Balanced nutrition is an important goal for anybody wanting to improve his overall health. Balanced nutrition includes low levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, high levels of good cholesterol, and regulated rates of calories. Foods with a high proportion of carbohydrates and lipids generally contribute to weight gain and obesity more than foods high in protein compounds.
Calories
A calorie is a unit of food energy and the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of a gram of water by one degree Celsius. The amount of calories that you need to consume depends on your needs and the balance of your carbohydrate, protein and lipid intake. These needs differ from person to person. When determining your optimum caloric intake, you also need to consider your weight and your height. Nutritional experts can advise you about your optimum caloric intake. You can also look at food packaging for detailed calorie information.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates help you maintain high levels of energy by causing your cells to undergo a biochemical process. Foods such as bread, rice, wheat and chocolate are carbohydrates and are a source of glucose. Glucose is the main molecule used by the body for the production of energy molecules called ATP, adenosin triphosphate. Within a couple of hours of eating a balanced meal, your cells will provide a rich energy load for your activities and a low rate of triglycerides. In high levels, triglycerides can lead to depleted energy.
Proteins
Protein is the main structural component of your muscles. Muscles generally provide you with a well formed, strong body for daily life. Foods that contain high levels of protein, such as meat, cheese, milk, peanuts and soy can complement some of the basic needs of your body. Protein generally makes your body stronger and healthier.
Lipids
Lipids are another important part of cellular composition because they give structure to hormonal molecule production and allow a good signalization or communication between cells. Lipids can also provide energy when the body's glucose is low. Foods like butter, avocado, and fat milk contain lipids. In addition, almost any fried dish is a good source for lipids.
Bad vs. Good Cholesterol
Cholesterol moves through blood, inside and outside of cells, by lipoproteins in your body. Your body has both high-density lipoproteins, or HDL, good cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins, bad cholesterol. Eating an overly fatty diet usually increases your body's LDL levels. This can lead to problems of your circulatory system that blocks your blood flow. It is important to eat a balanced diet to maintain optimum health for your body.
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