The balanced diet

Dec 28, 2007 19:16 GMT  ·  By

"We are what we eat". The food we eat has various chemicals with different functions: some deliver "building blocks" for our body components (bones, muscles, hair, teeth, nails) and repairing material. Others come with energy or eliminate toxins. That's why the diet must be balanced, a fact reflected in the overall health. The diet must be adapted to age, lifestyle and clime.

1.Proteins. The human body is made by 17 % of proteins. Only water is more abundant in our body. They are found in all tissues. They form the functioning, building and repairing material for the body. From food, they are broken down to aminoacids, digested in this form and from aminoacids the human body builds its own proteins.

One part is used for growth and repair; the rest for synthesizing enzymes, antibodies and hormones. Foods rich in proteins are meat, fish, eggs, milk and diary products, nuts, beans, pea and cereals. Animal proteins are more complete and easier to absorb than plant proteins. Higher quality plant proteins are found in soy bean, nuts, wheat flour and cotton seeds.

A balanced diet must be made 15-20 % of proteins. An adult man requires about 70 grams per day, a woman 30 g while a (growing) teenager 70-100 g.

2.Carbohydrates or sugars are an energy source. Foods contain mainly two digestible types: starch and sucrose (white sugar). They are found in almost all foods: cereals, fruits, vegetables, milk. They form the most of our food. Cereals, pasta, beens, pea, potato are rich in starch.

Sucrose is used to sweeten all foods, from beverages, cookies and puddings to meat products and ketchup. As sucrose is a refined food, it is devoid of vitamins and minerals, that's why its consume must be minim. As sugars are abundant in most of the foods, the organism will receive carbohydrates anyway, so that sucrose is not necessary in alimentation.

All sugars are broken down by the organism into glucose or other forms of monosugars (like fructose) which will be all turned into glucose. The glucose is burned for getting energy. One part is stored for later use. If there are too much carbohydrates, they will be stored as fat in the fatty tissues.

3.Fats are a source of energy. One part is stored in fatty tissues under the skin, and around kidneys, heart, eyes and liver. These deposits defend against cold and trauma. A healthy organism contains a certain amount of fatty tissue.

Except fruits and vegetables, most aliments contain fats. Meat, lard and diary products contain saturated fats, while nuts, fish, plant oils and some margarines contain unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are healthier. Saturated fats favor the synthesis of cholesterol, a fatty chemical naturally produced by the liver but also present in some foods. Liver can produce all cholesterol we need without receiving it from food. A certain amount is necessary.

In cold clime (as it's the case of the Inuits or Eskimos) or intense physical activity, the requirements of fat in the diet increase. They must make about 15-30 % of the diet. Too much fat in the diet leads to weight gain.

4.Vitamins and minerals are essential for the functioning of the body. A diet balanced in proteins, fats and sugars come with the daily needs. Usually vitamins are destroyed through processing and refining, that's why we must eat daily raw fruits and vegetables.

5.Fibers refer to cellulose. This is a complex carbohydrate that the human body cannot digest and is very important for the intestinal transit. The fibers increase the volume of the food, slow down its passing, letting time for the digestion to be made.

Vegetables are rich in cellulose, but through refining, much of it is removed. White rice and white flour are poor in fibers, while whole wheat flour and brown rice are rich in them.

Fibers impede digestive issues, heart diseases and colon cancer.

6.Water has various functions. This liquid makes 75 % of the weight of a newborn, and its percentage lowers with the age. This explains the wrinkles of the skin in elder people.

It carries chemicals inside the body, and eliminates toxins. All the body reactions occur in water solutions. Through sweating regulates the body temperature. Doctors say we should consume at least 3 litters of water daily.

Humans can survive over a month without food, but only a few days without water.