Healthy nutrition

Six basic things that will help you increase your health and sports result

Food is not only the fuel that stops hunger. It is contained from things that are very important for maintaining of optimum health and top performance. Six types exists(each of these groups will be discussed separately later):

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the source of calories from sugars and starch that feed muscles and brain. They are main source of hard training. 60% of daily calories intake has to come from carbohydrates from fruit, vegetables, bread and cereals.

Fat

Fats are the source of calories that is mostly released during low-intense activities (for example, reading and sleeping) and long-term activities( long run, long slow cycling). Animal fat(butter, bulk, fat in meat) are saturated and will contribute to cardio problems and some types of cancer. Plant fat(for example olive oil, corn oil, canola oil) are unsaturated and less harmful. Fat shouldn’t be more than 25% of daily calories.

Proteins

Proteins are important for muscles bulding and rebuilding, erythrocytes, hair and other tissues, and for hormonal synthesis. In digestive tract, they are degraded to aminoacids, that are being resynthized in muscle proteins and other tissues. Proteins are source of calories and can lead to energy creating if body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates( for example during exhaustful activity). Around 15% of calories should come from proteins – fish, poultry, meat, tofu, soya and legumes.

Vitamins

Vitamins are metabolic catalisators that regulate chemical reactions inside of the body. Here uppertain A vitamin, B-complex vitamins and C, D, E and K vitamins. Most of vitamins are hemical bonds that body cannot process, so they have to be intaked through food. Vitamins are not energy source.

Minerals

Minerals are elements that are given from the food, and which can help, in various ways, to body structure building(for example, calcium in bones) and body processes regulations(for example, iron transfers oxygen in blood stations). Other important minerals are magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, chrome and zinc. They also don’t have energy value.

Water

Water is also a substance that doesn’t have energy value. Body contains 60-75% of water. Water stabilizes body temperature, transfers nutrition elements and waste products from the stations, and it is important for stations function.

Three important things for healthy nutrition

When you create your meals, try to plan according to these three factors:

1)      Diversity. There is no miracle food. Each food gives specific things. For example, oranges contain C vitamin and carbohydrates, but not iron and proteins. Meat contains iron and proteins, but not C vitamin and carbohydrates. The best effect is if you respect diversity.

2)      Moderation. Even soda and chips can be found in correct moderate nutrition. Try to change white sugar with nutritive additives. For example, instead of fatty sausage and cakes, chose low- calorie tuna sandwich without tartar sauce. Though no food is junk, too much low calorie food can be accumulated into bad nutrition.

3)      Completeness. Chose natural or low modified products where ever you can. Instead of white bread eat integral bread, apples instead of apple compote, cooked potato instead of chips. Natural food usually has bigger nutrition value and less suspicious additives.

Recommended daily amounts

Respect that this counts for the highest number of population. This should also be individually adjusted to the unit or athlete.

Nutritive term	Recommended daily amount
Protein	65g
A vitamin	5,000 IU
Thiamine(B1)	1.5mg
Riboflavin(B2)	1.7mg
Niacine	20mg
B6	2mg
Folic acid	0,4mg
C vitamin	60mg
D vitamin	400 IU
E vitamin	30 IU
Calcium	1000mg
Iron	18mg
Zync	15mg
K vitamin	80µg
Chrome	120µg
Selenium	70µg
Manganese	2mg

"Sports nutrition", Nancy Clark