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It's
nearly impossible to achieve your health and fitness goals without a proper
nutrition program. It's much easier to follow a proper nutrition program
when you understand how your body converts food into fuel. You can make
more educated nutritional choices when you learn what happens to the food
you eat.
Your
body uses nutrients to meet its needs. There are six classes of nutrients
that your body must have to function properly.
WATER:
Water is your body's most important nutrient. Essential for nearly all
physiological functions, water helps to maintain body temperature, lubricate
and cushion organs, transport nutrients, and flush toxins from the body.
Your
body needs water, even if you don't feel thirsty. Everyone should drink
at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, and an active person
should strive for even more.
CARBOHYDRATES:
Carbohydrates fuel the body. During digestion, carbohydrates break down
into glucose molecules. Glucose, the body's most efficient and readily
available energy source, enters the bloodstream and feeds the brain, organ
and muscle tissues. If you eat more carbohydrates than the body can use
or store, the excess is converted to fat. Many experts now recommend eating
four to six small meals per day, rather than three meals, to reduce the
incidence of carbohydrate overload and maximize carbohydrate conversion
into usable energy.
FATS:
Fats are the "black sheep" of the nutrient family. You already know that
too much fat contributes to many of today's common causes of death, such
as heart disease and cancer. But did you know that fats insulate the body,
protecting organs and nerve pathways, and they provide the necessary vehicle
for fat soluble vitamins? Fats carry compounds that give foods their enticing
flavors and aromas, and because fat leaves the stomach slowly, it leads
to greater satiety. If you eat more than you need, the extra food is stored
as fat. Eating excess fat can indeed make you fatter than eating excess
carbohydrate and protein.
PROTEINS:
Proteins are essential for the growth and repair of all body tissues.
They are comprised of amino acids which are broken down and redistributed
wherever your body needs them. Proteins also assist in the development
of antibodies and the formation of hormones and enzymes. Unlike carbohydrate
and fat, protein is not an efficient source of energy, and it is only
used for energy in extreme cases when no carbohydrate or fat is available.
VITAMINS:
Vitamins are essential, non-caloric nutrients which regulate biochemical
reactions. They are "helpers" in many cell functions, aiding in the processes
by which other nutrients are digested and used by the body. Vitamins cannot
give you energy, but they are necessary in helping your body make energy.
There
are two types of vitamins, fat soluble and water soluble. The fat soluble
vitamins -- A, D, E, and K -- are carried through the body by fat. These
vitamins are stored by the body and there is a risk of toxic build-up
if taken in large quantities. All other vitamins are water soluble, so
any excessive amounts are simply carried away in the urine. However, some
vitamins can be dangerous when taken in large quantities or in combination
with prescription drugs.
MINERALS:
Minerals, like vitamins, are essential, non-caloric nutrients. The help
build bones, clot blood, and carry nerve signals. Minerals compete for
absorption in the intestine, so excess amounts of one mineral can actually
inhibit absorption of another. Balance is the key. Adequate amounts of
minerals are obtained from most normal diets.
The key
to eating for fitness is choosing the right foods in the right portions.
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