Nutrients for Health

Carbohydrates:
 
     Carbohydrates are our energy food or what we call macronutrients. There are three other macronutrients in our diet in addition to carbohydrates, which are proteins, fat and alcohol. It is important to understand that a carbohydrate is not a food, but rather a very important component of food.
     Foods such as cereals, breads, pasta, rice, fruits and some vegetables (e.g. potato) are called "carbohydrates" but strictly speaking these are carbohydrate-rich foods.
Carbohydrates are the single most important source of energy in our diet. For a healthy heart, carbohydrates should make up about 55% of daily energy needs from food intake. Most carbohydrate-rich foods are also rich sources of vitamins (particularly B-vitamins and folate), minerals (including Iron and Zinc), as well as fibre and phytochemicals (other natural components of food found to be beneficial for health.)

Carbohydrates are a combination of the following:
  1.Starch - found in bread, cereal, pasta, grains, rice and starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn, and
  2.Sugars - including natural sugar (found in foods like fruit, milk, yoghurt, honey) and added sugars (found in foods like soft drinks, cake, confectionary, biscuits)
During digestion, sugars and starches are broken down into single carbohydrate units (including glucose, fructose, lactose, sucrose and maltose) to enable the body to absorb them. They are then all converted into glucose, which is used as energy by the body. Some types of carbohydrates are less digestible than others and cannot be broken down into glucose - these are classified as dietary fibre.
    Sugar, syrup, candy, honey, jams, jelly, molasses, and soft drinks contain simple carbohydrates and little if any nutrients.
    Fruits contain primarily simple carbohydrate but also valuable vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.
    Vegetables contain varying amounts of simple and complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water.
    Legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and soybeans contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein.
    Milk products contain simple carbohydrates along with protein, calcium and other nutrients.
    Grain products contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein. The amounts vary depending on the type of grain used and the amount of processing. Selecting whole grain options whenever possible is recommended.

Fibre:
 
   Fibre is the structural part of a plant which cannot be broken down by enzymes of digestion. Fibre is found in plant foods including fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, nuts and legumes (dried peas, beans and lentils). Animal foods and dairy products do not contain fibre.
   There are two main types of dietary fibre - soluble and insoluble fibre:
    Soluble Fibre may help to lower blood cholesterol levels when eaten as part of a well balanced low fat diet. Soluble fibre may also assist in controlling blood sugar levels and in the treatment of obesity. Foods rich in soluble fibre include oats, fruit and legumes.
    Insoluble Fibre assists in preventing constipation. Foods rich in this type of fibre include wheat based bread and cereals, legumes, lentils and pasta.

How to get more fibre:
 
    The following are a few ways to incorporate fibre into your everyday diet:
    1.Opt for wholegrain, wholemeal, dark rye or high fibre white breads. Wholegrains are the preferred choice to white,eg.wholemeal flour, brown rice or wholemeal pasta.
    2.Choose wholemeal or rye dry biscuits and wholegrain muffins.
    3.Choose wholemeal breakfast cereals including bran cereals, un-toasted muesli or rolled oats, such as porridge.
    4.Combine meat dishes with rice, beans, oatmeal and lentils.
    5.Eat all types of fruit and vegetables (fresh, dried, tinned) and where possible, also eat the skins, such as jacket potatoes.

Water:

    Next to oxygen, water is the human body's most important nutrient.Yet 75% of Australians are chronically dehydrated and fail to consume enough water for adequate hydration.
    Water is part of the body's cells, tissues, organs and also every process in the body. In fact, up to 60% of the human body is water. Water is important for the following body functions;
   -Regulating body temperature.
   -Removing waste from the body.
   -Carrying nutrients, oxygen and glucose to the cells to give the body energy.
   -Providing natural moisture to skin and other tissues.
   -Cushioning joints and helping to strengthen muscles.
   -Keeping stools softer.
      If you wait until you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated and may have lost ½-1 litre of water, so it is important to drink before you are thirsty.
So how much fluid is needed daily?
1.1500-2000 mils per day for adults (6-8 glasses of water)
2.1000-1500 mils per day for children (4-6 glasses of water)

Fats:

     There are three main types of fat found in food: saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. Our bodies need some fat from our diet and many fats also carry vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are beneficial for our health. Therefore, consuming small amounts of healthier fats can actually improve your overall health.
     However, excess intake of all types of fat leads to weight gain. If you are overweight, excess fat around your middle (termed ‘central obesity') can result in increased risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
 
Types of Fat in the Diet:

Saturated Fat:
    Saturated fat is solid at room temperature and found mostly in animal products (the exception being palm & coconut oils) such as fatty cuts of meat, chicken skin, and full-fat dairy products like butter, whole milk, cream, and cheese, and in tropical vegetable oils such as palm, palm kernel, and coconut oil. Saturated fat in the diet raises the level of LDL "bad" cholesterol in your blood. The higher the LDL cholesterol, the greater the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), by eventually causing a blockage in the arteries of your heart causing a heart attack or hardening of the blood vessels (atherosclerosis).

Monounsaturated Fat:
    This type of fat is liquid at room temperature and found in plant products such as olive, peanut, and canola oils as well as avocados and most nuts. Research has shown that these types of fats, when consumed in small amounts (and with a diet low in saturated fat), can actually lower your risk of heart disease. This is because it causes a reduction in bad cholesterol (LDL-Cholesterol) and an increase in good cholesterol (HDL-Cholesterol).

Polyunsaturated Fat:
    This kind of fat is made of important fats such as Omega-3 fats & Omega-6 fats. Foods high in polyunsaturated fats include vegetable oil, such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cotton seed oils and fish & seafood products. Research has also shown that these fats can lower our risk of heart disease. This is due to a reduced tendency of blood clotting, which is the cause of heart attacks (found in Omega-3 fats).
 
Trans Fats:
    This is a type of unsaturated fat that is created in the many processed foods such as biscuits, cakes, pies, margarine and take-away or fast food. This is one of the more dangerous fats because it increases your risk of heart disease by increasing the amount of bad cholesterol and decreasing the amount of good cholesterol in the blood.
 
Why is excess fat bad for your health:
    Fats have the highest kilojoule (or calorie) content of all foods (38Kj per gram, compared to carbohydrates that have 17Kj per gram and protein that has 19Kj per gram). It is also the least satiating of nutrients, meaning that it doesn't fill you up or leave you satisfied which can lead to over-consumption and weight gain.

A diet high in Total Fats can lead to:
  1.An increase in weight gain.
  2.Increased risk of Type II Diabetes or impaired glucose control.
  3.Increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
  4.Increased blood triglycerides (triglyceride is another "fat" in your blood, and high levels encourage LDL or "bad" cholesterol to build up in the blood)
  5.Increased bloodnpressure.
  6.Increased blood cholesterol.

   However fats shouldn't be completely avoided. Consuming small amounts of healthier fats can actually improve your health and reduce your risk of heart disease. Remember that the type of fat consumed and the amount of fat consumed are important factors.

Protein:
 
   Thousands of various substances in the body are made up of proteins. Aside from water, proteins form the major part of our muscles, organs and immune system, about 16% of body weight.
   Many foods contain protein, but the best sources are:
      1.Beef
      2.Poultry
      3.Fish
      4.Eggs
      5.Dairy products
      6.Nuts
      7.Seeds
      8.Legumes like black beans
 
      The body uses the protein eaten to make lots of specialised protein molecules that have specific jobs. For instance, the body uses proteins to make haemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen to every part of the body. Other proteins are used to build cardiac muscles, for example the heart. In fact, whether you're running or just watching TV, protein is doing important work like moving your legs, moving your lungs, and protecting you from disease.
      When you eat foods containing protein, the digestive juices in your stomach and intestine go to work breaking down the protein in food into basic units, called amino acids. The amino acids can then be stored and reused to make the proteins the body needs to maintain bones, blood and body organs.

Protein Content:
 
    You need approximately 1 gram of protein each day for every kilogram you weigh.
Looking at a food label to find out how many protein grams are in a serving is helpful, but if you're eating a balanced diet, you don't need to keep track of it. It's pretty easy to get enough protein in your diet.

Reference: http://www.healthonclick.com HealthOnclick