Nutritional Requirements
This is how much of each nutrient our body needs. There is a standard Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Your RDA is an estimate of the average safe amount of nutrients and energy needed to maintain good health.
RDA
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance. RDA is an estimate of the average safe amount of nutrients and energy needs to maintain good health in a person who is already healthy. RDA can change between men and women and your state of health E.g. If your elderly or pregnant
Balanced Diet
This is the correct amounts of nutrients . E.g. carbohydrates, proteins, fats etc. All of these components will aid good health. A balanced diet should contain these different types of food.
Energy
Energy is what we need for our body to function. It is obtained from the foods that we eat, and all foods have a different energy level. Energy intakes change between humans. A sports performer would need more energy if they were training that day; as oppose to someone who was not exercising.
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate should make up 50% of the diet.
There are two groups of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates such as sugar should be consumed less than complex carbohydrates such as bread, rice, and potatoes. Simple carbohydrates are a shorter but more powerful source of energy; whereas complex carbohydrates are a longer lasting source of energy. Carbohydrates provide 16 kJ/g. The RDI is 300g. E.g. Bread, Cereal, Rice, Pasta etc.
Protein
Found in meats, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, and cereals. Protein is needed for growth and repair of the body. A protein is manufactured by many amino acids. Performers such as weightlifters should have a higher intake of protein than other performers such as runners The RDI for protein is 55g for men and 45g for women. E.g. Milk, Cheese, Yoghurt etc.
Fat
Fat provides the most energy per gram than any other nutrient (providing 37 kJ/g). But fat should not be used as energy. Fat is made up of various fatty acids. There are saturated and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are a lot better for you, as oppose to saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature. Fat is essential though because the body cannot make two essential fatty acids. These essential fatty acids can be found in oily fish, eggs, and meat (omega 3). A high fat diet can cause various cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. The RDI for fat is 65g (20g of that being saturated)
Fibre
Fibre is a mixture of mainly complex carbohydrates. They slow down digestion, as fibre cannot be digested in the small intestine. Fibre can lower cholesterol, and decrease chances of cancer of the bowel.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic components in food that are needed in very small amounts for growth and maintaining good health. For example Vitamin B1 promotes growth and muscle tone; aids the proper functioning of the muscles, heart and nervous system; assists in digestion of carbohydrates. Some foods which are rich in Vitamins are Pork, Whole-grain Cereals, Whole Grain Pasta, Rye and ...
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Fibre
Fibre is a mixture of mainly complex carbohydrates. They slow down digestion, as fibre cannot be digested in the small intestine. Fibre can lower cholesterol, and decrease chances of cancer of the bowel.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic components in food that are needed in very small amounts for growth and maintaining good health. For example Vitamin B1 promotes growth and muscle tone; aids the proper functioning of the muscles, heart and nervous system; assists in digestion of carbohydrates. Some foods which are rich in Vitamins are Pork, Whole-grain Cereals, Whole Grain Pasta, Rye and whole-wheat flour etc.
Minerals
Minerals are relevant to human nutrition, these include water, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. The mineral calcium is essential to sports performers as this is needed for muscle contraction and the formation of bone. Some foods which are rich in calcium are Milk, Yoghurt, Cheese etc.
Water
This is valuable for sports performance as it is a key necessity for hydration. The recommended intake for water is about 2 litres a day. Water also has a major role with all the chemical reactions in the body; as it provides a solution for them to happen in.
GI (Glycaemic Index)
Glycaemic Index (GI) is a ranking system for carbohydrates, dependant on their effect on blood glucose levels. Foods with a high GI such as jacket potatoes and sports drinks have a very rapid and powerful effect on blood glucose level.
These will provide you with a short, powerful, quick burst of energy. This is perfect for sprinters or sports that need bursts of energy. Foods with a medium/low GI such as pasta, white rice, and bananas have a lower effect on blood glucose levels. These foods will provide you with a lower amount of glucose oppose to the high GI foods, but will stay in the bloodstream a lot longer. Medium/low GI foods are perfect before a long training session, carbohydrate loading, or athletes that cover long distances.
GDA (Guideline daily allowance)
This scheme for showing nutritional information on processed foods. It shows the level of calories, sugar, fats, saturated fats, and salts as a percentage of an adult's guideline daily allowance.
Safe intake
The safe intake is the amount judged to be enough for almost everyone, but below a level that could have undesirable effects.
The Estimated Average Requirement
This is quite self explanatory, its pretty much the estimated average requirement of a nutrient.
Nutrient
A nutrient is a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from the environment. Non-autotrophic organisms typically acquire nutrients by the ingestion of foods.
Macro-Nutrients
When looking at your diet and nutrition, macro-nutrients are the elements of your diet that will provide your body with the energy that it needs to survive. These substances are needed for metabolism growth and essential body functions. The difference between Macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients as the later are needed only maintain health but not provide the body with the fuel to maintain energy. The three macro-nutrients are usually broken down into proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Micro-nutrients
These are called micro-nutrients because they are needed only in minuscule amounts, these substances are the "magic wands" that enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances essential for proper growth and development.
A balanced diet must contain carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, mineral salts and fibre. It must contain these things in the correct proportions.
. Carbohydrates: these provide a source of energy.
2. Proteins: these provide a source of materials for growth and repair.
3. Fats: these provide a source of energy and contain fat soluble vitamins.
4. Vitamins: these are required in very small quantities to keep you healthy.
5. Mineral Salts: these are required for healthy teeth, bones, muscles etc..
6. Fibre: this is required to help your intestines function correctly; it is not digested.
7. Balanced Diets: we must have the above items in the correct proportions.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy. They contain the elements Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen.
We obtain most of our carbohydrate in the form of starch. This is found in potato, rice, spaghetti, yams, bread and cereals. Our digestive system turns all this starch into another carbohydrate called glucose. Glucose is carried around the body in the blood and is used by our tissues as a source of energy. Any glucose in our food is absorbed without the need for digestion. We also get some of our carbohydrate in the form sugar. Both sucrose and glucose are sugars, but sucrose molecules are too big to get into the blood, so the digestive system turns it into glucose.
Proteins
Proteins are required for growth and repair. Proteins are very large molecules, so they cannot get directly into our blood; they must be turned into amino-acids by the digestive system. There are over 20 different amino-acids. Our bodies can turn the amino-acids back into protein. When our cells do this they have to put the amino-acids together in the correct order.
Proteins can also be used as a source of energy. When excess amino-acids are removed from the body the Nitrogen is excreted as a chemical called urea. The liver makes urea and the kidney puts the urea into our urine.
Fats
Like carbohydrates. Fats are used as a source of energy: they are also stored beneath the skin helping to insulate us against the cold. Do not think that by avoiding fat in your diet you will stay thin and elegant! If you eat too much carbohydrate and protein, you will convert some of it into fat, so you will put on weight. You must balance the amount of energy containing foods with the amount of energy that you use when you take exercise.
You must have some fat in your diet because it contains fat soluble vitamins.
Vitamins
Vitamins are only required in very small quantities. There is no chemical similarity between these chemicals; the similarity between them is entirely biological.
Vitamin A: good for your eyes.
Vitamin B: about 12 different chemicals.
Vitamin C: needed for your body to repair itself.
Vitamin D: can be made in your skin, needed for absorption of Calcium.
Vitamin E: the nice one - reproduction?
Minerals
These are also needed in small quantities, but we need more of these than we need of vitamins.
Iron: required to make haemoglobin.
Calcium: required for healthy teeth, bones and muscles.
Sodium: all cells need this, especially nerve cells.
Iodine: used to make a hormone called thyroxin.
Fibre
This is a carbohydrate used by plants to make their cell walls. It is also called roughage. If you do not eat foods materials which contain fibre you might end up with problems regarding bawl movements. The muscles of you digestive system mix food with the digestive juice and push food along the intestines by peristalsis; if there is no fibre in your diet these movements cannot work properly.
A Balanced Diet
You must have carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals salts and fibre in the correct proportions. If there is not enough protein, you will not be able to grow properly and you will not be able to repair yourself i.e. wounds will not heal properly. If you do not have enough energy containing foods you will feel very tired, you will not have enough energy. If you have too much energy containing foods you will become overweight. If you think that you are overweight you might try taking more exercise to "burn off" some of the excess food which you ate at you last meal.
