The term “FOOD” can be used to refer to many things. In most dictionaries, however, the word is used to refer to food preparations. In food terms, food is generally of animal, plant or fungus origin, and usually contains vital nutrients, including vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, or minerals. The human body requires a wide range of foods to survive, including meat, vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy products, salt, sugar, fat, and yeast for the production of carbohydrates.
The problem is that most people eat too much food, resulting in a diet that is far too rich in calories and low in nutrients. This results in a food intake that is far higher than what the body requires, and is likely to cause obesity, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, and certain diseases called diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, and various other chronic diseases. The average person needs about two thousand calories a day to stay healthy, and usually about seven thousand calories a day. However, most people eat much more than this, which contributes to health problems.
- Food that provides complete proteins is the first element of a good diet. All protein-rich foods are necessary to maintain a healthy diet, and proteins can be divided into six different categories.
- These include all animal proteins; proteins derived from plant sources (for example, eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, legumes); vitamins and minerals; and hormones and other substances that help the body use nutrients. Animal foods provide complete proteins that come from the tissues of animals and are needed to build and repair muscle tissue.
Complete proteins can also be found in certain foods like nuts, legumes, and whole grains, which are known as complex carbohydrates. Foods that provide complete proteins are also recommended by experts for the maintenance of a healthy diet. Common examples of complete proteins are nuts, milk, eggs, fish, rice, wheat germs, and chlorella, green plant food. Foods that contain small amounts of complex carbohydrates are called simple carbohydrates, and they come from fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, and some nuts.
A healthy diet needs a variety of foods that are high in fiber. Fiber comes from plant products that are rich in carbohydrates and other nutrients. Some of these foods are nuts, beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Most vegetarians also choose to eliminate some animal products from their diets, which also lowers their total calories and adds vitamins and minerals to their diet. Vegetarians, or ovo-vegetarians as they are sometimes called, are also better candidates for weight loss if they also reduce their fat intake.
One of the main principles of nutrition is that most food energy is lost when food is cooked or fried. This is because the calories in the food digester and are used as energy when it is digested. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grain cereals are good choices to replace part of your usual meals. They are easily digested and have a relatively small amount of calories. When animal products are eaten, they can be converted into cholesterol and fatty acids that can increase your LDL cholesterol, which can lead to cardiovascular disease, and increase your triglycerides which contribute to fatty deposits on your body.
