A healthy diet towards a slimmer and healthier you is always possible with a healthy dietary lifestyle change. Health does not deteriorate in a single day but it is the lifestyle habit that causes health problems. So, by selecting a balanced diet with all the essential nutrients such as carbohydrate, protein, fat, water, vitamins and minerals to meet our daily body needs, we can further prevent diseases.
Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel in our bodies. Glucose, the simple form of carbohyrate is essential for functioning of the brain, nervous system, muscles and various organs. If glucose is not completely utilized, it is turn into glycogen to be stored in the liver and muscles. It is important to include complex carbohydrates such as fruits, seeds, vegetables and whole grains into our diet to get the fullest of nutrients from it.
Protein is the esssential nutrient that every cell in the human body requires for growth and repair. Antibodies that protect us from disseases, enzymes for digestion and metabolism and harmones are all made of proteins. We get protein from meat sources, fish dairy and legumes. However, when selecting meat as a source of protein, choose lean meat to avoid eating extra calories from fat.
Fat is small amounts is essential to health. It is used for growth and development in children, production of sex hormones, formation and function of cell membranes, insulation, cushion against injury, transportation and absorption of nutrients. There are 2 types of fat which is saturated and unsaturatred fat in thier natural form. It is encourage eating unsaturated fats as it is found to lower LDL- cholesterol as saturated fats can raise blood cholesterol levels. Essential fatty acids such as omega 3 from certain fish sources have been found to have remarkable and preventive and curative properties.
Water is essenrial to virtually every bodily function including digestion, absorption, transportation of nutrients, elimination of body waste, regulation of body temperature andmany other chemical processes. Water is needed to build all body tissues and is the base of blood and fluid secretions such as tears, saliva, gastric juice, fluids that lubricate our organs and joints. A minimum of 2L should be consumed every single day.
Vitamins are classified to fat-soluble vitamins and water soluble vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins
include vitamin A, D, E, K whereas water soluble vitamin includes vitamin B and C. Different
vitamins has different roles to play in human body. For example lack of vitamin A leads to night blindness, lack of vitamin C leads to scurvy and a lack of vitamin K leads to excessive bleeding and easy brusing. This is the reason why we have to include an array of foods to out diets.
Minerals constitute about 4 percent of our body weight (mostly from bones) and it performs a variety of function such as to maintain good health, promote propwer netabolism and various other bodily functions. It is classifies to macrominerals and microminerals. Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium are classified as macronutrients because the body needs more and can store larger amounts. On contray, micronutrients requirements is lesser and can only be stored in extremely small amounts.
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