The Abcs of Nutrition

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This articles takes us back to elementary school health and nutrition class. You may think you know your ABCs, but many people seem to forget them when it comes to eating and losing weight, which is why they try diets that exclude one or more food groups or are unbalanced in other ways. We’ll begin by looking at the major nutrient and micronutrient groups. We’ll also examine what a balanced diet means and the tools you can use to design a healthful eating program.

Nutrition basics

Even Though we’ll be Looking at each group separately, most foods contain a combination of nutrients, though one or another might predominate. Rarely will you encounter a “pure” protein or carbohydrate, and even though pure fats are more common, most of the fat you eat comes along with carbohydrates and protein. This is even more true of vitamins and minerals, which occur naturally in or are added to many foods.

Nutrients are typically measured in metric units: grams for protein, carbohydrates and fats, and milligrams and micrograms for vitamins and minerals.

If you haven’t “gone metric” yet, milligrams (mg) and micrograms (mcg) are teeny amounts; a gram (g) is equal to about 0.035 ounces; a kilogram (kg, or 1,000 grams) is equal to 2.2 pounds.

Even in the United States, nutrition labels on packaged foods will refer to grams of fat, protein, and carbohydrate.

Recommended daily amounts (RDA) of nutrients are for the “average” person. They do not take into account a specific individual’s age, gender, weight, activity level, and health status. Think of these as guidelines only.

Body fuel

Carbohydrates are our main source of energy. They provide most of the fuel your body uses to function. The brain relies exclusively on carbohydrates to do its work. Tell that to the diet meisters who want you to eliminate carbohydrates.

There are several subtypes of carbohydrates:

Simple carbohydrates: Also known as sugars or saccharides. In addition to the kind of sugar you sprinkle on your cereal, simple carbohydrates are found in milk, fruits, and many vegetables. Sucrose, lactose, fructose, dextrose, and maltose are all simple carbohydrates. In the body they are converted to glucose, the technical name for blood sugar. Sugars are simple molecules, so your body breaks them down quickly. The “energy burst” or “sugar high” you get after eating sweets is evidence of this speedy conversion.

Complex carbohydrates: Also known as starches. Grains and grain products, fruits, vegetables, beans, and dairy products are all sources of complex carbohydrates. Because they are made from more complex molecules, it takes longer for the body to break down these foods. Compared to the sugar “blast,” these carbs last.

Cellulose: Also known as fiber. This carbohydrate is so exceedingly complex that the human body cannot digest it at all. (Cows and horses can, which is why they’are able to fill all of their nutritional needs by eating grass and hay.)

A balanced diet for an adult should draw 55 to 60 percent of its calories from carbohydrates, with the greatest proportion being complex carbohydrates.

Regardless of whether the carbohydrate is simple or complex, each gram supplies 4 calories. Horses get 4 calories out of their gram of grass, but since we cannot digest fiber, it provides us with zero calories.

Does that mean there’s no point in eating fiber? Quite the contrary. Fiber has many benefits. What it lacks in calories it more than makes up in bulk. It gives you a feeling of fullness that helps curb hunger.

Because it is indigestible, fiber sticks around for a long time, so you feel full far longer than you do when you have a sweet snack or sugary drink.

Best of all, fiber lowers blood cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of developing diabetes. It also protects against such intestinal problems as constipation and diverticulitis.

You should include 25 to 30 grams of fiber in your daily diet. Whole grains, beans, nuts, and dried fruit (raisins, prunes, dates, and figs, for example) are all high in fiber.



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