Nutrients: General Overview
The particular nutrients of interest are essential substances required, but not produced naturally by the body. They must be obtained from the external environment through the ingestion of food products. Nutrients required by the body serve various purposes, but generally are useful for the purpose of energy production and metabolism.
Nutrient Dense Foods
The typical American diet of frozen dinners and fast food provide inadequate nutritional value to the human body. It is possible to make better choices about the foods you eat. There are many known foods, available at any corner grocery store, that provide considerable amounts of nutrients. Nutrient dense foods are those foods that provide significant amounts of nutritional content while providing few calories. A few examples include:
- Fruits: strawberries, apples, bananas
- Vegetables: carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, potatoes, spinach
- Whole grains: bread, rice, pasta
- Seeds
- Meats: Lean cuts of pork and beef
- Fish: seafood, shrimp, scallions
- Poultry: Lean cuts of chicken
- Herbs & Spices
- Milk Products: Skim milk, cottage cheese, low fat cheeses
Empty Calorie Foods
Foods that contain little nutritional content and high calorie levels are considered empty calorie foods and should be eaten in moderation. A few examples include:
- Soft drinks: sodas, juices
- Sweets and Candies: chocolate, candy bars,
- Shortening and margarine
- Lard and butter
- Alcohol
Food and the Three Basic Needs
Food is eaten to fulfill three basic needs by the human body.
- Energy Production: Foods provide the energy necessary to operate the body on a daily basis.
- Metabolic Regulation: Metabolism is defined as the manner and effectiveness in which your individual body utilizes hormones and enzymes for the breakdown and absorption of nutrients.
- Tissue Growth and Repair Support: The generation of new growth is essential to the body, as well as the repair of any damages incurred.
Digestive Enzymes: Optimum Digestive Environment
Digestive enzymes are essential and responsible for the proper breakdown of food particles into molecules that can be readily absorbed and used for energy production by the body. Each individual digestive system has a particular optimum digestive environment created by the presence of hormones and enzymes in specific amounts. The optimum digestive environment is individualized and achievement of this environment allows for the safe and appropriate or even amplified nutrient absorption. Achievement of this environment is possible through variable methods, including the digestion of nutrient rich foods and/or supplementation through natural products.
Nutrients and You
Nutrients can be obtained from a variety of food groups and supplements. The goal is to choose healthy alternatives that contain high amounts of nutritional value, nutrient dense foods. This is not always possible, and supplements may be an option for resolution of nutritional deficiencies. Only you can choose to take responsibility for your own personal nutritional health.
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-system
http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-recipe-doctor/2006/11/boost-nutrient-absorption-with-good.html
http://healthy-living.org/html/is_it_nutrient_dense_.html
http://www.actabit.com/diet-nutrition/nutrient-dense-food-vs-empty-calorie-food
