Nutrition and diet are integral to an individual’s success in a strength-training program, to achieve weight loss goals and to live a healthier lifestyle. As adults, over the years, most of us have developed eating habits that may or may not be beneficial to our overall health and wellbeing. There are key nutritional components our bodies require to run efficiently. Everyone should be aware of and attempt to incorporate these foods into everyday life. Understanding why certain foods are important in our diet is helpful in encouraging the integration of these elements into our everyday eating habits. There are three basic categories that our fuel sources fall into. These are: Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fats. Generally speaking, we should incorporate these foods into our diet at percentages of 50-60%, 20-30%, and 20% respectively.
Fuel for your body
Carbohydrates are sugars and are the body’s preferred source of energy. Complex carbohydrates provide the body with nutrition that fat and protein cannot. They create a feeling of satiety due to its higher fiber content and take longer to digest than simple sugars. Complex carbohydrates can be found in many delicious foods including Oatmeal, Potatoes, Sweet potatoes, Brown rice, and 100% Whole grains. These types of carbohydrates have a low glycemic index. As a result, they help the body maintain a more consistent blood sugar level.
Dietary protein is the delivery vehicle for amino acids. Meat, fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and supplements provide the human body with these valuable building blocks of protein. There are two categories of amino acids: essential and non-essential. Our bodies require consumption of essential amino acids to have them available for use. We make non-essential amino acids; therefore, we do not have to consume them to have them available for our use. We need protein to synthesize body-tissue protein, provide glucose for energy (it may convert to glucose), and to build non-essential amino acids.
Facts about fats
Fats, also known as lipids, are a vital part of a healthy diet. The two types of lipids (or fatty acids) are saturated and unsaturated. Monounsaturated fatty acids are found in olive and canola oils. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as Omega-3 and Omega-6, have favorable effects on our blood lipid profile and are thought to play an important role in the prevention of heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, as well as cancer. Lipids are the most concentrated form of energy in the diet. They are important in maintaining cellular membrane structure and function, are precursors to hormones, and help in the regulation and excretion of nutrients in the cell. For instance, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K require fat to act as a carrier for proper absorption.
What you elect to use as fuel for your body matters. So the next time you sit down to a meal, have a snack, or are preparing dinner, think about the nutrients being provided by the food you are consuming. After all, pausing to think about what your body requires in the form of nutrition sometimes helps in making better food choices.
