The Essentials of Good Nutrition
To successfully manage your body weight and composition, it is necessary to realize that food is a fuel that provides energy to propel our bodies and to perform chemical reactions.
Food when is ingested is turned into energy through a process called oxidation. the amount of energy provided by food is measured in calories.
Food provides essential nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water that are vital to maintaining optimal health. |
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Foods are broken down into more simple chemical forms so that they can be absorbed through the intestinal walls and transported by the blood to the cells.
This process is accomplished through digestion, absorption and metabolism.
Digestion is a series of chemical changes by which foods are broken down for absorption from the intestinal tract into the blood stream. |
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Absorbtion is the process by which nutrients in the form of amino acids from protein, glucose from carbohydrates and fatty acids from fats are taken into the blood stream to facilitate cellular metabolism. |
Metabolism is the conversion of the digested nutrients into building material for active tissue or energy to meet the body's requirements.
The secret of managing the intake of your fuel is about knowing how much, what type and the best to be consumed.
The optimal intake is depending on several variables such as age, gender, height, weight, body composition and activity level.
The body handles mismanagement of calories (over eating) and the composition of these calories by storing unused calories as body fat.
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