Nutrition is the nourishment your body cells receive for its survival, growth and maintenance. You get this nourishment from the food that you eat. Food plays a very important role in preventing diseases and also in managing diseases effectively. So, stop from merely satisfying your taste buds and learn more about how you can make the most from your food.
Understanding calories
A calorie is simply a unit to measure energy.
The food that you eat supplies your body with energy to carry out all the body functions. Even when you are resting or sleeping, organs like your heart and brain function non-stop. So, energy is required all the time to keep your life going. This vital energy is provided by the food you eat and is expressed as calories.
Each food has different calorie content. The calories that you get by eating 100gms of baked beans are not equal to that you get from 100gms of roasted nuts. That is not all. Apart from the food type, the quantity of food, and the process used for cooking, all contribute to the caloric content.
Counting calories
Counting calories does not mean that you have to literally weigh the caloric content of all that you eat. It means that you need to have a fair knowledge on the caloric content of the foods that you commonly eat. By knowing this, you can make wise choices to keep yourself healthy. If you eat more than what is required for the activities you do, the excess calories that are not used up gets stored in the body as fat cells for future usage. The gradual accumulation of these fat cells make you obese and you become prone to diseases such diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol.
To avoid all the trouble, you should do a good balancing act of keeping yourself physically active and at the same time take calories just enough to fuel the activities you do.
Calorie requirements differ between people. Some require less and some more. The requirement not only depends on the physical activities you do, but also on your age and sex .
In addition to providing energy, your food performs a great deal of other functions. Important nutrients that your food provides are macronutrients.
Macronutrients in your diet
Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are called macronutrients. They are tagged with the word ‘macro’ as they have to be taken in large quantities as compared to other nutrients.
Carbohydrates
Your body requires energy to function. It is not only that while working you require energy, even at sleep, your heart, kidney, brain and other vital organs work non-stop. So, your body requires a continuous supply of fuel. The carbohydrates in your food provide this fuel. Fats and proteins also provide energy but, it is best for your body to get at least half of its energy requirement from carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are available in three main forms- simple sugars, starches and fibers.
Simple sugars are carbohydrates in simple form, made of only one or two units of glucose. They are digested fast. Simple sugars are naturally present in foods: as fructose in fruits and honey, lactose in milk, sucrose in table sugar or cane sugar, and as maltose in grains. It is also added to food at the table or during processing and packing. Added sugars are found in sweetened beverages and baked products. While added sugars supply energy, they do not provide any other nutrients as natural foods.
Starches are also called complex sugars as they are made of several units of glucose linked together. As they have to be broken down to simpler forms before absorption, energy release from them is slow and steady. Along with energy, they also provide you with vitamins, minerals and fiber which are all good for your health. Foods containing high amount of starch are rice, grains, potatoes, lentils, seeds, and nuts.
Fiber is also a form of complex carbohydrate. It comes exclusively from plants. Fiber cannot be digested by your body, but is utilized for other purposes. It aids in easy stool formation and helps your digestive system by preventing constipation. A fiber rich diet helps in preventing you from getting heart problem and some cancers, particularly cancer of the large intestine. It also helps in controlling blood sugars in diabetes and lowers blood cholesterol. Foods containing high fiber content: fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, seeds and nuts.
Proteins
Proteins are a vital part of all the cells in your body. Proteins repair and replace the body cells that are constantly worn-out throughout life. The enzymes, hormones and antibodies in your body are all proteins. Enzymes control the speed of thousands of biochemical reactions that occur in your body and hormones regulate reactions. Antibodies protect your body from diseases caused by bacteria and viruses.
Proteins also provide energy to the body when you do not take adequate amounts of carbohydrates and fats. When you use protein as a body fuel, you will be compromising yourself on the other vital benefits that proteins provide. So, see to that you make the maximum use of the proteins by taking adequate quantities of carbohydrates and fats.
Proteins are found in animal foods such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products such as yogurt and cheese. Vegetable sources are soybeans, beans, peas, nuts, seeds, and grains.
Fats
All the news that you have been hearing about fats these days might have scared you. A sweeping statement like ‘fats are bad’ cannot be made as they serve several important functions in your body. Fats are an important source of calories next to carbohydrates. Each gram of carbohydrate or protein that we consume contribute 4 calories of energy whereas, fats give more than double the amount of energy for the same weight.
Fats are important for our health. It carries fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K in the blood and distributes them to different parts of the body. Without the help of fats, these vitamins cannot travel in blood. Fats help in the growth and maintenance of healthy skin. It also keeps your hunger under check as it takes longer time for fats to get digested than carbohydrates and proteins. Body fats provide cushioning effect to vital organs such as heart, liver, stomach, protecting them from injury. It also forms a layer under your skin to insulate your body from heat and cold.
Good and bad fats
Saturated fats and trans fatty acids are fats that increase the level of ‘bad cholesterol’ in your blood which not good for you. Therefore you should limit the intake of foods that have high content of these fats. Examples of such foods are: “Hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils, vegetable shortenings, stick margarine, deep fried foods, palm oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, coconuts, red meat, the skin from chicken and other birds, butter, whole milk and whole milk products.
Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are found to protect your heart. Foods containing these fats are avocados, olives, certain nuts, olive, canola, and peanut oils, corn, sunflower, and safflower oils, fish like salmon, trout, and herring, flaxseed oil. Include these foods in the diet.
Daily requirements of macronutrients
Find below your daily requirements of macronutrients for a healthy life.
| CarbohydratesGram/day | ProteinsGram/day | Total FibreGram/day | |
| Adult male | 130 | 56 | 38 |
| Adult female | 130 | 46 | 25 |
Your fat consumption per day should be limited to less than 35% of your total caloric intake. In this, not more than 10% should come from saturated fats.
Time to Start
Having known the facts, don’t wait anymore to make the beginning to make wiser food choices. Whatever your age, anytime is a good start. Include food items from all the nutrient groups to get a balance diet. All nutrients are equally important and getting them in right amount is the key to good health.
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