– Green leafy vegetables
– Sardines with bones
Iron:
– Helps in the formation of hemoglobin
– Found in:
-Red meat
– You do not have
– Eggs
– Green leafy vegetables
– Dried fruit
– Beans
Potassium:
– Keeps the nervous system working properly
– Found in:
– Tomatoes
– bananas
– Broccoli
– Dried fruit
– Citric fruits
– Vegetables
Zinc:
– Helps build the immune system.
– Helps to heal wounds
– Helps with cell growth.
– Found in:
– Beef
-Lamb
– Pork
– Vegetables
Magnesium:
– Required to process ATP for bones
– Found in:
– Walnuts
– Cocoa
– soy beans
Many items are suggested to be essential, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Your best bet is to stop wondering if you’re getting all the nutrients you need in your body. Just start eating a wide variety of foods every day, along with getting the right balance of fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Prefer whole, unprocessed foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, poultry and fish, and low-fat dairy products.
Take a look at the food labels on the back of the package, better yet, buy foods that don’t have packaging, you know they are fresh and contain all the nutrients your body needs to have enough energy throughout the day!