Macro nutrients & more:
Here is some info on other elements of food that are just as important to understand when making health promoting food choices.
Most of us know about carbohydrates, proteins and fats as the 3 basic forms of food but dietary fibre is many times forgotten about but is just as important!
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Understanding the differences of fatty acids can help you make better food choices as the good fatty acids can boost your health and protect you from illness and premature aging where as the bad fatty acids can have the opposite effect!
Having an understanding of what complex and simple carbohydrates do for your body can also help you to make the right food choices for the right occasion.
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Too much protein or not enough can make a huge difference in your energy levels, recovery post exercise and your ability to heal after injury.
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And let us not forget about water! Really, without water you would not be alive to read this information!
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Simple Carbohydrates
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Simple carbohydrates are made up of simple sugars composed of 1 or 2 sugar molecules. Glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, and lactose are all simple carbohydrates from different foods. Glucose is found mainly in fruits, honey, sweet corn and most root vegetables. Fructose is the main carbohydrate found in fruits, maple syrup and honey. Fructose is unique as it must be converted to glucose by the liver for the body to utilize it as energy. Sucrose, processed from sugarcane or sugar beets, is common table sugar and is mostly found in processed foods. Maltose is a sugar in malted grain products and syrups. And finally, lactose is the sugar found in milk.
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Glucose is the energy molecule for the body and most of the other sugars are converted to glucose either by the liver or on the surface of the intestine.
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An excessive amount of simple sugars in the diet can increase risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and come cancers.
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The naturally occurring sugars found in fruits and vegetables are more balanced when digested as there are many other nutrients such as dietary fibre, vitamins, and minerals that manage how the body reacts to these sugars. Sucrose as an added sweetener found in processed foods does not have these other nutrients present and therefore can have more of a detrimental effect on your health when consumed in over abundance. Examples of these foods are white bread, white pasta, pastries, and breakfast cereals.
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Complex Carbohydrates
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Complex carbohydrates (starches), are made up of many glucose molecules joined together to form a chain. The longer the chain the more complex the carbohydrate and the more slowly it is broken down by the body to create singular glucose molecules for energy. This allows for more stable blood sugar levels. Complex carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains as they have a high fibre content which slows the carbohydrate breakdown.
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Protein
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Next to water, protein is the second most plentiful component in the human body. It makes up our hair, nails, muscles, tendons, ligaments and many other body structures. It also functions as hormones, enzymes and components of our DNA. Our body heals, grows and remodels continuously from protein turnover. Our body is able to make some proteins but not all and this is where essential amino acids (proteins) come in. Essential amino acids are the proteins we must obtain from our diet.
Many people don't struggle to get enough protein in their daily diet, and may actual consume too much. Excess protein intake can actually have negative effects to your health such as extras stress on your liver and kidneys and decrease fat utilization therefore promoting increased body fat content.
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Most people identify animal products a the best source for high levels of complete protein. This is true,although one can consume legumes and whole grains to get the complete protein spectrum as well. If on a strictly vegetarian or vegan diet, one must make sure to get a variety of plant foods that when combined provide your body with complete proteins. If low in protein intake this can affect your energy level, your recovery after exercise and your ability to heal after injury.
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Quinoa is an excellent option for vegans and vegetarians to get good amounts of protein. This little seed actually contains ALL amino acids and therefore will provide you with complete protein when consumed.
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Essential fatty acids
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The two official essential fatty acids are Omega-6 fat and Omega-3 fat although Omega-9 has many health benefits and is gaining more recognition. Medium chain fatty acids found in coconuts and coconut products are a healthy saturated fat that can be broken down easily and utilized by the body as energy. Fat is actually the preferred energy source of the body and is the most concentrated source for calories (9 calories per gram where as protein and carbs are 4 calories per gram).
Most peoples diet consist of high Omega-6 fat and saturated fats and low Omega-3 fats and unsaturated fats. Omega-6 fat is necessary for optimal health, it is the ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 that is important and a persons diet needs to fall between 1:1 and 1:4 for optimal health benefits and minimize disease risk.
Fat should be around 30% of your diet and mainly consist of Omega 3 fats, mono-unsaturated fats and medium chain fatty acids. Dietary fats play a critical role in cell structure, hormone precursors and metabolism regulation. The types of fats consumed will either promote health or promote disease.
The best sources for health promoting fats are nuts and seeds, avocados, coconut oil, olives and olive oil, flaxseed oil, borage oil and fish. Minimizing animal fats such as cheeses, butter, red meats, pork and chicken can lower your intake of Omega 6 fats and saturated fats.
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Dietary fibre
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Dietary fibre is the component of a plant the human digestive system is unable to completely break down into usable energy. It has such an important role in optimal health it should be on everyones radar as a vital part of your diet. Unfortunately most peoples diets are low in this essential part of a well balanced . Dietary fibre normalized bowel movements, maintaining colon health. As dietary fibre increases the rate of transit through the gastrointestinal tract, it actually slows down gastric emptying which helps manage blood glucose levels and avoids rapid glucose spikes in the blood.
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Water
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Our bodies are made up of about 60-70% water. Research shows that majority of the population is chronically dehydrated. Dehydration creates enormous stress on the body and when chronic can contribute to many disease. Each and every cell of our body needs water to function. When dehydrated our gastrointestinal tract suffers, our mood is effected, skin health suffers, all of our vital organs are effected and more. Consumption should be between 8-10 cups of water per day, and more if you are exercising. Eating foods with a high water content does contribute to your water intake such as fruits and vegetables which also contain more water when fresh.
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Water quality is another topic that should not be missed. More often than not our water sources can create unnecessary stress on our bodies due to contamination from heavy metal, plastics or added chemicals such as chlorine. A water filtration system can purify your water source to ensure you are not taking in any unnecessary toxic substances.
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