Eating Right
by Susie Dieet
http://www.rndiet.com
Taking a balanced diet is almost as necessary and important
as taking breath or drinking water. Although, you cannot
stop breathing or drinking for the fear of death, the
result of not taking a proper diet results in situations
which is not far from a death like situation. So, the
question arises as to what is a balanced diet?
A well balanced diet must include the correct amount of
vital nutrients. These nutrients include carbohydrates,
protein, fat, vitamins, mineral salts, and fiber. Water is
also vital and may be more important that all the other
nutrients.
The carbohydrate provides most of our energy. A
carbohydrate is made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Carbohydrates normally come as starches. These are
converted to glucose which the body burns as fuel. Good
sources of carbohydrates include potatoes, rice, and bread.
While recent diets suggest completely cutting carbohydrates
this is not wise. The body needs carbohydrates to have
adequate energy. While cutting carbs may cause weight loss
it is very unhealthy. The body is burning its own muscle
rather than the glucose that is supposed to be used for
energy.
Proteins can be found in meat, beans, and nuts and are made
of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sometimes
sulfur. The body converts proteins into amino acids of
which there are 20 types. The amino acids are then used
for growth and repair in the body.
Proteins are also sometimes used for energy. The liver
helps to excrete nitrogen form our body. This process
forms urea which the kidneys then add to the urine.
Though our body can survive for a long time without
vitamins they are essential. Eventually a prolonged
deficiency of vitamins can become deadly. As our bodies do
not form vitamins on their own they must be obtained from
an outside source such as food and supplements. Common
vitamins include Vitamin A, B, C, D, and E. These vitamins
are found in citrus fruit, meat, milk, and even in
sunlight.
Our body requires mineral salts in traces, although, the
requirement of mineral salts in our body is much more than
that of vitamins. Mineral salts consists of iron, required
to make hemoglobin, calcium, required for healthy teeth,
bones and muscles; sodium, required by every cell
especially nerve cells and iodine used to make the hormone
called thyroxin.
It is also called roughage. It helps the body to have
proper bowel movement. Our body cannot digest roughage.
The food moves through the digestive tract through the
process of peristalsis. Roughage helps in this movement.
Patents of constipation can benefit very much from roughage
Although it has no nutrient value it is perhaps the most
important part of our diet. Most of the biological
processes being carried out inside the body require the
medium of water. It is essential for the process of
digestion also. Drinking ample amount of water is of
utmost importance.
To summarize, we can say that our body needs all the
nutrients in proper proportion. If your body lacks
protein, you won't grow properly and your body cells won't
be able to repair damaged cells or wounds. If you don't
get enough energy containing food, you would feel tired and
if you take too much fats and carbohydrates, you would turn
overweight.
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