
NUTRITION
Good nutrition is a diet in which foods are eaten in
proper quantities and with the needed distribution of
nutrients to maintain good health. Malnutrition, on
the other hand, is the result of a diet in which
there is an underconsum ption, overconsum ption, or
unbalanced consum ption of nutrients that leads to
disease or an increased susceptibilit to disease.
What is stated in the above definitions is the fact that
proper nutrition is essential to good health. A histor of
poor nutritional choices will eventuall lead to poor
health consequences.
There are man substances necessar for the proper
functioning of the bod . Nutrients are the substances
that the bod requires for the maintenance of health,
growth, and to repair tissues. Nutrients can be divided
into six classes: carboh drates, fats, proteins, vitamins,
minerals and water. Carboh drates, or "carbs", are
nutrients that are com posed of carbon, h drogen and
ox gen, and are essential sources of energ in the
bod . Grains, vegetables, and fruits are excellent
sources of carboh drates. It is recom m ended that
at least 55% to 60% of the total number of calories
consum ed com e from carboh drates (A m erican
Diabetes Association, Diabetes & Exercise, 1990). It is
further recom mended that 10% or less of the total
calories consum ed com e from simple sugars like a
cand bar.
One of the man benefits of consum ing foods that are
high in com plex carboh drates, such as rice, pasta,
and whole grain breads, is that the also t picall
contain dietar fiber. Dietar fiber is a term used when
referring to substances found in plants that cannot be
broken down b the human digestive s stem. Although
fiber cannot be digested, it is im portant in helping to
avoid cancers of the digestive s stem, hemorrhoids,
constipation, and diverticular disease because it helps
food move quickl and easil through the digestive
s stem. It is recom m ended that people consum e
20 to 30 gram s of fiber per da (American Diabetes
Association, Diabetes & Exercise, 1990). Excellent
sources of dietar fiber are grains, vegetables,
legumes, and fruit.
Fats are an essential part of a health diet and serve
vital functions in the human bod . Among the functions
perform ed b fats are tem perature regulation,
protection of vital organs, distribution of some vitamins,
energ production, and formation of com ponent parts
of cell membranes. Like carboh drates, fats are
com posed of carbon, h drogen, and ox gen.
However, their chem ical structure is different.
Both anim als and plants provide sources of fat.
Saturated fats com e primaril from animal sources
and are t picall solid at room tem perature. Plant
sources of saturated fats are palm oil, coconut oil,
and cocoa butter. A high intake of saturated fats is
directl related to increased cardiovascular disease.
Unsaturated fats are t picall liquid at room temperature.
Corn, peanut, canola, and so bean oil are sources of
unsaturated fats. It is recom mended that no more than
30% of one’s diet be com posed of fats. Ten percent or
less of the total calories consum ed should com e from
saturated fats. One wa to reduce saturated fat intake
would be to substitute m argarine for butter.
Proteins are substances com posed of carbon, h drogen,
ox gen, and nitrogen. Proteins are m ade b com bining
amino acids. Am ino acids are nitrogen-containing
building blocks for proteins that can be used for energ .
Amino acids can com bine in innumerable wa s to form
proteins, and it is estimated that tens of thousands of
different t pes of proteins exist in the bod . It is the
ordering of the amino acids that provides the unique
structure and function of proteins.
There are proteins in both meat products and plant
products. Animal sources of protein such as milk,
meat and eggs contain the eight essential amino
acids (amino acids that the bod cannot s nthesize
and therefore must be ingested). Plant sources of
protein such as beans, starch vegetables, nuts, and
grains do not alwa s contain all eight amino acids.
Because of this, vegetarians must consum e a variet
of protein-containing foods. It is recom m ended that
proteins make up 10% to 15% of one’s dail calories.
This will ensure adequate protein for growth,
m aintenance, and the repair of cells. Protein
requirem ents for adults are not as high as those
recom mended for infants, children, and oung adults.
Note: individuals who are training intensel will have
an increase in their protein requirements.
Vitamins are organic substances that are essential to
the normal functioning of the human bod . Although
vitamins do not contain energ to be used b the bod ,
these substances are essential in the metabolism of
fats, carboh drates and proteins. Because of the
critical role vitamins pla , it is necessar that the exist
in proper quantities in the bod .
Minerals are inorganic molecules that serve a variet
of functions in the human bod . The minerals that
appear in the largest quantities (calcium, phosphorus,
potassium, sulfur, sodium, chloride, and magnesium )
are often called macrominerals. Other minerals are
also essential to normal functioning of the bod , but
because the exist in smaller quantities (chromium,
iron, copper, fluoride, iodine, manganese, mol bdenum,
selenium, and zinc) the are called microminerals.
A mineral that is often consum ed in inadequate
amounts b Americans is calcium . Calcium is a
mineral im portant in the m ineralization of bone,
muscle contraction, and the transmission of nerve
impulses. Osteoporosis is a disease characterized b
a decrease in the total am ount of bone mineral in the
bod and b a decrease in strength of the remaining
bone. This condition is most com mon in the elderl
but ma also exist in ounger people who have diets
inadequate in calcium or vitamin D or both.
Iron is another mineral that is often underconsum ed
b Americans. This is especiall true of women. The
ox gen-carr ing properties of hem oglobin (blood)
depend on the presence of iron. Anem ia is a condition
characterized b a decreased capacit to transport
ox gen in the blood, and is also common in those
lacking a sufficient am ount of iron intake. Red meat
and eggs are excellent sources of iron. A dditionall
spinach, lima and nav beans, and prune juice are
excellent vegetarian sources of iron.
Sodium, on the other hand, is a mineral that man
Americans over-consume. High sodium intake has
been linked with h pertension, as well as high blood
pressure. People can substantiall reduce their
sodium intake b limiting consum ption of processed
foods and decreasing the amount of salt added to
foods when cooking.
In conclusio n...d on ’t forge t h dration. W ater is
considered an essential nutrient because of its vital
role in the normal functioning of the bod . Water
contributes approxim atel 60% of the total bod
weight and is essential in creating an environment
in which all m etabolic processes occur. Water is
necessar to regulate tem perature and to transport
substances throughout the bod .
FOLLOW THESE BASIC NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
FOR GAINS IN STRENGTH AND LEAN MUSCLE MASS:
1 Choose your foods carefully Try getting your
carbohydrates from sources such as rice,
vegetables, beans, whole grains, pasta and fruit
Good protein sources include fish, chicken, turkey,
lean meat and low-fat or nonfat dairy products
2 Minimize your fat intake
3 Drink a minimum of 10 eight-ounce glasses of
water each day
4 Eat four to six small meals a day, about three
hours apart Small meals are more easily digested
and result in greater nutrition absorption
5 Avoid eating junk food and fast food
6 Time your protein intake of 40-55 grams
approximately 75 minutes after your workout
7 Immediately following your workout, replenish
your glycogen stores with approximately
50-75 grams of carbohydrates
For more information on nutrition visit our local
librar or book store. There are man excellent books
available.
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