Vitamins Are Vital

Vitamins are a vital nutrient required by our bodies for normal growth and maintenance of the structure of skin, bone, nerves, eyes, brain, and blood. 

What is important to know is that vitamins -- though they are required in small amounts – have to be supplied through the diet and cannot be produced by the human body.

Types of Vitamins

There are two types of vitamins – FAT-SOLUBLE and WATER-SOLUBLE vitamins:

FAT-SOLUBLE: Fat soluble vitamins such as Vitamins A, D, E, and K can be stored in the body and are absorbed only in the presence of fat. Therefore, the presence of some fat in the diet is necessary.

Fats: Friend or Foe?

We all know that. If you eat too much fat, you become overweight. What you probably may not know is that fats are essential for us to survive and a diet low in fat can be dangerous.

Consider these facts: fats have high energy value; they provide essential fatty acids and help in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Being a poor conductor of heat, fats also insulate the body. Of course, an excess of anything is bad. Similarly, excessive fat leads to obesity, heart disease, and other problems.

Did you know that fats can be broken down into saturated and unsaturated?

The Power of Proteins

Is your hairline disappearing day by day? 

Well, maybe you are not eating enough protein. 

Protein is the primal life substance for your bodies and is responsible for the state of your nails, skin, hair, teeth, and tissue. Even the hemoglobin molecule that makes your blood red is mostly protein. 

The haemo or iron-containing fraction is a mere five percent, and the protein or globin fraction is an astounding 95 percent. That is why many cases of anemia do not respond to iron tablets alone if underlying protein deficiencies also exist.

Types of Proteins: Proteins are of two kinds – structural and functional.

Structural proteins are found in the material of muscle, bone, hair, nails, skin, blood, connective tissue and other areas,

Know your Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a friendly fuel and the principal source of energy for the body.

Types of carbohydrates

Your food contains two types of carbohydrates – Natural & Refined:

The natural carbohydrates include whole grains, vegetables, beans and fruits and are rich in water and fiber content. In addition to this, natural carbohydrates are rich in essential nutrients. They are more filling and provide you with lots of energy without adding to your calories. Thus, they should be an integral part of your diet

Refined carbohydrates include sugar, white flour, sweets, chocolates, cakes and are poor in fiber content. If taken in excess, these convert to fat.

Dangers of a Low Carbohydrate Diet

On a low carbohydrate diet, you may develop hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Because of a lump of drop-in blood sugar, your brain will not be properly nourished. Your retina will also be affected. People with hypoglycemia suffer from dizziness, mental fatigue, irritability and in advanced cases even loss of sight.

Know Your Food and Nutrients

What are the three basic things that you require to sustain life?

AIR, WATER, and FOOD.

You need AIR to breathe and WATER to drink, But what about FOOD?

Food refers to the material taken into your system that serves to sustain normal bodily functions. You are what you eat may be an old proverb, but it couldn’t be closer to the truth. Your food habits nourish your body and can influence your risk of developing heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and one of the modern world’s leading epidemic, obesity.

Food is a prerequisite for nutrition. in simple language, Nutrition is food at work in your body. It includes everything that happens to the food from the time you swallow it, to its digestion and till the time it is used by your body for various functions. The process of nutrition determines what nutrients your body needs, in what amounts and from which foods you could obtain these.