To achieve and maintain a healthy body, it is important to get enough of the appropriate nutrients in your diet. A healthy diet includes the appropriate number of calories, as well as essential vitamins and minerals. In addition, you will want your diet to contain foods that provide the three major types of nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the food type that has the quickest impact on your blood sugar, and provides about 4 calories per gram. Your body breaks down all carbohydrates into glucose, which your body uses for energy. Carbohydrates are further categorized into two major sub-classes: simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates are more easily broken down into glucose versus complex carbohydrates. Examples of simple carbohydrate food sources are certain vegetables, fruits, and milk. Complex carbohydrate food sources include starchy vegetables, foods made with whole grains, and legumes.
Proteins
Protein provides about 4 calories per gram and is important for cell growth, healing of injured tissue, the immune system, hormone and enzyme production, and energy when your body has exhausted its supply of carbohydrates. Great sources of protein include fish, soy-based foods, chicken, beef, milk, cheese, yogurt, and nuts. The body breaks proteins down into amino acids, which are the individual building blocks of proteins. Protein from the meat of fish and animals provides all of the amino acids the body needs, but protein from plant sources lacks some of the essential amino acids.
Fats
Although many people consider fats unhealthy, this type of food is one of the major types of food, and is healthy in moderation. Additionally, some fat sub-types are healthier than others. One of the reasons a diet should not be composed of too much fat is their calorie content: fats contain 9 calories per gram, which is more than twice the amount that provided by carbohydrates and protein. Sub-types of fat include omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and saturated fats. Omega-3 fats, supplied by fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, and monounsaturated fats, supplied by olive and vegetable oils, are the healthiest. Omega-6 fats are the next healthiest, and are contained in corn and sunflower oil. Saturated fats are the least healthy and are found in meat and dairy products.
Recommendations
The United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, advises a diet that includes an approximate range of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. A healthy diet for adult males and females is composed of between 45 and 65 percent carbohydrates; between 10 and 35 percent protein; and between 20 to 35 percent total fats.
Member Comments