Nourishment and Vitamins

Human body requires food to provide energy for all life proceses and for growth, repair and maintenance of tissues and cells,including those of immune system, brain and nervous system and other vital organs. Individual needs vary according to activity levels and age. Energy expenditure by a person it's estimated during working or momentary. The results are refering at the determined time ( 8 hours of work ). At the obtained values for the energy expenditure during the working hours it's added the value besides the working hours (the walk , the standing on the feet , the energy expenditure for the nutrition ). This value represents the moment of a need of 1,5 caories at kilogram bodily weight, for a period of an hour. If it is included the sleeping two, it' s easily obtained the expenditure of energy per day.

Are resulting the subsequent things:

1. One person in the recumbent position loses about 1600 - 1700 calories per day or 1-1,1 calories in an hour per kilogram of bodily weight.
2. A person who practises an easy move from the sitting position, loses 2200 - 2400 calories.
3. A person who practises an activity makes appeal at an effort for the muscles and loses 2600 - 2800 calories ( a student loses about 2800 - 3000 calories ).
4. A medium effort of the muscles requires 3400 - 3600 calories per day.
5. A person who makes an pretentious activity with a great musclar effort loses 5000 calories, or even more.

All these values are approximated and represents the basis on which are consitituted the standards of the nourishment. All these data, of which calorycal values we know, offers the possibility of making the menu of a meal which corresponds at the energetic level.

Nutrients are substances necessary for proper bodily function. Some are required in large quantities ( macronutrients ) and some are required in small quantities ( micronutrients ). There are four types of macronutrients: Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats and Water, and two types of micronutrients: Vitamins and Minerals.

Proteins are the basic structure of all living cells. Proteins are used in making hormones, blood plasma transport systems and enzymes.Proteins are essential throughout life for repair and replacement of damaged cells and tissues. Is very important for growing children to receive plenty of protein in their diet, for bones and muscles. The basic building blocks of proteins are called amino acids. There are two types of proteins: complete and incomplete. Amino acids are categorized as essential and non-essential.

Non-Essential Amino Acids: Alanine, Arginine, Asparangine, Cysteine, Glycine,Glutamine, Taurine, Proline, Serine, Tyrosine.

Essential Amino Acids: Histidine, Isolencine and Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalani-ne, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine.

Essential amino acids are not manufactured by the body, it must come from dietary intake. The body can manufacture non-essential amino acids from the by-products of carbohydrate metabolism.

Amino acids are crucial for proper Central Nervous System function.

Other protein is synthesized in all tissues in the body; especially the liver and muscles are the most active. Meat, fish, milk, cheese and eggs contain complete proteins.

Examples of protein rich foods:

• High fat - meat, eggs, milk, cheese, salmon, peanut butter
• Low fat - tuna, red beans, skim milk, non-fat cheese, egg whites

According to RDA requirements, an adult should consume approximately 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight on a daily basis ( 0.8 grams of protein per kg. of body weight ) as a minimum requirement.

Carbohydrates are organic components which role is to provide an easily utilised source of energy for body. All carbohydrates are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and are manufactured by plants.Carbohydrates should comprise approximately 60 % of the daily caloric intake.

There are 3 types of carbohydrates:

• Monosaccharides - are simple sugars and are the basic unit of carbohydrate. Example: fructose, glucose
• Disaccharides - ex. are table sugar
• Polysaccharides - ex. are starches ( bread, fruit, grain, rice ).

Fiber is a form of carbohydrate; it facilitates elimination and decreases appetite as a bulking agent. Also inhibits the absorption of cholesterol into the blood stream. Can be important in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Too much fiber in the diet can restrict the absorption of necessary vitamins and minerals.

Excess carbohydrates are covered into fat by the liver and stored in adipose tissue.

Experts say that approximately 20 grams of dietary fiber is required in our diets.

Fats are organic components that occur naturally in plant and animal cells in the form of lipids. They are an important energy store. Fats play a vital role in the human body and perform many functions: are good for the production of cell membranes, blood lipids, bile and vitamin D. Minimum daily requirement for unsaturated fat is 10-15 grams.

Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat Dietary Requirements

Proper nutrition requires a balanced intake of Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat. Protein and Carbohydrate are both 4 calories per gram. Fat is 9 calories per gram.An example follows for a daily caloric requirement of 2000 calories. The amount of grams of each will vary according to your daily caloric requirement ( based on BMR ).Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy (calories) required by the body while at rest to perform the vital functions of heartbeat, respiration, maintenance of body temperature and cellular processes).To calculate your BMR:

BMR = 24 * Weight (lb) / 2.2

OR

BMR = 24 * Weight (kg)

The BMR is then multiplied by a number representing the individuals activity level:

BMR does not take into account extremes of activity or inactivity; BMR should be used as an approximation.

The following example is for a daily caloric requirement of 2000 calories:

Example of low fat food:

Breakfast:

• Non-fat cereal with skim milk and fruit
• Toast with jelly - (no butter, no margarine)
• Bagel with jelly / fat free cream cheese (no butter, no margarine)
• Egg substitute French Toast (no butter)
• Egg substitute sandwiches (no mayonnaise)
• Egg substitute omelets (vegetable, no cheese)
• No meats, butter, cheeses or egg yolks
• Even no fat restaurant breakfasts are cooked with butter or oil

Lunch:

Turkey sandwich: 1 slice of 97% fat free turkey

1 slice of fat free cheese

mustard, lettuce, tomato

• No chips, potato/macaroni salad or anything with real mayonnaise
• Fat free, no salt pretzels
• Salad (no croutons, cheese, olives, oil eggs, chickpeas)
• Use fat free dressing sparingly and on the side
• You can include water packed tuna, chicken (white meat) and turkey
• Bread (no butter or margarine)

Dinner:

• Turkey (less fat than chicken)
• Vegetables (steamad) cooked without butter
• Potatoes (baked, no sour cream or butter -try mustard or salsa)
• Bread (no butter or margarine)

Dessert:

• Jelly-O, fresh fruit, fat free pudding snacks
• Fat free cookies and crackers
• Bread
• Coffee/ tea (use non-fat milk or none

Water - the organism needs 1,5 litre of water per day; water is essential to all life processes. The water allows that, through out perspiration, toxins to be eliminated. The human body contains 66% water. If you 'll drink a glass of water before the meal, the appetite of food would decrease.

During exercise, about four ounces of water should be consumed every 15 minutes to replace water lost through sweat and maintain blood volume. Adults should drink about 2 1/2 quarts of water per day.

Early signs of dehydration include: fatigue, headache and loss of appetite. Advanced dehydration is manifested by rapid pulse, deep yellow urine, hearing loss and blurred vision.

The best nourishments are the "alive "products, taken directly from the plant, from the garden, washed and eaten immediatly. Fresh products lose their nutritive elements really fast, and keeping, processing or warming them up cancels their nutritive value. Our body was made to be active from the physical point of view. At the ideal way, we should eat large quantities of fresh nourishments, and then burn our calories through exercises, just like our ancestors used to do.