The human body is specialized in its needs. Like, plants can generate their food itself. And plant can live only on water and carbon dioxide, humans can't. As evolution occurs, there is a gradual dependency of the organism on external sources of glucose, amino acids, lipids and vitamins. Adequate nutrition is required for growth, development and maintenance of normal functions And good suitable diet is also necessary for a human being to achieve good health.
The very scum of the human society is that we have to eat. How nice people would have been to each other if they could have just made their own food out of sunlight, like plants! But nobody likes the life of a plant either. We are living in a cruel world where 25000 peoples die everyday due to starvation and other food deficiency related issue. And also in this world we have seen that obesity has reached a epidemic level in developed and developing countries. Where nearly 1.9 billion people are filling the criteria of obesity, which can reach nearly 3 billion till 2025.
Balanced diet involves consuming the right amounts of different food groups to provide the body with the nutrients it needs to function properly. It includes all the essential nutrients in the right proportions to promote good health and prevent disease. A well balanced diet includes all the seven essential food and nutrients to our body which is carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, fibres and water in proper quantity to promote good gut and overall general health of body. We will discuss all the content in personal and will see that in what quantity it needs ? And what it will provide to your body ? And will also discuss the diet chart for all the kind of personalities in upcoming blogs.
There are two types of food in our dish :-
Macronutrients :- Carbohydrates, proteins and fat are needed in a high amount, so it is called as macronutrients.
Micronutrients :- Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients, which is required in a small quantity for a body to regulate its functions properly.
The quantities of foods needed to meet the nutrient requirements vary with age, gender, physiological status and physical activity. A balanced diet should provide around 50-60% of total calories from carbohydrates, preferably from complex carbohydrates, about 10-15% from proteins and 20-30% from both visible and invisible fat. In addition, balanced diet should also provide non-nutrient such as dietary fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals and water in a required quantity to get positive health benefits.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms, and can be classified into two main categories :- simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are made up of one or two sugar molecules. Complex carbohydrates are made up of three or more sugar molecules linked together.
Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for the body, and they are broken down into glucose (a type of sugar) during digestion. Glucose is then used by the body for energy or stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen for later use. However, it's important to note that not all carbohydrates are created equal, and some types (like refined sugars and white flour) can have negative health effects when consumed in excess.
Sources of simple carbohydrates :- Glucose and fructose are found in fruits, vegetables and honey, sucrose is found in sugar and lactose is found in milk.
Sources of complex carbohydrates :- Starch is found in cereals, millets, pulses and root vegetables and glycogen is found mainly in animal foods. The other type of polysaccharide is cellulose which is indigestible by human digestive tract mainly found in vegetables and whole grains which acts as a dietary fibre for the humans.
In India, 70-80% of total dietary calories are derived from carbohydrates present in plant foods such as cereals, millets and pulses.
Protein
Protein are a large molecules made up of a long chain of amino acids. Protein is essential dietary substance. Protein is essential structural and functional unit of every cell in the body. Almost half of the protein in our body is in the form of muscles and rest of the protein is found in bone, cartilages and skin. All the hormones in our body are also made up of a protein.
There are mainly two types of amino acids. One is non-essential amino acids and another one is essential amino acids. Non-essential amino acids are found in our body and not necessary to take it from diet. While essential amino acids can't be made up in our body, so it is essential to take it in diet.
Animal foods like milk, meat, eggs and fish and plant based foods like pulses and legumes are rich source of protein. Animal proteins are more suitable as it will provide all the essential amino acids. Requirements of protein is vary according to age, gender, physiological status and stress. Growing infants and children are more in need of protein.
Fat
Fat is also known as lipids, and it is a type of molecule that is made up of fatty acids and glycerol. There are different types of fats, including saturated fats, unsaturated fats, and trans fats. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature and are found in animal products such as meat, butter, and cheese. Unsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature and are found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. Trans fats are artificially produced fats that are commonly found in processed foods.
Another two types of fat are visible and invisible fat. Invisible fat is present in animal and plant foods and visible fat is found in liquid fatty sources like oil and ghee. Fat is highly energetic substance which provides 9 kcal/gm as protein and carbohydrates can provide 4 kcal/gm. Fat is essential food substance as it provide environment for absorption of fat soluble vitamins like vit A, D, E and K. But excess intake of fat can increase the risk of obesity, heart diseases, diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.
Vitamins
Vitamins are the compound which is required by body in small amounts. Vitamins are the kinds of essential compound that cannot be synthesized by the body so it must be present in diet in required amount. Vitamins are essential for the various biochemical processes in our body. And also for betterment of many organs like skin, bone, nerves, eyes, brain, blood and mucous membrane. There are two types of vitamins present in our body which can be water soluble or fat soluble. Vit. A, D, E and K is fat soluble vitamins. And Vit. B complex and C are water soluble vitamins. Fat soluble vitamins can be stored into body but water soluble can't easily stored in body and get excreted in urine.
Minerals
Minerals are the inorganic compounds found in the tissues and body fluids. Sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulphur are some of the essential macro minerals. While zinc, copper, selenium, flourine, cobalt, chromium and iodine are micro minerals essential for body. Minerals are required for maintenance and integrity of skin, hair, nails, blood and soft tissues. They are also involved in nerve cell transmission, acid-base and fluid balance, enzyme and hormonal activity of body.
Fibres
Dietary fibres is a one kind of carbohydrate which humans can't digest. Cellulose is a dietary fibre which humans can't digest so it slows the process of digestion. And it will promotes the absorption of carbohydrates and fats. Fibres also decrease the content of glucose and lipids in a blood and increase the bulk to the stool. Vegetables and whole grains and some fruits contains dietary fibre. High fibre diet is considered good for people with constipation and high cholesterol level.
Water
Water is essential for life and plays a critical role in maintaining a healthy diet. Water is important for several functions of the body like regulate the temperature, to transport the nutrients, to remove waste through urine and also support the digestion and relieve constipation.
This are the all components we must add to our diet to get good nutritional value. In our upcoming blogs we will discuss from which foods this substances can get ? And in what quantity we have to take this foods ?
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