How Food Affects Your Body
November 27, 2009 0 CommentsThe adage "You Are
What You Eat" contains more than just a grain of truth. No, it
does not mean that you are a pig if you like bacon nor does it mean
that you are as sedentary as a potato if you love your fries.
Instead, it pertains to the internal and external effect that diet
has on the body. If you like highly salted foods, for example, then
there is a good chance that you will have higher blood pressure
levels than those who like their food moderately or mildly
salted.
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Before going into the intricacies of how food affects your body, it is important to discuss the three most common classifications of food, which includes:
You probably first heard about the different classifications in school. Your instructors may have called them by different names - Go, Grow, and Glow foods, for example. It really does not matter what names they were called because what matters is how they work. So, how exactly do these food groups work and how does your body benefit from them?
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates or simply 'carbs' are what fuels your bodily functions. Proteins and fats also act as fuel, but they require more energy to digest that carbs do. Common examples for carbs include breads, potatoes, rice, pasta, bran, and cereals.
Carbs are not essential to the body's nutrition, as humans can survive on protein and fat alone, but your brain and the neurons need carbohydrates for its glucose. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 55% and 75% of your energy should be from carbs, but only 10% of that should directly be from sugars.
Thanks to several fad diets condemning carbohydrates to the realm of the fat producers, a lot of people have becoming fearful of ingesting any food item that are labeled as such.
The truth is, you shouldn't really fear carbohydrates. What you can do instead is to befriend it. Of course that does not mean that you should surround yourself with carbohydrates and eat nothing but. What befriending carbs means is that you should know the good and the bad kind. The Institute of Medicine suggests between 40-65% of your energy should be sourced from carbs.
If you are looking to loose weight, but aren't ready to dive head first into a carbs-free diet plans and diet foods, all you have to do is to stay away from white carbs (white sugar, white bread, white pasta) and go for the brown and whole wheat ones (remember whole wheat and whole grain not multi-grain).
Proteins
Like carbohydrates, protein also serves as a fuel for your body. Unlike carbs, however, proteins perform a higher purpose. They contain essential nutrients that are essential for sustaining life. Sometimes referred to as 'Grow' foods, proteins are also necessary in the body's growth and development, and are necessary in building muscles.
You can get protein from meats, nuts, beans, grains, meats, and dairy and dairy products. Nine out of the twenty essential amino acids for human development can only be sourced from proteins. The other 11 can be processed by your body.
Most animal sources of protein contain all of the 9 essential amino acids. It is, however, advised that you should eat proteins from more than just one source. Mixing meats, legumes, dairy, and grains is ideal. Vegetarians and vegans may have to take nutritional supplements in order to make up for some amino acids that can only be sourced from meats and dairy products.
So, you must be asking - What are Amino Acids and what's it got to do with my body?
Amino Acids are molecules that, as mentioned, are critical to life. They play a very important role in metabolism and are essential ingredients in your body's body chemistry. It is necessary for building up muscles, repairing damaged tissues and cells, and for the overall health of the body.
Despite being such an essential food group, it is not advised that you take protein in excess. Too much of protein in the diet can leave the body with excesses of urea. Normally your kidneys would filter the urea out of your system. In the event of kidney failure, however, having too much urea in your system can damage other organs in your body.
Too much protein can also lead to calcium deficiency. Calcium is not only essential for your bones, but also for muscle contractions (muscles including that of your heart's) and in fluid and electrolyte balance. If you will taking protein in greater amounts than ideal, it is recommended that you take calcium supplements.
Fats
In an aesthetic driven world, you won't be blamed for having negative thoughts when you hear of 'fats' as a food group. Fats, however, are a necessary part of good nutrition, but like everything else, it should be taken in moderation.
How are fats important to my health, you ask?
Firstly, there is a group of Vitamins that can only be processed with the use of fats. Aptly called 'fat soluble vitamins', they include Vitamins A, D, E, and K (ADEK - for better remembrance). These vitamins are necessary for good health. Vitamin A, D, and K are important in everyday health while Vitamin E stands out for its antioxidant properties.
If vitamins A, D, and K are strangers to you, at least you must have heard of vitamin E - it's sold in supplement form practically everywhere. You would be hard pressed to find a beauty store that does not have a vitamin E containing product. Fats are called 'glow' foods for a reason - it's because it helps you glow - inside and out, but again - everything in moderation.
With the help of the above vitamins, fats help to keep your hair and skin healthy. Fat stores in your body also work as insulation and protection. They are also emergency fuel stores that your body turns to in the event of starvation.
When it comes to fat, you should not completely remove it from your weight loss diet - it would pretty much be impossible anyway. Just be smarter with your choice of diet food. Go for the green salad with roasted chicken breasts and a sliver or two of avocado instead of a greasy cheeseburger. Your diet plan can also include whole milk, low fat milk, or two-percent.
Search Newsfitness and the web for Other articles here!
Before going into the intricacies of how food affects your body, it is important to discuss the three most common classifications of food, which includes:
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Fats
You probably first heard about the different classifications in school. Your instructors may have called them by different names - Go, Grow, and Glow foods, for example. It really does not matter what names they were called because what matters is how they work. So, how exactly do these food groups work and how does your body benefit from them?
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates or simply 'carbs' are what fuels your bodily functions. Proteins and fats also act as fuel, but they require more energy to digest that carbs do. Common examples for carbs include breads, potatoes, rice, pasta, bran, and cereals.
Carbs are not essential to the body's nutrition, as humans can survive on protein and fat alone, but your brain and the neurons need carbohydrates for its glucose. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 55% and 75% of your energy should be from carbs, but only 10% of that should directly be from sugars.
Thanks to several fad diets condemning carbohydrates to the realm of the fat producers, a lot of people have becoming fearful of ingesting any food item that are labeled as such.
The truth is, you shouldn't really fear carbohydrates. What you can do instead is to befriend it. Of course that does not mean that you should surround yourself with carbohydrates and eat nothing but. What befriending carbs means is that you should know the good and the bad kind. The Institute of Medicine suggests between 40-65% of your energy should be sourced from carbs.
If you are looking to loose weight, but aren't ready to dive head first into a carbs-free diet plans and diet foods, all you have to do is to stay away from white carbs (white sugar, white bread, white pasta) and go for the brown and whole wheat ones (remember whole wheat and whole grain not multi-grain).
Proteins
Like carbohydrates, protein also serves as a fuel for your body. Unlike carbs, however, proteins perform a higher purpose. They contain essential nutrients that are essential for sustaining life. Sometimes referred to as 'Grow' foods, proteins are also necessary in the body's growth and development, and are necessary in building muscles.
You can get protein from meats, nuts, beans, grains, meats, and dairy and dairy products. Nine out of the twenty essential amino acids for human development can only be sourced from proteins. The other 11 can be processed by your body.
Most animal sources of protein contain all of the 9 essential amino acids. It is, however, advised that you should eat proteins from more than just one source. Mixing meats, legumes, dairy, and grains is ideal. Vegetarians and vegans may have to take nutritional supplements in order to make up for some amino acids that can only be sourced from meats and dairy products.
So, you must be asking - What are Amino Acids and what's it got to do with my body?
Amino Acids are molecules that, as mentioned, are critical to life. They play a very important role in metabolism and are essential ingredients in your body's body chemistry. It is necessary for building up muscles, repairing damaged tissues and cells, and for the overall health of the body.
Despite being such an essential food group, it is not advised that you take protein in excess. Too much of protein in the diet can leave the body with excesses of urea. Normally your kidneys would filter the urea out of your system. In the event of kidney failure, however, having too much urea in your system can damage other organs in your body.
Too much protein can also lead to calcium deficiency. Calcium is not only essential for your bones, but also for muscle contractions (muscles including that of your heart's) and in fluid and electrolyte balance. If you will taking protein in greater amounts than ideal, it is recommended that you take calcium supplements.
Fats
In an aesthetic driven world, you won't be blamed for having negative thoughts when you hear of 'fats' as a food group. Fats, however, are a necessary part of good nutrition, but like everything else, it should be taken in moderation.
How are fats important to my health, you ask?
Firstly, there is a group of Vitamins that can only be processed with the use of fats. Aptly called 'fat soluble vitamins', they include Vitamins A, D, E, and K (ADEK - for better remembrance). These vitamins are necessary for good health. Vitamin A, D, and K are important in everyday health while Vitamin E stands out for its antioxidant properties.
If vitamins A, D, and K are strangers to you, at least you must have heard of vitamin E - it's sold in supplement form practically everywhere. You would be hard pressed to find a beauty store that does not have a vitamin E containing product. Fats are called 'glow' foods for a reason - it's because it helps you glow - inside and out, but again - everything in moderation.
With the help of the above vitamins, fats help to keep your hair and skin healthy. Fat stores in your body also work as insulation and protection. They are also emergency fuel stores that your body turns to in the event of starvation.
When it comes to fat, you should not completely remove it from your weight loss diet - it would pretty much be impossible anyway. Just be smarter with your choice of diet food. Go for the green salad with roasted chicken breasts and a sliver or two of avocado instead of a greasy cheeseburger. Your diet plan can also include whole milk, low fat milk, or two-percent.
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