Paragon Health and Fitness

     Energy from the foods we eat come from four classes of
nutrients: carbohydrates, protein, fat, and alcohol. With 9 calories
per gram, fat is the most energy-dense of the nutrients. Carbohy-
drates and protein contain 4 calories per gram, while alcohol
contains 7 calories per gram. Although alcohol is very energy-
dense, it is extremely deficient in nutrients.

     A key to remember when consuming nutrients is that ANY nu-
trient consumed in excess of bodily needs is converted to fat for
storage. Simply put, there is no one nutrient category more "fat-
tening" than another, which is one of the main difficulties for the
American public trying to understand and maintain a healthy bal-
ance in their diets.

     The role of carbohydrates is to supply the body with the fuel (glu-
cose) that is uses for energetic production. The consumption of car-
bohydrates helps to spare proteins to be used for their role in repair
and building. Carbohydrates are found almost exclusively in plant
foods, such as fruits, nuts, vegetables, grains, peas, and beans.
Out of animal foods, only milk and mild products carry a significant
amount of carbohydrates.

     Carbohydrates come in two forms:
     1. Starches (or complex carbohydrates), and
     2. Sugars (or simple carbohydrates).

     Simple carbohydrates are also called simple sugars, and they in-
clude fructose (sugar from fruits and honey), lactose (sugar from
milk), and sucrose (table sugar). Because of the high concentration
of sugars, fruits are a natural source of simple sugars.

     Complex carbohydrates are sugars that are formed of a more
complex, longer chain. Fiber and starch are forms of complex car-
bohydrates, and can be found in foods such as beans, peas, vege-
tables, and whole grains.

     For your diet, unrefined foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans,
peas, and whole grain products will serve you best as opposed to
refined foods, such as candy, soda, desserts, and sugar.

     Large amounts of simple carbohydrates in unrefined foods have
been linked to certain disorders such as diabetes and hypoglycemia
(low blood sugar). And in addition to potential health problems, un-
refined foods are generally very high in calories and fats and offer
very little, if any, of the vitamins and minerals needed in a well bal-
anced diet.

     Your best bet is to limit the consumption of simple carbohydrates
isolated from foods. These refined sugars should not exceed 10%
of the total carbohydrate intake due to the fact that these food sources
have no nutrient value.

     The role of fat is an important one in the body. Dietary fats, or
lipids, can be broken down into two types of basic components:

     1. animal fats - generally very high in saturated fat
     2. plant fats - higher in monounsaturated fats, such as olive,
     peanut, and canola oils.

     95% of the fat you consume is in the form of triglycerides, which
also happens to be the major storage form of fat in the body's fat
tissues.

     The role of fat in the body is to cushion vital organs, provide in-
sulation against rapid heat loss, and is involved in nerve conduction
and the structure of body tissue. Fat is also a player in the absorp-
tion and transport of fat-soluble vitamins (a, d, e, k) and essential
fatty acids.

     The current U.S. dietary goal is to reduce fat intake to no more
than 30% of total calories, and intake of saturated fat should be no
more than 10%.

     Protein is essential for growth and development and is known as
the "building blocks" of the body. It's also the basic structure of all
living cells, providing energy for the body.

     The "building blocks, known as amino acids, are categorized as
essential and nonessential. The nine essential amino acids cannot
be synthesized by the human body and must be provided by food
sources, whereas nonessential amino acids can be manufactured
in the body by other amino acids. The liver can manufacture up to
80% of the amino acids needed, while the remaining 20% must
come from food sources.

     Proteins that are from animal origins, such as milk, cheese, poul-
try, meat, and eggs are complete proteins. Complete proteins
contain all of the essential amino acids needed by the body for main-
tenance and development. Proteins that fall short of this are deemed
incomplete proteins.

     Digestion begins in the stomach, but complete digestion occurs
in the small intestine where the amino acids then proceed to the
liver to be used for building bodily structure.

     Although there is no set requirement for protein intake, .4 gr of pro-
tein per pound of body weight for a healthy individual with no pre-
existing conditions is a standard recommendation.

     Those with illnesses and disease generally have a higher protein
requirement because of the body's need for repair that protein pro-
vides. During these times when the body fights infections, protein is
often wasted as energy as opposed to pursuing it natural function.

     Increased protein needs can also affect women who are pregnant,
individuals with injuries and those with age-related growth spurts.

     Water, which composes approximately 70 percent of the human
body, is the most basic nutrient and is essential to life. H20 is the
main transporter of nutrients, helps maintain body temperature, is
the liquid form for cell processes, and is essential for carrying
waste from the body.

     Water intake requirement can be simply equated as one quart to
every 1,000 calories consumed. The body may be able to survive up
to several weeks without food, but it cannot survive without water for
longer than five days.

     Water is absorbed from food and liquids through the stomach,
mainly in the large intestine, but the rate of absorption depends on
the temperature of the water.

     Intake of H20 comes from water within solid foods, liquids and
through water within the cells from oxidation. The intake of water
should balance the output of this nutrient from stool and urine ex-
cretion, sweat, and respiration loss.