Health

Nutrients, Food Pyramid, Low Fat Tips and Menus,
Recipes Around The World

Nutrients

Everyone needs to be healthy. That's why nutrients are important They help you stay healthy and active. There are six different groups of nutrients. The proteins. fats, carbohydrates, water, vitamins, and minerals. You need to eat a variety of foods in order to stay in shape and get the proper nutrients.

Proteins

Proteins: Proteins are made up of twenty amino acids or building blocks that are linked together in different ways. Your body can produce half of its amino acids but the other half are from special foods. Different proteins serve different functions. They help form parts of structure of muscle, hair, skin, nails, connective tissue, and glands. The main use of protein is to help build working body tissue.

 

Fats

Fats: Fats supply the body with energy. They are a major source of calories. It is not good though to eat to many fatty foods if your body can't burn it in activity. It will then be stored as fat. If you have to much fat you will became overweight. Being overweight like being under weight is not good for your body. Fats are necessary for your growth. It supplies your tissue and cells with essential fatty acids, which they can't do without. Fats also helps make you feel full. You can find fats in foods such as beef, poultry, milk, butter, and cheese.

 

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are composed of starches and sugars. Carbohydrates that are not used in energy are stored in the body and changed into fat.

 

Vitamins

Vitamins: Vitamins are nutrients the body needs to stay alive and stay healthy. Vitamins are found in special foods. Each vitamin has a certain job. No vitamin can do the job of another. That's why you should eat a variety of foods so you can get a variety of vitamins in your body.

Vitamin A-It helps: vision, teeth, skin, tissue growth and repair. You will find this vitamin in dark green and yellow veggies, cantaloupe, eggs, and liver.

Vitamin D-Helps your: teeth and bones. You will find this vitamin in milk, eggs, butter, salmon, and tuna.

Vitamin E- Helps: In production of red blood cells, muscles, and other tissues. You can find it in vegetables oil, dried beans, margarine, whole-grain breads and cereals.

Vitamin K-It helps: Blood clotting and metabolism. You will find this vitamin in pork, beef, dark green leafy veggies, cauliflower, tomatoes, peas, and carrots.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)- Helps: Release energy from carbohydratates, growth of tissue, maintains health of heart, nervous system, muscles and intestines. Which foods contain it eggs, lean pork, plums, prunes, whole-grain bread and cereals, green vegetables, and raisins.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)-Helps: Skin and body use of oxygen. Which foods contain it Dark green leafy veggies, all dairy products, eggs, broccoli, lean meat, salmon, and whole grain breads and cereals.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)- What it helps: Same as B1 and B2. Which foods contain it same as B1 and B2.

 

Minerals

Minerals: Minerals are natural substances found in the Earth. At least fourteen different minerals are necessary for human life. A balanced diet helps you get the minerals needed. some minerals like calcium and Phosphorus build teeth and bones. Others, like Iron, build red blood cells. Minerals can help control activities of cells and organs. Scientists can not measure how many minerals the body needs. All they know is without minerals you could not survive.

 

Water

Water: Water is an essential nutrient. Seventy-five percent of the body is composed of water. Your muscles are 75% water and your bones are 22% water. Water is necessary for blood circulation, carrying nutrients to cells, getting rid of waste, and controlling body temperature. Most foods contain water, especially fruits and vegetables. You should always drink a lot of water, eight glasses is recommended!