Nutrition: The Basics

By john | April 25, 2007

There are so many different diets and ways of eating that it’s no wonder we’re thoroughly confused. Here’s a balanced view of the basics of good nutrition.

The food we eat can be divided up into three major ‘macro’ nutrient groups: carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Curb the carbs?

The body uses carbohydrates (carbs) as its main fuel. Carbs can be divided into two types: ‘fast burning’ (junk food, processed food, honey, sweet foods) and ’slow burning’ (whole grains, fresh fruit and veg grains). The type of carbs you should curb is the fast-burning carbs because these will give you a surge of energy followed by a nasty crash. And avoid rocket-fuel carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice cakes, biscuits and sugar. Slow-burning , complex carbohydrates, however, should make up about 70% of your diet. These tend to be complex carbohydrates and usually have more fibre in them to slow down the way sugar is released into your system.

Perfect protein

Protein contains the building blocks (amino acids) that are used for making enzymes, hormones, antibodies and neurotransmitters as well as for repair of the body and for growth. Protein isn’t just about huge slabs of juicy steak. Vegetarian sources of protein are important to consider and include beans, tofu, quinoa (a type of grain) and lentils. You should be aiming to get about 15% of your calories through protein, so aim to eat plenty of vegetarian sources, which are less acid forming, and also consider some cheese and eggs, but not in excess. If you eat meat, have it no more than three times a week.

Fear of feet

A fear of fat has been drummed into us. Yet it’s only the wrong kind of fat we should be scared of not good fats. There are two main types of fat: saturated fats (hard fat) and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are not essential for the body to function. There are also two main categories of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated (olive oil is in this group) and polyunsaturated. Some polyunsaturated fats are good for your brain and generally make the body work efficiently. In fact, they’re known as essential fatty acids (EFAs) - the name speaks for itself. EFAs are destroyed by heat and light so, despite some manufacturers’ health claims, the benefits of these fats are likely to have been destroyed once foods are processed. You should aim to get about 15% of your calories through good-quality EFAs. Each day, supplement a pure fish oil or flax seed oil, and eat plenty of nuts and seeds. And avoid too many saturated fats or the type of fats found in processed foods.

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