The right food
Think of your body as a mechanism made up of billions of tiny chemical factories linked in an endless
process of utilising energy and performing such functions as nerve transmission and producing vital enzymes (body substances made from proteins that break down foods and regulate metabolism). Something as complicated as the human body must inevitably require differing varieties and amounts of resources to function. Fortunately, everything the average healthy person needs can be provided by a diet containing the right amount of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, minerals and vitamins. Each is essential to your well-being.
THE BODY’S NEEDS Proteins are the key building materials in all cells and are needed for growth and cell replacement or repair. Eating meat, fish, eggs, grains, beans and dairy products will provide an ample supply of protein.
Carbohydrates are the body’s fuel. They give you the energy to run a marathon as well as sustaining you during sleep. Even at rest, the body needs energy for growth, repairs and maintenance. Carbohydrates can be eaten in a variety of forms, from table sugar to bread, but for good health, foods containing complex carbohydrates -wholewheat pasta, for example - are best.
The carbohydrates in simple or refined sugars, like table sugar, or those found in chocolate bars, pastries, biscuits and cakes are absorbed quickly into the bloodsteam and are either used up rapidly or stored as fat in your body. Complex carbohydrates or starches, however, take time to break down into the simpler sugar units that your body’s cells burn for energy. A slower, more steady flow of energy is released into your bloodstream ready to meet your needs.
Fats help to form the delicate membranes around and inside the body cells and act as carriers for the four fat-soluble vitamins A,D, E, K and other nutrients. Stored fat can be broken down and converted into sugars to provide the body with additional fuel.
Fibre, or roughage, is the indigestible part of foods. It is important because, in combination with the water you drink and the complex carbohydrates you eat, it provides the bulk needed to carry waste products speedily from your body. Low-fibre diets are associated with constipation, haemorrhoids and other more serious bowel problems, including colitis and possibly colon cancer. Good sources of fibre are cereals, grains, bran, fruits and vegetables.
The trillions of cells in your body need tiny amounts of minerals, such as copper, zinc, sodium, calcium and potassium to carry out their essential biochemical activities. A diet containing a variety of foods is the best way to obtain a good mix of these minerals. Your body also requires other special food substances called vitamins. These are needed only in relatively small amounts, but are essential for various vital functions. Vitamins release energy from food, help to make blood cells and hormones and maintain healthy organs and optimum functions of systems such as the nervous system.
Finally, water is vital for life - as the principal component of body fluids it carries nutrients around the body, lubricates joints and dissolves food for digestion and absorption. Water is contained in all the foods you eat, and the tea, coffee, milk and fruit juice you drink, but you should also drink plenty of plain water each day.
