Diet plan for fat

Nutrients in Your Diet

One must eat to sustain life. What you eat determines the health of your body. Food furnishes your body with nutrients, which are essential for life.

We need food to provide:

• Energy to accomplish daily activity.
• The necessary materials for the building or maintenance of body tissue and organs and to fight against diseases.
• Substances needed to regulate body functioning and processes.

Good nutrition—an adequate, well-balanced diet combined with regular physical activity—is a cornerstone of good health.

Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development and reduced productivity.

Nutrients are what you get from food for growth and health. These nutrients are necessary for building, repairing and maintaining Cells and body tissues, regulating the body processes and providing energy.

Getting to know the nutrients in your diet will help you eat wisely and stay fit and healthy.

The different nutrients are as follows:

Carbohydrates

Fats

Protein

Vitamins

Minerals

Water

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s major source of energy.
Consequently, a good intake of carbohydrates is essential for everybody.
Common sources of carbohydrates include rice, ragi, wheat bread, Bengal gram, green gram, banana, fruits, sugar, jaggery, sago, potato, tapioca and other root vegetables.

ProteinsProteins are vital for the body as they build and restore tissues.

Other functions of proteins include maintaining proper hormonal balance and normal body processes. Pulses, nuts, eggs, meat, chicken, cheese, etc., are rich sources of protein.

FatsFats are found in foods such as meat, fish, nuts, seeds and dairy products. All oils derived from plant sources are also fats.

They are mainly stored form of energy and therefore, have more energy value. When consumed in excess they promote building stores of energy in the form of fat, in the body.

For this reason, although some fat is vital, too much fat in the diet leads to weight gain. Eggs, meat, milk, cheese, oils, curd, cashewnut, coconut, etc., are the major food sources of fat.

Fiber
Fiber has no nutrient value, but is still a very important dietary component. It is the indigestible and unabsorbable material contained in plant materials such as bran and fresh vegetables.

Some part of the fiber is soluble and is conferred with more advantages like acting as a probiotic and not interfering with nutrient absorption. Fiber acts as bulking agent during the digestive process, that is it prevents Constipation.

Fiber controls cholesterol, prevents heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. The foods that contain high fibers include cereals, wholemeal flour, rice, beans, green vegetables and fruits.

Vitamins

Vitamins are a group of protective nutrients, which aids in normal cell function, growth and development. A regular daily intake of all vitamins is needed (with the exception of a few like vitamin A, there are no appreciable stores in the body). There are two main groups:

• Fat-soluble (vitamins A, D, E and K): Fats are needed for these vitamins to be absorbed into the body.
• Water-soluble vitamins (B group vitamins and C): They dissolve easily in water and are destroyed by heat. Water-soluble vitamins may be lost from food that is overcooked or kept warm for long periods.

Minerals

Like vitamins, minerals are classified under protective nutrients and are essential for the proper functioning and structural integrity of Cells. A daily intake of minerals is essential as the body cannot make them for itself. 

Minerals can be classified into macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals include calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. 

Typically, macrominerals are needed in the tissues in larger amounts than trace minerals. Micro (trace) minerals include iodine, zinc, copper, fluorine, chromium, copper, manganese, germanium and vanadium.

Water is an essential nutrient. The body is made up of 70–80% water. Water is one of the four main nutrients of the body.

Water deprivation affects our body much faster than the lack of any other nutrient.

Water is the medium by which nutrients, oxygen and other elements are distributed throughout the body.

Water also works as the transport for body waste removal. It also functions as a lubricant, maintains the body’s temperature, keeps our skin moist and protects the body from shock.

Other food components that keep you healthy

Research has shown that some nutrients and other non-nutritive substances in foods can also help maintain long-term health, and may help reduce the chances of ‘diseases of affluence’ such as heart disease and cancer.

These are known as functional foods and may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. Some of them include antioxidants, phytonutrients, probiotics and prebiotics.