Health and Nutrition - What a Healthy Diet Should Include

It's not easy to estimate a person's precise daily nutritional requirements. As really, this would require complex medical tests. But you could assess your own need for different nutrients through experiment and experience. Think of the old saying: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.

The food you eat affects your health and general well being as well as your body shape. Nutrient requirements also change with age. Protein, for instance, is essential during childhood as these are the main building units from which skin, muscle, hair, blood and the internal organs are made. Even after the age of 18, once people have stopped growing, a good supply of protein is necessary for the repair of damaged tissue and the replacement of worn out cells. You will find the main sources of protein in meat, eggs, fish cheese and milk.

Carbohydrates usually provide about half an adult's daily energy intake. Sources of carbohydrates are: bread and cereals. Some lucky people seem able to eat anything without putting on weight but most folk have to take more care. One of the best ways of doing this is to avoid cakes, pastries, sweets and alcoholic drinks.

As it is, you'll probably find that as your body adjusts to a well-balanced diet, the longing for sweet and starchy foods will vanish.

A healthy diet should include: carbohydrates, fat, protein, mineral elements, vitamins and water.

Water is vital. We are actually losing water all the time, in the urine, from the skin, in the breath and it must constantly be replenished. You should aim for at least one pint a day and sometimes more. Did you know that we can live for many weeks without food but we can live for only a few days without water?

Vitamins are very different, one from the other, and each has a different job to perform. It is usual to call them by the letters of the alphabet because when they were first discovered, their chemical composition was unknown. Nutritionists can today give them chemical names but they are still best known as Vitamins A, B, C or D etc.

Calcium, found in yoghurt, milk, cheese, sardines, salmon helps keep our bones healthy and is also involved in blood pressure regulation.

The biggest percentage of iron in the body is found in the haemoglobin and iron is an essential component of proteins linked with the transport of oxygen through our blood. Foods that contain iron include fish, poultry, red meat and lentils.

The energy content of food is often referred to as its calorie content. Calories represent the energy that the food can produce when it is used as fuel in the body. Most calories consumed should come from fresh fruit and vegetables and a mix of minerals and vitamins. These in addition to low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry and lean-meat form a nutritional and healthy diet.

Sources:

"The Healing Power of Food: Healthy Eating the Natural Way" (Readers Digest Association 1999)

Bruce E, "Living Foods for Radiant Health" Thorsons (2003)