MINERALS

Did you ever notice how TV commercials for breakfast cereal always mention vitamins and minerals? But when you think of minerals, food isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Aren't minerals something you find in the earth, like iron and quartz?

Well, yes, but small amounts of some minerals are also in foods — for instance, red meat, such as beef, is a good source of iron.
Just like vitamins, minerals help your body grow, develop, and stay healthy. The body uses minerals to perform many different functions — from building strong bones to transmitting nerve impulses. Some minerals are even used to make hormones or maintain a normal heartbeat.
Minerals and Their Function

Calcium	Builds bones and teeth, muscle contraction, heart action, nerve impulses, blood clotting
Magnesium	Bones, liver, muscles, transfer of intercellular water, alkaline balance, neuromuscular activity
Sodium	Electrolyte balance, body fluid volume, nerve impulse condition
Potassium	Cell membrane potential, nerve impulse conduction, heart rhythm, acid base balance
Copper	Hemoglobin formation, production of RNA, elastic tissue formation, cholesterol utilization, oxidase enzyme activator
Zinc	Protein synthesis, carbon dioxide transport, sexual function, insulin storage, carbohydrate metabolism, wound healing
Iron	Hemoglobin formation, electron transport, oxygen transport, enzyme activator
Manganese	Carbohydrate metabolism, protein metabolism, connective tissue, joint fluid production, nerve tissue, Vitamin B1 utilization
Chromium	Glucose utilization, insulin activity, heart muscle, cholesterol utilization
Phosphorus	Builds bones and teeth, energy production, acid-base balance, necessary in metabolism and cell membranes, calcium absorption
Molybdenum	Enzyme activator, uric acid formation, oxidative enzymes
Selenium	Peroxidase scavenger, glutathione peroxidase, anti-carcinogenic, Vitamin F synergist
Silicon	Bone formation, collagen formation, cartilage formation, elastic tissue
Boron	Reduces calcium loss
Vanadium	Strength of bones and teeth, lowers blood lipids, inhibits cholesterol synthesis
Tin	Growth, protein synthesis
Nickel	Activates some liver enzymes

VITAMINS

  There are 13 vitamins your body needs. They are vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins(thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate). You can usually get all your vitamins from the foods you eat. Your body can also make vitamins D and K. People who eat a vegetarian diet may need to take a vitamin B12 supplement.

Each vitamin has specific jobs. If you have low levels of certain vitamins, you may develop a deficiency disease. For example, if you don't get enough vitamin D, you could develop rickets. Some vitamins may help prevent medical problems. Vitamin A prevents night blindness.

The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. In some cases, you may need to take a daily multivitamin for optimal health. However, high doses of some vitamins can make you sick.

Vitamin generic descriptor name	Vitamerchemical name(s) (list not complete)	Recommended dietary allowances (male, age 19–70)	Deficiency disease	Food sources
Vitamin A	Retinol, retinal, and four carotenoids including beta carotene	900 µg	Night-blindness,Hyperkeratosis, andKeratomalacia	Orange, ripe yellow fruits, leafy vegetables, carrots, pumpkin, squash, spinach, liver
Vitamin B1	Thiamine	1.2 mg	Beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome	Pork, oatmeal, brown rice, vegetables, potatoes, liver, eggs
Vitamin B12	Cyanocobalamin,hydroxycobalamin,methylcobalamin	2.4 µg	Megaloblastic anemia	Meat and other animal products
Vitamin B2	Riboflavin	1.3 mg	Ariboflavinosis	Dairy products, bananas, popcorn, green beans, asparagus
Vitamin B3	Niacin, niacinamide	16.0 mg	Pellagra	Meat, fish, eggs, many vegetables, mushrooms, tree nuts
Vitamin B5	Pantothenic acid	5.0 mg	Paresthesia	Meat, broccoli, avocados
Vitamin B6	Pyridoxine,pyridoxamine,pyridoxal	1.3–1.7 mg	Anemia peripheral neuropathy.	Meat, vegetables, tree nuts, bananas
Vitamin B7	Biotin	30.0 µg	Dermatitis, enteritis	Raw egg yolk, liver, peanuts, certain vegetables
Vitamin B9	Folic acid, folinic acid	400 µg	Megaloblast and Deficiency during pregnancy is associated with birth defects, such as neural tube defects	Leafy vegetables, pasta, bread, cereal, liver
Vitamin C	Ascorbic acid	90.0 mg	Scurvy	Many fruits and vegetables, liver
Vitamin D	Cholecalciferol	10 µg	Rickets andOsteomalacia	Fish, eggs, liver, mushrooms
Vitamin E	Tocopherols,tocotrienols	15.0 mg	Deficiency is very rare; mild hemolytic anemiain newborn infants.	Many fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds
Vitamin K	phylloquinone,menaquinones	120 µg	Bleeding diathesis	Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, egg yolks, liver

PROTEINS

Proteins are the building blocks of life. Protein is excellent for our body. It's a required component to keep our muscles strong so we can do our daily tasks. It helps keep our body-fat lower. It helps our body heal and repair injuries. It's necessary for our hair and nails to grow well. Protein is simply necessary for our bodies to run smoothly, plain and simple. The basic structure of protein is a chain of amino acids.

When proteins are digested, amino acids are left. The human body needs a number of amino acids to break down food. Amino acids need to be eaten in large enough amounts for optimal health.

Amino acids are found in animal sources such as meats, milk, fish, and eggs, as well as in plant sources such as soy, beans, legumes, nut butters, and some grains (such as wheat germ). You do not need to eat animal products to get all the protein you need in your diet.

A nutritionally balanced diet provides enough protein. Healthy people rarely need protein supplements.

Vegetarians are able to get enough essential amino by eating a variety of plant proteins.

The amount of recommended daily protein depends upon your age and health. Two to three servings of protein-rich food will meet the daily needs of most adults.

 Most people do not get enough protein in thier diet, unfortuntately. That is why so many people turn to protein powders. However, not all protein powders are created equal. It's nessary to know what ingredients to look for in a protein powder and make that your base for a good tasting shake, that will supplement your daily protein intake. For instance, a protein shake shoule be made primarily with whey, which is the best source of protein on the market, not soy. In addition, it should not be loaded with refined sugar which simply raises our blood-sugar level and causes health problems.

Make sure you get enought protein in your diet everyday =)

FATS

The name — fat — may make it sound like something you shouldn't eat. But fat is an important part of a healthy diet. And little kids, especially, need a certain amount of fat in their diets so the brain and nervous system develop correctly. That's why toddlers need to drink whole milk, which has more fat, and older kids can drink low-fat or skim milk.

Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure and composition. Although the words "oils", "fats", and "lipids" are all used to refer to fats, "oils" is usually used to refer to fats that are liquids at normal room temperature, while "fats" is usually used to refer to fats that are solids at normal room temperature. "Lipids" is used to refer to both liquid and solid fats, along with other related substances, usually in a medical or biochemical context. The word "oil" is also used for any substance that does not mix with water and has a greasy feel, such as petroleum (or crude oil), heating oil, and essential oils, regardless of its chemical structure.

Fats form a category of lipid, distinguished from other lipids by their chemical structure and physical properties. This category of molecules is important for many forms of life, serving both structural and metabolic functions. They are an important part of the diet of most heterotrophs(including humans). Fats or lipids are broken down in the body by enzymes called lipases produced in the pancreas.

You might see ads for foods that say they're "low-fat" or "fat-free." Lower-fat diets have been recommended for health and to help people lose weight. But nutrition experts are finding that fats are more complicated and that some kinds of fat are actually good for your health. As a bonus, fat in food helps people feel satisfied, so they don't eat as much.

But that doesn't mean a high-fat diet will be good for you. And some fats are better than others.

There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated.

Examples of edible animal fats are lard, fish oil, butter/ghee and whale blubber. They are obtained from fats in the milk and meat, as well as from under the skin, of an animal. Examples of edible plant fats include peanut, soya bean, sunflower, sesame, coconut and olive oils, and cocoa butter. Vegetable shortening, used mainly for baking, and margarine, used in baking and as a spread, can be derived from the above oils by hydrogenation

Some fat is essential in everyone's diet.

Fats provide a source of concentrated energy as well as the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat transports these vital nutrients around the body.

We also need fat for hormone metabolism, healthy skin and hair, tissue repair, protecting the internal organs and to prevent excessive loss of body heat.

So fat is not the enemy, but you'll want to choose the right amount — and the right kind — of fat. If you're getting most of your fat from lean meats, fish, and heart-healthy oils, you've already made fat your friend!

CARBOHYDRATES

A carbohydrate is an organic compound that consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, usually with a hydrogen : oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) .

Carbohydrates are an ideal source of energy for the body. This is because they can be converted more readily into glucose, the form of sugar that's transported and used by the body, than proteins or fats can.

Even so, a diet too high in carbohydrates can upset the delicate balance of your body's blood sugar level, resulting in fluctuations in energy and mood which leave you feeling irritated and tired. It is better to balance your intake of carbohydrates with protein, a little fat and fibre.

       There are two types of carbohydrate: complex and simple.

Current advice is that we should get half our energy needs from carbohydrates, with at least one third of our daily intake of food being starchy carbohydrates.

According to the British Nutrition Foundation, the average adult's daily diet meets this target with women getting 47.7 per cent of their daily energy from carbs (203g) and men 48.5 per cent (275g).

But not all carbohydrates are equal: refined sugars should make up only 11 per cent of your daily diet. For adults, the average intake of refined sugars is slightly higher than this recommended level, with men the worst offenders at 13.6 per cent.

The average child's intake is 16 per cent, with the main culprits being fizzy drinks and confectionery.

Foods high in carbohydrate include fruits, sweets, soft drinks, breads, pastas, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and cereals. Carbohydrates are a common source of energy in living organisms; however, no carbohydrate is an essential nutrient in humans.

FORMATION OF CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrates are formed by green plants in the process of photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, plant chlorophyll, plant enzymes, sunlight, carbon dioxide from the air, and mineralized water from the soil combine and, in a complicated process, synthesize carbohydrates. Humans obtain their carbohydrate needs most efficiently from the plant world.

What is NUTRITION ?

                    Nutrition is the science of food, the nutrients in foods and how the body uses those nutrients. It includes the process of ingestion, digestion, absorption, metabolism, transport, storage and excretion of those nutrients. It also includes the environmental, psychological and behavioural aspects of food and eating. The six classes of nutrients include: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water.
           
            In other words it can be simply said, Nutrition is the study of food at work in our bodies, our source for energy, and the medium for which our nutrients can function.

                    
           Think of nutrition as the building blocks of life.     

            Good nutrition means getting the right amount of nutrients from healthy foods in the right combinations. Having nutrition knowledge and making smart choices about the foods you eat can and will help you achieve optimum health over your lifetime, and be a key to avoiding obesity, illness, and many of today’s most prevalent chronic diseases.

            Nutrition is just one key to developing and maintaining good health. Good health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being — a healthy mind, body, and spirit.

            Nutrition is at work during our entire life-cycle — from infancy to adolescence, adulthood and in our senior years — and can be the antidote for many of today’s common problems, such as stress, pollution and disease prevention.

            For me personally, nutrition translates into health, and health is freedom. Being healthy not only makes us feel great, it enables us to enjoy life to our fullest potential, and to follow our dreams. Conversely, a poor diet can have a serious impact on health, and rob you of your freedom.

            Food therapy is emerging as the latest prevention against multiple lifestyle diseases. Experts now believe it’s better to pop an apple, rather than popping a pill.  Negative influences such as stress, shock, injury, emotional upsets and worries can have a direct impact on life-long health. The good news is that the body can heal itself, if given what it needs to do its job. The nutrition in certain foods can naturally increase your body’s oxygen levels, eliminate many sources of toxins, improve your digestion, and prevent, heal, or reduce the severity of various diseases. Nutrition is about choices.

    Healthy eating is the best recipe for an abundant life. Make every bite count.

Nutrition can also be explained as

           ·    utilization of food to grow, repair and maintain our bodies;

          ·      getting the right amount of nutrients from healthy foods in the right     combinations;                                                        

                 ·   making smart choices about the foods you eat;

                 ·     proper nutrition helps you develop and maintain good health;

                 ·    a choice — choose good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle!